City leaders in Strasbourg hope a striking new venue will improve the destination’s reputation in hosting international business events. The €200 million Strasbourg Exhibition Centre adds to existing venues in Strasbourg’s Parc de Expo which began in 1974 with the Strasbourg Convention Centre, also called Palais de la musique. From Association Meetings International…
Jane Cunningham has worked for hotels, a convention centre, a DMO (destination marketing organisation) and a PCO (professional conference organiser). She has also worked for two Iceberg partners, BestCities Global Alliance and Destinations International. Here she offers her thinking on legacy and Net Zero Carbon Events. From Meetings International…
As preparations for COP27 were being made in Egypt last month, Glasgow Convention Bureau was showing how the Scottish city had benefited from hosting the UN’s Conference on Climate Change twelve months earlier. Sixty percent of city tourism businesses improved sustainability credentials as a result of COP26. From Boardroom…
The “Invisible Industry” was a label put on the meetings and hospitality sectors back in 1996 by broadcaster Charles Osgood. Now this title has become an advocacy roadshow, thanks to a 49-foot trailer stocked with interactive media. It launched a year-long “Invisible Industry Tour” of US cities last June. From PCMA…
Last year Goodfellow Publishers released “Business Event Legacies: Global industry case studies”, from Carmel Foley, Deborah Edwards and Karin Weber. Previous work by Foley and Edwards includes the first JMIC Case Study published here on The Iceberg, and this book cites all of those studies. Here the volume’s content is outlined. From Meetings International…
One year since exhibitions returned after the UK’s COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, EN guest editor Phil Soar explores who the true “heroes” of the pandemic have been. He looks in particular at the roles played by venues that became National Health Service “Nightingale” field hospitals, and finds some encouraging causes for hope. From Exhibition News…
The 2022 Annual Congress of Iceberg partner AIPC was held this July in Budapest. In a video triple bill, AIPC CEO Sven Bossu introduces both his association and its event. Two further videos explore the AIPC Future Shapers program, with two teams of emerging leaders presenting solutions at the congress to leave lasting legacies in the sector….
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
After the pandemic, the way that associations and destinations are interacting has altered. Within this article various experts weigh in on the changing landscape, including MCI’s Nikki Walker and Destinations International’s Jane Cunningham (both organisations in fact Iceberg partners), and The Iceberg’s own Founder James Latham. From Association Meetings International…
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…
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