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Mutschlechner: Thought Leader and Game Changer

The retirement of Christian Mutschlechner from the Vienna Convention Bureau next year may, or may not, mean he is departing from the wider industry. But the fact Vienna consistently out-performed bigger cities, and has become one of the world’s top convention destinations, owes a great deal to him. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…

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Peru: History, New Infrastructure and a Growing Economy

While the larger markets of Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Colombia will surely be the focus of the upcoming UFI Latin America Conference, the growing economy of Peru is also worthy of attention. Better known as a holiday destination and for Machu Picchu, a new convention center has been built in the capital city, Lima. From UFI…

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Attracting Hydrogen Meetings to the Czech Republic

The 7th International Conference on Hydrogen Technologies took place in Prague in July 2017. Work to bring the conference to the Czech Republic capital started as early as 2009. Professor Dr. Ing. Karel Bouzek (above receiving an ambassador award) was the meeting’s local champion, and reflects how it developed after the bid was won. From Boardroom…

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Vienna: Can “Liveability” Attract Conferences?

Vienna is the world’s most “liveable” city. That’s according to the annual Economist Intelligence Unit Global Liveability Index. It’s also the first city in Europe to top the survey: Melbourne had lead for seven years previously. But what is the link between “liveability” and actually attracting conference delegates? From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…

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A Tale of Two Cities: New York and San Francisco

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. When the US Supreme Court recently upheld Trump Travel Ban III, Vancouver quickly tweeted out a welcome mat. But here’s a tale of two cities, New York and San Francisco, that insist the US is still open for business. From PCMA Convene…

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Looking Beyond the Tiers: Affordable Destinations

Tier 1 cities have much to offer meeting groups in terms of their connectivity and facilities. But all that bang takes a lot of buck. To make a big impact on a smaller budget, meeting planners should consider small and mid-sized cities. So how do you find big-city appeal in an affordable destination? From Successful Meetings…

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Three Questions: BESydney’s Lyn Lewis-Smith

Lyn Lewis-Smith is CEO of Business Events Sydney. She also devotes her energy to championing women’s rights. Here she answers three questions: about how bidding for conferences has changed and evolved over time, about emerging association meeting trends and creating value, and about hosting and participating in the Global Summit of Women. From Boardroom…

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Groundbreaking Oklahoma City CC: “A Modern Town Hall”

In June officials ceremonially broke ground on the all-new Oklahoma City Convention Center. This is a $288 million venue, scheduled to open in 2020, that will offer acres of modern and flexible meeting space. According to Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, the building is set to become “a modern town hall”. From PCMA Convene…

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Transforming Events: Seven Fears to Face

Fear has been described by the acronym False Expectations Appearing Real. Change is often accompanied by it, so here’s a look at seven fears that come up with big changes to meetings, conferences and trade shows. Can we can flip those fears around and think about transformation in a whole new light? From PCMA Convene…

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Rotation: The Right Thing or a Big Risk?

As any youngster with a fidget spinner will tell you, rotation can be fun. But when a UK convention bureau suggested to the organiser of an event that had stayed in the same city since it started that they should be rotating destinations, there was surprising friction. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

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Convention Centres: How the City Benefits

A $1.5 billion expansion of Manhattan’s Jacob K. Javits Center is underway. The Las Vegas Convention Center is getting $1.4 billion, the Moscone in San Francisco $500 million, the Orange County Convention Center in Florida around $500 million, and the Miami Beach Convention Center $620 million. But how are decisions behind these projects made? From Successful Meetings…

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MyCEB Spurs Association Legacy Planning Through Case Studies

The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau has rolled out several programmes and initiatives to spur legacy planning among local associations hosting international conferences this year and beyond. It is doing so by disseminating case studies of past meetings legacies, including those of the 55th International Congress and Convention Association Congress in 2016 (pictured). From Boardroom…

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Three Questions: Tourism Australia’s John O’Sullivan

Australia has recently launched a business events bid fund, and the first meeting it will support, the UITP Global Public Transport Summit, will both be bringing 2,000 delegates to Melbourne in 2021 and deliver AU$9.4 million to Victoria’s economy. John O’Sullivan, Managing Director of Tourism Australia, answers three questions about his country’s approach to meetings. From Boardroom…

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Fam Trips: The Case for Upper and Lower

While The Iceberg prefers to write “familiarisation trips”, the rest of the industry seems to stick with the shorter “fam trips”, or sometimes the capital “FAM trips”. Which should be considered correct? One of our more particular partners places the use of that shift key under the microscope. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

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Planning for Families: New Approaches to Convention Education

It is not unusual for conventions to include recreational options for significant others and children. It is more enticing to register if the business trip is also a family vacation. But Destinations International Annual Convention organisers took the idea to the next level by holding an education session for the whole family. From PCMA…

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Visit Faroe Islands’ Ambassador Network

The Faroe Islands are in the North Atlantic Ocean above Scotland. They belong to Denmark but are semi-autonomous. They also have a meetings industry and are seeking to attract international congresses. Visit Faroe Islands even has an Ambassador Network, with an Ambassador Day and Ambassador Awards, to do just that. From tmf dialogue marketing…

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