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…
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…
International association meetings, particularly those that are attracting thousands of delegates, were once the prized targets of all convention bureaux. COVID-19 has made the immediate future smaller and more regional. But this trend was already underway and should not frighten destination marketing organisations. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives has ceased operating and is to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after 32 years, according to a note on its website. ACTE had not only cancelled its April New York Global Summit because of COVID-19, but also its August 2019 Global Summit in Macau due to Hong Kong protests. From Meetings International…
The death of George Floyd, and of many others before him, prompted black meeting professionals in the US to share thoughts on their own experiences, the protests and the need for diversity in the industry. Those speaking out include Elliott Ferguson (pictured), President and CEO of Destination DC. From Northstar Meetings Group…
What might face-to-face meetings with neither a coronavirus vaccine nor effective treatment look like? Perhaps signing a waiver releasing the organiser from liability, an initial COVID-19 test and then daily checks of temperature? Those are some of the requirements of Metrock’s Voice of Healthcare Summit 2020 set for Boston this August. From PCMA…
In the weeks since the coronavirus outbreak has ravaged the industry, event professionals right across the globe have been uniting in the fight against the pandemic. Competitors have grouped together to provide expertise where most needed, like Live for Life and Go LIVE Together in the US, and also Events4Covid19 in Portugal. From EventMB…
New York’s Javits Center has been put to use in crises before. It was a command and control base for the Federal Emergency Management Agency after 9/11, and in 2012 also had minor government operations running after Hurricane Sandy. But the venue has never been used as a hospital until now. From PCMA…
ExCeL London has become an emergency hospital, called NHS Nightingale, with the conference and exhibition centre being put into service to treat the expected surge in coronavirus patients. Other UK venues are also being prepared as ancillary hospitals: Birmingham’s NEC, Manchester Central and Glasgow’s SEC Centre. From Association Meetings International…
Emergency hospital beds to serve a total of 1,200 patients have now all been installed in New York City at the Javits Convention Center. The units built across the main exhibition floor were constructed to relieve the pressure on New York City hospitals overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases. Venues elsewhere are also being readied. From PCMA…
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…
For the first time ever the UN has received commitments from the event industry at the Sustainable Development Goal Summit in New York. 7,000 pledges were collected from 58 countries, and the resultant “acceleration action” from Iceberg partner Positive Impact is promoting events as a form of lifelong learning (SDG 4). From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
During August, Iceberg partner Positive Impact conducted a survey of event industry commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Over 7,000 pledges from 58 countries were received, like using only plant-based food to reduce carbon footprint. In a video from outside UN HQ in New York, CEO Fiona Pelham explains. From Positive Impact via YouTube…
Flight-shaming, which many believe started in Sweden, has not reached the US yet, which basks in the glow of a demand boom. Greta Thunberg, the pioneering young eco-warrior (pictured), crossed the Atlantic in a yacht to avoid flying to two major climate summits. How realistic is idealism? From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The Data for Good Exchange was introduced in 2014 as part of the 20th ACM SIGKDD Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining, and expanded to a standalone event the following year. This year the event tackled issues from gender equality and climate change to human genetics and the US census. Photo: Pablo Angulo Troconis. From…
Technology is transforming the way the world does business. Business events facilitate this as the place where tech startups gain exposure. But should the meetings industry also be preparing the world for the workplace transformation that technology will bring? Perhaps its role is mission critical to our future, says PCMA leader Sherrif Karamat. From PCMA…
New York has continued its commitment to becoming “the capital city of a responsible world” by hosting the 10th annual Climate Week NYC. More than 140 climate-focused meetings were part of the event, run by international non-profit The Climate Group, with some 10,000 people expected to attend from over 40 countries. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
The $63 million Expo Center has opened at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse during the 2018 Great New York State Fair. The facility has 110,000 square feet of exhibition space, as well as 4,000 retractable seats, and should attract events previously too large for the area. From Meetings & Conventions…
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. When the US Supreme Court recently upheld Trump Travel Ban III, Vancouver quickly tweeted out a welcome mat. But here’s a tale of two cities, New York and San Francisco, that insist the US is still open for business. From PCMA Convene…
How not to punch your own event in the face #472. The comics community has hit back at New York Comic Con and its organiser ReedPOP after noted professionals found out that their pro badge applications had been rejected. The mess was caused by a simple Excel spreadsheet sorting glitch. From The Beat…
Plan Your Meeting Live (PYM LIVE) is a cutting-edge, relevant and engaging event developed specifically for the non-traditional meeting professional – the person whose job responsibilities include so much more than planning meetings or events. PYM LIVE is a great way to hone your planning skills and connect with people who can help increase your chances…
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