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…
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…
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…
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…
Over 35 policy makers from nineteen countries gathered at the IMEX Policy Forum 2022, held on May 31st as part of IMEX in Frankfurt. The meeting takes place annually and provides a collaborative, global discussion platform to encourage policy creation that directly benefits the global meetings and business events industry. The aim of this year’s…
The association of the German trade fair industry AUMA has announced the sector will be fully supplied by green power by 2025 and climate neutral by 2040. AUMA has just declared that sustainability is to be required in agreements with industry partners from 2023 onwards. These goals were set at AUMA’s annual conference in Berlin. From Exhibition World…
There is still a compelling need to meet in person, but post-pandemic travel has to be business critical to justify the financial and carbon cost. So says a new report from Accor. It claims twenty percent of business meetings “may have gone forever”. But virtual meeting technology is one silver lining. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
There is nothing like a face-to-face gathering to conduct business, says an RX global study. Face-to-face remains a key priority for survey respondents, with 78 percent of businesses stating trade shows offer them something unique that cannot be created elsewhere. This number is up from 68 percent in 2021. From Trade Show Executive…
Over 440,000 conferences and meetings worth £4.9 billion took place across the UK in 2021, after just 195,000 in 2020, new research has revealed. The direct expenditure in venues and destinations was £1.7 billion in 2020 and £17.6 billion in 2019. 45 percent of venues expect business to recover by 2023. From Conference News…
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…
Over a hundred parties made a pledge at COP26 to reduce the carbon emissions created by the events industry. The coalition has doubled in size since that time. Kai Hattendorf, the President of Iceberg partner UFI and former Chair of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (which presents The Iceberg), helped make it happen. From PCMA…
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