Despite its reputation of centuries-old tradition, London is the mover and groover of the technology universe. 80 percent of venture capital invested in UK tech firms since 2016 has gone to the capital. This investment is drawing, indeed being facilitated by, venues and events sharing in the sector’s strength. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
London and Paris are collaborating to offer a range of travel products aimed at North American incentive buyers. Specialised itineraries of the two-in-one incentive trip have been created allowing delegates to experience new cultural attractions, restaurants and hotels in both capital cities. This includes an official partnership with Eurostar. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Dubai World Trade Centre has secured bids to host ten new global congresses from 2019 to 2022. The high-profile events will bring into Dubai around 37,000 delegates, and include two space congresses set to be hosted by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, the UAE’s hub for space science and research. From Boardroom…
Academics across Edinburgh have slammed proposed budget cuts that would see an 89 percent drop in the capital’s marketing over the next two years as well as the closure of its ambassador programme. Over 75 Edinburgh ambassadors contacted the City Council objecting to the proposal to slash Marketing Edinburgh’s budget by £790,000. From Association Meetings International…
The largest international scientific meeting ever held in Estonia has been named “Conference of the Year” in a ceremony hosted by the country’s convention bureau. The winning 34th European Group for Organizational Studies Colloquium was hosted at the Estonian Business School and Tallinn University. The ECB also named new conference ambassadors. From Association Meeting International…
The Professional Convention Management Association is expanding education and outreach opportunities throughout Europe in 2019 with sessions in the UK, Spain, Belgium and Switzerland. As well as its annual European Influencers Summit and Knowledge Exchange programme, PCMA will continue collaborating with other major industry associations as education partner. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
New convention bureaux alliance Lausanne Montreux Congress won sixteen events in its first full year of operation, with the biggest likely to attract 1,400 delegates. The bids will see the cities host over 8,350 delegates between now and 2022, and pump around CHF 16.5 million (€14.5 million) into the regional economy. From Association Meetings International…
Olympia London has received planning permission for a £1 billion renovation. The new vision of the 132-year-old exhibition centre is a diverse quarter, with events space, communal areas and leisure facilities. Work will start this year, with the first tenants moving in by 2023, and Olympia will continue to operate during renovation. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The Danish capital has set a new global standard with Wonderful Copenhagen being named the world’s first Green Tourism Organisation. The certification supports destinations that do something extraordinary for their sustainability. Copenhagen CVB and the city of Copenhagen come second in the rankings of Iceberg partner the Global Destination Sustainability Index. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
Iceberg partners BestCities Global Alliance and GainingEdge recently published a report on accessibility in meetings (see Research). It featured real-life examples of events, hosted in BestCities’ destinations, that make inclusivity for those with disabilities a key focus. The True Colours Festival held in Singapore last March was one such case study. From PCMA…
Events industry guru Christian Mutschlechner (above right) has now retired as head of the Vienna Convention Bureau after 27 years. 250 people attended a farewell event in Vienna, some from as far afield as the USA and Uruguay, both to celebrate his career and welcome successor Christian Woronka. From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…
As The Iceberg reported in October, the Swiss regions of Lausanne and Montreux have joined forces to create the joint Lausanne Montreux Congress. Two LMC representatives, Director Lausanne Tourisme Steeve Pasche and Director Montreux-Vevey Tourisme Christoph Sturny, have been speaking exclusively about their future plans. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
During the European Banking Federation annual summit at the National Bank in Brussels, an alarm went off. Then another. And then another. In an exclusive interview, EBF senior events coordinator Tina Marolt describes the steps taken in dealing with every event planner’s worst nightmare. Photo: Tiger Rus. From Association Meetings International…
Washington DC has staked its claim as a leader in sustainability, passing the most aggressive, fastest-acting climate change legislation in the United States. Destination DC, the district’s destination marketing organisation, is pitching for more meetings within the sector off the back of these strengths. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
Last year the Aotea Centre (above) in Auckland hosted over 1,400 leading scientists and researchers for the 11th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production. Auckland Advocate Alliance member and Massey University Professor of Animal Science Hugh Blair was the local committee chair, and integral to winning the conference. From Boardroom…
Matthias Schultze, MD of the German Convention Bureau, has been discussing the future of meetings on the back of GCB’s research project, Future Meeting Space, recently launched at PCMA Convening Leaders in Pittsburgh. Diversity, disruption, format innovation, knowledge transfer, networking, and accommodating the shy and less tech-savvy are all covered. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The latest figures from Dubai Business Events show 261 meeting bids won in 2018, up 24 percent on 2017. This success also marks a whopping 62 percent increase over the previous year in the number of delegates set to visit the emirate, and a shift towards larger-scale events. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
The place of corporate social responsibility, the importance of incorporating legacy, plus the recent hosting of Sibos, are all among the subjects discussed by ICC Sydney CEO and AEG Ogden Director Convention Centres Geoff Donaghy, as his venue prepares for its busiest year ever after a successful run of events in 2018. From Boardroom…
Iceberg partner BestCities Global Alliance has unveiled a new brand platform and updated strategic plan as it approaches its twentieth year of operation. The Alliance is made up of twelve leading cities for major conferences and business events. International associations were consulted on the new platform’s principles. From Boardroom…
ExCeL London is reducing waste with a “No Plastic” campaign to outline its commitment to this global issue. The approach will initially focus on the 27 retailers along its central boulevard. “Waste from single-use plastic is a critical issue for our industry,” says Jeremy Rees, CEO of ExCeL London. From Boardroom…
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