Welcome to the 29th edition of the UFI Global Exhibition Barometer. This study is based on a global survey conducted in June 2022, and provides the latest insights on the status and outlook of the exhibition industry, both globally and within 28 specific markets and regions. The first edition of the UFI Global Exhibition Barometer…
Over 35 policy makers from nineteen countries gathered at the IMEX Policy Forum 2022, held on May 31st as part of IMEX in Frankfurt. The meeting takes place annually and provides a collaborative, global discussion platform to encourage policy creation that directly benefits the global meetings and business events industry. The aim of this year’s…
The USA performed better than any other country in hosting events of international associations last year, according to the ICCA Rankings 2021. Spain came second, then Germany, France and Italy. The country listings were released after the city results already posted, along with the publication of the report’s public abstract. From Association Meetings International…
There is still a compelling need to meet in person, but post-pandemic travel has to be business critical to justify the financial and carbon cost. So says a new report from Accor. It claims twenty percent of business meetings “may have gone forever”. But virtual meeting technology is one silver lining. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, has released the latest edition of its flagship research Global Exhibition Barometer. This shows the sector bouncing back quickly, with revenue for the first half of 2023 expected to reach 87 percent of comparable 2019 levels (2019 being the industry’s strongest year to date). Fom Exhibition World…
Over 40 percent of associations will hold their largest meeting in person this year, according to a survey by ICCA (the International Congress and Convention Association). But only 35.6 percent told the Iceberg partner that it was “very important” to “reduce the environmental impact of their event”. From Association Meetings International…
There is nothing like a face-to-face gathering to conduct business, says an RX global study. Face-to-face remains a key priority for survey respondents, with 78 percent of businesses stating trade shows offer them something unique that cannot be created elsewhere. This number is up from 68 percent in 2021. From Trade Show Executive…
Over a hundred parties made a pledge at COP26 to reduce the carbon emissions created by the events industry. The coalition has doubled in size since that time. Kai Hattendorf, the President of Iceberg partner UFI and former Chair of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (which presents The Iceberg), helped make it happen. From PCMA…
International conferences are the most carbon-intensive activity for associations. Here five sustainability experts answer twenty fundamental questions to let organisations begin their journey towards net zero and assess their progress along the way. Included are views from Iceberg partners GDS-Index and Positive Impact. From Association Meetings International…
On the back of a flash survey, Editor James Lancaster talks with Loren Edelstein, VP Content Director at Northstar Meetings Group, about how the US Supreme Court’s about turn on Roe v. Wade could inflence where international associations meet, and whether organisations should be being political about site selection. Photo: Ted Eytan. From Association Meetings International…
During the pandemic, uncertainty was a daily torment for association meeting planners. With the threat of lockdown ended in most countries, the market is approaching business pre-pandemic. But organisers are also caught between a labour and skills crisis plus rocketing inflation. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
Iceberg partner European Cities Marketing has just staged its International Conference and General Assembly in Hamburg, rebranding during the event as the City Destinations Alliance. Visit Flanders and #Meet4impact presented a legacy collaboration there, and the latter’s Geneviève Leclerc now explains how the SDGs make a great framework around which to anchor the legacy of association meetings….
Global convention sector consulting firm GainingEdge has launched its second annual report on leveraging the intellectual capital of convention destinations, based on an analysis of international association leadership. The research underpinning the Iceberg partner’s report identifies the relative strengths of 350 destinations via the presence of their local intellectual leaders in the governing bodies of international associations that…
The seventh edition of GED (Global Exhibitions Day) on 1st June 2022 celebrated the manner exhibitions and face-to-face business events drive the global economy. GED this year focused on facilitating growth and recovery, and was marked by the Messe Frankfurt team during IMEX (pictured), amongst many others. From Exhibition World…
New GBTA (Global Business Travel Association) research has collected industry and external stakeholder insights to benchmark perceptions, priorities and actionable opportunity for more sustainable business travel. Barriers to making business travel more sustainable include higher costs, limited data, and lack of access to information. From Meetings International…
Two-thirds of venues say they will recover to 2019 revenue levels in either 2022 or 2023. So reports international venue association IACC’s annual Meeting Room of the Future Barometer 2022. Predictions did differ by country, with Denmark projected to surpass 2019 by 2022 but the Americas by 2024. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
There is no denying events have changed because of the pandemic, as have the wants and needs of both organisers and attendees within the healthcare space. So, what are the key changes, and the trends we are seeing in terms of the way that the industry approaches them? From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
There is a huge disconnect between “sustainability” and what it will take for real change. Generation Z is passionate about reversing the climate crisis through individual means. This shift of mindset was also the topic of a past report for business events, The Regenerative Revolution, published by Iceberg partner IMEX Group and Marriott International. From PCMA…
In the heat of the pandemic, meeting tech evangelists were hailing the switch to virtual as a transformational moment, rather than a practical necessity. It was always odds on that most would return to meeting in person once the worst was over. So, is the new normal the same old normal? From Association Meetings International…
Fresh off the back of taking her first incentive trip since the start of the pandemic, agency Eventful’s Head of Incentives Holly Mills shares the changes she has witnessed in the industry and the trends that are going to shape the future of the category, including replacing that word “incentive”. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Powered by 
