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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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Vienna Waits for You: Conference Supports Elderly Bakers’ Café

Jaimé Bennett, PCMA’s Regional Director of EMEA, was taken on a tour during her site visit to Vienna earlier this year. The aim was to find places Convening EMEA participants could explore during the meeting. One was a café which helps older residents augment their pensions and social lives through baking. From PCMA…

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Roe v. Wade: Making Event Site Selection Political Decisions

On the back of a flash survey, Editor James Lancaster talks with Loren Edelstein, VP Content Director at Northstar Meetings Group, about how the US Supreme Court’s about turn on Roe v. Wade could inflence where international associations meet, and whether organisations should be being political about site selection. Photo: Ted Eytan. From Association Meetings International…

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Meeting Technology: What an Investment Downturn Means

There are signs the event tech goldrush is already over. How quickly organisers harness the potential of online meetings will determine the size of any returns in future. William Thomson, Founder of Gallus Events and Practically Perfect PA, examines how the sector is now facing something of a reckoning. From Association Meetings International…

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Healthcare Meetings Beyond COVID-19: A Medical Examination

There is no denying events have changed because of the pandemic, as have the wants and needs of both organisers and attendees within the healthcare space. So, what are the key changes, and the trends we are seeing in terms of the way that the industry approaches them? From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Talking to the Hand: Emergency Response After the Oscars Slap

In the film world, “slap” once meant make–up, slapstick comedy, or the slap of a clapperboard synchronising picture and sound. But for meeting planners, a rather different slapping incident at the 2022 Oscars reveals the need to have a full emergency response plan and code of conduct in place. From Associations Now…

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The Metaverse: Better Networking at Hybrid Business Events

The “Metaverse”, as a concept, has been around for a long time. But it now looks set to become a reality and have significant impact within the events industry. Harry Prince, the Creative Content Manager at venue finder Spacehuntr, explains how the Metaverse will improve networking for hybrid meetings. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…  

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Glasgow’s COP26 and Sustainability Legacy: Reusing Materials

Over thirty charities have benefited from the materials used at last year’s COP26 as part of the positive legacy of the UK’s largest business event ever, which was held in Glasgow. Identity Group, which delivered the meeting for the UK’s Government and venue SEC, tasked Event Cycle with redistributing materials. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Chemical Reaction: Science Conferences After the Pandemic

PCMA Editor-in-Chief Michelle Russell drew our attention to this discussion of how the model of scientific conference should be changing in the wake of the pandemic. It contains a fantastic example of serendipitous legacy, a chance meeting at a conference in Puerto Rico leading to some Nobel prize-winning CRISPR gene editing. From Chemistry World…

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A New Word for the Serendipity of Events: “Liminality”

If attendees are missing the chance encounter at virtual events, the lack of “liminal” space in the environment may be the culprit. This can also be missing at in person events. Julius Solaris, VP of Marketing Strategy, Events at event tech company Hopin, gives us a new idea for planned serendipity, “liminality”. From PCMA…  

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PCMA CL22: Digital Attendee Experience Surveyed at Tech Village

Companies at Convening Leaders’ Tech Village at Caesars Forum were asked to identify what has changed about digital attendee experiences during 2021. The need for quality content with no “fluff” or “friction”, the opportunity for event delegates to socialise, and the chance to reach a global audience were among the key takeaways. From PCMA…

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ICCA and BestCities Talk About Association Legacy at IMEX America

During the recent IMEX America in Las Vegas, Iceberg partners ICCA and the BestCities Global Alliance collaboratively staged a deep dive workshop that explored “Legacy for Association Meetings”. With the use of templates taken from the toolkit of Copenhagen Legacy Lab, also an Iceberg partner, attendees worked to develop tangible solutions for sector challenges. From ICCA…

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ASAE’s Michelle Mason: Association Trailblazer Breaking Barriers

Michelle Mason heads up Iceberg partner ASAE as President and CEO. After she “stumbled into association management”, as a temporary staff assistant at what is now called the American Chemistry Council, Mason has climbed the ranks, transforming any barriers into opportunities and using her platform to raise others who are underrepresented. From PCMA…

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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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Events UnPaused: The Five-Part Podcast from Maritz Global Events

An exploration of how the COVID crisis has impacted the meetings industry, Iceberg partner Maritz Global Events’ five-part podcast “Events UnPaused”, presented by President David Peckinpaugh, is chock-full of insights. The final episode is called “The Future of Events and Where the Industry Is Going”. From PCMA…

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