To add to Sydney’s conference business, Australian of the Year Scientia Professor Michelle Simmons (far left), and Scientia Professor Sven Rogge (far right), have led a successful bid for the International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors in August 2020. Australia’s expertise in the field helped secure the meeting. From CIM News Magazine…
A recent report from the IMEX Policy Forum 2018 (see Research) outlines three areas of concern raised during the event by Gloria Guevara Manzo, the World Tourism and Travel Council President and CEO (pictured at IMEX with Group Chairman Ray Bloom). Her three concerns were: security and safety, crisis preparation and sustainability. From PCMA Convene…
Stellenbosch 360 has just hosted its second Business Tourism Indaba, at which The Iceberg was invited to attend and speak. As well as gathering meetings industry players from across South Africa and wider, the Indaba shone a spotlight on both the university town’s own sector offering as host, and the approach it takes to fostering…
The 2018 IMEX Policy Forum (formerly Politicians Forum) featured significant changes in format in an ongoing bid to optimise interactions between government representatives and industry leaders and to make outcomes clearer and more actionable. The 2018 Policy Forum programme included four key parts: An advance discussion group of national level government representatives addressing policy issues…
UFI’s debut Latin American event in September is a chance to examine venue development both in the region and elsewhere. Venues tend to happen only after public sector buy-in, so it follows their development indicates governmental commitment to the virtues of a burgeoning exhibition industry. From UFI…
South Africa’s business events sector was in bullish voice at the congress of the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry in Johannesburg. Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom said the sector contributed R115 billion to the economy in 2017. 84 bids have already been secured between 2018 and 2022, an impact of R3,1 billion. From the Event…
Confusion surrounds a major convention centre development in Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls area, recently launched by Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga ahead of the country’s elections. The $1.2 billion project is being undertaken by what Chiwenga claims is an Arab business named Feonirichi LLC. Others say the funding is Nigerian and of questionable status. From Association Meetings International…
Conference spending by the US federal government for fiscal year 2017 dropped by 15.7 percent, according to STR’s Market Insights team. That dip is the first decline since 2013. Three major federal agencies have also now stopped reporting conference spend, which since June 2017 has no longer been a requirement. From Meetings & Conventions…
In the second half of 2018 Austria will again hold the rotating presidency of the European Council. Most ministerial conferences and meetings attended by Council functionaries will take place at the Austria Center Vienna. These events will be held in areas that are separated from the venue’s day-to-day conference activities. From Boardroom…
Scotland has fought off stiff competition to play host to the 2019 TEDSummit and up to 1,300 members of TED’s global community. This high profile event will take place in July at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, and EICC’s winning bid was supported by many of the city and wider country’s stakeholder institutions. From Meetpie.com…
In the last of three insights on the value of business and professional events, GainingEdge CEO Gary Grimmer and Gregg Talley, President and CEO of the Talley Management Group, delve deeper into the role associations play as gateways to professional and sector development. They specifically tackle the opportunities that exist for associations within Africa’s transition…
The United Kingdom’s prominence in aviation and aerospace has been given a boost by high-flying sales at the Farnborough International Airshow. The 2018 event, opened by Prime Minister Theresa May, saw nearly 100 countries attend, and by the end of the second day over $98bn of industry deals announced. Photo: Rich Cooper. From Intellectual Capitals…
Brisbane has just become a hub for world politics and governance as more than 2,400 political science experts gathered for a five-day congress hosted at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. The 25th IPSA World Congress of Political Science attracted nearly 1,000 more delegates than were expected, eighty percent from abroad. From Association Meetings International…
Stellenbosch 360 has just hosted its second Business Tourism Indaba at the Cavalli Wine Estate. Speakers included South Africa’s Minster of Tourism Derek Hanekom, Shadow Minister James Vos and South African Tourism CEO Sisa Ntshona. The Iceberg also attended the Indaba and will soon publish its own report of proceedings. From the Event…
Nick de Bois has stepped down as the chair of the United Kingdom’s Events Industry Board to take up a new role in the government’s Brexit department. The former MP and MD of Rapiergroup is to be chief of staff to the newly-appointed Brexit secretary Dominic Raab. From Meetpie.com…
James Heappey, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the events sector, has floated the idea of a bed tax to help fund both the industry and its promotion. The MP, who is the events champion in Parliament, said he was seeking views on a per room per night tax to assist the visitor economy. From Meetpie.com…
VisitBritain is calling for grant applications for its programme to secure new international business events for the United Kingdom and to grow the economic value of existing events. The Event Support Programme, launched in 2016, has to date assisted 28 events and bids across the country from Aberdeen to Bristol with more than £500,000 awarded. From Meetpie.com…
Australia’s New South Wales Government will fund a total of eighteen Diploma of Event Management scholarships this year. The awards are targeted at those in rural and regional NSW. The scheme has received almost eighty applications since February, so is awarding three scholars instead of just one in each of six destination networks. From CIM News Magazine…
The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre’s expansion has been officially opened by Victoria Acting Premier James Merlino. The AU$205 million project adds 20,000 square metres, making MCEC at 70,000 square metres Australia’s largest conference and exhibition venue. The first event held in the new expansion was the 1st Malaria World Congress. From CIM News Magazine…
The past month has revealed the turmoil the United Kingdom is in over the manner of its departure from the European Union. But might the UK exhibition sector provide some palliative relief from Brexit uncertainties? The sector’s global association takes a look at VisitBritain, along with the recent Farnborough International Airshow, for answers. From UFI…
It is impossible to develop successful, sustainable long-term strategy without understanding the future in which your members will live and work. Whether through strategic planning or value proposition design, Association Laboratory’s research confirms that associations must develop strategy based on the anticipated future of their industry or profession if they want to be successful. Now in its…
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