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Tackling Cybersecurity: An Event Planner’s Guide

Cybersecurity is among the top threats facing businesses and governments in 2018. What you might not realize, though, is that it can impact consumers not only at voting booths and cash registers, but also at meetings and events. Cybersecurity expert Rebecca Herold explains how to protect yourself from the threat. From Successful Meetings…

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Face-to-Face Events: Eight Very Common Misconceptions

More than ever the value of face-to-face seems in question, with virtual events now the new “shiny object”. But face-to-face meetings aren’t dull or rusty. As the attendee experience evolves, also now with actionable data, the easiest way to renergise an event is to give the delegates more of what they want. From Maritz Global Events…

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Life Sciences, Engaging Youth and BestCities Global Alliance

Aaron Etra co-founded the Institute for Life Sciences Collaboration, which organises the ICMAN and ICNODAT conferences. He is also Chair of the Executive Committee of the Council of Organizations of the United Nations Association of the USA. Here he shares insights on youth empowerment with Iceberg parter BestCities Global Alliance. From Boardroom…

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Diversity and Inclusion: A Meetings Industry Roundtable Discussion

Few issues have dominated public debate over the past few years as much as those related to diversity and inclusion. Charged discourse is impacting every part of our culture, including the meetings industry. Last month five thought leaders gathered on a conference call to discuss the topic. From Successful Meetings…

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Eventprofslive: Meeting Needs at the Refurished Lygon Arms

The Iceberg has fond memories of a stay at the historic Lygon Arms in the Cotswolds forty years ago. Now the owners of Eventprofslive have just organised a familiarisation trip to the refurbished venue, asking attendees to donate money to industry charity Meeting Needs. The idea met with great success. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

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Panels Not Manels: Gender Equality at INBOUND 2017

INBOUND is one of the world’s most popular business events. Each year it attracts well over 20,000 attendees from more than a hundred countries to Boston. The audience is about 65 percent female, but unlike many other meetings the event’s speaker lineup is also diverse. So how did INBOUND make it happen? From Forbes…

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The Events Brain: Behavioural Science and Meetings Design

We think we make decisions based on logic, but unconscious influences affect our behaviour and judgment. So says Maritz Chief Behavioural Officer Charlotte Blank. Maritz Global Events is a partner of The Iceberg. Understanding behaviour presents a “whole new world of opportunity” for event design. From PCMA Convene…

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Legacy: Creation, Measurement and Advocacy

The term “legacy” is now becoming almost ubiquitous. Legacies are the broad set of outcomes ranging from advances in science and healthcare to creating new trade opportunities and empowering young people that far outweigh the financial impact of association meetings. The Iceberg also has a role to play in that. From Biz Events Asia…

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Berlin: Building the Lasting Legacies of Falling Walls

In an age when some are once more trying to build walls, the remains of the one that divided Berlin stand testament to the historical impact of its demolition. Falling Walls, the International Conference on Future Breakthroughs in Science and Society, was founded to build on that moment and metaphor. From PCMA Convene…

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Productive Meetings: The Architecture of Good Foundations

What are the foundations of a productive meeting? It’s the question at the core of every planner’s job, and if you want to know about foundations, who better to ask than an architect? Caterina Alves is actually Venue Manager at the historic Royal Institute of British Architects. Photo: Philafrenzy. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

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Sustainable Meetings: Single-Use Plastic is No Longer Fantastic

Is time now up for that global event staple, the plastic badge holder? From a registration specialist whose products are all recyclable, to an event caterer transitioning away from bottled mineral water, to a venue banning single-use plastic packaging from hotel and meeting suites, here are three approaches to more sustainable events. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

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ASAE’s Groundbreaking Approach to Early-Bird Event Pricing

At its Annual Meeting in Chicago, Iceberg partner ASAE unveiled a groundbreaking, or possibly foolhardy, early-bird pricing experiment to attract association meeting professionals to a future event. Register in advance, and pay nothing now. After you attend the event in April, you pay only what you think it was worth. From PCMA Convene…

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Outside Opinions: The Novelty of Being Away from the Office

What’s the best thing about travelling for business? In new research from ConferenceLeeds, almost half said it was “the novelty of being away from the office”. The results highlight how much we enjoy time away from our usual day-to-day routine, like time spent attending conferences and events in different cities. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

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Face-to-Face: Six Reasons Why it Still Offers Value

Changes in technology, and in its availability and cost, have greatly expanded possibilities for hosting events. So the debate between the advantages of traditional face-to-face meetings, against those of videoconferencing or livestreaming events, rages on. Here are six reasons why face-to-face still offers value for both delegates and organisers. From Maritz Global Events…

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Vienna: Can “Liveability” Attract Conferences?

Vienna is the world’s most “liveable” city. That’s according to the annual Economist Intelligence Unit Global Liveability Index. It’s also the first city in Europe to top the survey: Melbourne had lead for seven years previously. But what is the link between “liveability” and actually attracting conference delegates? From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…

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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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