MAIN IMAGE: I’ve used a still frame that isn’t too Christmassy, otherwise it looks a bit old, and it has the Fáilte Ireland logo visible – but let me know if you spot a frame in video that you think will work better? TEXT VIDEO CAPTION NEEDED THUMBNAIL IMAGE is of Prof Geraldine…
ICCA is strengthening its commitment to sustainability and advocacy with the appointment of Alexander Alles as Senior Director, Advocacy and Sustainability. Alles, who previously served as Executive Director of the Joint Meetings Industry Council, will join the ICCA team effective 1 April as part of ICCA’s ongoing efforts to advance these two core strategic pillars.
Dr Emma Delaney analyses some key issues regarding subventions and other financial incentives, drawing from the perspective of PCOs. Amongst her conclusions: flexible, co-created incentive packages are more effective than rigid, conditional offers, and when aligned with a destination’s goals, incentives can facilitate sustainable, inclusive and high-quality conferences and stronger societal impact. From CEF…
Regional instability is rippling across the global events industry, forcing organizers to make high-stakes calls with little certainty. Airspace shutdowns and safety advisories are prompting cancellations and postponements across the Gulf and casting doubt over upcoming trade shows, including IAAPA Expo Middle East, scheduled for 31 Mar–02 Apr in Abu Dhabi. From Skift Meetings…
A study by the Barcelona Institute of Economics reveals that Fira de Barcelona generates over 49,000 jobs, contributes a GVA of €2.96bn (≈1% of Catalonia’s GDP), and produces an annual economic impact exceeding €6.1bn, with growth of 28% in the last five years, mainly in commerce, hospitality, transport, and local industry. From Meetings International…
Iran’s retaliatory missile strikes across the Gulf have triggered widespread business disruption leading to airport closures, a halt in port operations and major event cancellations. Emirates and Qatar Airways suspended all flights following major Middle East airspace closures, grounding two of the world’s largest global transit hubs in Dubai and Doha. From Exhibition World…
As US-Iran strikes escalate, business events across the Middle East are facing postponements, rerouted delegations, and operational disruption. The fallout is reverberating far beyond the region. President Donald Trump has indicated that the Iran strikes could continue for four to five weeks, signaling ongoing impacts for the business events sector. From Skift Meetings…
IAPCO has announced the election of new Council Officers and the confirmed the new President-Elect as Jason Yeh at the conclusion of its 2026 Annual Meeting and General Assembly in Athens. Yeh, CEO of GIS Group, Taiwan, will serve for a one-year term as president-elect, before becoming president at the AM&GA in 2027. From CMW…
Tommy Goodwin, Vice President of Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance, provides a helpful and robust decision-making framework for industry leaders attempting to understand and navigate the fast evolving geopolitical landscape we all are facing. From Exhibition World Magazine…
Following the killing of a major cartel leader on February 22, the US Embassy and Consulates in Mexico issued a shelter-in-place order for Puerto Vallarta, Punta Mita, and Riviera Nayarit, triggering security concerns and widespread travel disruptions. The advisory has since been lifted, but repercussions are being felt across the events industry. From Skift Meetings…
Dr Senthil Gopinath, CEO, ICCA, articulates the case for why and how we can change external perceptions of the business events sector amongst audiences beyond our own “bubble”. He argues the industry must speak with a stronger, unified narrative that highlights business events as drivers of knowledge exchange, innovation, economic growth and long-term societal impact.
Riding on its strongest performance to date, Business Events Sarawak is leading a nationwide conversation to strengthen Malaysia’s business events ecosystem through a legacy-focused approach aligned with national development priorities, uniting government agencies, associations, academia, industry leaders and media across Kuching, Sibu, Miri, Bintulu, Kuala Lumpur and Penang. From Meetings International…
Ottawa Tourism and Invest Ottawa highlight their growing partnership to attract high-value international conferences and events, supported by the Think Ottawa program and Destination Canada’s International Convention Attraction Fund. With Ottawa’s strengths across aerospace, defence and security, cybersecurity and AI, the destination team is building a future pipeline of business events aligned with these sectors.
Roy Ying says Hong Kong and cities across Greater Bay will reap benefits after visits by UK and Canadian leaders to Beijing. High-level diplomacy resulted in extending visa-free travel, leading to opportunities for MICE organisers, and marking the latest milestone in a sweeping national strategy to open China’s doors wider to the world. From MIX…
Scotland’s capital is set to become the first city in the UK to fund its convention bureau through a mandatory tourist tax – or ‘visitor levy’ – in what could herald the start of major changes to how cities across the country attract business events and conference tourism. From M&IT…
Industry leaders warn that new screening requirements for travelers to the US from countries in the Visa Waiver Program could mean higher costs, lost business, and meetings moving to other countries. Event planners remain hopeful that changes applying to business travelers will either be dialed back or get caught up in red tape. From Skift…
As the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics approach the final stretch, they are not just inspiring a world of aspiring athletes; they are also a key driver of revenue and a factor lifting projections for European event agencies. Executives at four major European event agencies told Skift Meetings they’re planning for a strong year ahead…
Following the ruling by the US Supreme Court that tariffs introduced under the auspices of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act are unconstitutional, the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance described the decision as “welcome news for the business and professional events industry” which has faced mounting costs and prolonged uncertainty as a result of the tariffs.
Following its traditional evolutionary approach to destination sustainability metrics, the Global Destination Sustainability Movement has focused on consolidation, precision and alignment with global sustainability frameworks, enabling the Index to function even more effectively as a rigorous improvement-in-performance programme for destinations around the world.
The “ESID EHA SIOPE Focused Symposium 2025” started a new chapter in collaborative thinking for these three European associations. As more and more associations find themselves dealing with complex issues that are relevant to the Missions and expertise of other associations, this excellent case study helps understand not only why such collaboration is valuable, but…
From Meeting Newz: Research released at the newly opened New Zealand International Convention Centre highlights the significant contribution that multi-day conferences and business events make to New Zealand. The report, resulting from a 12-month study in conjunction with Business Events Industry Aotearoa, showed that in 2025, the sector delivered $925M in economic and productivity contributions.
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