Funding has been approved for a $500 million expansion that will double the size of Calgary’s BMO Centre to almost a million square feet and transform it into Canada’s second-largest venue. The further funding will create new spaces for hosting conferences, meetings and exhibitions, to help attract larger conventions and events. From Meetings International…
Seven researchers from Brisbane will share in AUS$30,000 funding from the Lord Mayor’s office to help lure significant international conferences to the city for the first time. The Convention Trailblazer Grant funds early career professionals to attend an international conference in their field, then help attract that meeting to Brisbane. From Association Meetings International…
Lyon has become the latest city to join Iceberg partner the Global Destination Sustainability Index, a ranking of meetings destinations’ environmental credentials. Only Lyon, the city’s convention bureau, is the 48th destination to sign up to the index, which benchmarks them on how well they are meeting UN Sustainable Development Goals. From Association Meetings International…
The Seoul Convention Bureau has rolled out its 2019 PLUS SEOUL initiative to boost business events. As well as expanded core benefits of up to KRW 250,000,000 (previously KRW 150,000,000) for international conferences, PLUS SEOUL will cover developing event apps and VR, and the bureau has also designed new customised experiences for meetings. From Boardroom…
From campaigns in Atlanta and New York combating human trafficking, to a visit to Washington DC and Capitol Hill sharing the sector’s economic value with members of Congress, the global meetings industry came together on April 4th at events all around the world to create legacies for Global Meetings Industry Day. From PCMA…
Don Welsh, CEO of Destinations International, once headed up individual convention bureaux in Seattle, Indianapolis and Chicago. Now he’s the leader of the entire CVB community. Here he describes how the roles differ, and also how the function of a convention bureau has evolved in recent years. From PCMA…
Meetings Africa 2019, recently held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, featured both South Africa Minister of Tourism Derek Hanekom (pictured left) and Iceberg friend Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo of the South Africa National Convention Bureau. Now the continent will be looking to farming technology event Agritech Africa to shape and secure its future. From Boardroom…
From mergers and acquisitions in the hotel sector, not to mention its commission cuts, to concerns about security, both of person and of data, including GDPR compliance, here’s a look at key pointers found in the Incentive Research Foundation’s 2019 Trends Study that are expected to affect the buoyant incentive travel industry. From PCMA…
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director of The Middle East, Arabian Travel Market and IBTM Arabia, reveals seven destinations set to become prominent in the meetings and events industry. Her list comprises the United Arab Emirates and Gulf Cooperation Council states, other neighbours Georgia and Azerbaijan, the Czech Republic, Cyprus and Rwanda. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The launch of business events by industry can make a significant contribution to the growth strategies of cities and states. In 2015 Aloysius Arlando, Chief Executive of SingEx Holdings, co-created the Singapore Fintech Festival as Asia’s hub for the intersection of its finance and tech sectors. The legacies of this event launch with partners including…
Once famous for ship and train making, Scotland is now building rockets and satellites. Sutherland, the first spaceport in mainland Europe, will soon see its first launches. VisitScotland recently held INNOVATESPACE at the University of St Andrews, right after Data Space 2019 was held at the Technology & Innovation Centre in Glasgow. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy has organised the world’s fifth conference in the field to further its aim of taking a leading global role. KSGE established the International Digestive Endoscopy Network and its event to overcome the limitations of national academic meetings. Photo: Galenus Medical. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
The City of London – the capital’s historic financial district – could be set for a Brexit boost, with more than three quarters of City venues expecting an increase in revenue over the next 12 months, according to a new survey. 70 percent of respondents were optimistic about the coming year. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Leeds has been chosen to host the international XborderAsia Exhibition 2019 thanks to the city’s “rapidly growing” financial and technology sectors. The bi-annual meeting will welcome around 500 international delegates to the Royal Armouries International in September. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Michael Hirst has been appointed chair of the Events Industry Board by UK tourism minister Michael Ellis MP following the resignation of Nick de Bois last year. Hirst has served as deputy chair since the body’s 2016 creation. He is also chair of BVEP (the Business Visits and Events Partnership). From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The Marketing Cheshire “Brilliant Science” campaign has helped it to secure for 2020 the 19th European Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security. Around 120 delegates are expected to attend the event at the University of Chester, a strong base for teaching and research in cyber security. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
Are openly hostile immigration policies in the UK and US making it harder for delegates from lower income countries to attend scientific meetings? Here’s a round up from both sides of the pond of events that have faced very high levels of visa rejections with delegates attending from developing nations. From Association Meetings International…
London’s meeting industry will see a Brexit boom whatever happens. That’s according to etc.venues MD Alastair Stewart, who is refreshingly optimistic amid the current political turmoil and uncertainty. He sees substantial change as inevitable, and with change comes the need for meetings to address it. From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…
During a busy European Cities Marketing Spring Meeting 2019 in Edinburgh, meetings professionals debated the successes and failures of city event organisations from all over the continent. Contributors included Iceberg partner ECM’s President, Dieter Hardt-Stremayr. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Prague in the Czech Republic is not only a major meetings destination, but also home of the AIM Group International office of Bob Novak. Novak has written a white paper, “How to Create a Truly Unique Destination Experience and the Latest DMC Trends”, which discusses the current evolution of destination management companies. From PCMA…
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