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Association-Friendly Regional Destinations Can Still Fuel Growth

COVID-19 has slammed the brakes on the international expansion of associations, their big conferences having been essential to delivering such goals prior to the pandemic. International Advisor Martin Sirk, of Iceberg partner Global Association Hubs, says that association-friendly regional destinations are the answer. From Boardroom…

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Exhibitions Think Tank Final Report Gathers Sector Opinions

The first Exhibitions Think Tank has launched a report gathering insights from over 150 sector professionals and setting out ideas for the future of the global industry. Two surveys plus close to 100 online sessions have culminated in a resource that will support the sector adapting to future changes. From Exhibition News…

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AIPC Interviews: James Rees with Carina Bauer, Shenzhen World

Iceberg partner AIPC has recently published two video perspectives about how business events are now evolving. ICCA President and ExCeL London Executive Director James Rees (pictured) talks to IMEX CEO Carina Bauer. ICCA and IMEX are also Iceberg partners. The second feature is on the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center. From AIPC…

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PCMA Collaborates on Virtual Event Covering MI Business Models

The pandemic is forcing so many sectors to rethink how they operate, including business events. So PCMA, the 7,000-member association for the industry, collaborated with the National Speakers Association and also the International Association of Speakers Bureaus on a virtual event addressing new business models. From Forbes…

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The Bulb Launches Post-Lockdown Event Sustainability Guide

The Bulb, a UK-based sustainable event consultancy, has released a guide to help meeting organisers to navigate the “new normal” and make sure the progress made in creating a sustainable industry is not lost. The increase in need for PPE (personal protective equipment) has seen a rise in plastic pollution. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Small is Beautiful: The Future of Association Business Events

International association meetings, particularly those that are attracting thousands of delegates, were once the prized targets of all convention bureaux. COVID-19 has made the immediate future smaller and more regional. But this trend was already underway and should not frighten destination marketing organisations. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…

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Future Meeting Ideas: Martin Sirk Brainstorms Beyond the Nostalgia

Nostalgia inhibits our imagination, according to Martin Sirk, Iceberg partner Global Association Hubs’ International Advisor. Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be, says The Iceberg. Here Martin offers some innovative brainstorming of future meeting concepts in which associations could play leading roles. From Association Meetings International…

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Webcast: Meeting and Event Design Accepted Practices Guide

The Events Industry Council just released the “Meeting and Event Design Accepted Practices Guide” (see Research). More guides are to come from the EIC powered APEX COVID-19 Business Recovery Task Force. A webcast offered insights and answered audience questions about the new document. From Northstar Meetings Group…

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Better Approaches to Virtual Engagement: Five Suggestions

As associations continue to stage virtual conferences because of COVID-19, many are concerned about replicating the interaction, networking, engagement and hallway conversations that are staples of face-to-face events. During a webcast from Iceberg partner ASAE, presenters shared five tips on how to achieve them. From Associations Now…

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ESR’s ECR 2020: Vienna Radiology Congress Runs Virtually

Europe’s largest medical meeting in radiology and radiotechnology, the European Congress of Radiology, was held exclusively online for the first time this year. A record 15,265 delegates from over 130 countries took part, an increase of five percent in delegate numbers from the 2019 edition. From Association Meetings International…

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A New Remote Normal: The Plans of AC Forum Member Associations

In times like the current pandemic, how can associations begin to plan for the years ahead when decisions they are taking today may no longer be valid even in the very near future? Association not-for-profit AC Forum explains how its members anticipate changes in the sector and in their events. From Boardroom…

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A Reality Check for the Global Business Events Sector from Martin Sirk

Martin Sirk is International Advisor for Iceberg partner GAH (Global Association Hubs). In a sharp reality check for the business events sector, he warns that successful reopening relies on a much wider containment of the pandemic than the industry on its own can ever achieve. The economy and health are not zero-sum trade-offs or parallel-track…

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CES 2021 Goes Online: The End of the World That Once We Knew

The largest business-to-business, face-to-face exhibition in the US, CES 2021, has moved to being an online, all-digital event. In 2019 CES had 170,000 visitors, 6,000 media, plus 4,000 exhibiting businesses from every corner of the world. The early pivot sent shock waves across an industry already devastated by the pandemic. From UFI…

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Not Another Industry Statement: The JMIC Global Manifesto

Months now into the COVID-19 pandemic we are awash in sector pronouncements and assertions, even if the route to recovery in this challenging situation remains rather unpredictable. But the recent global manifesto from the Joint Meetings Industry Council is a little different. So says JMIC’s Executive Director Rod Cameron…

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If Content Compels, Attendees Pay for Virtual Events

In planning a hybrid or digital event, content is key to success. Panelists said as much during the first hybrid webinar of The Hague Convention Bureau. Talking through the viability of such events were a corporate and two association planners, a meeting design expert and a hotel executive. Article includes webinar video. From PCMA…

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