Record numbers of exhibition professionals around the world celebrated June 5, the fourth Global Exhibitions Day, which highlights how the industry generates $325 billion in total output globally and contributes $198 billion to GDP worldwide. An estimated 90 countries took part, according to preliminary data from Iceberg partner UFI, the sector’s global association. From PCMA…
The Palais des congrès de Montréal has put together a Sustainability Innovation Committee made up of experts from institutions including ten Quebec universities. The group’s purpose will be to facilitate sharing academic research in the field, and to identify research partnership opportunities between the venue and sustainability organisations. From Boardroom…
Africa’s Travel Indaba, hosted again at the Durban ICC, has attracted over 1,000 exhibitors and 1,500 buyers, as well as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (centre). The event was organised around greening principles in evidence throughout the three days, which included introducing Meetings Africa’s Green Stand Award for the most sustainable exhibitor. From the Event…
Professionals from right across the business events industry have been honoured in Frankfurt at the IMEX Gala Dinner. The 2019 JMIC Unity Award went to Joachim König, Director of Hannover Congress Centrum. Emile Coetzee from North-West University in South Africa won the MPI Foundation / Maritz Global Events Student Scholarship Award. From the Event…
At the swansong of IMEX Frankfurt 2019, IMEX Group has reported, almost 70,000 individual and group appointments between attendees had taken place over the show’s three days. 72 percent of these had mini requests for proposals (RFPs) attached to them. The event hosted 250 education sessions. 47 percent of speakers were women. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Elliott L. Ferguson II, President and CEO of Washington DC’s official marketing organisation Destination DC, has been talking “connected capital”, inclusion and positive impact at IMEX in Frankfurt. His themes included which knowledge sectors the district is targeting, the legacies its meetings are leaving in their wake, and issues of diversity. From Boardroom…
As IMEX Frankfurt wraps up for another year, the events industry is already looking foward towards IMEX America this September in Las Vegas. “Imagination” is IMEX’s talking point for the year, and this theme will inform content throughout the meeting, bringing with it exciting new experiences, exhibitors and educational sessions. From Boardroom…
The head of tourism association Destinations International says his organisation spends a lot of its energy and resources doing battle with politicians around the world on behalf of members facing financial and legislative challenges. CEO Don Welch was speaking out at IMEX about issues like “over-tourism” and womens’ and LGBTQ rights. From Association Meetings International…
The Hague’s ethos of “doing good and doing business” has helped it secure the 9th edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, under the theme “The Future Now”. Around 2,000 entrepreneurs, investors and other participants from all over the world are expected to attend the event at the World Forum this June. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
A thunderstorm delaying flights failed to deter meetings industry professionals in their thousands from gathering at IMEX in Frankfurt on Tuesday May 21st. Association congress organisers were already in the city having taken part at the ICCA Association Experts Seminar over the weekend and at IMEX Association Day on Monday. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
After IMEX 2019 opened in Frankfurt with EduMonday and Association Day (pictured), the Alliance of Brain Cities, a group of four Scandinavian destinations, held a breakfast for twenty international associations. Attendees at the meeting expressed enthusiastic support for choosing second-tier cities for their events, and for destination transparency and sustainability. From Meetings International…
The International Glaciological Society’s British branch has announced it will be holding its annual meeting this September in NewcastleGateshead. Hosted by research leader Northumbria University, the conference will attract around 100 delegates to the region to discuss the pressing issue of climate change, including a collaborative US-UK research project underway in the Antarctic. From Boardroom…
The University of Warwick has won a bid to plan, organise and host the 18th International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists in 2020. Held every three years, ICWES is the world’s largest symposium for women scientists and engineers and will attract to the college about 500 international delegates. From Association Meetings International…
Making meetings sustainable is a top priority in Germany, as indicated by the results of the country’s Meeting & Event Barometer. The number of sustainable offers for meetings and conferences is increasing and just under 40 per cent of Germany’s venues have already implemented a system for managing sustainability. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
At IMEX Frankfurt last week the usual sector promotion and celebration was clearly on display. Concern about the industry’s future, though, was also common in discussion, particularly on sustainability and the health of group bookings overall. The former has become an area of increasing focus, with the aim of reducing future political risk. From Skift…
Matthias Schultze, the Managing Director of the German Convention Bureau, is adamant that meetings and events’ environmental impact on the world needs to be addressed in their design. Here he discusses Germany’s approach to sustainability and findings on its importance in GCB’s Meeting & Event Barometer. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Business and professional events are key to economic and social transformation. South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, Derek Hanekom, confirmed as much at Meetings Africa 2019, held recently in Sandton, Johannesburg. Minister Hanekom acknowledged the contribution to tourism numbers from business events but emphasised that the legacies of events in healthcare and economic development were where…
The Palais des congrès de Montréal has announced that it is joining the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As well as making daily efforts to reduce its environmental footprint, the venue has also become one of the first centres in the Americas to say its building will be going carbon neutral. From Boardroom…
A global initiative to address plastic use at events has just been launched by Iceberg partner Positive Impact, supported by the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The campaign is collecting usage data as well as encouraging the switch to alternative materials, and began when the two organisations’ CEOs met at a conference. From PCMA…
VisitBritain’s flagship business event MeetGB has been held in Windsor, and VisitScotland Expo has said that its recent staging was one of the biggest since the event began life in 1980. The exhibition took place at Glasgow’s SEC over two days, and saw 340 businesses showcasing products to over 550 buyers. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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