2020 has been crushing for the DMO (destination management organisations). Destinations in the US have endured wiped-out funds as a result of zero hotel occupancy, en-masse event cancellations, and double-digit layoffs, not to mention further challenges with social unrest and also, for some, natural disasters. 2020 has brought the DMO to the brink. From PCMA…
The Netherlands Tourism Board recently hosted a meeting called “Dis-Connect”. Association, venue and destination professionals joined a virtual workshop staged live at the museum of the Royal Delft pottery factory. They painted white tiles with blue paint in the style of the famous “Delftware” produced in the town since the 17th century. From PCMA…
UFI’s NGL Grant promotes the next generation of leadership within the exhibition sector, rewarding young professionals who show initiative driving change and innovation in their own area. 2020’s recipients have been saying why they applied for the Iceberg partner scheme, and also discussing the role that hybrid offerings play in the sector. From UFI…
Once the supply of event food was determined by the consumer. If a planner asked to have strawberries over winter or New Zealand lamb in Scotland, their whims were granted. Now more event venues around the world are implementing sustainable practices. Here’s a special report on those taking sustainability seriously. From Association Meetings International…
Like many other organisations, the American Psychological Association quickly switched its in-person 2020 annual convention to an all-virtual event because of COVID-19. Even though the pivot happened in just three months, it was decided from the start to make the August event better than it could possibly have been on site. From PCMA…
A new report published by the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), which presents The Iceberg, offers the most comprehensive assessment yet of meetings industry activities addressing the full range of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). The program was an extension of an initiative begun by Iceberg partner UFI, the global association of the…
When the lockdowns began in the US in March, it was hoped COVID-19 would be well under control by the autumn. As we enter the last quarter of 2020, we have come to accept that we will be living with COVID-19 well into 2021 and perhaps 2022, that its effects on the economy will linger,…
“Incredible Impacts”, the awards for legacy run by Iceberg partners ICCA and BestCities Global Alliance, has unveiled three association winners whose events have been “leading examples of excellence within the global meetings industry”. Each will receive a $7,500 grant toward future legacy projects. From PCMA…
COVID-19 has slammed the brakes on the international expansion of associations, their big conferences having been essential to delivering such goals prior to the pandemic. International Advisor Martin Sirk, of Iceberg partner Global Association Hubs, says that association-friendly regional destinations are the answer. From Boardroom…
The PCMA Rocky Mountain Chapter just hosted an in person meeting for over sixty people with an additional online audience. Chapter leadership recognised planner members’ fears over hosting live events themselves, so made the call to take the plunge first with their “Six Foot Laboratory”. From PCMA…
When the Georgia Society of Association Executives held its annual meeting in August at the Hyatt Regency Savannah, numbers totalled 113. The event was the first in person meeting the hotel hosted since the pandemic began in early 2020, and for many attendees their first event in months as well. From PCMA…
Convention venues know that when meetings return they will often be in hybrid format. So many are installing amenities like broadcast studios. The Javits Center in New York has added a 30,000-square-foot studio with a private green room area, two studio cameras and a giant video wall. From Associations Now…
As associations pivot their offerings to virtual or hybrid with the ongoing onslaught of COVID-19, so venues are also doing the same. President and CEO of the Palais des congrès de Montréal Robert Mercure spells out how the facility’s media services are adapting to address client needs through the sector’s new normal. From Boardroom…
The 59th ICCA Congress in Kaohsiung is to showcase a unique and hybrid hub-and-spoke model, with regional events across the globe coinciding with the main congress and sharing the experience for those unable to attend it. The locations include the main host destination, along with Kuching, Cape Town, Luxembourg, Malaga and Riyadh. An all-virtual option is…
After reader input, latest COVID-19 Recovery Dashboard survey has changed the wording “cannibalise face-to-face attendance” to “impact face-to-face attendance” in the survey questions. Both planners and suppliers expect digital tech will have a greater impact throughout the rest of this year: an average of 57 percent in August versus an average of 47 percent in…
Zoom shares hit a record high as the virtual meeting platform released its financial results for Q2 2020. Zoom earned more money in the last three months than it did throughout 2019. Revenue was 355 percent up on the same time last year, reaching $663.5 million. New large business clients include ExxonMobil. From Conference News…
Aquatech China 2020, the largest global meeting for the Asian sector, has run at the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center. The event was originally booked to run in June, but was pushed back three months after close monitoring of the pandemic. Now the Chinese events industry is opening up again. From Exhibition World…
When the time comes for in person events to start up again, convention centres across the US will be ready to deliver an experience prioritising health and safety. Much of that will be the result of new technologies, new cleaning protocols, and new staff positions that venues have in place. From Associations Now…
As the industry continues to press pause on larger in person events, venues and suppliers have moved resources to serve those in need. The San Diego Convention Center has since April delivered 500,000 meals to those in need through its scheme Operation Shelter to Home, 3,500 meals a day at peak. From PCMA…
In mid-June the Netherlands started to welcome international travellers back to its borders. There is no limit for maximum attendees at meetings and events, but associations even so are wary, and with countries like the US, India and Australia still unable to travel, planners are considering best strategy for the coming autumn. From Boardroom…
2020’s RNC (Republican National Convention) offered event industry strategists another opportunity to see how organisers of a high-stakes, big-budget meeting can answer the challenges of capturing audience attention and engagement during the pandemic, still getting criticism over their choice of venues and lack of social distancing. From PCMA…
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