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Destination Three Rs: Research, Relevance, Relationships

The “new normal” notwithstanding, the preference across the industry for holding in-person meetings is clear. So what do both venues and destination marketing organisations need to focus on to maximise their attendance in-person now as hybrid meetings proliferate? Sarah Fleming, Managing Director of Sarah Fleming Associates, has some ideas on the subject. From Sarah Fleming…

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PlanetIMEX Session: When We Meet Again (Maritz Global Events)

The pause of face-to-face events has left a void of connection not fully filled by the switch to digital. Designers have to help guests feel more connected as they meet again. Iceberg partner Maritz Global Events’ Chief Behavioural Officer Charlotte Blank and Enterprise VP for Design Studio Greg Bogue explain. From Maritz Global Events…

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DMOs: Down But Not Out, Rebuilding for a Different Future

2020 has been crushing for the DMO (destination management organisations). Destinations in the US have endured wiped-out funds as a result of zero hotel occupancy, en-masse event cancellations, and double-digit layoffs, not to mention further challenges with social unrest and also, for some, natural disasters. 2020 has brought the DMO to the brink. From PCMA…

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Fighting Zoom Fatigue: Taking Your Meeting Out on the Tiles

The Netherlands Tourism Board recently hosted a meeting called “Dis-Connect”. Association, venue and destination professionals joined a virtual workshop staged live at the museum of the Royal Delft pottery factory. They painted white tiles with blue paint in the style of the famous “Delftware” produced in the town since the 17th century. From PCMA…

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AMI’s Deep Dive Talks 2020 with UFI Leader Kai Hattendorf

Kai Hattendorf, the MD and CEO of Iceberg partner UFI, the exhibitions industry’s global association, has just been a guest on the AMI Deep Dive podcast. Talking to AMI editor James Lancaster, he discusses the impact of the pandemic on the sector, its longterm future, plus advocating economic value to government. From Association Meetings International…

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Taking the Congress on Tour: SIAARTI’s ICARE Hits the Road

A medical association has taken its annual congress on the road so as to avoid any mass gathering of its members. The Italian Society of Anaesthesia, Analgesia, Intensive Care and Resuscitation toured from Turin to Bari, visiting major hospitals as well in Bologna, Brescia, Padua, Milan, Naples and capital Rome. From Association Meetings International…

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Science Museum Joins British Venues Hosting UKickstart Event

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…

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A Balancing Act: Dutch Events and Associations Talk Autumn Strategy

In mid-June the Netherlands started to welcome international travellers back to its borders. There is no limit for maximum attendees at meetings and events, but associations even so are wary, and with countries like the US, India and Australia still unable to travel, planners are considering best strategy for the coming autumn. From Boardroom…

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PCMA Collaborates on Virtual Event Covering MI Business Models

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…

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The Bulb Launches Post-Lockdown Event Sustainability Guide

The Bulb, a UK-based sustainable event consultancy, has released a guide to help meeting organisers to navigate the “new normal” and make sure the progress made in creating a sustainable industry is not lost. The increase in need for PPE (personal protective equipment) has seen a rise in plastic pollution. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Small is Beautiful: The Future of Association Business Events

International association meetings, particularly those that are attracting thousands of delegates, were once the prized targets of all convention bureaux. COVID-19 has made the immediate future smaller and more regional. But this trend was already underway and should not frighten destination marketing organisations. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…

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Beyond Virtual Events: Destination Canada’s Chantal Sturk-Nadeau

After months of conference calls, webinars and online meetings, we recognise perhaps more than ever the role that business events play in exchanging ideas, building networks and fuelling innovation. So explains Chantal Sturk-Nadeau, Executive Director of Business Events at Destination Canada. From PCMA…

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Webcast: Meeting and Event Design Accepted Practices Guide

The Events Industry Council just released the “Meeting and Event Design Accepted Practices Guide” (see Research). More guides are to come from the EIC powered APEX COVID-19 Business Recovery Task Force. A webcast offered insights and answered audience questions about the new document. From Northstar Meetings Group…

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International Meetings: For Sector to Recover, What Must be in Place?

To have international association meetings looking anything like they did before COVID-19, either of two things must happen: enough host countries push their daily case rate down to nearly zero so overseas delegations become possible, or else science comes to the rescue with a vaccine or treatment(s). From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…

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