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Hurricane Maria and the Puerto Rico Convention Center

Only a few weeks ago the Puerto Rico Convention Center was still the main headquarters of the area’s emergency response effort after the devastation of Hurricane Maria. The venue’s General Manager Jorge Perez looks back at how his facility was commandeered by both the Federal Emergency Management Agency and by local officials. From Successful Meetings…

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Westminster Bubbles: New Minister Keen to Engage, Says BVEP

New Tourism Minister Michael Ellis is keen to develop a positive agenda for the events industry, says Business Visits and Events Partnership Chair Michael Hirst. As discussed in the last “Westminster Bubbles”, the minister was appointed in the January reshuffle, replacing John Glen and resetting government dialogue with the industry. Photo: Chris McAndrew. From Meetpie.com…

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Meeting and Event Greening: Myths and Truths

It is quite likely you have already heard a lot about meeting and event greening, but how much of what you know is actually true? As with all new things, there can be confusion and misinformation. The Event Greening Forum unpacks some common myths about sector greening and sets the record straight. From the Event…

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Association Meetings: Rethinking the Model

Associations are increasingly reexamining traditional approaches to creating meeting and event programmes. Delegate numbers are broadly rising, but audiences continue to demand more engagement and specialist content. Organisations need to balance effective continual professional development with giving delegates content curated around their specialities: creating a legacy of knowledge across often global memberships. From Boardroom…

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Westminster Bubbles: A Reshuffle Reset

Two past Opinions (“Westminster Bubbles”) have reported the UK meetings industry’s bridge-building with government. Now Prime Minister Theresa May’s January reshuffle has moved tourism minister John Glen (pictured) over to another post. So the industry will therefore have to start the conversation all over again with his successor. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

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Convening Leaders 2018: Aligning Meetings with Knowledge Hubs

The Iceberg’s very own James Latham presented a session at Convening Leaders 2018 in Nashville called “The Rise of Intellectual Capitalism: The Role of Meetings”. Destinations and conferences which align themselves to knowledge clusters like biotech, fintech or healthcare reap benefits on all sides, he said. Latham was also interviewed by Amanda Marijanovic. From PCMA Convene…

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SITE + MPI Global Forum 2018: A Roman Romance

Meetings are always about human contact and interaction, but delegates should also find time to enjoy their destination. At the recent SITE + MPI Global Forum 2018 in Rome, attendees were spoiled by the city’s classical and Renaissance heritage, and also by the facilities and venues hosting the event. From SoolNua’s Pádraic Gilligan at Padraicino…

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SITE + MPI Global Forum 2018: Getting Excited About Inflation

Hot air ballooning preceded powered flight by over a century. At a session on trends and innovation in event technology at the recent SITE + MPI Global Forum 2018 in Rome, it was not a high but low-tech solution that had participants puffing with excitement: inflatable room dividers that create temporary spaces. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

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Convening Leaders 2018: 15 Views on Future Event Technology

So what is the future of event technology? In the Future of Face2Face open space learning area at Nashville’s Music City Center during Convening Leaders 2018, fifteen participants gave their views on the way things are heading. A low-tech approach of having them fill out index cards was employed for the purpose. From PCMA Convene…

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Not the Droid You Were Looking For?

Meet LG robot Cloi, a media sensation after repeatedly failing to respond to instructions and merely blinking during its unveiling at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The failure is both a horror story of what can go wrong during a presentation, but also a reaffirmation of humanity. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…

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Deborah Sexton: 13 Years, 13 Questions

Convening Leaders 2018 in Nashville was a valedictory event for Deborah Sexton, who is stepping down as CEO of the Professional Convention Management Association after thirteen years. So here are Deborah’s revealing answers to thirteen questions, including her country music ambitions, ad libbing after Matthew McConaughey, and surviving a plane hijacking. From PCMA Convene…

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SITE + MPI Global Forum 2018: All Roads Lead to Rome

The Eternal City recently became the Eventprofs City for a weekend as the SITE + MPI Global Forum 2018 hit Rome. The first time the two had joined forces, the benefits of co-location were immediately obvious both in the sheer range of speakers and sessions, and in the value consequently delivered. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

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Convening Leaders 2018: 18 Soundbites

Convening Leaders 2018 saw a massive gathering in Nashville of industry expertise. Here are eighteen thought-provoking quotes from the show: from diversity to sustainability, and from entering the Chinese market to getting attendees out of their hotel rooms. “We don’t make changes because we see the light. It’s because we feel the heat.”. From PCMA Convene…

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The Dubai Association Conference: A Legacy for Associations

The first-ever Dubai Association Conference, held last month at the Dubai World Trade Centre, reinforced the role associations are playing in the emirate’s economic development and transition to a knowledge economy. The event brought together association executives, government representatives and university faculties, as well as professionals from around the world interested in forming associations. From Boardroom…

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BestCities Talks Beyond Tourism Benefits in Tokyo

Made up of twelve convention bureaux partnering to help associations achieve success through their events, the BestCities Global Alliance has just run its second BestCities Global Forum in Tokyo. The conference’s four day programme included much talk of the beyond tourism benefits of meetings, including the “Incredible Impacts” grants BestCities has just co-presented. From Boardroom…

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Medical Conferences: A Healthy Future?

Artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, 3D printing, wearables, telemedicine: the convergence of healthcare and technology is reaching an inflection point at a time when other pressures are putting the squeeze on medical meetings. How can they stay relevant if the entire structure of healthcare is about to fundamentally change? From PCMA Convene…  

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