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Fighting Zoom Fatigue: Taking Your Meeting Out on the Tiles

The Netherlands Tourism Board recently hosted a meeting called “Dis-Connect”. Association, venue and destination professionals joined a virtual workshop staged live at the museum of the Royal Delft pottery factory. They painted white tiles with blue paint in the style of the famous “Delftware” produced in the town since the 17th century. From PCMA…

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From Field to Fork: The Venues Serious About Sustainability

Once the supply of event food was determined by the consumer. If a planner asked to have strawberries over winter or New Zealand lamb in Scotland, their whims were granted. Now more event venues around the world are implementing sustainable practices. Here’s a special report on those taking sustainability seriously. From Association Meetings International…

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AMI’s Deep Dive Talks 2020 with UFI Leader Kai Hattendorf

Kai Hattendorf, the MD and CEO of Iceberg partner UFI, the exhibitions industry’s global association, has just been a guest on the AMI Deep Dive podcast. Talking to AMI editor James Lancaster, he discusses the impact of the pandemic on the sector, its longterm future, plus advocating economic value to government. From Association Meetings International…

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APA Convention 2020: Pivot to All-Virtual, Then Crush It

Like many other organisations, the American Psychological Association quickly switched its in-person 2020 annual convention to an all-virtual event because of COVID-19. Even though the pivot happened in just three months, it was decided from the start to make the August event better than it could possibly have been on site. From PCMA…

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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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Rocky Mountain High: PCMA Chapter Hybrid Event Lessons Learnt

The PCMA Rocky Mountain Chapter just hosted an in person meeting for over sixty people with an additional online audience. Chapter leadership recognised planner members’ fears over hosting live events themselves, so made the call to take the plunge first with their “Six Foot Laboratory”. From PCMA…

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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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Science Museum Joins British Venues Hosting UKickstart Event

The first UKickstart event brought together 1,419 event professionals both online and across twelve “in person” venues. It was the first live and virtual national gathering of the sector since lockdown. Illuminate at the Science Museum was one of the venues chosen to host a selection of physical attendees. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Palais Pivot: Facing the New Normal through Hybrid and Virtual

As associations pivot their offerings to virtual or hybrid with the ongoing onslaught of COVID-19, so venues are also doing the same. President and CEO of the Palais des congrès de Montréal Robert Mercure spells out how the facility’s media services are adapting to address client needs through the sector’s new normal. From Boardroom…

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Ready to Reopen: US Convention Facilities Prepare Clean Future

When the time comes for in person events to start up again, convention centres across the US will be ready to deliver an experience prioritising health and safety. Much of that will be the result of new technologies, new cleaning protocols, and new staff positions that venues have in place. From Associations Now…

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Legacies in Beekeeping: SBFA’s World Congress Bid Outcomes

When the SBFA (Serbian Federation of Beekeeping Association) entered the “Incredible Impacts” grants run by the Iceberg partners ICCA and BestCities Global Alliance this year, its bidding stage legacy story wasn’t eligible. Even so, SBFA’s efforts are discussed by the association and Serbia Convention Bureau. From BestCities Global Alliance…

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A Balancing Act: Dutch Events and Associations Talk Autumn Strategy

In mid-June the Netherlands started to welcome international travellers back to its borders. There is no limit for maximum attendees at meetings and events, but associations even so are wary, and with countries like the US, India and Australia still unable to travel, planners are considering best strategy for the coming autumn. From Boardroom…

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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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RNC 2020: Three Key Takeaways from the Online Convention

2020’s RNC (Republican National Convention) offered event industry strategists another opportunity to see how organisers of a high-stakes, big-budget meeting can answer the challenges of capturing audience attention and engagement during the pandemic, still getting criticism over their choice of venues and lack of social distancing. From PCMA…

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