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Meetings and Events Across a World of Political Disruption

Where meetings and events choose to go, and how they approach their content, are affected by many factors, not least the influence of political disruptors like Brexit or the 2016 US presidential election. So says Rod Cameron, Executive Director of the Joint Meetings Industry Council, which presents The Iceberg. From CIM News Magazine…

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Westminster Bubbles: Knocking on the Door of Government

Big Ben now may be hidden away from tourists, but the slow nature of industry advocacy to government was fully out on show all through the opening evidence session of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the events industry. The first sitting of an intended three focused on venues. Photo: David Holt. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

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Convention Centres: Across the US, 16 Projects Underway

As the exhibition industry continues to grow, more US destinations are upgrading or expanding convention centres. Some projects are at the planning stage, like the Los Angeles Convention Center. Some are underway, like at the new Caesars Forum in Las Vegas. Some are complete, like the Kentucky International Convention Center. Here’s a roundup. From TSNN…

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IBMATA’s Border Management and Technologies Summit

Border security seems to be of increasing importance in a more nationalistic political age. But sometimes the business of implementing border security involves collaborating across borders. Tony Smith, Chair of the International Border Management and Technologies Association, discusses IBMATA’s recent inaugural conference, and why collaboration is a main focus. From PCMA Convene…

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IMEX Policy Forum Report: Three Sector Challenges

A recent report from the IMEX Policy Forum 2018 (see Research) outlines three areas of concern raised during the event by Gloria Guevara Manzo, the World Tourism and Travel Council President and CEO (pictured at IMEX with Group Chairman Ray Bloom). Her three concerns were: security and safety, crisis preparation and sustainability. From PCMA Convene…

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Venue Development: Follow the Money

UFI’s debut Latin American event in September is a chance to examine venue development both in the region and elsewhere. Venues tend to happen only after public sector buy-in, so it follows their development indicates governmental commitment to the virtues of a burgeoning exhibition industry. From UFI…

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The UK Exhibitions Industry: A Brexit Remedy?

The past month has revealed the turmoil the United Kingdom is in over the manner of its departure from the European Union. But might the UK exhibition sector provide some palliative relief from Brexit uncertainties? The sector’s global association takes a look at VisitBritain, along with the recent Farnborough International Airshow, for answers. From UFI…

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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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Copenhagen: Evaluating Academic Conferences

During IMEX, Copenhagen described the image problem academia is facing: endless conference invitations alongside carbon footprint concerns and straining public budgets. Industrial PhD student Thomas Trøst Hansen has been researching how delegate academics work and receive recognition through the value chain used as a basis for evaluating academic events. 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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No Pressure for a PCO: World Peace v. Fire and Fury

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo may have met North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, but we now know that President Trump’s face-to-face with the Supreme Leader on June 12th won’t take place. Before it was officially cancelled, one Iceberg partner pondered the pressures for organisers of such meetings. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

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Istanbul ICCA Rankings: The Second Fall of Constantinople

In 2016 Turkey’s largest city Istanbul claimed eighth spot in ICCA’s much-trumpeted city rankings. Today it is in 133rd place. Over the past 24 months the city has suffered deadly terrorist attacks, a failed coup, and a series of purges against its citizens, including teachers, journalists and lawyers. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…

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Government Bidding: Australia’s AU$12m National Bid Fund

The announcement of the Australian Government’s AU$12 million national bid fund is a major turning point for the business events industry. Tourism Australia’s unit Business Events Australia will oversee the fund, which has been made possible in no small part by Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steve Ciobo. From CIM News Magazine…

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Child’s Play II: A World Economic Forum Legacy

The Iceberg has previously covered the legacy created by Calgary for the International Play Association World Conference. Now delegates at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, have also taken time out to talk about play. Unilever, LEGO Foundation and IKEA Group founded the Real Play Coalition in partnership with National Geographic. From PCMA Convene…

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An Olympic Legacy: Korean Rapprochement

Even before the leaders of North and South Korea shook hands over the Demilitarized Zone border, plans were already being made for a possible meeting between Kim Jong-un and US President Trump. Is this political coup the legacy of an event: the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang? From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…

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A Practitioner’s Guide: The Decoupling of Associations in China

Two years ago the authorities in China began the long process of decoupling an astonishing 700,000 associations or scientific societies from government sponsorship and control. International conferences also must have local partners. Olivia Jia, Senior Manager of consultants IME and publisher of the China Social Organisation, reflects on working with associations in China. From Boardroom…

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