ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) rankings just posted saw destination Vienna reclaim the top spot worldwide for the first time since 2012. The 2021 Iceberg partner survey attributed 92 congresses to Vienna, with Lisbon second (91) and Athens third (66). Barcelona and Singapore are next, then Madrid, Prague, Paris, Berlin and Brussels. From Meetings International…
Global convention sector consulting firm GainingEdge has launched its second annual report on leveraging the intellectual capital of convention destinations, based on an analysis of international association leadership. The research underpinning the Iceberg partner’s report identifies the relative strengths of 350 destinations via the presence of their local intellectual leaders in the governing bodies of international associations that…
Prague is better than any other city at engaging with its locally-based association leaders to secure big meetings and conventions, says a new report. The Czech Republic’s capital has a 95 percent “harnessing ratio”, according to the Leveraging Intellectual Capital second edition just compiled by Iceberg partner GainingEdge. From Association Meetings International…
After first postponing the event due to COVID-19, World Environmental Education Congress organisers then had no time to plan any community service project for the Ukrainian refugees suddenly housed in the Prague Congress Centre alongside them during their delayed meeting. But participants even so found ways to demonstrate their support. From PCMA…
A large number of meetings industry groups have now made statements condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, are raising awareness or funds, or have barred Russian state participation in meetings. More and more convention venues in Europe have now converted their facilities to house the millions of Ukrainians escaping the ravages of war. From PCMA…
A new report names London the “intellectual capital” of the world. The study ranks destinations by the number of international association board members living in them. But the UK capital could attract more meetings by better “harnessing” its potential conference ambassadors. The report is from Iceberg partner GainingEdge. From Association Meetings International…
Global convention industry consulting firm and Iceberg partner GainingEdge has released its third annual Competitive Index of international convention destinations. The 2020 edition extends the listing to the world’s top 101 cities, those which have hosted 87 or more international conventions over the past three years as reported by the International Congress and Convention Association….
Meetings and events leaders in the Czech Republic have pleaded for government support and say that without it up to 114,000 jobs are at risk. An alliance of industry bodies has warned impact on conferences, trade fairs and cultural events from the COVID-19 pandemic will be “enormous”. From Association Meetings International…
Who helps an association to decide which destination should host its next conference? Who better to provide the personal element than the city’s own thought leaders? Prague’s Ambassador Program started back in 2008, shortly after the establishment of the Prague Convention Bureau. A collection of academics was assembled with immediate results. From Boardroom…
Doctors and rescue workers have just met in record numbers at the 13th Congress of the European Society for Emergency Medicine, in EUSEM’s 25th year. More than 2,500 specialists filled the Prague Congress Centre, with the biggest delegations coming from the USA and UK, where the specialty is over 50 years old. From Association Meetings International…
London has been named the top meetings destination in Europe for the fifth consecutive year. Cvent, the events and hospitality technology provider, has released its annual rankings. Eastern European cities are gaining momentum, with Prague moving back into the top ten. Istanbul has broken into the top twenty-five. From Association Meetings International…
Prague’s emergency medicine practitioners hope hosting the 13th Congress of the European Society for Emergency Medicine will support further development of the fledgling field in the Czech Republic. Some 2,000 specialists from around the world are expected to attend the event at the Prague Congress Centre in October. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
Prague in the Czech Republic is not only a major meetings destination, but also home of the AIM Group International office of Bob Novak. Novak has written a white paper, “How to Create a Truly Unique Destination Experience and the Latest DMC Trends”, which discusses the current evolution of destination management companies. From PCMA…
Security at the Prague Congress Centre has been put to the test during the largest anti-terrorist exercise ever held in the Czech Republic. 70 armed “terrorists” invaded a musical performance in the presence of 2,000 visitors who were freed by the intervention of elite units of the Czech police. From Association Meetings International…
The 7th International Conference on Hydrogen Technologies took place in Prague in July 2017. Work to bring the conference to the Czech Republic capital started as early as 2009. Professor Dr. Ing. Karel Bouzek (above receiving an ambassador award) was the meeting’s local champion, and reflects how it developed after the bid was won. From Boardroom…
The Prague Convention Bureau says operator Bestsport is building a new congress and cultural centre next to O2 Arena, the existing sports and entertainment venue. The O2 Universum is scheduled to open in mid-2019, and will have 21 halls of different sizes, the largest able to accommodate up to 4,500. From Meetings & Conventions…
The Prague Convention Bureau is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a new campaign, PCBturns10, which it will showcase at IMEX in May. Since its foundation in 2008, PCB has helped host more than 630 events with an attendance of almost 293,000 delegates, generating 620,000 room nights and more than CZK 1.2 billion. From Meetpie.com…
The Moises Shuster Award, highest honour of the International Congress and Convention Association, was given to IMEX Group Chairman and industry legend Ray Bloom during the 56th ICCA Congress Farewell Dinner in Prague. Bloom follows other luminaries in the win, including his own colleague Paul Flackett, who passed away just before the congress opened. From Meetpie.com…
The inaugural winners of the “Incredible Impacts” grants supported by the International Congress and Convention Association and BestCities Global Alliance have been announced at an ICCA Congress session called “A celebration of the beyond tourism impact”. The three winning international associations have each made legacy a central part of their thinking and activities. From Association Meetings International…
The International Congress and Convention Association has welcomed a record number of members to its 56th annual congress. Almost 1,300, including more than 40 association executives, travelled to Prague for four days of education, chapter meetings and networking. The destination for the 2020 ICCA Congress was also announced as Kaohsiung, in Chinese Taipei. From Association Meetings International…
In this dynamic and fun session, eight DMO/CVB leaders from around the world will share how they are implementing sustainability in their destination. They will focus on specific areas highlighting their challenges, opportunities and how they are innovating to drive destination performance and competitiveness.
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