It’s been a busy year for James Rees, Executive Director of ExCeL London. Following election as ICCA President in November 2018, Rees reveals his approach to the US market, to diversity at both ExCeL and ICCA, and how being in a New Romantic pop band helped him thrive in the events industry. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Ambassadors help destinations secure international association meetings. So Edinburgh’s meetings industry has an anxious wait ahead of a council vote on budget cuts that could virtually wipe out the city’s marketing and lead to the closure of Convention Edinburgh and its ambassador scheme. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
While the Edinburgh Convention Bureau’s future funding lies under threat, so the city has also voiced the idea of a £2 per person nightly “room tax”. Some see this as a welcome source of new revenue, but will any get back to marketing, and what about competitiveness? From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…
An Iceberg partner’s first ever mental health survey received responses from event professionals struggling to stay afloat. The results reinforce the much-referenced CareerCast survey from 2017 that ranked event planner as the fifth most stressful job in the world, beaten only by roles in the emergency services and military. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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Fiona launched not for profit Positive Impact in 2005 to provide education and collaboration opportunities to create a sustainable event industry. She was the youngest female to chair an ISO standard when, in 2012, ISO 20121 a management system for event sustainability was created. In 2014 Fiona received an honorary doctorate from Leeds Beckett University for services to…
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Lesley joined BestCities in 2017 as Market Development Director, and was Managing Director from January 2020 to July 2023, following the decision of BestCities to award extending the management contract to GainingEdge. Lesley is a strong supporter and advocate of the beyond tourism impacts of meetings. In 2017 BestCities formed a collaboration with ICCA to…
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As Director of Impact & Industry Relations, Natasha leads a dedicated business unit overseeing our industry partnerships, advocacy and advancement and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy. This includes initiatives and charitable endeavours that the IMEX Group either drives or supports. Recognising the collective impact IMEX makes and that lies at the very heart of…
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Ray Bloom is the chairman and founder of the IMEX Group, which organises worldwide exhibitions for the incentive travel, meetings and events industry in Europe and the USA. IMEX in Frankfurt takes place at Messe Frankfurt, Germany, every spring; while IMEX America takes place at the Las Vegas Sands Expo each autumn. Bloom is also…
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James has 25 years’ experience in event organisation and major venue management. He began as a conference organiser for UK-based Water Research Centre organising national and international events then made a move into venue management, joining Wembley Stadium Ltd as an event manager across Wembley’s Stadium, Arena and Conference & Exhibition Centre venues, managing international…
he UFI Forum is a one-day event on a specific topic or area of focus. The Forum 2019 themed “How to push Digital Innovation” is open to all industry professionals, both UFI members and non-members. UFI members benefit from a reduced participation fee. Join us on 15th May for more insight & networking! UFI thanks the members of…
Despite its reputation of centuries-old tradition, London is the mover and groover of the technology universe. 80 percent of venture capital invested in UK tech firms since 2016 has gone to the capital. This investment is drawing, indeed being facilitated by, venues and events sharing in the sector’s strength. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
London and Paris are collaborating to offer a range of travel products aimed at North American incentive buyers. Specialised itineraries of the two-in-one incentive trip have been created allowing delegates to experience new cultural attractions, restaurants and hotels in both capital cities. This includes an official partnership with Eurostar. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Academics across Edinburgh have slammed proposed budget cuts that would see an 89 percent drop in the capital’s marketing over the next two years as well as the closure of its ambassador programme. Over 75 Edinburgh ambassadors contacted the City Council objecting to the proposal to slash Marketing Edinburgh’s budget by £790,000. From Association Meetings International…
The Defence Procurement, Research, Technology & Exportability arms fair has been moved from the NEC Birmingham to Farnborough International after a protest campaign against the event. The decision to hold it in Birmingham was only made in November, with DPRTE having originally been scheduled for Cardiff before similar objections from local people. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Olympia London has received planning permission for a £1 billion renovation. The new vision of the 132-year-old exhibition centre is a diverse quarter, with events space, communal areas and leisure facilities. Work will start this year, with the first tenants moving in by 2023, and Olympia will continue to operate during renovation. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The UK & Ireland ICCA chapter represents 75 members spread across England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. These cover all aspects of conference management from venues and convention bureaus to hotels, PCO’s. The Chapter is very active in the industry, holding several meetings a year including a well supported annual debate which addresses current key issues…
ExCeL London is reducing waste with a “No Plastic” campaign to outline its commitment to this global issue. The approach will initially focus on the 27 retailers along its central boulevard. “Waste from single-use plastic is a critical issue for our industry,” says Jeremy Rees, CEO of ExCeL London. From Boardroom…
The United Kingdom conferencing and events market is growing as a whole, despite the conference and meetings segment suffering decline for a third consecutive year. So says an in-depth study of eleven industry reports by Warwick Conferences. A focus on ROI means the number of events being organised is down. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Kerrin MacPhie, VisitBritain’s Head of Business Events, is seeking to further the organisation’s reach to global markets. MacPhie outlined her plans at the MPI Economic Insights in London. She said VisitBritain was looking to expand around the world and draw buyers from international markets like America. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The Brexit effect is clear in this year’s British Meetings and Events Industry Survey, with the results reflecting the uncertainty being experienced by many markets. When asked whether Brexit would affect the volume or nature of their events, far fewer respondents said they would be unaffected than last year. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
A new initiative from The Meetings Show in the UK to champion young event planners has now opened for entries. Tomorrow’s Talent is being run together with Iceberg partner M&IT to shine a spotlight on young and emerging sector stars and to nurture and support future leaders. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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