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Ready to Reopen: US Convention Facilities Prepare Clean Future

When the time comes for in person events to start up again, convention centres across the US will be ready to deliver an experience prioritising health and safety. Much of that will be the result of new technologies, new cleaning protocols, and new staff positions that venues have in place. From Associations Now…

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A Balancing Act: Dutch Events and Associations Talk Autumn Strategy

In mid-June the Netherlands started to welcome international travellers back to its borders. There is no limit for maximum attendees at meetings and events, but associations even so are wary, and with countries like the US, India and Australia still unable to travel, planners are considering best strategy for the coming autumn. From Boardroom…

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PCMA Collaborates on Virtual Event Covering MI Business Models

The pandemic is forcing so many sectors to rethink how they operate, including business events. So PCMA, the 7,000-member association for the industry, collaborated with the National Speakers Association and also the International Association of Speakers Bureaus on a virtual event addressing new business models. From Forbes…

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The Bulb Launches Post-Lockdown Event Sustainability Guide

The Bulb, a UK-based sustainable event consultancy, has released a guide to help meeting organisers to navigate the “new normal” and make sure the progress made in creating a sustainable industry is not lost. The increase in need for PPE (personal protective equipment) has seen a rise in plastic pollution. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Small is Beautiful: The Future of Association Business Events

International association meetings, particularly those that are attracting thousands of delegates, were once the prized targets of all convention bureaux. COVID-19 has made the immediate future smaller and more regional. But this trend was already underway and should not frighten destination marketing organisations. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…

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Webcast: Meeting and Event Design Accepted Practices Guide

The Events Industry Council just released the “Meeting and Event Design Accepted Practices Guide” (see Research). More guides are to come from the EIC powered APEX COVID-19 Business Recovery Task Force. A webcast offered insights and answered audience questions about the new document. From Northstar Meetings Group…

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ESR’s ECR 2020: Vienna Radiology Congress Runs Virtually

Europe’s largest medical meeting in radiology and radiotechnology, the European Congress of Radiology, was held exclusively online for the first time this year. A record 15,265 delegates from over 130 countries took part, an increase of five percent in delegate numbers from the 2019 edition. From Association Meetings International…

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A Reality Check for the Global Business Events Sector from Martin Sirk

Martin Sirk is International Advisor for Iceberg partner GAH (Global Association Hubs). In a sharp reality check for the business events sector, he warns that successful reopening relies on a much wider containment of the pandemic than the industry on its own can ever achieve. The economy and health are not zero-sum trade-offs or parallel-track…

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CES 2021 Goes Online: The End of the World That Once We Knew

The largest business-to-business, face-to-face exhibition in the US, CES 2021, has moved to being an online, all-digital event. In 2019 CES had 170,000 visitors, 6,000 media, plus 4,000 exhibiting businesses from every corner of the world. The early pivot sent shock waves across an industry already devastated by the pandemic. From UFI…

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Birmingham ICC’s Tory Conference Hat-trick Reveals Legacy

The UK’s Conservative Party will be hosting its annual conference at Birmingham in 2022, 2024 and 2026. The event has alternated between ICC Birmingham and Manchester Central since 2008. Both used to be Labour heartlands, which shows the legacies that come from targeting a specific destination. From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Not Another Industry Statement: The JMIC Global Manifesto

Months now into the COVID-19 pandemic we are awash in sector pronouncements and assertions, even if the route to recovery in this challenging situation remains rather unpredictable. But the recent global manifesto from the Joint Meetings Industry Council is a little different. So says JMIC’s Executive Director Rod Cameron…

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If Content Compels, Attendees Pay for Virtual Events

In planning a hybrid or digital event, content is key to success. Panelists said as much during the first hybrid webinar of The Hague Convention Bureau. Talking through the viability of such events were a corporate and two association planners, a meeting design expert and a hotel executive. Article includes webinar video. From PCMA…

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Checking the Labels: The UK’s Coronavirus Event Safety Standards

In the UK many industry associations have produced their own COVID-19 safety guidelines. While a measure showing initiative and real thirst to restart, this has caused confusion among planners over which label to seek out. List compiled before the Government-approved All Secure Standard was launched. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Ways to Decarbonise Conference Travel Beyond COVID-19

COVID-19 has forced a rethinking of travel. Many conferences have been cancelled. Some have gone virtual. This analysis looks at actions that might reduce conference travel emissions by up to 90 percent, including holding a conference biennially in accessible locations, plus having both regional hubs and more virtual events. From Nature…

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