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By Carina Bauer, CEO of IMEX Group: May was an eventful month, with IMEX Frankfurt and MPI’s WEC bringing the industry together under one roof once again. These events mark significant points in our calendars, offering us the global meetings and events industry a chance to pause and assess where we stand. It’s clear –…
By Pádraic Gilligan: Recently I posted on sustainability and incentive travel concluding that current definitions / understandings of each rendered them as irreconcilable opposites – sustainability was “limiting”, requiring restraint, reduced consumption, thoughtful, conscientious behaviour while a travel reward was sans frontiers and sans souci, suggesting freedom, extravagance, conspicuous consumption.
From ICCA: Guy Bigwood, a recognised expert in creating regenerative destinations and events, is featured in the third episode of the 971 Podcast. With his experience in consulting services, Guy has helped cities, governments, and the events industry enhance their sustainability programmes. As the founder of the GDS-Index and Chief Changemaker of the Global Destinations…
From WIT: Beyond numbers, destinations need to rethink what they really want from tourism, says Miguel Sanz Castedo. With European tourism at a critical juncture, coming under pressure on several fronts, including environmental and social, the new president of the European Tourism Commission (ETC) says it is even more timely to remind Europeans of the…
From Conference & Meetings World: Speaker and emcee, Holly Ransom, who hosted the recent PCMA Convening Leaders gathering in San Diego, shares her philosophy of effective engagement and leadership: Holly Ransom’s journey into public speaking began at a young age when she was involved in non-profit projects. She won an international award at a microfinance…
From WiT, Viator’s founder Rod Cuthbert on the rise of Google: As Google continues to roll out AI-powered search features, which will undoubtedly increase its dominance in travel, Rod Cuthbert, the founder of Viator and generally acknowledged as the “Godfather of tours and activities”, got quite indignant during his session at WiT Japan & North…
From New in Events Podcast: Mike Fletcher and Paul Cook catch up with ICCA President Marta Gomes to find out how her home city of Paris is gearing up for the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer. Marta also talks about the importance of advocacy to highlight and emphasise the events industry’s relevance, and importance…
Sally-Ann Williams FTSE leads the charge in Australia’s deep tech revolution as CEO of Cicada Innovations, an incubator nurturing visionary innovators tackling global challenges through science and engineering. From MedTech to Clean Energy, Cicada has empowered hundreds to bring high-impact technologies to the world. The Iceberg joins Williams to understand the collision spaces and ecosystem…
By Pádraic Gilligan: Last May the Events Industry Council published the latest iteration of its Global Economic Significance of Business Events and valued business events’ contribution to global GDP at USD$1.6 trillion. This figure, in fact, would rank business events as the 13th largest economic stream globally. The EIC study, conducted in partnership with Oxford…
From Meetings International, by Roger Kellerman: How many international “competitions” are there to select the world’s, the continent’s, or a certain region’s or country’s, best hotel? How many owners and managers happily send their best-looking employees, in their fanciest outfits, to these so-called award ceremonies around the world to promote their “wins?” If we take…
From Skift Meetings: Not many can say they grew up in the events industry, but Gregg Talley can. He has been at it for more than four decades. Gregg H. Talley is the chief executive officer of Talley Management Group, an association and event management firm that works with U.S. national global associations. Talley also…
From Destinations International, by Gretchen Hall: When we at Destinations International (DI) announced Tampa, FL as the location for our 2024 annual convention, it sparked a meaningful dialogue among our members. Given recent Florida legislation affecting key community groups, our choice raised important questions about our values and our strategies in the face of social…
From Net Zero Carbon Events: For World Earth Day, we’re sharing this podcast with Mike Fletcher and Paul Cook, who chat with Shawna McKinley about her work documenting events in Canada that have been impacted by changing and unpredictable weather patterns. From her home in North Vancouver, Shawna advises a better understanding of event insurance…
From Boardroom, by Martin Sirk: Why do individuals (and the always small number of individuals making decisions on behalf of organisations) decide to join associations? Why do they stay, and more importantly, why do they leave? The generally accepted analysis focuses on the range of services offered by the association, the cost of access, and…
From TSNN: Ask Amy Calvert about her path to the C-suite, and she will share a common thread that has persisted throughout her professional journey: a steadfast love and respect for the human connections that business events can foster. Calvert started her career in the hospitality sector, gaining experience working for the InterContinental Hotels Group…
From TTG Asia Media: Event sustainability has become a major point of interest among event organisers and owners, with many approaching venue partners with their own stringent checklist, observes Ong Wee Min, vice president of sales and MICE with Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. With this advancement in attitudes towards sustainable and responsible events, venue…
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