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COVID-19 has slammed the brakes on the international expansion of associations, their big conferences having been essential to delivering such goals prior to the pandemic. International Advisor Martin Sirk, of Iceberg partner Global Association Hubs, says that association-friendly regional destinations are the answer. From Boardroom…
The first Exhibitions Think Tank has launched a report gathering insights from over 150 sector professionals and setting out ideas for the future of the global industry. Two surveys plus close to 100 online sessions have culminated in a resource that will support the sector adapting to future changes. From Exhibition News…
When the Georgia Society of Association Executives held its annual meeting in August at the Hyatt Regency Savannah, numbers totalled 113. The event was the first in person meeting the hotel hosted since the pandemic began in early 2020, and for many attendees their first event in months as well. From PCMA…
Iceberg partner AIPC has recently published two video perspectives about how business events are now evolving. ICCA President and ExCeL London Executive Director James Rees (pictured) talks to IMEX CEO Carina Bauer. ICCA and IMEX are also Iceberg partners. The second feature is on the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center. From AIPC…
The first UKickstart event brought together 1,419 event professionals both online and across twelve “in person” venues. It was the first live and virtual national gathering of the sector since lockdown. Illuminate at the Science Museum was one of the venues chosen to host a selection of physical attendees. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The hybrid multi-site event BOCOM saw players from across Germany’s meetings industry demonstrating readiness for future event formats. Several hundred participants met on-site at the central conference venue in Berlin and at the hubs in Amsterdam, Essen and Vienna, as well as virtually from all continents. From GCB…
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…
When Marco Oelschlegel became head of Berlin’s Convention Bureau in January 2020, neither he nor the rest of the world knew how difficult and strange the coming few months would be. So just how has the start of his new role ended up being, and what is Berlin’s “new normal” like? From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
When the United Fresh Produce Association cancelled its annual convention and expo this spring, organisers quickly put the content online. The scramble proved to be so successful that the association has kept it going, turning a one-off event into an online platform with permanent expo, social gatherings and on-demand education. From PCMA…
In times like the current pandemic, how can associations begin to plan for the years ahead when decisions they are taking today may no longer be valid even in the very near future? Association not-for-profit AC Forum explains how its members anticipate changes in the sector and in their events. From Boardroom…
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…
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…
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…
Associations are perfectly placed to reshape the world emerging from lockdown. They are repositories of expertise and best practice. They are trusted curators of information. They connect people all around the world and provide lifelong learning beyond university. But is this an opportunity they will grasp? From Association Meetings International…
When ASN (the American Society for Nutrition) decided to switch its live event set for late May in Seattle to all-virtual just sixty days before the meeting, the organising team of ten didn’t know what to expect from the pivot. Nutrition 2020 typically draws 3,500 delegates, but about 30,000 attended the virtual version. From PCMA…
In the rush to pivot strategies for the new normal, it’s easy to lose sight of what matters for an association and its members. Here is a guide to this transformative shift for associations and their congresses, including the delegates, sponsors and technology: the myths, facts and opportunities around virtual events. From MCI…
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