VP of the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), Tommy Goodwin, emphasises the importance of effective advocacy in supporting industry recognition, regulation, capacity building, and fiscal support from government. But Goodwin believes that success is best delivered in partnership and collaboration between industry organisations and individuals across the industry and illustrated by ECA’s success securing the…
Kai Hattendorf draws together strands from multiple sources in an attempt to isolate the seven most important issues facing our sector in the coming year. In an era of accelerating change and unpredictable complexity, this is a call for observation of what’s happening, serious debate and contemplation of multiple perspectives, and for flexible, mission-focused leadership.
Loren Christie, MD, BestCities Global Alliance will join City Nation Place for this webinar to explore why legacy planning is so vital to event hosting, how you can effectively measure impact, and what it takes to get stakeholders on side – and to keep them there. Plus, you’ll also learn about BestCities Incredible Impacts Programme…
From Skift Meetings: ICE-related shootings and protests in Minnesota have triggered hotel closures, event cancellations, and attendance declines, forcing planners to weigh safety, attendee sentiment, and economic impact when deciding whether to proceed. The fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on January 24 has intensified unrest in Minneapolis…
Informa plc and Dubai World Trade Centre are merging their Live B2B Events businesses into a Joint Venture, called “inD”. The new company will be in charge of Informa’s wholly owned B2B Live Events business in the United Arab Emirates and wider IMEA region (excluding Saudi Arabia), as well as DWTC’s B2B Live Events business.
From M&C/Asia: In an era where medical conferences are indispensable platforms for collaboration, peer learning and the cross-pollination of ideas, the choice of host city has become a strategic decision rather than a logistical one. Recent landmark gatherings are demonstrating that Macao is no longer a peripheral option but a serious contender for medical congresses.
Prof Greg Clark summarises the key points from his keynote presentation to the 2025 ICCA Congress. We are living through a “century of cities”, as we head towards peak projected global population in the year 2080, with over 1600 cities currently having a population of over 1 million, a six-fold increase in 50 years. In…
Where some destinations see only a glamorous sporting event, Singapore leveraged the most recent edition of its Formula 1 race to host and in some cases to originate and organise 25 strategic international business events. Carrie Kwik, Executive Director, Conventions, Meetings & Incentive Travel, Singapore Exhibition & Convention BureauTM (SECB), explains how Singapore’s advantages as…
IAPCO and PCMA have formalised a strategic collaboration through the signing of an MOU at PCMA Convening Leaders 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The agreement strengthens cooperation across thought leadership, professional education, research, and emerging leader engagement within the global business events industry, establishing a structured framework for collaboration between the two global organisations.
This summary report of highlights from the recent PCMA Convening Leaders event in Philadelphia, the city where PCMA was first founded in 1956, 70 years ago: Convening Leaders 2026 delivered a powerful celebration of leadership, legacy, and the future of business events—bringing together the global community at a moment of reflection and renewal.
From M&C ASIA: Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) has entered into an agreement to transfer ownership and operational control of the International Journal of Business, Events and Legacies (IJBEL) to Curtin University Malaysia, a move aimed at deepening academic involvement in the business events sector in Sarawak.
When attention is scarce and expectations are high, it’s design that helps organisations, brands and events stand out, argues Carina Bauer. The World Economic Forum predicts that creative thinking and curiosity will be among the most in-demand skills by 2030. IMEX invites the events industry to embrace design as our business superpower.
This white paper is a timely contribution to the business events ecosystem. The insight gained from three ebx.lab editions is clear: the challenges facing stakeholders across the business events ecosystem are far more similar than expected, and the most effective solutions emerge where knowledge, data, perspectives, and resources are brought together through genuine collaboration.
Supported by collaboration across government, industry, academia, communities, and global partners, the Tribe Legacy Sarawak Campaign has transformed how Sarawak delivers business events, shifting the focus from short-term tourism to long-term economic, social, and environmental impact, leading BESarawak to its strongest performance to date in 2025, as the organisation approaches its 20th anniversary.
The Iceberg Partner & Ambassador, Matt Pearce, extends a sunshine-filled welcome to join the party for the 2026 edition of the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) from 9-11th February supported by the full suite of industry associations including AIPC ICCA – International Congress and Convention Association IAPCO PCMA UFI, The Global Association of…
Meeting design guru Mike van der Vijver calls for the adoption of organisational and evaluation frameworks that highlight the good that meetings deliver (for delegates, event owners, host destinations and society at large), rather than those designed to simply minimise the negative carbon impact of holding the event. From AMI…
From Exempla: Exempla Management & Consulting, based in Brussels, Belgium, and Meet4Impact, based in Montreal, Canada are excited to announce a strategic partnership, creating new consultancy services designed to enhance the impact of mission-driven international associations. This collaboration brings together the complementary strengths of both teams to offer a unique, integrated value proposition.
2025 marked a major shift for the events industry, and Freeman’s End-of-Year Trends Recap examines what was most impactful. One of the significant opportunities, and challenges, coming in 2026 is how the industry must prioritise stronger retention strategies. Attendee retirement is outpacing attendee retention, creating a significant workforce challenge over the next three years.
The Events Industry Council (EIC) today announced the election of officers and directors to its 2026 Board of Directors. The EIC Board brings together senior leaders from across the global business events ecosystem and serves as the governing body of the Council, providing fiscal oversight and strategic direction for all EIC programmes and initiatives.
From Meetings & Conventions Asia: Thanks to government policy, investment in an excellent events ecosystem and soaring ambition, Dubai is emerging as a global healthcare superstar. Its desire to provide a bridge for international knowledge-sharing is proving irresistible to some of the world’s most important medical events.
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