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“What we do must matter more” – Senthil Gopinath

Senthil Gopinath, Iceberg Ambassador and CEO of ICCA, a Founding Partner of The Iceberg, tells Paul Colston, Managing Editor, Conference News & Conference & Meetings World, that innovation is key to making 2023 a dynamic and successful year. From Conference & Meetings World…

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Skift Take: Google Xi Days

The people in the room create the DNA of an event, and like-minded people usually generate one-dimensional thinking. So imagine the magic that happens when an eclectic group of thinkers from varied backgrounds, professions, and demographics gather together — exactly what happened during the Google Experience Institute (Xi) Days. From Skift Meetings…

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Kai Hattendorf: 2023’s Five International Trends to Watch

The CEO of Iceberg partner UFI, Kai Hattendorf (pictured right!) has been looking into his crystal ball yet again as the year ends. With the pandemic lingering in some territories, Russia’s war in Ukraine, inflation skyrocketing and the climate crisis, what are the key trends to see business events through 2023? From Exhibition News…

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Copenhagen Legacy Lab: Leading Global Legacy Creation

Copenhagen Convention Bureau launched the Copenhagen Legacy Lab in 2019 to bridge international congresses held in Copenhagen with the local public, business and science communities. This Iceberg partner lets global associations both to achieve their objectives and solve societal challenges through events, and it aims to create the world’s leading hub for legacy. From Meetings International…

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Destination Boycotts Over Abortion Bans: Different Approaches

Meeting planners reacted strongly to the US Supreme Court overturning the Roe v. Wade ruling on abortion rights. Over 40 percent said state abortion legislation would influence site-selection decisions. But Iceberg partner Destinations International has been on a mission to convince groups that travel boycotts simply do not work. From Northstar Meetings Group…

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How an Association Put Sustainability in Its RfP With GDS-Index

How does a desire to minimise the environmental impact of events fit into a traditional RfP (Request for Proposal)? This was the question asked by Guidelines International Network when sourcing a place to hold its international conference in 2023. The starting point was with Global Destination Sustainability Index, an Iceberg partner. From Association Meetings International…

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The Invisible Industry Gets 49-Foot Trailer Advocacy Roadshow

The “Invisible Industry” was a label put on the meetings and hospitality sectors back in 1996 by broadcaster Charles Osgood. Now this title has become an advocacy roadshow, thanks to a 49-foot trailer stocked with interactive media. It launched a year-long “Invisible Industry Tour” of US cities last June. From PCMA…

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Book Extract: “Business Event Legacies” by Goodfellow

Last year Goodfellow Publishers released “Business Event Legacies: Global industry case studies”, from Carmel Foley, Deborah Edwards and Karin Weber. Previous work by Foley and Edwards includes the first JMIC Case Study published here on The Iceberg, and this book cites all of those studies. Here the volume’s content is outlined. From Meetings International…

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Pandemic Heroes: One Year Later, How the Sector Survived

One year since exhibitions returned after the UK’s COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, EN guest editor Phil Soar explores who the true “heroes” of the pandemic have been. He looks in particular at the roles played by venues that became National Health Service “Nightingale” field hospitals, and finds some encouraging causes for hope. From Exhibition News…

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Explaining Events to Policymakers: ECA’s Tommy Goodwin

The workday of Tommy Goodwin, Vice President of the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance, is explaining the importance of business events to policymakers. But are they finally starting to get it? Goodwin explains the purpose of the business events advocacy association set up in early 2021. From Association Meetings International…

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Acknowledging First Nations: ICC Sydney, Art and the Artist

ICC Sydney shows its commitment to Australia’s First Nations peoples with programming, a reconciliation plan, and in artwork and messaging around its campus. Works by artist Jeffrey Samuels have become part of the venue’s comprehensive art collection, and are now also being adapted in other media, including digital signage. From PCMA…

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The African Opportunity for Associations

Africa is home to some of the world’s fastest-growing economies as well as more than half of the world’s youth population. Whilst there is poverty in Africa, there is also a growing middle class of educated people with significant purchasing power living in large urban centres. From Meetings International…

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Baltimore CC Executive Director Peggy Daidakis Retires From Post

Peggy Daidakis joined the Baltimore Convention Center just ahead of its grand opening in 1979. Eight years later, she stepped into the role of Executive Director, the first woman to do so at a US convention venue. Now in 2022, after years of service and awards, she is retiring from her post. From PCMA…

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Sustainable Congresses: No Quick Fixes, Just Twelve Key Tips

Director of Event:Decision Matt Grey, together with Mark Handforth, Director of 3Sixty Event Consulting and Healthcare Venues, haven’t got a quick fix for sustainable meetings and conferences. Instead, they lay out the most effective methods to cut the emissions produced by events in twelve key tips for the sector. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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