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Getting Personal with AI, Sustainability, and Evolving Q and A

In comes another year, and with it yet another list of trends to watch on the horizon. Events will deliver personalised experiences with the aid of artificial intelligence. Plus, sustainability, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and flygskam (flight shaming) are also on the map, as is Q and A 2.0, Conversation and input. From PCMA…

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Speaking Out Against the Speaker: A Financial Services Watershed

When an attendee posted video of a speaker’s lewd remarks at a financial services conference, it was actually the video poster who was breaking the rules, since the invitation-only event had a privacy policy. But the event in fact commended the poster and instead the billionaire panellist was barred from future events. From PCMA…

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Mariela McIlwraith: The Events Industry Climate Panel at COP25

Last December Mariela McIlwraith, Director of Industry Advancement at the Events Industry Council, went to the UN Climate Conference COP25 in Madrid. There she took part in a panel discussion on the role of the meetings sector in bringing people together to act on climate. From the Events Industry Council…

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The Slow Movement Says: Take Your Time with Slow Meetings

If the music of modern life seems too allegro, presto or prestissimo, then perhaps an occasional adagio is a good idea. The so-called Slow Movement started off as a protest against fast food, and now extends to many aspects of contemporary culture. So why not also hold slow meetings? From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…

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The London Bridge Terror Attack: The Lessons Are Complex

The London Bridge terror attack has had special resonance for meeting planners. It began during an event at Fishmongers’ Hall, which already stood in the shadow of increased security measures introduced after the previous 2017 attack. But lessons for the industry are complex. Photo: ChiralJon. From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…  

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Meetings Sustainability: A Technology Provider on Association Events

The trend of making meetings more sustainable is growing. Momentum is gaining pace, and not just in terms of recycling and reducing wastage. Director of Marketing, Europe at Cvent, Judy Elvey, discusses how associations are now integrating sustainability more and more into meetings. She also mentions work with Iceberg partner Positive Impact. From Boardroom…

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Abu Dhabi: The Role of Meetings in Economic Vision 2030

Mubarak Al Shamsi, Director of the Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau, has been speaking about the emirate’s Economic Vision 2030, and the part played in it by business events. New infrastructure includes Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company’s The Hive, and its 80-seat auditorium The Collaboratorium. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Accessibility: Barriers Still to Overcome for Disabled Delegates

“The majority of disabled people don’t travel to conferences because they expect their needs will not be met”. So says Alan Broadbent, an accessibility writer and consultant to the events industry. Three examples of inclusivity, a venue (ICC Wales), a meeting (Glasgow’s IASSIDD World Congress) and a city (Dubai), are analysed. From Association Meetings International…

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The Inaugural Africa Association Summit Staged in Nairobi

Over 100 association executives from seven African countries have just gathered in the Kenyan capital Nairobi for the inaugural Africa Association Summit (AAS1). The two-day event was run by the African Society of Association Executives, in partnership with the Kenyatta International Convention Centre. AfSAE President Jeffers Miruka reports. From Boardroom…

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Food Waste, the Events Industry and Feeding the Planet: Part II

One of the biggest takeaways from the World Wildlife Fund’s research into ending food waste occurring in commercial kitchens was the need to clearly better communicate with meeting planners about the multiple ways in which they can reduce food waste. So says Monica McBride of WWF, who lists some approaches to follow. From PCMA…

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Food Waste, the Events Industry and Feeding the Planet: Part I

It’s clear that food production and consumption needs to change, and radically, to safeguard the planet and feed a growing population. The best place to start for the business events industry is with food waste, and now the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has been working on food conservation in convention centre kitchens and hotels. From PCMA…

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UFI’s Next Generation of Leaders Grant 2019 Winners: Part II

Every year Iceberg partner UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, gives young and emerging sector talent the chance to advance via its Next Generation of Leaders Grant sponsored by Freeman. In the second of two-parts, the last two of the five 2019 awardees talk about what NGL mentoring means for them. From UFI…

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KLCC: Venues Can Help Build Local Links for Association Events

Can venues help bridge the divide that often lies between international associations and their local hosts or chapters in the event destination? Angeline van den Broecke, Director of Global Business Development and Marketing at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, believes they can, and in the process ensure the success of major congresses. From Boardroom…

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UFI’s Next Generation of Leaders Grant 2019 Winners: Part I

Every year Iceberg partner UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, gives young and emerging sector talent the chance to advance via its Next Generation of Leaders Grant sponsored by Freeman. In the first of a two-part series, three of the five 2019 awardees talk about what NGL mentoring means for them. From UFI…

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Sustainable Meetings: Understanding Event Impact on Society

Sustainability continues to rise up the agenda across meetings and events, and two Iceberg partner specialists in this area have turned up in a series of video interviews on the subject filmed at IMEX America, Positive Impact’s Fiona Pelham and the Global Destination Sustainability Index’s Guy Bigwood. From Endless Events…

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