In 2000 and 2006 business events legend and friend of the Iceberg Elizabeth Rich wrote provocative articles about the sector’s struggle with identity. After years at the helm of the Meetings Industry Association of Australia and the Business Events Council of Australia, she remains a keen observer in challenging times. From Meetings International…
After news of a “milestone” vaccine that offers ninety percent protection against COVID-19 broke, the event organiser Informa became the third highest riser on the FTSE100 share index, putting on over thirty percent gains at one point before settling at 27 percent up at noon in London. Other events businesses also rose. From Conference News…
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…
In July 2020 the Events Industry Council released the Meeting and Event Design Accepted Practices Guide. It is intended to serve as a resource and educational tool for industry professionals to utilise. This guidance also is intended to be global and universal in nature. The work will continue to evolve through regional workshops led by task…
Trade show business will contract by 60 percent compared to 2019, says global association of the exhibition industry and Iceberg partner UFI. €158 billion of total output and 1.9 million jobs are now affected. The updated assessment compiles data from the new UFI Global Exhibition Barometer. From Exhibition World…
Martin Sirk is International Advisor for Iceberg partner GAH (Global Association Hubs). In a sharp reality check for the business events sector, he warns that successful reopening relies on a much wider containment of the pandemic than the industry on its own can ever achieve. The economy and health are not zero-sum trade-offs or parallel-track…
COVID-19 has forced a rethinking of travel. Many conferences have been cancelled. Some have gone virtual. This analysis looks at actions that might reduce conference travel emissions by up to 90 percent, including holding a conference biennially in accessible locations, plus having both regional hubs and more virtual events. From Nature…
IMEX America has been cancelled due to COVID-19. Iceberg partner the IMEX Group has confirmed that the show, set for Las Vegas during September, will no longer run. CEO Carina Bauer with Chairman Ray Bloom cited issues with securing hosted buyers, long lead times and ongoing travel restrictions. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The Joint Meetings Industry Council, which presents The Iceberg, has released a manifesto that sets out arguments as to why business events can and should be utilised to drive economic recovery and renewal in the post-COVID-19 era. The document was assembled with the advice and input of a broad range of industry leaders. This was…
Iain Bitran, Executive Director of the International Society for Professional Innovation Management, shares the challenge of transforming a physical conference into a digital meeting. In just eleven weeks and with around 400 contributions, the XXXI ISPIM Innovation Conference succeeded in “Innovating in Times of Crisis”. From Boardroom…
Martin Sirk, of both Sirk Serendipity and Global Association Hubs, an Iceberg partner, has thoughts on how some countries will be more successful at reopening business events than others. International events can only reopen at the pace of the slowest participating country to get their COVID-19 under local control. From Association Meetings International…
Iceberg partner IMEX Group has just been forced to cancel IMEX America 2020, after the cancellation of IMEX Frankfurt earlier this year. IMEX CEO and also Iceberg ambassador Carina Bauer explains how the decision was taken, and reflects upon politicians’ appreciation of the value of events. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The many contributions on video for The Iceberg webinar about the JMIC Manifesto for Economic Recovery Using Business Events included one from Martin Lewis, former Managing Editor of Iceberg partner CAT Media, and Iceberg ambassador. The photo is of Martin in lighter mood at the 32nd M&IT awards last year. But in this longer extract from his…
What will the future look like for airlines? How will this affect travellers and how will this impact the meetings industry, which has been intertwined with the aviation industry for many years? ICCA will be leading an inspiring and fascinating discussion, addressing these matters in the first ever global webinar.
With coronavirus leading to major trade fair casualties in the German capital, politicians are calling for a new plan for Messe Berlin, including the injection of €80 million of public money into the venue. International travel show ITB at the venue was a notable early victim of the crisis. From Exhibition World…
Reykjavik’s Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre says it is ready for the post-COVID-19 era. 2020 had been on track to be a record events year for the venue. May 4th saw Iceland’s lockdown lifted. On May 7th Harpa became one of the first conference halls in Europe to reopen. From Meetings International…
Toulouse recently joined Iceberg partner the Global Destination Sustainability Index, which measures and benchmarks cities’ green strategy and performance. The opening of the new LEED certified MEETT Convention Centre, scheduled for the end of 2020, shows the environmental commitment of the city’s partners. From Boardroom…
Against the backdrop of the global COVID-19 outbreak, CIMERT (the Center of International Meetings Research and Training), supported by Iceberg partner ICCA (the International Congress and Convention Association) has released its first ever report The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the International Meetings Industry. The industry survey was initiated by Chengdu Municipal Bureau of…
Certification from the Global BioRisk Advisory Council, part of worldwide cleaning industry association ISSA, could help to restart face-to-face events and assuage any attendee concerns. The USA’s two largest convention venues, the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando and McCormick Place Chicago, have signed up. From Northstar Meetings Group…
Expo 2020 Dubai will now shape a post-pandemic world and create a better future from October 1st 2021 to March 31st 2022. While the vote technically remains open until May 29th, already two-thirds of all of the Bureau International des Expositions member states have opted to delay the event by a year. From the Event…
Many of COVID-19’s implications, not least restrictions on travel and social distancing, cut to the heart of what incentive travel is and pose the question: will the pandemic in fact end incentive travel? It will not, and for now here are five avenues for the market to pursue. From SoolNua’s Pádraic Gilligan at Padraicino…
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