Almost three quarters of scientists want virtual meetings to continue, according to a new poll conducted by the magazine Nature. But survey respondents also gave compelling reasons for a balance of virtual and in person formats, thus combining the best of both worlds to maximise the benefits of each approach. From Associations Now…
The impact of the pandemic on Australia’s business events is well documented. The Business Council of Australia has reported a loss of AU$35 billion in direct expenditure for Australia’s economy and over 230,000 jobs affected. But what about the country’s knowledge economy, asks ICC Sydney CEO Geoff Donaghy? From Meetings International…
CTICC (Cape Town International Convention Centre) has been both serving the people of the Western Cape and adapting to the changing business landscape of the pandemic. The venue’s annual general meeting was the occasion to look back on a year that brought a massive share of challenges and opportunities. From Boardroom…
In Barcelona, organisers of Mobile World Congress are counting on a comeback, and have booked their event to resume in late June. The industry association behind MWC, the GSMA, thinks it will draw less than half of its usual turnout, but the Barcelona Convention Bureau says the numbers aren’t important. From the Washington Post…
Proclaiming the industry is sick of virtual events, Group Chairman and Founder of Iceberg partner IMEX Ray Bloom has reaffirmed the signature trade show IMEX America will take place as scheduled this November. His confidence in the event makes welcome reading for all industry professionals eager to speed up recovery after COVID-19. From TSNN…
Confidence about recovery is revealed in Iceberg partner UFI’s latest Global Exhibition Barometer (see News and Research). But should rebuilding rely solely on rolling out COVID-19 vaccines, or also on advocacy that events can run safely and on “testing over quarantine”. UFI CEO Kai Hattendorf has been planning the months ahead. From Event MB…
This autumn the Global Forum of Iceberg partner BestCities Global Alliance returns in Madrid. Other major congresses are also heading to the Spanish capital, including World Blindness Summit, the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology and the Spanish Society of Stomatological Prosthesis. All are committed to leaving legacies. From BestCities Global Alliance…
US distribution of the vaccine in the weeks that followed initial rollout was anything but smooth, with vaccine shortages around the world, confusion around US distribution plans that vary state by state and challenges with registration systems. Those frustrating realities dampened the hopes of participants (491 planners and 219 suppliers) in this latest survey, conducted…
This study is based on a global survey, conducted in January 2021. It represents up-to-date information on the development and outlook of the global exhibition industry as well as on 24 countries and 5 five aggregated regional zones. Global Exhibition Barometer 26th Edition (January 2021) (UFI website) Global Exhibition Barometer 26th Edition (January 2021) Infographic…
According to the COVID-19 Recovery Dashboard conducted between December 14th and 17th, eleven percent more suppliers and planners checked off “hopeful” when asked how they were feeling, nearly half of suppliers (49 percent) and 54 percent of planners. Planners in particular have come a long way since October when the were first asked to share…
An “ambitious” plan to create a carbon reduction target for the business events sector has been presented, with the intention of launching during COP26. Positive Impact Events, an Iceberg partner, is hoping to raise £30,000 for the project, to be delivered under UN Framework Convention on Climate Change auspices. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Confidence among exhibition organisers that profits will double this year has been revealed in the latest UFI Global Barometer survey of 457 companies. The exhibition organisers’ association and Iceberg partner reported said that though over half of members have had to reduce workforce, the crisis has reinforced faith in face-to-face events. From Meetings International…
The Austria Center Vienna is the nation’s largest COVID-19 testing facility. Over two weeks before the holiday break, around 113,000 rapid tests were conducted at the venue. Heavy demand meant increasing the number of testing lanes (both walk-in and drive-in), with up to twenty now available. From Conference & Meetings World…
The Iceberg has already published the Copenhagen Legacy Lab toolkit, and CLL has even become one of our partners. Deputy Convention Director at Wonderful Copenhagen Bettina Reventlow-Mourier has been giving a progress report on the new initiative, on the associations that have benefitted, and also on CLL’s future. From Boardroom…
The events industry is worth £70 billion annually to the UK economy in terms of visitor spend, over half of all tourism expenditure. £165 billion further of trade is transacted during business events. The Chief Executive of ICC Wales, Ian Edwards, profiles the UK business events industry’s current state of play. From Celtic Manor…
Kenya’s conference tourism has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Cancellations have led to losses of over KS800 million, not to mention the economic ripple effect for the country of lost international conferences. Geoffrey K. Thande is Director of Business Development Services at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC). From Conference & Meetings World…
To prevent catastrophic warming, humanity must get its act together. More and more industry sectors are committing to carbon reduction, but what about the agencies, PCOs and commercial event producers? Fiona Pelham, the CEO of Iceberg partner Positive Impact Events, feels a voice at the table is crucial. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
Events might have disappeared during the pandemic, but climate change hasn’t. We want to live in a world where events can take place, but also want to have a world to live in. Leading industry voices discuss sustainability, including two from Iceberg partners Global Destination Sustainability Movement and IMEX Group. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The recent 59th Congress of the International Congress and Convention Association saw the creation via crowdsourcing of a framework document designed to let the international meetings industry thrive now and into the future. Named after the event’s host destination, the Kaohsiung Protocol is the Iceberg partner event’s major legacy outcome. A large number of attendees at…
A partnership between the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre and local scientific and industry leaders has secured 127 conferences for the city over ten years. BCEC’s conference ambassadors are recruited to win important meetings for the Queensland capital, including immunologist Professor Ian Frazer, who offers thoughts on COVID-19 vaccines. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
Global convention industry consulting firm and Iceberg partner GainingEdge has released its third annual Competitive Index of international convention destinations. The 2020 edition extends the listing to the world’s top 101 cities, those which have hosted 87 or more international conventions over the past three years as reported by the International Congress and Convention Association….
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