FORTNIGHTLY ROUNDUP


The view from the House of J. C. Le Roux, Stellenbosch.

In issue 39 and 40 of Business Events World we’re turning the spotlight on Africa.

The Iceberg has just been the guest of Stellenbosch 360 for its inspiring Business Tourism Indaba. The South African university town is itself striking, and the wider area full of vineyard estate venues with incredible views, like the House of J. C. Le Roux (see above).

A tasting of J. C.’s signature sparkling wine was a particular highlight (see below). When there are five glasses per person, each housing something different – and not a spittoon in sight – you just know it’s going to be a good afternoon.

More from me on the actual Indaba next issue, but for now in Features we conclude our “Business Events” video series with a look at the opportunities for associations within Africa. GainingEdge’s Gary Grimmer and Gregg Talley of the Talley Management Group are joined by three significant African industry voices, including my fellow Indaba speaker, South African Tourism’s Chief Convention Bureau Officer Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo.

In News (click the right arrow)… Successful Meetings names its 2018 “most influential”. They include ICCA’s outgoing CEO Martin Sirk. ICCA says it’ll appoint Sirk’s replacement by March. VisitBritain is inviting grant applications for its Event Support Programme.

In venue News… the MCEC expansion has opened in Melbourne. The Valencia Conference Centre has snagged AIPC’s Apex Award. Ground has been broken on Caesars Forum, a $375 million conference centre in Las Vegas, and ACC Liverpool has confirmed six big conference wins.

In meetings News… Kuching is getting ready for the inaugural Business Events TriBE 2018 in August. Five artificial intelligence conferences have just co-located in Stockholm. Cape Town has won the SpaceOps 2020 conference. After two days at the Farnborough International Airshow, over $98bn of deals had been announced. And as per above, South Africa’s meetings industry – plus your humble Iceberg curator – gathered in Stellenbosch for the second Business Tourism Indaba.

There’s still more on The Iceberg itself (click View all News). Australia’s New South Wales Government will fund a total of eighteen regional event scholarships this year. In the UK James Heappey MP of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for events has floated the idea of a bed tax. Nick de Bois has stepped down from the Events Industry Board to take up a Brexit role. The 2020 UFI Global Congress will be in Oman, and Dubai is hosting the World Congress of Gastroenterology 2021. The 25th IPSA World Congress of Political Science attracted over 2,400 – nearly 1,000 more than expected – to the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. And a survey finds that over half of companies’ simple meetings are booked through unmanaged channels.

In Opinions (again clicking the right arrow) you’ll find UFI’s Kai Hattendorf, the European Thrombosis and Haemostasis Alliance, Calgary’s Energy Disrupters Unite, meeting design… and how business events might be seen by the UK as a Brexit remedy.

PCMA is honouring former President and CEO Deborah Sexton with a new scholarship. And don’t forget to enter your association legacy projects for ICCA and BestCities Global Alliance’s “Incredible Impacts” before August 1st!

Until the next time…

Robert Coren, Curator of The Iceberg


Enjoying the hospitality of J. C. Le Roux and Stellenosch 360. Curation is hard work.

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