Jeff Chase is Vice President of Sustainability at Freeman and the PCMA Education Foundation’s 2018 Community Advocate of the Year. He’s a fierce champion of lowering the amount of waste major events send to landfill and getting the sector committed to recycling. Green-minded clients now make up $400 million of Freeman’s business. From PCMA…
The Palais des congrès de Montréal has assembled a group of leaders from eight of the city’s significant economic sectors into a Multisector Strategic Taskforce. Their mission will be to establish ties with key influencers who will actively help attract major international meetings to Montreal and to the Palais des congrès de Montréal itself. From Boardroom…
Jeannie Lim, Executive Director of Conventions, Meetings and Incentive Travel at the Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau, has been elected Board Chair of BestCities Global Alliance. BestCities is currently planning its third annual Global Forum taking place in Bogotá this December, and the second running of “Incredible Impacts” in partnership with ICCA. From Association Meetings International…
Iceberg partner the Events Industry Council will induct four sector professionals into its prestigious Hall of Leaders this October during IMEX America in Las Vegas. The inductees include Iceberg partner Corbin Ball of Corbin Ball & Co (pictured), Henry Givray of SmithBucklin, Edward Liu of CEMS Singapore, and former PCMA leader Deborah Sexton. Photo: @trekwireless.co.uk. From Meetings & Conventions…
As the global meetings industry gathers in Frankfurt, a market of solid growth and inspiring innovation will be the main takeaway according to Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group. This year’s IMEX is the largest ever, with Latin America’s space expanded by eight percent and Africa’s by seven percent. From Meetpie.com…
UFI, the exhibition industry’s global association, has elected its first female and USA-based President. Mary Larkin (above right), Executive Vice President of Portland-based Diversified Communications, will serve for the 2019-20 term, after both incoming President Craig Newman (left) and the current President Corrado Peraboni (centre). From CIM News Magazine…
The state of Victoria in south-eastern Australia has set aside AU$800,000 over two years for regional business events. The funding continues the delivery of the Regional Victoria Business Events Program which over four years has generated more than 620 leads for the state, at regional venues like the Geelong Conference Centre (pictured). From CIM News Magazine…
The Iceberg revels in the complex cross-networking of its industry association partners. Recently the Chief Marketing Officer of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence attended his first Joint Meetings Industry Council summit in Hannover, Germany. Here he is with the confessions and impressions of a JMIC virgin. From SoolNua’s Pádraic Gilligan at Padraicino…
Despite being a coastal city, Cape Town is fighting the worst drought in its history and has come close to actually running out of water. But even before the problem turned critical, water-related conferences were identifying opportunities for creating legacies in the destination. “Never waste a good crisis” has become the apt motto. From Boardroom…
Last year Toronto hosted 951 meetings and events that attracted 400,000 delegates and generated $634 million for the local economy. But business events are too often overlooked in the wider accounting of tourism impact across Canada, as are the ambassador programmes that bring in such meetings to Canadian destinations. From BNN Bloomberg…
IMEX 2018 is currently underway in Frankfurt. One of the greatest meetings industry exhibitions, the event also showcases key trends and advancements in the sector. The Iceberg’s favourite topic, legacy, is the main theme this year, but also making headlines are: event tech, wellness, live and experiential, and CSR and sustainability. From tmf dialogue marketing…
Seasoned meetings industry veterans always take pleasure in discovering any destination unfairly overlooked. For one Iceberg partner a new find is the Swedish seaport of Gothenburg. Hotel Svenska Massan / Gothia Towers recently held a centenary event for customers from all over Europe “that combined intelligence with stardust”. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…
“Legacy” is the talking point not just of The Iceberg but also of the IMEX Group’s 2018 events. So as the global industry gathers in Frankfurt, The Iceberg is reposting thoughts on legacy published earlier this year by ICC Sydney CEO Geoff Donaghy. In 2017 the venue unveiled a multi-streamed legacy programme. From Geoff Donaghy via LinkedIn…
As politicians and policymakers gather at the IMEX Policy Forum in Frankfurt, key partners of The Iceberg are providing a timely reminder of the transformational contribution of business and professional events and their ‘beyond tourism’ benefits. GainingEdge CEO Gary Grimmer and Gregg Talley, President and CEO of the Talley Management Group, discuss what meetings actually…
The Iceberg has previously covered the legacy created by Calgary for the International Play Association World Conference. Now delegates at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, have also taken time out to talk about play. Unilever, LEGO Foundation and IKEA Group founded the Real Play Coalition in partnership with National Geographic. From PCMA Convene…
It has been seven months since Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, causing widespread devastation and crippling power outages. Now the new Puerto Rico Destination Marketing Organization, a merger of Meet Puerto Rico and the leisure-focused Puerto Rico Tourism Co., says the territory is ready and eager to host group business. Photo: Jaime Olmo. From Meetings & Conventions…
London’s threatened QEII Centre has had its most successful financial year to date, achieving a £14.2 million turnover in 2017/18, an increase of 24 percent on the previous year. A £15m capital investment project and rebrand began at the venue in 2013, since when turnover has increased by 48 percent and occupancy ratio by 38 percent. From Meetpie.com…
Visit Victoria has welcomed the Victorian Government’s further investment in tourism and events. Building on previous funds, the Victorian 2018/19 budget provides an additional AU$51.1 million for marketing and major events, including AU$21.8 million over two years to ensure Visit Victoria continues to draw lucrative business events to Melbourne. From CIM News Magazine…
Jeffers Miruka is President of the African Society of Association Executives, headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has over ten years of experience across association management and the meetings industry, and shares his views on how Africa is fast developing, both as an association and a meetings destination. From Boardroom…
To coincide with Global Meetings Industry Day, Iceberg partner BestCities Global Alliance has announced a new communications strategy to showcase the power of people. Led by the Greater Bogotá Convention Bureau, which will host the BestCities 2018 Global Forum in December, the campaign aims to celebrate the unique role people play in the events industry. From Meetpie.com…
Meet in Reykjavik has teamed up with three of Iceland’s top universities in an effort to increase the number of academic conferences they host. An official partnership agreement was signed between the convention bureau and the University of Iceland, Reykjavík University (pictured) and the Iceland University of the Arts. From Association Meetings International…
Powered by 
