Found 326 Opinions
Viewing all Opinions
Where meetings and events choose to go, and how they approach their content, are affected by many factors, not least the influence of political disruptors like Brexit or the 2016 US presidential election. So says Rod Cameron, Executive Director of the Joint Meetings Industry Council, which presents The Iceberg. From CIM News Magazine…
The retirement of Christian Mutschlechner from the Vienna Convention Bureau next year may, or may not, mean he is departing from the wider industry. But the fact Vienna consistently out-performed bigger cities, and has become one of the world’s top convention destinations, owes a great deal to him. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
While the larger markets of Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Colombia will surely be the focus of the upcoming UFI Latin America Conference, the growing economy of Peru is also worthy of attention. Better known as a holiday destination and for Machu Picchu, a new convention center has been built in the capital city, Lima. From UFI…
Border security seems to be of increasing importance in a more nationalistic political age. But sometimes the business of implementing border security involves collaborating across borders. Tony Smith, Chair of the International Border Management and Technologies Association, discusses IBMATA’s recent inaugural conference, and why collaboration is a main focus. From PCMA Convene…
The Iceberg’s very own Phileas Fogg, Pádraic Gilligan, was recently asked to deliver a workshop about “how Malaysia can build & sell compelling incentive travel experiences”. He took advantage of his time there to explore some new, and also not so new, products and experiences for the global meetings sector. From SoolNua’s Pádraic Gilligan at Padraicino…
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…
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…
The Mexican exhibition sector has certainly attracted major global players. But it’s still mostly smaller organisers or societies hosting regional or local events. UFI, the exhibition industry’s global association, has been talking to José Navarro, Chairman of its Latin American Chapter and General Director of E.J. Krause Tarsus de México. From UFI…
Opinions has already published Convene’s annual Best in Show list, celebrating industry excellence. But Convene also invited notables from across the sector to reflect on how the business of events is getting better. Nineteen contributed, among them Gregg Talley of the Talley Management Group and SoolNua and SITE’s Pádraic Gilligan. From PCMA Convene…
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. When the US Supreme Court recently upheld Trump Travel Ban III, Vancouver quickly tweeted out a welcome mat. But here’s a tale of two cities, New York and San Francisco, that insist the US is still open for business. From PCMA Convene…
Tier 1 cities have much to offer meeting groups in terms of their connectivity and facilities. But all that bang takes a lot of buck. To make a big impact on a smaller budget, meeting planners should consider small and mid-sized cities. So how do you find big-city appeal in an affordable destination? From Successful Meetings…
Meetings Professionals International’s World Education Congress has just concluded in Indianapolis, having welcomed around 2,200 attendees. Since WEC 2017 MPI had totally reimagined the event, and the 2018 running was certainly eventful, even to the extent of a Sudanese-Australian speaker being unable to attend because of a US visa waiver refusal. From Meetings & Conventions…
Sydney has just hosted over 6,500 members of Jeunesse Global, the largest corporate incentive group ever to visit during the city’s Vivid festival. The huge meeting should contribute almost AU$40 million to the NSW economy. The Chief Executive of Business Events Sydney reflects on the value and legacies of such incentives. From Lyn Lewis-Smith via LinkedIn…
Australia has recently launched a business events bid fund, and the first meeting it will support, the UITP Global Public Transport Summit, will both be bringing 2,000 delegates to Melbourne in 2021 and deliver AU$9.4 million to Victoria’s economy. John O’Sullivan, Managing Director of Tourism Australia, answers three questions about his country’s approach to meetings. From Boardroom…
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo may have met North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, but we now know that President Trump’s face-to-face with the Supreme Leader on June 12th won’t take place. Before it was officially cancelled, one Iceberg partner pondered the pressures for organisers of such meetings. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…
In 2016 Turkey’s largest city Istanbul claimed eighth spot in ICCA’s much-trumpeted city rankings. Today it is in 133rd place. Over the past 24 months the city has suffered deadly terrorist attacks, a failed coup, and a series of purges against its citizens, including teachers, journalists and lawyers. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
Powered by 
