“The majority of disabled people don’t travel to conferences because they expect their needs will not be met”. So says Alan Broadbent, an accessibility writer and consultant to the events industry. Three examples of inclusivity, a venue (ICC Wales), a meeting (Glasgow’s IASSIDD World Congress) and a city (Dubai), are analysed. From Association Meetings International…
Over 100 association executives from seven African countries have just gathered in the Kenyan capital Nairobi for the inaugural Africa Association Summit (AAS1). The two-day event was run by the African Society of Association Executives, in partnership with the Kenyatta International Convention Centre. AfSAE President Jeffers Miruka reports. From Boardroom…
The trend toward plant-based diets has made headlines recently, and this June the first Plant Based World Conference & Expo launched at the Javits Center in New York City. The inaugural event welcomed 3,737 attendees, including professionals from retail, specialty restaurant and food service, healthcare and distributors. From PCMA…
One of the biggest takeaways from the World Wildlife Fund’s research into ending food waste occurring in commercial kitchens was the need to clearly better communicate with meeting planners about the multiple ways in which they can reduce food waste. So says Monica McBride of WWF, who lists some approaches to follow. From PCMA…
It’s clear that food production and consumption needs to change, and radically, to safeguard the planet and feed a growing population. The best place to start for the business events industry is with food waste, and now the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has been working on food conservation in convention centre kitchens and hotels. From PCMA…
RAI Amsterdam is a venue that considers itself more of a neighbour than a conventional conference centre. It works closely with organisers to limit noise and traffic congestion, and looks for opportunities to give back to its local community. These include encouraging donations to social initiatives, especially of the venue’s own surplus food. From Boardroom…
The British Association for the Study of the Liver has just held its annual meeting at the University of Strathclyde Technology and Innovation Centre. Taking the event outside of conference confines, BASL partnered with the British Liver Trust and Glasgow Convention Bureau to bring a liver health roadshow to the city streets. From Boardroom…
The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau is implementing four major economic corridor projects, co-hosting and supporting associated meetings as a platform to enhance trade and investment with neighbouring countries. So far four corridor conferences have been set up to gather local entrepreneurs and to promote business ties within the region. From Meetings International…
Food waste isn’t about ignorance, it’s about changing behaviour. Through the prism of our fear of running out, how can we regulate the wasteful habits of the events industry? Beyond Food: Food Wastage and the Fear of Running Out (Lime Venue Portfolio website, registration required) Survey Shows Event Planners Responsible for “Alarming” Food Waste (Association…
Patient involvement in clinical care and research has gained momentum in recent years, firstly because the patient community itself is asking for more active role, but also because patient participation in healthcare systems has been proven to improve treatment outcomes. Scientific associations are also increasingly recognising that patients can contribute to the success of congresses…
The new Paris Convention Centre helped make this year’s edition of the European Society of Cardiology Congress “an exceptional vintage”, according to one of the organisers. The event, which attracted 33,000 delegates, also featured the ESC’s first patient forum, and a joint public awareness campaign, a playful and informative “Heart Village”. From Association Meetings International…
AIM Group International has published a white paper on why organisers should consider the integration of patients in scientific congresses, and how to do so with success. The real life example used is the organiser’s very own World Systemic Sclerosis Congress, run since 2010 and previously featured on The Iceberg. From Boardroom…
CWT Meetings & Events says that sustainability is rising in importance for the industry. The claim comes in its new 2020 Future Trends Report bonus supplement “The Future of Sustainable Events”. As activists are protesting around the world, like Extinction Rebellion in London, companies are taking increasing notice. Photo: Jwslubbock. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
A survey has found that almost a third of planners throw away fifteen percent of food they commission for events. New research from Lime Venue Portfolio, in partnership with BCD Meetings and Events, makes clear the need for the meetings industry to take a lead in tackling food waste. From Association Meetings International…
Can venues help bridge the divide that often lies between international associations and their local hosts or chapters in the event destination? Angeline van den Broecke, Director of Global Business Development and Marketing at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, believes they can, and in the process ensure the success of major congresses. From Boardroom…
The Swedish concept of “flygskam” or “flight shame” is starting to affect air travel. So says new research from UBS, which claims that one person in five is actively reducing the flights they take for environmental reasons. What do event professionals make of the possible impact, on incentive travel especially? From Conference & Incentive Travel via AIME…
Gina Glantz is the co-founder of the advocacy campaign GenderAvenger, and the global lead champion of meetings booking panels and not manels. Already recently profiled in these pages, she has just filmed an interview for the video series PCMA Ascent Luminaries, which promotes diversity and inclusion in business events. From PCMA…
Some US convention centres have chosen not to donate leftover food from events because they believe it opens them up to legal liability if any illness is attributed to it. But an act of law passed during the Clinton years actually waives donor liability except in cases of gross negligence or intentional misconduct. From PCMA…
Sustainability continues to rise up the agenda across meetings and events, and two Iceberg partner specialists in this area have turned up in a series of video interviews on the subject filmed at IMEX America, Positive Impact’s Fiona Pelham and the Global Destination Sustainability Index’s Guy Bigwood. From Endless Events…
With a record-breaking 3,580 attendees registered, the recent World Sleep 2019 in Vancouver was the largest sleep meeting ever held. Organised by the World and the Canadian Sleep Societies, the event featured a learning and awareness stream free to attend for the general public, Sleep Expo 2019. Photo: Kristopher Grunert. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
Business Events Sarawak is looking beyond the narrow limits of business tourism’s financial benefits. Malaysia’s biggest state and second-tier conference destination, with fast-increasing popularity, has recently expanded its focus towards the social impact and remote legacy that meetings can leave behind, like April’s Borneo Coffee Symposium. From Boardroom…
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