The largest event management and exhibition organising company in Hungary, Hungexpo, has announced record turnover for 2018. Hungexpo had earned more than £21 million by the end of the year, up almost 30 percent on 2017. Major events in 2018 included the Congress of the European Society of Contraception and Reproductive Health. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
You just can’t keep a good man down! Christian Mutschlechner, former Director of the Vienna Convention Bureau, will enjoy a “soft” retirement after taking an unsalaried position on the board of Congrex Switzerland. Here he answers questions about his new position, his retirement and his other goals. From Association Meetings International…
The looming threat of climate change poses huge questions for the international meetings industry, particularly for high profile global events under intense media scrutiny like COP24, the World Economic Forum and the UN Climate Change Conference. But does the sector itself have the answers, and how is it approaching the problem? From Association Meetings International…
Many healthcare and STEM meeting participants can justify attendance because an abstract of theirs has been accepted. But rather than holding conferences of speakers speaking to speakers, perhaps there is space for a “flipped” model, where the event environment is a place for peer review and improvement of works in progress. From PCMA…
The financial health of a medical association convention can depend on whether its exhibition floor is or isn’t sold out. Attending doctors though aren’t usually buying drugs directly but prescribing them. So measuring the return on investment of exhibiting at medical meetings has become a science in its own right. From PCMA…
From mergers and acquisitions in the hotel sector, not to mention its commission cuts, to concerns about security, both of person and of data, including GDPR compliance, here’s a look at key pointers found in the Incentive Research Foundation’s 2019 Trends Study that are expected to affect the buoyant incentive travel industry. From PCMA…
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director of The Middle East, Arabian Travel Market and IBTM Arabia, reveals seven destinations set to become prominent in the meetings and events industry. Her list comprises the United Arab Emirates and Gulf Cooperation Council states, other neighbours Georgia and Azerbaijan, the Czech Republic, Cyprus and Rwanda. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The launch of business events by industry can make a significant contribution to the growth strategies of cities and states. In 2015 Aloysius Arlando, Chief Executive of SingEx Holdings, co-created the Singapore Fintech Festival as Asia’s hub for the intersection of its finance and tech sectors. The legacies of this event launch with partners including…
The latest Meetings Market Survey from the Professional Convention Management Association has revealed a growth in meeting attendance with a further rise expected next year. Considered to be a barometer for the industry, the survey found attendance for 2018 up five percent. It had risen by 3.6 percent in 2017. From Association Meetings International…
The City of London – the capital’s historic financial district – could be set for a Brexit boost, with more than three quarters of City venues expecting an increase in revenue over the next 12 months, according to a new survey. 70 percent of respondents were optimistic about the coming year. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The UK Events Industry Board has launched a survey to help assess the value of EU grants, infrastructure funding and service-related projects that have benefited the business events industry. The EIB is urging destinations to complete a survey identifying EU funding for projects like ICC Birmingham in 1989. Photo: Roy Hughes. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The International Convention Centre of Barcelona broke its previous high turnover record whilst welcoming more than 500,000 visitors in 2018. The CCIB, managed by GL Events, announced turnover of €37.2 million last year, an increase of 11.5 percent over 2017 and of 3.1 percent on the 2007 record. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Michael Hirst has been appointed chair of the Events Industry Board by UK tourism minister Michael Ellis MP following the resignation of Nick de Bois last year. Hirst has served as deputy chair since the body’s 2016 creation. He is also chair of BVEP (the Business Visits and Events Partnership). From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Carina Bauer, IMEX Group CEO, has spoken about the show’s focus on diversity, it being key to the future of the events industry. “That’s why it forms a core part of our offering at IMEX in Frankfurt this year”, she said. IMEX includes an opening session called “She Means Business”. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The publishers of a planned report into the size and value of Britain’s events sector have made a call for contributions from the industry. The study from the Business Visits and Events Partnership, due out this Autumn, will be used to profile the sector to politicians, the media and wider business community. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Iceberg partner BestCities Global Alliance, the network of international convention bureaux, has launched a range of financial products to woo international association meeting clients. The alliance will now offer discounted secure payment, foreign currency protection, and also VAT reclaim services. From Association Meetings International…
The UK meetings industry turned out in force for a glittering night at the 2019 M&IT Awards, and The Iceberg partner’s record-breaking event has been hailed as the best ever. Glasgow Convention Bureau picked up the Best UK Convention Bureau gong for the 13th year in a row (pictured). From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Are openly hostile immigration policies in the UK and US making it harder for delegates from lower income countries to attend scientific meetings? Here’s a round up from both sides of the pond of events that have faced very high levels of visa rejections with delegates attending from developing nations. From Association Meetings International…
London’s meeting industry will see a Brexit boom whatever happens. That’s according to etc.venues MD Alastair Stewart, who is refreshingly optimistic amid the current political turmoil and uncertainty. He sees substantial change as inevitable, and with change comes the need for meetings to address it. From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Australian event and conference management company Arinex has worked with several associations ahead of International Women’s Day to empower women. Among the company’s events is the annual awards dinner (pictured above) of Australia’s National Association for Women in Construction. From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…
2019’s International Women’s Day is aiming to leave behind the legacy of a more gender-balanced world. Jill Manley, Business Development Director at ICC Wales, looks at the role of women in the meetings industry. All of the senior sales directors and managers at ICC Wales are female. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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