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Coronavirus: Behind IMEX’s “Devastating Decision” to Cancel

Iceberg partner IMEX has just taken the “devastating decision” to cancel IMEX Frankfurt. Citing the danger of the German health ministry forcing a last minute shutdown very close to the trade show’s opening this May, the meetings industry stalwart has just given the sector a textbook lesson in how to make a difficult call. From PCMA…

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#MEET4IMPACT: Legacy, Impact and Tourism New Zealand

Geneviève Leclerc is Chief Executive Officer of #MEET4IMPACT, and the best person to ask the difference between “legacy” and “impact”. This Iceberg partner is now working with Tourism New Zealand on the project “Enrich New Zealand – Conference Impact”. This will measure outcomes of three meetings held over two years. From PCMA…

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Beyond Tourism Event Legacies: BestCities’s Karen Bolinger

Many DMOs (Destination Marketing Organisations) have started to realise the true value of meetings and are tracking the social outcomes they deliver. Some governments include business events as part of policy. Karen Bolinger, Strategic Advisor at Iceberg partner BestCities Global Alliance, talks “beyond tourism” legacies. From City / Nation / Place…

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Association Legacies: Keeping Leadership Ego Out of Impact Creation

Often legacies we leave behind are not as much under our control as we might like. Stylianos Filopoulos, Board Member of the European Society of Association Executives, argues that association leaders are not the sole drivers of association legacy, but caretakers who protect the vision that inspires and unites members and stakeholders. From Boardroom…

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Olympia London: Food Waste Reduction with WRAP Campaign

Despite not sending food waste to landfill sites for over a decade now, Olympia London has introduced new measures to make sure excess isn’t created in the first place. The venue has also partnered with the sustainability advocacy group WRAP, which runs the “Guardians of Grub” campaign, to track food waste. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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UFI Global CEO Summit Pope Francis Vatican Address: Full Text

Attendees at the recent UFI Global CEO Summit in Rome were granted a private audience in the Vatican’s Sala Clementina with Pope Francis. His Holiness said that trade fairs and exhibitions were benefitting regional economies while “showcasing to the wider world the rich diversity and beauty of local cultures and ecosystems”. From UFI…

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BOCOM: The Right Time to be Holding a Multisite Conference

The Iceberg recently published German Convention Bureau MD Matthias Schultze’s views about the multisite BOCOM conference being held this April. As the coronavirus crisis devastates the whole global meetings industry, this borderless communication event’s approach could perhaps not be more timely. From Matthias Schultze via LinkedIn…

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Fleshing Out Strategies for Meatless Menus at Meetings and Events

Both the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild served meatless meals during their award ceremonies this January. Meatless meals were also served up at Convening Leaders in San Francisco, sponsored by Iceberg partner IMEX. There are many good reasons to go meatless, but it’s not always easy getting attendees to stomach the idea. From PCMA…

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Conference Shame: Time to Let the Media Know Meetings Matter

“Conference shame” was the term used in a Bloomberg article about the threat to events of “the Greta effect”. So the sector now needs to get its “game face” on. Partners of the Iceberg IMEX, Positive Impact and GDS-Index have already done so. Photo: World Economic Forum / Manuel Lopez. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…

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Sustainability’s Four Pillars: The Meetings Industry Perspective

2020 began with disturbing images of burnt koalas and fears of their “imminent extinction”. Climate change has played a role in the catastrophic and unprecedented early fire season, and the meeting industry can take a lead in tackling this universal issue. Paula Blomster of MPI’s European Advisory Council explains. From Association Meetings International…

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Sustainable Agency: Legacy by Nature, Legacy by Name

The Iceberg doesn’t usually focus on the activities of individual agencies working across the meetings and events sector. But it is hard not to notice one founded at the same time as our very own little platform celebrating business event legacy, particularly when that agency is actually called “Legacy”. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Event Sustainability: Has the Emergency Already Been Sounded?

With a scientific consensus that we are already in a full-blown climate crisis, events are under widespread scrutiny for environmental impact. So are meetings now in a state of emergency? German Convention Bureau Director Matthias Schultze, UFI CEO Kai Hattendorf and Iceberg Founder James Latham are among the sector voices canvassed. From EventMB…

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Medical Meetings: Designing to Provide “Provider Wellness”

Workers in any industry can suffer from burnout, stress, anxiety and exhaustion. For those employed in the medical field, problems can be real and severe. So in the last few years planners have been designing medical meetings that provide some appropriate “provider wellness”, as well as more customary networking and education. From PCMA…

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Meetings Technology: Facilitating the Future of Face-to-Face

According to Jim Sharpe, the new CEO of Aventri, event technology is now far easier to use. Whether it’s using a WhatsApp group to stay in contact with event planners, or automating reporting to capture meeting metrics, technology is not only impacting carbon footprint but also changing and upskilling teams. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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