With the competing forces of the vaccine rollout and the emergence of variants waging a battle across most of the world, there are few simple scenarios for the future of the events sector. Rod Cameron, Executive Director of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (which presents The Iceberg), asks “where to from here?”. From UFI…
Alessandro Cortese leads ESTRO (European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology) and has put a new notion at the centre of his meeting strategy: local legacy, or how much the hosting city will benefit from the event, measured by improvements in health. Here he discusses what could be the model of the future. From Eventoplus…
In celebration of Global Meetings Industry Day, PCMA hosted the first ever PCMA APAC and EMEA debate, attracting over 500 registrations from 57 countries. Moderated by Oscar Cerezales, Global Executive Vice President Corporate Division of Iceberg partner MCI Group, the big debate discussed the pros and cons of the potential vaccine passport. From PCMA…
Global Meetings Industry Day was celebrated in New York City with a hybrid event. An enterprising sector publication chose to experience the meeting both online and in person, so here are two contrasting views on different ways to experience a single event, including the role of serendipitous encounters, dessert and champagne. From PCMA…
Last September, the “Incredible Impacts” programme run collaboratively by Iceberg partners ICCA and BestCities Global Alliance selected three winning associations for the meeting legacy projects they submitted. Each of the three had shown a dedication to creating legacies that went far beyond the conference walls. The three winners were: Ecocity Builders and the BCIT Ecocity…
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 growing number of convention and exhibition sites across the world have started operating as temporary COVID-19 vaccination centres, getting anywhere from 500 to over 6,000 people vaccinated every day at each location. At the same time, an increasing number of markets around the globe have begun to reopen business events with varying COVID-19 protocols…
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…
Three event industry associations, AIPC, UFI and ICCA, have published a guide on how event venues can successfully operate as temporary vaccination centres. The Iceberg partners’ new “Good Practice Guide: Convention and Exhibition Centres as Temporary Vaccination Centres” contains good practice examples from February and March. From Conference News…
State officials in Nevada have relaxed restrictions while raising the capacity limits for large gatherings. The news means that major events can run on the Las Vegas strip at fifty percent capacity, up to 250 people, as long as organisers get approval for their plans and have a COVID mitigation strategy. From Conference News…
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…
Since the start of the crisis, like many other venues around the world, the Scottish Event Campus has been supporting health services in the battle against COVID-19. The SEC’s Director of Operations Mark Laidlaw describes the collaboration involved in operating as a field hospital as the venue now looks to its future. From Boardroom…
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…
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…
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…
As well as about 3,000 delegates taking part for PCMA Convening Leaders 2021 virtually, 300 more joined in person on site at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Organisers worked closely with the venue and also the Singapore Tourism Board, making sure the event was safe with protocols in place like rapid antigen testing. 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…
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…
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