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Mutschlechner: My “Soft” Retirement at Congrex Switzerland

You just can’t keep a good man down! Christian Mutschlechner, former Director of the Vienna Convention Bureau, will enjoy a “soft” retirement after taking an unsalaried position on the board of Congrex Switzerland. Here he answers questions about his new position, his retirement and his other goals. From Association Meetings International…

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Big Questions, Difficult Answers: Meetings and Climate Change

The looming threat of climate change poses huge questions for the international meetings industry, particularly for high profile global events under intense media scrutiny like COP24, the World Economic Forum and the UN Climate Change Conference. But does the sector itself have the answers, and how is it approaching the problem? From Association Meetings International…

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GMID 2019: Legacies Created by the Global Meetings Industry

From campaigns in Atlanta and New York combating  human trafficking, to a visit to Washington DC and Capitol Hill sharing the sector’s economic value with members of Congress, the global meetings industry came together on April 4th at events all around the world to create legacies for Global Meetings Industry Day. From PCMA…

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Meetings Africa 2019: Sowing the Seeds of Food Security

Meetings Africa 2019, recently held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, featured both South Africa Minister of Tourism Derek Hanekom (pictured left) and Iceberg friend Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo of the South Africa National Convention Bureau. Now the continent will be looking to farming technology event Agritech Africa to shape and secure its future. From Boardroom…

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Abstract Expressionism: Flipping the Scientific Meeting Model

Many healthcare and STEM meeting participants can justify attendance because an abstract of theirs has been accepted. But rather than holding conferences of speakers speaking to speakers, perhaps there is space for a “flipped” model, where the event environment is a place for peer review and improvement of works in progress. From PCMA…

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IBTM Exhibition Director: Seven Event Destinations to Watch

Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director of The Middle East, Arabian Travel Market and IBTM Arabia, reveals seven destinations set to become prominent in the meetings and events industry. Her list comprises the United Arab Emirates and Gulf Cooperation Council states, other neighbours Georgia and Azerbaijan, the Czech Republic, Cyprus and Rwanda. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Associations Growing Global VII: IASP’s Painless Growth

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. Matthew D’Uva, CEO of the Washington DC-headquartered International Association for the Study of Pain, describes reaching 100 chapters around the world. From Global Association Hubs Partnership…

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Access to Scientific Meetings: UK and US Visa Refusal Woes

Are openly hostile immigration policies in the UK and US making it harder for delegates from lower income countries to attend scientific meetings? Here’s a round up from both sides of the pond of events that have faced very high levels of visa rejections with delegates attending from developing nations. From Association Meetings International…

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London Meetings Set for Brexit Boom, Says Industry MD

London’s meeting industry will see a Brexit boom whatever happens. That’s according to etc.venues MD Alastair Stewart, who is refreshingly optimistic amid the current political turmoil and uncertainty. He sees substantial change as inevitable, and with change comes the need for meetings to address it. From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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International Women’s Day 2019: An Australian Events Perspective

Australian event and conference management company Arinex has worked with several associations ahead of International Women’s Day to empower women. Among the company’s events is the annual awards dinner (pictured above) of Australia’s National Association for Women in Construction. From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Jill Manley: Women in Events, ICC Wales, ROI, Wellbeing and Brexit

2019’s International Women’s Day is aiming to leave behind the legacy of a more gender-balanced world. Jill Manley, Business Development Director at ICC Wales, looks at the role of women in the meetings industry. All of the senior sales directors and managers at ICC Wales are female. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Panels Not Manels IV: Inviting Only Women Speakers

How hard has the art of putting together panels become in an age more finely attuned to gender inequality? In the run up to International Women’s Day, a conference came under fire for being too sure it was booking panels, not manels. It invited only women scientists to speak. From PCMA…

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Using the Destination, Adding Value for the Community

During a busy European Cities Marketing Spring Meeting 2019 in Edinburgh, meetings professionals debated the successes and failures of city event organisations from all over the continent. Contributors included Iceberg partner ECM’s President, Dieter Hardt-Stremayr. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Six Key Trends and Eight Ways in Which DMCs Still Add Value

Prague in the Czech Republic is not only a major meetings destination, but also home of the AIM Group International office of Bob Novak. Novak has written a white paper, “How to Create a Truly Unique Destination Experience and the Latest DMC Trends”, which discusses the current evolution of destination management companies. From PCMA…

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Geneva’s Adrien Genier Targeting Business Through Sustainability

The new director of the Geneva Tourism & Conventions Foundation, Adrien Genier, is actively looking to strengthen the Swiss city’s image abroad by uniting stakeholders around issues like sustainability. He is engaging with Iceberg partner the Global Destination Sustainability Index to improve Geneva’s ranking. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Thinking Before Using: Creating the Ethos of a Sustainable Venue

London’s 15Hatfields was set up as a sustainable venue in 2008, avoiding single-use plastics from day one. The venue needed to find a general manager who could embody this environmentally-minded ethos. Warren Campbell has been helping clients embrace sustainability in Central London ever since. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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