Organisers, venues and convention bureaux have celebrated the 2019 Global Meetings Industry Day to promote the economic and societal benefits of the sector. Hundreds of events took place to mark GMID, which was founded by the Meetings Mean Business alliance in the US four years ago to spotlight industry legacies. From Association Meetings International…
The looming threat of climate change poses huge questions for the international meetings industry, particularly for high profile global events under intense media scrutiny like COP24, the World Economic Forum and the UN Climate Change Conference. But does the sector itself have the answers, and how is it approaching the problem? From Association Meetings International…
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…
Many healthcare and STEM meeting participants can justify attendance because an abstract of theirs has been accepted. But rather than holding conferences of speakers speaking to speakers, perhaps there is space for a “flipped” model, where the event environment is a place for peer review and improvement of works in progress. From PCMA…
The financial health of a medical association convention can depend on whether its exhibition floor is or isn’t sold out. Attending doctors though aren’t usually buying drugs directly but prescribing them. So measuring the return on investment of exhibiting at medical meetings has become a science in its own right. From PCMA…
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…
The Iceberg is publishing a series of interviews about the globalisation of large associations. These are jointly produced by partners Boardroom and the Global Association Hubs Partnership. Matthew D’Uva, CEO of the Washington DC-headquartered International Association for the Study of Pain, describes reaching 100 chapters around the world. From Global Association Hubs Partnership…
The latest Meetings Market Survey from the Professional Convention Management Association has revealed a growth in meeting attendance with a further rise expected next year. Considered to be a barometer for the industry, the survey found attendance for 2018 up five percent. It had risen by 3.6 percent in 2017. From Association Meetings International…
Iceberg partner BestCities Global Alliance, the network of international convention bureaux, has launched a range of financial products to woo international association meeting clients. The alliance will now offer discounted secure payment, foreign currency protection, and also VAT reclaim services. From Association Meetings International…
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…
London’s 15Hatfields was set up as a sustainable venue in 2008, avoiding single-use plastics from day one. The venue needed to find a general manager who could embody this environmentally-minded ethos. Warren Campbell has been helping clients embrace sustainability in Central London ever since. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The Iceberg sits at the heart of the advocacy that the meetings industry makes to the world outside. But how do those who represent and defend the sector see their role? The views here include those of two Iceberg partners: IMEX Manager Natasha Richards and European Cities Marketing President Dieter Hardt-Stremayr. From Conference & Incentive Management…
Over the past decade the industry of business and professional events has refined its value proposition to policymakers and local communities in terms of its transformative contribution to civil society. The Joint Meetings Industry Council, which presents The Iceberg, and The Iceberg itself, have together been telling the story. From IBTM…
Iceberg partner Boardroom has announced its collaboration on the ambitious but pioneering #MEET4IMPACT Project. Initiated by Caravelle Strategies and its founder Geneviève Leclerc, along with a coalition of partners, #MEET4IMPACT will create a legacy framework and comprehensive process for generating, managing and measuring the positive societal impacts of association conferences. From Boardroom…
This study is based on a global survey, concluded in January 2019. It represents up to date information on the development and the outlook of the global exhibition industry as well as on 19 specific countries and zones. Global Exhibition Barometer 22nd Edition (January 2019)
Paul Vallee is Managing Director of Iceberg partner BestCities Global Alliance. Paul is also Executive Consultant with GainingEdge, another Iceberg partner which provides services exclusively to the meetings industry. Here he discusses the growing trend of partnership in associations and how the industry can benefit from such collaboration. From BestCities Global Alliance…
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