The dawn of 2022 saw organisers of international association meetings grappling with more restrictions as governments tried to curb spread of the new Omicron variant. Across the world countries tightened their rules about who could travel and where people could meet as the highly infectious strain caused a massive surge in cases. From Association Meetings International…
The crucial role played by meetings in developing economies has been underscored with Business Events Sarawak’s revelation it had secured RM3 billion ($718 million) in business from conferences. Now marking its fifteenth anniversary, the convention bureau also intends deeper societal impact, with half of bid wins to be legacy-driven. From Association Meetings International…
The spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is causing havoc for meeting planners, with major events being cancelled or postponed right across Europe. The World Economic Forum has postponed its high profile meeting in Davos, Switzerland. The in person event, scheduled for mid January, has been pushed back to the Summer. From Association Meetings International…
The tourism trade fair ITB Berlin has announced it will not take place in March 2022 as was planned, due to increasing Omicron infection rates. A dedicated Digital Business Day will be held on March 17th, plus during 2022 ITB will be staging a European roadshow for buyers and suppliers. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
A new report into the economic impact of business events to the UK’s West Midlands has revealed that delegates spent £2.3 billion in the region in 2019. Around 105,000 meetings took place, contributing 14.5 million delegate days in the West Midlands. 65,000 full-time equivalent posts are supported by the region’s business tourism. Fom Conference News…
Organiser Reed Exhibitions has said that its 2021 edition of IBTM World in Barcelona, the first face-to-face event in the Iceberg partner IBTM portfolio in two years, drew 7,000 attendees together onto site with 30,000 pre-scheduled one-to-one business meetings taking place. The IBTM World Association Programme was also created. From Conference News…
Fay Sharpe, Founder of the mentorship programme Fast Forward 15, was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the Queen’s New Year’s honours for services to mentoring women, gender equality and charity fundraising. Sharpe has also retraced her career on M&IT’s Talks podcast. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The UK events industry as a whole is a vastly fragmented animal, before the pandemic worth £84 billion to the country every year. This leading article from Martin Fullard is a direct message for the UK’s Government, which calls for the industry now to be shown the respect it deserves. From Conference News…
Anna Abdelnoor, Co-founder of the event sustainability body Isla, took a different journey to IBTM World in Barcelona this year. To show her commitment to slow travel, Anna opted for rail over air, and producd 97 percent lower carbon emissions than she would have had she flown. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The Iceberg ambassador Jane Cunningham (pictured centre with Lesley Williams and Nigel Brown promoting “Incredible Impacts” as “The Incredibles”) is leaving Iceberg partner BestCities Global Alliance after twelve years. The Iceberg will pay its own tribute elsewhere, but Jane has also given this interview to her own BestCities colleagues. From BestCities Global Alliance…
The bad experience of an Israeli minister, unable to enter a COP26 venue because she is a wheelchair user, reveals the distance planners still have to travel on accessibility and inclusivity. Lizzy Eaton, the Founder of Oddity Events and Marketing, remembers her own mistake on accessibility. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The Net Zero Carbon Events pledge from the Joint Meetings Industry Council, which presents The Iceberg, has just been delivered at COP26. At the 60th Congress of our partner ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association), The Iceberg spoke to Aileen Crawford of the Glasgow Convention Bureau and to Guy Bigwood of the Global Destination Sustainability Movement. Speaking…
The Net Zero Carbon Events pledge from the Joint Meetings Industry Council, which presents The Iceberg, has just been delivered at COP26. Iceberg founder James Latham talks to former JMIC President Kai Hattendorf and Miguel Naranjo and Laura Lopez of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change about what it means for the sector….
Meeting professionals say they are feeling more confident and well-equipped to plan high-quality meetings and events and adapt to any ongoing uncertainties. This is according to the 2022 Global Meetings and Events Forecast, the 11th annual report produced by American Express Meetings & Events, a division of American Express Global Business Travel (GBT). The report’s…
The GDS-Index is a performance improvement programme to make the business and leisure tourism industry more sustainable. In a collaborative effort it supports destination management organisations and convention bureaux to adopt, promote and recognise responsible and regenerative practices. Iceberg partner the Global Destination Sustainability Movement evaluates four key areas that it believes are vital to…
Most destination marketing organisations are not measuring environmental impact of business events, or even including meetings in their “climate strategy”, an Iceberg partner report says. The GDS-Index for 2021 found 86 percent of cities had a climate strategy, but only 36 percent included “business events” specifically in it. From Association Meetings International…
After skipping a year because of the pandemic, IMEX America, the largest global meetings industry trade show, was staged once again in Las Vegas. The tenth edition of the show drew 3,300 buyers and more than 2,200 exhibiting companies. The numbers were down from 2019, but a joyful reunion even so. From Northstar Meetings Group…
Following months of planning, research and consultation, JMIC’s Net Zero Carbon Events, an initiative to radically reduce sector emissions, was presented at Glasgow’s COP26. At the time the pledge already had 109 actual signatories, including COP’s venue the SEC Centre, and 211 additional supporters. The Joint Meetings Industry Council presents The Iceberg. From Association Meetings International…
It is hard to think of a conference with higher stakes than the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties. As well as the future of the entire planet, it also could define that of business events. Net Zero Carbon Events from JMIC, and Iceberg partner Positive Impact, played their part. From PCMA…
With recent sustainability initiatives in the event sector, including the signing of JMIC’s Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge at COP26 and others joining UNFCCC’s The Race to Zero, are this industry’s narratives around the climate crisis changing, and will net zero be enough to improve the global situation and safeguard our industry? From Event MB…
During the recent IMEX America in Las Vegas, Iceberg partners ICCA and the BestCities Global Alliance collaboratively staged a deep dive workshop that explored “Legacy for Association Meetings”. With the use of templates taken from the toolkit of Copenhagen Legacy Lab, also an Iceberg partner, attendees worked to develop tangible solutions for sector challenges. From ICCA…
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