From Conference & Meetings World: Can business events play a role in helping to tackle global issues like over-tourism? This is one of the topics to be discussed at this month’s IBTM World Forum for Advocacy, in partnership with The Business of Events. Eloísa Urrutia (pictured), head of global sustainability, meetings & events at American…
From Smart Meetings: Chantal Sturk-Nadeau’s blond locks are a familiar sight at meetings industry conferences. She served as executive director of business events with Destination Canada for no less than 7 years, with Tourism Winnipeg for 17 years before that and at a production company before that. For her next chapter, she was looking for…
From AMI Magazine, by Holly Patrick: If association meetings can no longer be excluded from the overtourism conversation, what can be done to mitigate their impact on already strained infrastructures and frustrated residents? Overtourism, when tourism exceeds physical, ecological, social, economic, psychological, and political boundaries, has historically been associated with leisure tourists. But as thousands…
By Matthias Schultze, Managing Director, German Convention Bureau: A couple of years back, a figure caught my eye: According to the World Economic Forum, digital solutions, if brought to scale, could reduce global emissions by 20% by 2050 in the three highest-emitting sectors energy, materials and mobility. Applying this to the business events sector, it…
From Skift Meetings, by Miguel Neves: The head of the Barcelona Convention Bureau, Christoph Tessmar, was delighted that the city hosted record numbers for PCMA’s Convening EMEA, with 636 in-person attendees. This is a significant increase from last year’s event in Copenhagen, which attracted 550 and almost triple the attendance of the 2019 PCMA European…
From Forbes: Ask Katarina Thorstensson to define sustainability in tourism, and you might think you’re talking to a character in a Star Wars movie. Sustainability surrounds us, and it binds the galaxy together like the Force — at least her galaxy. Thorstensson, a sustainability strategist for Gothenburg, Sweden, says her city has been working on…
Conferli – The conference matchmaking platform’s latest podcast features Beatriz Ibañez, Impact Specialist at #MEET4IMPACT. In this episode, Beatriz unpacks the critical difference between impact and legacy in the events industry, discussing the concept of legacy washing; barriers to creating true, lasting impact; why focusing on long-term change is essential for meaningful progress. Ready to…
From Meetings International: The President and CEO of Seoul Tourism Organization, Ki Yon Kil, says “Although we are successful even now, the MICE industry is still beginning its development in the Republic of Korea. The business event industry in Seoul and South Korea has great potential, so we are developing this potential of the whole…
From Forbes, by Michael Sheldrick: UN Secretary-General António Guterres framed this week as a pivotal moment to “reboot” multilateralism with the adoption of the Pact for the Future. Described by the UN as “the culmination of a years-long effort to adapt global cooperation to today’s realities,” the Pact’s real-world impact remains uncertain and open to…
From Boardroom, by Remi Deve: Attending an ICCA Central European Chapter Meeting was a first for Boardroom. Expertly organised in Zurich by the Zurich Convention Bureau, it was an insightful experience filled with valuable lessons on the future of events. Here are my key takeaways. 1. The Need for Purpose-Driven & Human-Centric Events: Co-founder and…
From Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance: At last month’s SISO Leadership Conference, CNTV’s Bob Frier sat down with Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance’s Tommy Goodwin to talk about ECA’s 2024 accomplishments to-date, what to expect between now and the election, and what’s on the horizon for 2025.
From TSNN, by Tommy Goodwin: From bringing back international exhibitors and attendees to attracting and training the next-generation workforce, there is a lot happening in Washington, DC that will impact the future of the trade show industry. While ECA brings industry leaders and advocates to our nation’s capital annually for Legislative Action Day, we know…
From Destinations International, by Jack Johnson: Silos, whether in agriculture or organizations, are not inherently problematic. By focusing on improving the connections between silos, destination organizations can maximize the benefits of specialization while avoiding the pitfalls of fragmentation, ultimately driving innovation, efficiency, and success in promoting their destinations.
From GainingEdge, by Gary Grimmer: If destination marketing organisations (DMO) are to receive funds derived from private sources, there would need to be a mechanism by which the City imposes a levy or tax and then provides the resulting funding to the DMO. That could be through a hotel tax, or a district levy or…
From AMI, by James Lancaster: Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE) – the business events industry’s attempt to tackle its carbon emissions – has galvanised companies and associations to act on climate change. But there is a growing sense of disquiet amongst event professionals that the scheme doesn’t go far enough and that its light-touch approach…
Conference & Meetings World (CMW) talks to Chantal Sturk-Nadeau, newly appointed vice-president of Spark and PCMA insights: What excites you most about your new role? After 25+ years leading a DMO and an NTO, I can now leverage my knowledge and expertise with an industry association leader. I have been a PCMA member for a…
From Conference & Meetings World: Mega events such as the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games, and the FIFA World Cup can transform host countries. Savvy MICE professionals should monitor them to predict future hotspots. Mega sports events can have a mega economic impact on a host country, region, or city. How you assess the financial…
From Boardroom, by Alexandra Henry, Senior Association Manager, European Society of Cardiology: Associations rely on volunteers for vision, strategy, and content creation. Previously, volunteers eagerly offered their time and efforts, sometimes even more than expected. However, this trend is shifting, and associations now face challenges in recruiting and retaining volunteers. Traditional approaches to volunteer management…
From The Post, by Lisa Hopkins: When Prime Minister Christopher Luxon took aim at Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre last week, he unknowingly targeted the heart of the business events industry. As he quipped to the audience, “it’s very nice that politicians like us have another expensive room to deliver speeches in”, he missed…
From IT&CM Asia: Geoff Donaghy, CEO of ICC Sydney and group director of convention centres at ASM Global (APAC), concludes his impactful 30-year tenure with ASM Global this month. The award-winning chief looks back on how he played a part in propelling the business events industry forward amid some of its most challenging times…
FIEXPO, the IMEX of the LATAM region, is more than a rotating trade show for the Business Events Sector – far more. FIEXPO founder, Arnaldo Nardone, and Development Director, Santiago Gonzales, share insight into how FIEXPO has evolved as a strategic development and capacity-building tool for all LATAM countries to better compete for, and facilitate,…
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