The 2023 Human Rights Conference staged in Sydney in early March was not only an outstanding success with more than 1,800 in-person delegates from 57 countries participating, it also provided an impressive showcase of the unique way Australia hosts a global conference. From Tourism Australia…
Last year, the IBTM World Trends report found itself looking at new frontiers. How had the meetings and events landscape changed in the wake of the pandemic, what behaviours had been adopted, how were other industries looking at this same landscape? Also, how was the global economy dictating the future welfare of our own market…
Association meetings are facing tough economic headwinds with renewed sense of purpose, while focusing on legacy, sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion. That was the unmistakable message from the 61st Congress of Iceberg partner the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), held in the city of Kraków, Poland. From Association Meetings International…
Meeting planners reacted strongly to the US Supreme Court overturning the Roe v. Wade ruling on abortion rights. Over 40 percent said state abortion legislation would influence site-selection decisions. But Iceberg partner Destinations International has been on a mission to convince groups that travel boycotts simply do not work. From Northstar Meetings Group…
ICC Sydney shows its commitment to Australia’s First Nations peoples with programming, a reconciliation plan, and in artwork and messaging around its campus. Works by artist Jeffrey Samuels have become part of the venue’s comprehensive art collection, and are now also being adapted in other media, including digital signage. From PCMA…
Incredible Impacts, from Iceberg partners the International Congress and Conference Association (ICCA) and BestCities Global Alliance, has awarded three associations which have left legacies of social impact and public engagement with their meetings. This year these covered water, brain health and the health benefits of playing football. From Conference & Meetings World…
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…
In October, Germany will host an international meeting to discuss Ukraine’s reconstruction following Russia’s invasion. The meeting will focus on rebuilding large parts of Ukraine’s infrastructure. The event hosts will be Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. 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…
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…
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…
Montreal just hosted AIDS 2022 (the 24th International AIDS conference). Around 8,000 attended on site, with another 1,000 online. The legacies of the conference include additional government funds for remote HIV testing in Canada and for ending AIDS worldwide. All outcomes will be measured by Montreal-based Iceberg partner #MEET4IMPACT. From Tourisme Montréal…
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 US Supreme Court ruling that lifted constitutional protections for access to abortion services has now prompted calls for scientific events to boycott states that have banned or severely restricted services. At least one organisation has already moved a meeting out of Louisiana over the issue of abortion rights. Photo: Ted Eytan. From Nature…
On the back of a flash survey, Editor James Lancaster talks with Loren Edelstein, VP Content Director at Northstar Meetings Group, about how the US Supreme Court’s about turn on Roe v. Wade could inflence where international associations meet, and whether organisations should be being political about site selection. Photo: Ted Eytan. From Association Meetings International…
The Editorial Director Martin Fullard recently visited Scotland to find out how important business events are to the region. He talked to some of the country’s leading eventprofs, learning about VisitScotland’s new and improved “Policy Driven Model”, its “Journey to Change” project, and how universities are helping to bring in business events. From Conference News…
Iceberg partner European Cities Marketing has just staged its International Conference and General Assembly in Hamburg, rebranding during the event as the City Destinations Alliance. Visit Flanders and #Meet4impact presented a legacy collaboration there, and the latter’s Geneviève Leclerc now explains how the SDGs make a great framework around which to anchor the legacy of association meetings….
After first postponing the event due to COVID-19, World Environmental Education Congress organisers then had no time to plan any community service project for the Ukrainian refugees suddenly housed in the Prague Congress Centre alongside them during their delayed meeting. But participants even so found ways to demonstrate their support. From PCMA…
An unexpected artistic legacy now hangs in Salt Palace Convention Center, Utah. Monumental Mattie, by Chad Farnes, portrays Martha Hughes Cannon, a local physician and suffragist who became the first female state senator in America in 1896. The mosaic is made of carpet samples donated from a flooring trade show. From PCMA…
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