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By Rafat Ali, CEO/Founder, Skift: My life has been creating, building, covering (editorially), speaking and attending industry conferences for the better part of two decades now, as part of the two companies I have built. And this has always bothered me: how little thought goes into on-stage programming, into the in-room attendee experience, into the…
By Paul Bailey, MBA, HMCC, SES: In our rapidly evolving professional landscape, the concept of the ‘third space’ – a term coined to describe social surroundings separate from home and work – has gained significant importance. This space, traditionally manifesting in cafes, libraries, or community centers, has long been a crucible for spontaneous interactions, intellectual…
By Jane Vong Holmes, featured in Meetings International: Lviv’s business events community in Ukraine transforms challenges into solutions amidst war’s impact. Humanitarian hubs, charitable initiatives, and innovation mark their response. Noteworthy are hotels turned shelters, IT companies aiding modernisation, and Lviv’s commitment to building connections. Winning titles like European Youth Capital 2025 and hosting international…
Destination Marketing Organization University (DMOU) Podcast: When the moderator went to the audience this year at the Annual Convention of Destinations International asking, “what keeps you up at night,” Lviv’s Olena Pavlyuk held out her mobile device and replayed a recording of an air raid siren. In this fascinating episode of DMOU, Olena shares how…
By Maraika Black, Advocacy, Policy, and Public Health Coordinator, European Association for the Study of the Liver: Health conferences have traditionally focused on actors directly involved in the field – specialists, medical experts, general practitioners, researchers, nurses, and allied health professionals. It has long since been a source of prestige and professional mobilisation for delegates…
By Jeff Heilman, from Meetings Today: Destination Canada’s Business Events team has a remarkable record of creating innovative initiatives, backed by in-depth market research and analysis, to promote, amplify and advance the Canadian meetings industry. This evolving program is geared principally to Canada’s priority economic sectors. These comprise life sciences, agribusiness, advanced manufacturing, finance and…
In this podcast, Bregje Frens talks to Martin Sirk, a vibrant conversation about the biggest challenges and opportunities for associations, how the relationship between destinations and associations have evolved over the last years and about the initiative of the Global Association Hubs Partnership (GAHP). From Conferli…
By Roberto Payer, from Conference Matters: Limiting travel movements and striving for a car-free city are understandable goals. However, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. For example, an incoming business group requires suitable logistics with as few disruptions as possible, but many levels of government don’t seem to be aware of this…
Attending international conferences can be an effective opportunity to invest in the professional growth of an organisation’s staff, allowing opportunities for networking, professional learning and innovation. But they can also be costly, so understanding the benefits should be key to getting attendance approved by human resources managers and company boards. From AICD…
By Catie Owen, from Conference & Meetings World: The workforce’s latest recruits seem to be an enigma to many. Usually considered to have been born between 1997–2012, the oldest members of Generation Z are beginning to populate industries worldwide. But if that’s the case, why is the events industry failing to attract them?
Alexander Alles, Executive Director, Joint Meetings Industry Council, and Iceberg Ambassador, talks to Trade Show News Network, in the lead up to Earth Day 2023, about Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE), an initiative to connect the events industry globally to the rapidly growing movement toward net zero by 2050. From Trade Show News Network…
Senthil Gopinath, Iceberg Ambassador and CEO of ICCA, a Founding Partner of The Iceberg, tells Paul Colston, Managing Editor, Conference News & Conference & Meetings World, that innovation is key to making 2023 a dynamic and successful year. From Conference & Meetings World…
Tommy Goodwin, Vice President, Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance, and Iceberg Ambassador, talks about the challenge of getting Visas to enter the U.S. and the impact that has had on the industry, the Kentucky legislature (failed) attempt to tax space rental for exhibitors and sponsors, and more. From Trade Show News Network…
The CEO of Iceberg partner UFI, Kai Hattendorf (pictured right!) has been looking into his crystal ball yet again as the year ends. With the pandemic lingering in some territories, Russia’s war in Ukraine, inflation skyrocketing and the climate crisis, what are the key trends to see business events through 2023? From Exhibition News…
Copenhagen Convention Bureau launched the Copenhagen Legacy Lab in 2019 to bridge international congresses held in Copenhagen with the local public, business and science communities. This Iceberg partner lets global associations both to achieve their objectives and solve societal challenges through events, and it aims to create the world’s leading hub for legacy. From Meetings International…
Jane Cunningham has worked for hotels, a convention centre, a DMO (destination marketing organisation) and a PCO (professional conference organiser). She has also worked for two Iceberg partners, BestCities Global Alliance and Destinations International. Here she offers her thinking on legacy and Net Zero Carbon Events. From Meetings International…
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