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In Person at Last: GIAF Draws Sixty European Associations Together

Postponed a few times for obvious reasons after having been staged online in 2020, the GIAF (Geneva International Association Forum) was the first physical association event of the kind post-lockdown. Delegates were certainly happy to be together again seeing old friends and making new ones. But the event programme also did not disappoint. From Boardroom…

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EHMA 2019 in Espoo: Reflections on Legacy, Community and Impact

Business and Events Academy Creator Nadia Rubtsova once worked for the European Health Management Association. Back in 2019, the scientific conference of EHMA was taking place in Espoo, Finland. After a year of hard work, the organiser’s guiding Northern stars for the meeting’s three days and 350 delegates were legacy, community and impact. From Boardroom…

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How HIMSS21 Handled Attendee Vaccine Verification (II)

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society held its 2021 Global Health Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas with a vaccine mandate. The event drew over 700 exhibitors and close to 19,000 in person delegates by the end, with almost as many attending online. Here’s more on how HIMSS managed the vaccine policy. From PCMA…

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Associations in Society: Contributing to the Wider Social Good

The intersecting crises of the pandemic, climate change and increasing inequality are compelling associations to repurpose and serve not just their members but society itself as well. This includes making commitments about sustainability, ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) and the UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). From Boardroom…

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With Delta Cases Rising, Vaccination Mandates Gain Ground

When a US academic recently asked on Twitter whether our professional organisations should have vaccine and mask requirements at their on site meetings this autumn, the result was unexpectedly definitive. It also sets the stage for a challenging few months ahead, for the organisations, for destination local authorities, and also for attendees. From PCMA…

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How HIMSS21 Handled Attendee Vaccine Verification

When a healthcare meeting chose to require verification of COVID-19 vaccination for attendees, it had to figure out how to do so in practice. The HIMSS21 conference just held used CLEAR Health Pass Validation and Safe Expo Vaccine Concierge Validation to verify status of staff, vendors and attendees. From Associations Now…

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Managing a Reported Positive COVID Test After Your Meeting

As more meetings return fully in person or as hybrid with in person components, there is the chance that someone will test positive for COVID-19 following attendance. Having a plan to deal with this is crucial, and that plan begins by helping delegates understand to whom to report the information. From Associations Now…

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Climate Change Can’t Be Solved Without Face-to-Face

On paper, travelling to meetings is less friendly to the environment than meeting virtually. But events face-to-face have value add hard to quantify. Human interaction is vital for challenging entrenched ways of doing business. To tackle climate change, we must surely collaborate in person as well as online. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Tokyo 2020: Staging a Hybrid Global Event Too Big to Fail

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics were the most expensive to date, and too big to fail, despite ongoing challenges from the pandemic. Gary Grimmer, the Executive Chairman of Iceberg partner GainingEdge, says they make a timely case study for planners and destinations in the new paradigm of broadcast-friendly hybrid events. From Meetings & Conventions Asia…

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PCMA’s Sherrif Karamat: How Business Events Create Better World

Sherrif Karamat is the President and CEO of the Professional Convention Management Association. He claims here that the pandemic is raising the need to focus now on why we meet and why events like congresses are held. He also has some interesting ideas about The Iceberg’s favourite subject of legacy. From Meetings International…

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US Healthcare Meeting Requiring Attendees’ Proof of Vaccination

While many conferences are still remaining virtual, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society is going back in person to Las Vegas, but requiring attendees at its August conference to show proof of their vaccinations. One of the larger healthcare events in the US, HIMSS cancelled last year because of the pandemic. From Associations Now…

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GAHP’s Martin Sirk: How Associations Are Evolving Their Meetings

The Iceberg always enjoys hearing from Martin Sirk, the International Advisor of our partner the Global Association Hubs Partnership and owner of Sirk Serendipity. In an AMI podcast Martin discusses the future of association meetings in terms of both vaccine passports and also of outcomes measurement. From Association Meetings International…

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Northstar Editors Give Global Outlook on Sector Recovery

Singapore is tightening up its COVID restrictions. The UK has piloted large free-of-mask events, but uncertainty remains over resuming international meetings. With the global vaccine rollout still not injecting enough certainty into the industry, four Northstar editors from around the world have collaborated on a global outlook. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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IMEX’s Carina Bauer: New IMEX BuzzHub Bets on Community

As Iceberg partner the IMEX Group launches its latest digital platform IMEX BuzzHub, CEO Carina Bauer explains how the community is key to COVID-19 recovery. Bauer reveals also latest plans for IMEX America in November, and why organising any trade show right now is “an exercise in extreme preparedness”. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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