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Positive Impact’s UN SDG Commitment Survey: An Update

Through August, global meetings industry professionals were asked for comments and commitments about how the sector can support UN Sustainable Development Goals. Survey responses have now been analysed by Iceberg partner Positive Impact to form an “acceleration action” shared with the UN. CEO Fiona Pelham explains. From Positive Impact via YouTube…

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AIPC President Aloysius Arlando: The Benefits of The Global Alliance

Three big industry associations, all Iceberg partners, are dovetailing resources available to members: the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC), the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), together with the global association of the exhibition Industry (UFI). AIPC President (and UFI Board Member) Aloysius Arlando talks collaboration, standardisation and advocacy. From UFI…

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Tracking the Predators: Taking on Counterfeit Conferences

Legitimate research meetings are now under threat from “predatory” conferences. These unscholarly events are organised for profit and publish anything sent their way for a fee. One even passed a nuclear physics paper written using iOS autocomplete. Could tracking the meetings as well as the research be the answer? From Paul Killoran via Boardroom…

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The Global Alliance: AIPC, ICCA and UFI Pooling Resources

Three major business event industry associations are pooling resources available to their members. AIPC (the International Association of Convention Centres), ICCA (the International Congress and Convention Association) and UFI (the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry) have together formed The Global Alliance. From UFI…

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Incentive Travel: Trends in Hotels, Security and Compliance

From mergers and acquisitions in the hotel sector, not to mention its commission cuts, to concerns about security, both of person and of data, including GDPR compliance, here’s a look at key pointers found in the Incentive Research Foundation’s 2019 Trends Study that are expected to affect the buoyant incentive travel industry. From PCMA…

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Edinburgh’s Room Tax: Breach in the Dyke or Bad Idea?

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…

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Associations Growing Global VI: ISO Engages Asia from Singapore

The Iceberg is publishing a series of interviews about the globalisation of large associations. These are jointly produced by partners Boardroom and the Global Association Hubs Partnership. Nicolas Fleury, Deputy Secretary-General of the Geneva-based International Organization for Standardisation, describes ISO’s opening up of a regional office in Singapore. From Global Association Hubs Partnership…

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Associations Growing Global V: ICCA Expands in Dubai

The Iceberg is publishing a series of interviews about the globalisation of large associations. These are jointly produced by partners Boardroom and the Global Association Hubs Partnership. This time we hear from another partner, the International Congress and Convention Association, which is spreading its wings in Dubai. From Global Association Hubs Partnership…

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2019: Data Ethics, Screen Time, Diversity, Inclusivity and Sleep

Five Convene editors have been examining meeting trends for 2019. Big data now needs data ethics. We will pay more attention to attention itself and our use of technology in groups. New kinds of benchmarks are emerging to measure diversity and inclusivity. Sleep is now very much part of any focus on wellbeing. From PCMA Convene…

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Event Security: A Planner’s Strategy to Combatting Threat

Steff Berger is Managing Director of VOBE – Inspires People, which organises events of up to 20,000 attendees for mainly European associations. Here the conference consultant and event planner shares expertise in crisis management, from counterterrorism measures like airport scanners, to working with local authorities to minimise risk, and the potential threat of cyberattacks. From PCMA…

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Ensuring Accessibility: A Planner’s Guide to Best Practice

Accessibility is a concept buzzing around the business events industry, but what do planners need to know to ensure awareness at congresses? According to new research from Iceberg partners BestCities Global Alliance and GainingEdge, working with Rehabilitation International, universal accessibility is now key to business growth, knowledge sharing and increased competitiveness for destinations. From PCMA…

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A Practitioner’s Guide: The Decoupling of Associations in China

Two years ago the authorities in China began the long process of decoupling an astonishing 700,000 associations or scientific societies from government sponsorship and control. International conferences also must have local partners. Olivia Jia, Senior Manager of consultants IME and publisher of the China Social Organisation, reflects on working with associations in China. From Boardroom…

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The New Approach Required for True Equality

The events industry has a significant female workforce, yet only 27 percent of women at CEO or MD level. So there’s some catching up to do. For International Women’s Day, Director of Venues at RIBA Moya Maxwell discusses where we are, where we’re going and what needs to change. From editor’s blog at Meepie.com…

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Frances McDormand’s Speech: A Legacy for Meetings?

In her Oscar acceptance speech, actress Frances McDormand finished with two words: “inclusion rider”. The notion that an actor can contractually insist a film’s cast and crew meet a certain level of diversity was first floated at a conference. If inclusion riders become standard in Hollywood, might they also for event speakers? From PCMA Convene…

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The General Denial of Data Protection Requirement

The imminent sledgehammer of the EU’s General Data Protection Requirement (GDPR) has been in the air for some time now. But does the extent to which companies have been ignoring their soon-to-be regulatory responsibilities mean that we should in fact be calling it GDDPR: the General Denial of Data Protection Requirement? From Meetings & Conventions…

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