2020’s DNC (Democratic National Convention) made history for being the first time a US national political convention was held online. For any professional working in the events industry, it was an historic chance to watch and learn from a high-profile, all-or-nothing experiment in how to capture audience attention and engagement. From PCMA…
While some associations are adapting quicker than others, there remains a general misconception on what is a virtual event. Is it anything as simple as a giant Zoom call, or does it entail more than that? Can simply renting a platform solve everything? What is the role now of event planners? Creating a virtual congress is as…
A campaign to restore confidence in UK events and experiences across all sectors has now raised £30,000 for PR. Further support is needed, and the organisers are calling on more businesses to get involved. The aim is to raise awareness in the general public and national media about the industry. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Vienna Convention Bureau was instrumental in hosting Europe’s largest congress for radiology and radiotechnology exclusively online for the very first time in its history. Organisers say 15,000 international attendees from 30 countries took part in the European Congress of Radiology “Virtual Exhibition”. From Exhibition World…
The UK meetings industry is now launching a campaign to boost confidence in the sector and to prove its worth to the country. Smyle’s Rick Stainton and BVEP Chair Simon Hughes are leading the drive to embed trust in the industry’s safety approach. They are calling for contributions. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Months now into the COVID-19 pandemic we are awash in sector pronouncements and assertions, even if the route to recovery in this challenging situation remains rather unpredictable. But the recent global manifesto from the Joint Meetings Industry Council is a little different. So says JMIC’s Executive Director Rod Cameron…
In planning a hybrid or digital event, content is key to success. Panelists said as much during the first hybrid webinar of The Hague Convention Bureau. Talking through the viability of such events were a corporate and two association planners, a meeting design expert and a hotel executive. Article includes webinar video. From PCMA…
In late May, Talley Management Group President and CEO Gregg Talley served as a panelist on a webinar TMG co-hosted with EventBank. The event discussed ways associations, both nationally and globally, can reposition themselves after the pandemic. Associations across the United States are facing unprecedented challenges because of COVID-19. From adapting to working from home…
Unprecedented times mean unique collaborations. The Joint Meetings Industry Council has held a global webinar, delivered by The Iceberg and presented across four regional satellite events by four trade shows (AIME, IBTM, IMEX and Meetings Africa). JMIC was crowdsourcing ideas for an advocacy manifesto. From Conference & Meetings World…
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives has ceased operating and is to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after 32 years, according to a note on its website. ACTE had not only cancelled its April New York Global Summit because of COVID-19, but also its August 2019 Global Summit in Macau due to Hong Kong protests. From Meetings International…
Over 80 percent of associations have had to cancel one of their flagship meeting due to COVID-19, says a survey. Worryingly, almost 18 percent said the resulting effects on the organisation had been “severe”, causing “major implications” for the finances, staffing and organisational structure of the association. From Association Meetings International…
The Joint Meetings Industry Council, which presents The Iceberg, has released a manifesto that sets out arguments as to why business events can and should be utilised to drive economic recovery and renewal in the post-COVID-19 era. The document was assembled with the advice and input of a broad range of industry leaders. This was…
The Iceberg has just hosted a webinar built around the JMIC Manifesto for Economic Recovery Using Business Events. This review says the packaging may have been “inflated”, but that the content was “laser-focused”, and that the main speaker Prof. Greg Clark (left) was “supernaturally articulate”. How unified is the sector? From Association Meetings International…
The many contributions on video for The Iceberg webinar about the JMIC Manifesto for Economic Recovery Using Business Events included one from Martin Lewis, former Managing Editor of Iceberg partner CAT Media, and Iceberg ambassador. The photo is of Martin in lighter mood at the 32nd M&IT awards last year. But in this longer extract from his…
A New Zealand conference where experts will discuss protecting the earth’s precious wetlands is being held up as an example of the great positive impact of business events upon society. The 11th INTECOL International Wetlands Conference is being staged in October 2021 at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
The death of George Floyd, and of many others before him, prompted black meeting professionals in the US to share thoughts on their own experiences, the protests and the need for diversity in the industry. Those speaking out include Elliott Ferguson (pictured), President and CEO of Destination DC. From Northstar Meetings Group…
As so much of the business events world pivots to virtual meetings in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, what does that mean for the skill in presentation demanded of those who are speaking? Roy Sheppard is a conference MC, a facilitator, an interviewer and an online course creator, who first worked with the team…
IFEMA, the consortium behind Spain’s largest exhibition complex Feria de Madrid, wants to reopen in September and host over 60 events in the last four months of the year. After use as an emergency hospital during the crisis peak, the fairground aims to host the events postponed as a result. From Association Meetings International…
Estonia has laid out tentative plans to reopen its meetings sector with a social media campaign showcasing “safe-hosting practices” that allow for indoor meetings of up to 500 delegates. This coincides with the easing of restrictions in the region, where early measures resulted in a relatively low spread of COVID-19. From Association Meetings International…
Associations have long advocated for their members’ interests before governments and other institutions around the world. Now COVID-19 has completely revolutionised this function. As policymakers react to the crisis in real time, the advocacy associations do on behalf of their members has never been more urgent. From Boardroom…
Prior to the UK outlining plans for lifting lockdown in the hospitality industry, Jennifer Houlihan, Events and Operations Specialist at Dotted Lines, took an in-depth look at how meetings could start to come back and spur post-COVID-19 recovery. She discusses pre-event, onsite and post-event planning issues. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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