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What I Wish I Had Known 30 Years Ago

EN guest editor, CloserStill and Nineteen Group chairman, Phil Soar shares the lessons he wishes he had known 30 years ago: No, this isn’t about wishing I knew how to talk to girls (though it might have helped), nor that buying Apple and Microsoft shares would make me rich, nor betting at 10,000 to one…

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Business Events Industry Advocacy with Tommy Goodwin

Tommy Goodwin, Vice President, Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance, and Iceberg Ambassador, talks about the challenge of getting Visas to enter the U.S. and the impact that has had on the industry, the Kentucky legislature (failed) attempt to tax space rental for exhibitors and sponsors, and more. From Trade Show News Network…

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How to Build an Effective Grasstops Advocacy Program

Grasstops advocacy is necessary for associations to have success on Capitol Hill moving forward. For organizations newer to the concept, here’s a success-driven roadmap to follow. At the height of the pandemic, organizations were mobilizing advocates to connect with lawmakers to push for a variety of legislative concerns, such as financial assistance… From ASAE…

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The Societal Impact of Business Events

Anthropologist-turned-event-pro, Geneviève Leclerc co-founded #MEET4IMPACT to revolutionize event planning and measure their impact. Driven by her passion to create meaningful experiences, she challenges traditional destination selection and strives for greater potential in every event. Listen to the Skift Meetings Podcast…

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The Honest Broker: China Unlocks Investor Confidence in BE Sector

The Iceberg meets Mayfield Merger Strategies (MMS) owner, Steve Monnington, to understand the surge of private equity investments in the sector revealed this month including Blackstone’s $4.6bn takeover of Cvent, Providence Equity Partners’ acquisition of Hyve, and Informa’s trade acquisition of Tarsus.  Monnington: ‘There’s a lot of money looking for a home…’   Further…

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Why Isn’t Sustainability as Important in the U.S. as in Europe?

Meetings Today interviewed James Rees, executive director, conference and events, ExCel London and former president of the International Congress and Convention Association, about the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative and other major sustainability efforts underway in Europe and North America. Listen to the Meetings Today Podcast…

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It’s Time for Associations to Own Their Conference Footprint

Associations are, ultimately, responsible for the carbon emissions produced by their meetings. Yet, when it comes to doing something about them, too many focus almost entirely on the supply chain – relying on host cities, venues, caterers etc. to provide evidence of how they are reducing their emissions. By James Lancaster, from Association Meetings International…

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Tarsus & Informa Show the Road Ahead for Major Exhibition Groups

Exhibition News guest editor Phil Soar analyses the effects of Informa buying Tarsus on the wider industry and considers the road ahead for our major exhibition groups: “A couple of months ago that I suggested the trade show world was very likely to be back to normal by 2024 and, in many cases, well ahead…”

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Putting Menopause on the Agenda

Menopause will affect half the world’s population but it’s very rarely spoken about, even less so in professional settings. So how do we get it on the agenda and how do we create supportive, inclusive and encouraging working environments for menopausal women? From M&IT Magazine…

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Skift Take: Google Xi Days

The people in the room create the DNA of an event, and like-minded people usually generate one-dimensional thinking. So imagine the magic that happens when an eclectic group of thinkers from varied backgrounds, professions, and demographics gather together — exactly what happened during the Google Experience Institute (Xi) Days. From Skift Meetings…

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Events Sector Finally Getting Recognition – What’s Next?

It took a pandemic for governments to realise the value of business events. Now the sector has to keep up its advocacy and collaboration efforts. At the recent UFI Asia-Pacific Conference 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, leaders in the Asia’s events and exhibitions space shared about their effective advocacy strategies and learnings… From Meetings & Conventions…

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AMI Podcast | Kai Hattendorf on Net Zero Carbon Events

‘The Net Zero Carbon Events initiative is the collective effort of the global events industry, to make sure that our sector can do its part in that important journey to net zero to combat climate change. It is by now the most global, most inclusive initiative our industry has ever seen…’ From Association Meetings International…

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BESydney’s Dr Marlene Kanga Explores Gender Equality in STEM

The need for more women in STEM, especially in AI and advanced technologies, was a focus of the UN Women #CSW67 Commission on the Status of Women meeting, also described in Dr Kanga’s blog for the International Science Council – When will we get there? The UN says 300 years! From the International Science Council…

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Jack Johnson: The Power of One Single Question

This is a stressful time in our society and just as importantly, within our destination organization family. And I cannot think of a better first step than to reach out to our families, friends, neighbors, and our peers within the destination organization community and ask that simple question, “How are you doing?” From Destinations International…

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Thoughts on a Social License for Tourism, Engagement & Alignment

Around the world, there’s a new course to be plotted as destination organizations look inward at stakeholders and residents and begin to address the organizational changes needed to facilitate that shift: marketing must have a local voice, budgets need to address a wider scope of projects throughout the community with diverse partners… From Simpleview…

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‘We Can’t Ignore the Science’

Earlier this year, PCMA announced a collaboration with the American Geophysical Union to further its action on climate change at events. Shawna McKinley, AMI expert contributor, asks Lauren Parr, Senior Vice President of Meetings and Learning at AGU how the union approaches this intention at its own events. From Association Meetings International…

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