The Japan Convention Bureau, working under the umbrella of the Japan National Tourism Organisation, went all-online for its annual event targeted at event planners, Meet Japan. The educational familiarisation trip showcased the 2017 18th World Congress on Lung Cancer in Yokohama, plus a virtual tour of Osaka, set to host Expo 2025. From Boardroom…
The “Future Meeting Space” (FMS) innovation network was launched by the GCB (German Convention Bureau) in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO. This research project focuses on trends, innovations and social developments, identifying their possible influence on the event industry. In this context, research questions focus on how future events should be…
A slightly higher percentage of planners and suppliers described feeling exhausted and burned out in the February Dashboard survey than in January’s survey, but that can probably be chalked up to yet another month of enduring the COVID crisis. It’s coming up on a year now since the lockdowns began. Some especially harsh winter weather…
Global convention sector consulting firm GainingEdge has launched the first annual report on leveraging the intellectual capital of convention destinations, based on an analysis of international association leadership. The research underpinning the Iceberg partner’s report identifies the relative strengths of 350 destinations via the presence of their local intellectual leaders in the governing bodies of international associations…
The European Society of Cardiology has said that its ESC Congress, the world’s largest gathering of heart specialists, will be back at ExCeL London in 2024. The society ran its 2015 event at the venue, bringing in more than 32,700 participants from 140 countries, and leaving a legacy of public involvement. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The key role that conference ambassadors can play in a city’s fortunes has been highlighted by Dubai Business Events securing several international association events last year. The World Marinas Conference 2021, World Congress of Direct Selling 2023 and World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems 2024 were all secured by ambassadors. From Association Meetings International…
Almost all restrictions on events in England could be lifted by June 21st, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said. Some may be permitted to go ahead with restricted capacities of up to 1,000 people or 50 percent attendance from May 17th. More pilot events will run with testing. From Conference News…
Following on from the publication of two very different views on business events recovery, Juliano Lissoni, the Managing Director of MCI Group in Canada, makes a further and more academic argument for face-to-face meetings. The Iceberg partner chief makes his case around an in depth analysis of our innate “need to meet”. From PCMA…
As spring arrives in the northern hemisphere, there is a growing sense of hope. Some destination marketing organisations (DMOs) have been able to continue their association conference business through the pandemic. But others have faced severe budget cuts, as Sarah Fleming, the owner of Sarah Fleming Associates, explains. From Association Meetings International…
The UK government has announced a timeline for reopening business events, with all sizes of meetings able to run from June 21st. But according to Meetings Industry Association Chief Executive Jane Longhurst, UK event professionals need to manage their expectations around the certainty of the date and the necessary conditions for it. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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…
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…
No one would downplay the impact of COVID-19 on the events industry. But historically there has often been a brighter side to massive disruption, including industry regeneration and rapid growth. Iceberg partner Maritz Global Events recently held its NEXT conference, a one-session-per-day live and on-demand offering. From PCMA…
The trends expert and conference speaker Daniel Levine sees the near future of live events as “nothing less than spectacular”. For special events company owner Kevin Molesworth the picture is not quite so rosy and the sector has to be more realistic. The two have unique and rather different perspectives. From PCMA…
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…
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…
PCMA’s Convening Leaders has been held as a global showcase of business events. Houston in Texas had initially been chosen to host, but the pandemic meant that PCMA connected delegates mainly via the Marina Bay Sands Global Broadcast Center in Singapore. The content was constructed around “Recovery Discovery”. From Conference & Meetings World…
A roadmap to merge the Events Industry Council with the Joint Meetings Industry Council (which presents The Iceberg) was finalised in December with both optimistic it would get ratified. JMIC members gave the plans unanimous support, but the deal is no longer on, albeit with the door still apparently left ajar. From Association Meetings International…
Sven Bossu was named as Iceberg partner AIPC’s first CEO back in May. Prior to that, he was the Managing Director for Innovation at ESTRO (European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology) after eight years at SWIFT’s SIBOS. Here he offers the same message of a retiring Flemish TV anchor… “everything will be fine”. From AIPC…
Incentive travel has a vital part to play in the legacy agenda. Graham Alderman, Owner and Managing Director of Ulterior Events, talks to journalist Holly Patrick about the changing landscape of the sector, why virtual incentives aren’t feasible long-term and also about the need to leave positive, lasting legacies. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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