New research out from Tourism Australia’s specialist business events unit indicates a positive outlook for Australia’s business events industry and good interim outcomes from the recently launched Business Events Australia global brand campaign. Tourism Australia says many expect event budgets to equal or even exceed pre-pandemic levels. From Meetings International…
Sustainable event organisation Positive Impact is urging event professionals to post, share and pledge during the United Nation’s #FlipTheScript action strategy. The Iceberg partner has joined with the UN campaign to take critical action over the Sustainable Development Goals, flipping the script for a more sustainable world. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
A new organisation has been launched to drive the need for diversity, equality, inclusion and environmental action in global business events. New Intent will work with destinations, meeting strategists and supply chains to advocate DEI and environmental action in creating positive societal transformation. From Association Meetings International…
The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau has engaged Sheila Alexander-Reid in the role of PHL Diversity’s Executive Director. As a chamption of marginalised groups, Alexander-Reid will oversee all PHL Diversity effort to promote the city of Philadelphia as an inclusive and welcoming destination for meetings and conventions. From Association Meetings International…
An iconic Asian venue has taken the reduction of food miles to a logical conclusion by growing its very own vegetables upon its roof. The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre has now celebrated the first lettuce harvest of its hydroponic farm. KLCC partnered with a local urban farming company. From Association Meetings International…
Global travel prices are predicted to continue to increase in 2022 and then throughout 2023, says the 2023 Global Business Travel Forecast. Published by CWT, the study covers the drivers behind the increasing prices. According to the report, these are rising fuel prices, labour shortages, and inflationary pressure on material costs. From Conference & Meetings World…
A group of academics from various disciplines will promote the capital city of New Zealand as a place to hold international conferences. Wellington has just launched its Advocate Network, a pool of local thought leaders and subject experts to help enhance the success of the city’s business events bidding. From Association Meetings International…
The US Travel Association has launched the Sustainable Travel Coalition to advance the industry’s strategies in the field. The group has almost sixty members across various sectors, including some big DMOs, hotel groups, meeting venues, and also the Professional Convention Management Association. From Conference & Meetings World…
Meeting planners are more likely to focus on DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) than on environmental impact as part of any sustainability policy, a new study has found. The Northstar Meetings Group survey shows that older planners see less urgency in tackling the UNSDGs, notes Fiona Pelham of Iceberg partner Positive Impact. From Association Meetings International…
The need to fill vacancies and train staff is limiting the recovery of major meeting venues, a recent report has found. The latest quarterly Meeting Room of the Future barometer by IACC has shown that rehiring and reskilling venue staff continues to place limits on businesses reaching usual capacity. From Association Meetings International…
Peggy Daidakis joined the Baltimore Convention Center just ahead of its grand opening in 1979. Eight years later, she stepped into the role of Executive Director, the first woman to do so at a US convention venue. Now in 2022, after years of service and awards, she is retiring from her post. From PCMA…
Director of Event:Decision Matt Grey, together with Mark Handforth, Director of 3Sixty Event Consulting and Healthcare Venues, haven’t got a quick fix for sustainable meetings and conferences. Instead, they lay out the most effective methods to cut the emissions produced by events in twelve key tips for the sector. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
PCMA has held a roundtable discussion in Washington DC on how to navigate events in the wake of the Supreme Court’s overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision on US abortion rights. Ninety minutes of fascinating crosstalk on the rights and wrongs of events boycotting destinations because of their laws ensued. From PCMA…
After the New York International Auto Show 2022 crossed the finish line, 1,000 plants used in its exhibits were donated to local organisations to help green all five boroughs of New York City. The show worked with GrowNYC to repurpose the greenery that filled Subaru’s exhibit and the show’s sprawling electric vehicle test track. From PCMA…
No industry has escaped the talent crunch. For the events sector, hit so very hard by the pandemic crisis, the severe staffing shortage as business returns really stings. Here is a useful roundup of voices on the subject from an association, venues and staffing solution companies, with further reading links. From PCMA…
Keeping events diverse and inclusive often means thinking about issues like age, mental and physical ability, culture, religion, gender identity or language. But how can organisers deliver on diversity, equity, access and inclusion? Arinex Managing Director Nicole Walker offers ten tips for holding a more inclusive event. From Association Meetings International…
Future Meeting Space’s latest research radar has looked at global studies, reports and articles on the future of both business events and business travel. Across over eighty studies, nine concrete trends have been identified about the industry, from the impact of sustainability on mobility to the role of hybrid event formats. From Response Room…
A new initiative at the Collision tech conference is now expanding the community-centred impact and influence of Indigenous-led tech startups in Canada. In 2019, there were only two such organisations among 1,000 at the event. By 2022, there were over twenty among the 1,500 on site, in a legacy showcase of “Indigenomics”. From PCMA…
The Edinburgh International Convention Centre has given hundreds of Edinburgh Festival Fringe tickets to the venue’s local community. EICC worked with the Pleasance Theatre Trust to provide tickets for the famous arts event through a number of charities and social enterprises. The initiative has been supported by EICC’s catering partner Leith’s. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Australia is a hotbed of business event excellence, the country’s cities and states both competing and collaborating to win events for the destination. In this high-powered video double bill, The Iceberg hears once again from BESydney CEO Lyn Lewis-Smith, and also from Tourism Australia’s Robin Mack, about the role of meetings in diversifying destinations’ economies….
Located in the Beijing Olympic Green Area, the China National Convention Center, Phase 2 is on track to open in 2025. CNCC-II will host conferences, forums, and banquets for up to 20,000, as well as exhibition events for over 50,000. Rod Kamleshwaran, pre-opening international consultant of CNCC-II and partner at Iceberg partner GainingEdge, explains. From GainingEdge…
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