Global Meetings Industry Day 2017 around the world.
Scrolling through Twitter feeds during Global Meetings Industry Day was oddly comforting in these troubled times.
As world leaders try to restrict visitors from proscribed countries, to build border walls and to Brexit – and as terrorism further constrains how we travel – how genuinely uplifting it was to see sector professionals reach out to like minds across the globe and with simple smiles and handshakes bridge the borders and barriers that divide us.
A GMID group photo in front of the Cinderella Castle at Disney Florida was my personal favourite. It really is a small world after all.
Of course even that musical earworm of the Sherman brothers – who wrote all the best songs of our childhoods – is itself the legacy of an event. The original “Small World” ride was created for the 1964 New York World’s Fair.
In this Business Events World, you can also hear last year’s GMID anthem in the GMID news story below. There are other news updates too on the less happy stories detailed above… the ones that make us feel a bit like the San Diego PSAV Jurassic Park effort just below.
And if you like your animals alive rather than extinct, check out Antwerp’s stunning new venue with attached zoo in the case studies section.
There are opinions aplenty as well further down, including three contributions from the German Convention Bureau, a new partner of The Iceberg.
Next year’s GMID is April 12 2018.
Robert Coren, Curator of The Iceberg
The Jurassic Park approach to GMID. It may be scary, but life finds a way.
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For more than fifty years the Antwerp Zoo Society has used the proceeds of its event spaces to support a very unique CSR undertaking… the operation of one of the oldest and most important zoological facilities in the world. Now, with the opening of the new Flanders Meeting and Convention Center Antwerp (FMCCA), this commitment will be…
In an emerging economy, sometimes the most valuable role a convention centre can play is one that, while essential to its own success, is also a generator of transferrable skills that will support development in many adjacent areas of the local economy. Such is the case with the Borneo Convention Centre in Kuching, Sarawak, where…
Under the leadership of its first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore became something of an economic miracle for a city-state which only gained independence from Malaysia in 1965. And despite a population of just over five million, the destination has transformed itself from Third World to First World in a single generation. It is now firmly established as a gateway…
Why Sibos and Geneva were the perfect match… The Geneva Convention Bureau has recently restructured its marketing communications and resources in order to align its bids to the city’s growth agenda. It has taken nearly two years to develop the organisational knowledge of – and relations within – the key clusters of industry identified by the Economic Development Office…
Boston has throughout its history been a main gateway for foreign migration into the USA. Now as the treatment of outsiders moves right to the heart of US politics, the President of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce James E Rooney reaffirms the city’s reliance on the innovation that comes with immigration. From Intellectual Capitals…
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With key landmarks of New York’s iconic skyline again lit up blue in celebration, the second annual Global Meetings Industry Day is dawning across the face-to-face world. Spearheaded by campaign coalition Meetings Mean Business, the event is designed to raise awareness of the sector and to highlight its business and societal impacts. Happy GMID! From Successful Meetings…
As 13 US states line up to back President Trump’s Travel Ban II – calling for the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the second suspension of it granted to Maryland – the federal judge who first blocked it in Hawaii has extended his order. Once again the ban’s damage to tourism and academic research is cited. From Meetings & Conventions…
With the ban on bringing larger electronic devices into passenger cabins coming into force on flights to the US from ten airports – the UK has similar restrictions on routes inbound from six countries – how have Middle East carriers mitigated the inconvenience to their customers? Details on the Emirates, Etihad and Turkish Airlines approaches. From Meetings & Conventions…
Shortly after the Florida House of Representatives passed a bill cutting Visit Florida’s budget by two thirds to $25m – also capping salaries and increasingly accountability – now a Senate subcommittee has proposed backing Governor Rick Scott’s request for a $76m budget. Visit Florida says the state attracted 112.8m visitors in 2016, after just 87.3m in 2011. From Meetings & Conventions…
As the Brexit starting gun is formally fired, a snapshot of events industry views on how the UK’s departure from the European Union will impact the sector. EVCOM, the Event Marketing Association, Green & Pleasant Events, Avenue Events, Smyle, Absolute Corporate Events, Eventopedia, BCD Meetings and Events, FreemanXP and AOK Events all weigh in. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
London’s mayor Sadiq Khan has reassured visitors to the city after the major terror attack right at its democratic heart. Four victims have been killed, with 40 more injured – seven of them critically – after a man drove into pedestrians along the pavement of Westminster Bridge. He then stabbed an unarmed police officer before being shot dead. From Meetings & Conventions…
The US is banning large electronics from passenger cabins on flights from ten specified Middle East and North African airports. After “evaluated intelligence” on terrorist threats, devices bigger than a mobile phone have will to be checked into hold luggage on services from these destinations. Around 50 flights a day into the US will be affected. From Meetings & Conventions…
After Hawaii’s successful legal stay on Executive Order 13780 – which President Trump attacked as “unprecedented judicial overreach” – Maryland was next in line to question the constitutionality of Travel Ban II. One plaintiff – the Middle East Studies Association – claimed the order would make it difficult for members to attend academic conferences in the US. From Meetings & Conventions…
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To celebrate Global Meetings Industry Day 2017, INCON has collected five views from its partners around the world on why organising face-to-face meetings is as popular and successful as clearly it is. ORTRA’s Galit Shimshoni, DEKON Group’s Michael Kern, MCI’s Robin Lokerman, Arinex’s Roslyn McLeod and AIM Group International’s Patrizia Semprebene Buongiorno all contribute. An INCON Expert Guide…
Death to death by PowerPoint! These days learning needs to become engaging and experiential. So absolutely critical to knowledge transfer moving forward are… making content available online, using technology to encourage interaction, establishing networks, adjusting venue configurations and making it emotional. Some further thoughts on future trends from German Convention Bureau Managing Director Matthias Schultze…
Here are four emerging industry trends seriously worth bearing in mind for future meetings and events… and how to address them. Contending for your consideration: understanding the changing needs of so-called millenials, also of so-called silverpreneurs, customising for the individual… and making use of the sharing economy. From German Convention Bureau Managing Director Matthias Schultze…
With the German Convention Bureau now a partner of The Iceberg, here is the first of several opinions from Managing Director Matthias Schultze. He argues it is time to move beyond the term “face-to-face” and to describe next level business and professional events – and their impacts and outcomes – more accurately as “mind-to-mind” meetings. From the German Convention Bureau…
Could the requirement of demonstrating wider legacies to receive the sweetener of subvention encourage event organisers better to measure outcomes for their own stakeholders? The Seoul Convention Bureau is now favouring applications for financial assistance from meetings committed to local sourcing and to improving the environment. From editor James Lancaster’s blog at Association Meetings International…
PCMA’s Convening Leaders, the world leading educational conference for business event strategists, selected the “organised bohemia” of Austin, Texas, for its 2017 edition. The event is renowned for challenging the established best practice of event design and joins other revolutionaries including South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, C2Montreal, TEDex in Longbeach, and Falling Walls in Berlin – which have all re-shaped the content and community…
Dubai’s hosting of the next World Expo – which will bring together 180 nations and perhaps 25 million visitors – is of course right at the centre of its event planning. But the emirate isn’t just thinking about what will be taking place between October 2020 and April 2021. It is also planning what will be happening after the Expo is over….
Borneo’s orangutans are among the beneficiaries of two corporate social responsibility programmes that were part of the recent ICCA Congress in Kuching, Sarawak. Now the wider outcomes the event delivered will be part of a new study measuring its impact. By Jane Vong Holmes, ICCA Asia Pacific Chapter Deputy Chair and Senior Manager Asia, GainingEdge. In many parts of Asia, although the interest is…
Dubai is well known to international travellers as a glamorous and luxurious playground. But it is also a thriving regional hub with a defined and strategic vision of its future… and of the significant part professional and business events will play in this development. In an exclusive video recorded for The Iceberg at the recent BestCities Global Forum, Steen Jakobsen – Director of Dubai Business Events – discusses the emirate’s diversification from a historical reliance on oil towards…
As the Australian economy shifts from mining to services, it is becoming important to invest in other industries. Business Events Sydney Chief Executive, Lyn Lewis-Smith says Australia needs to increase investment so we can remain competitive and attract more global business events. If Australia means business when it comes to boosting the economy, connecting industry…
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The World Education Congress is designed to teach meeting and event professionals to think outside the ballroom. More than 2,000 global meeting and event professionals join us every year to learn how to stop planning meetings and start designing transformative experiences that deliver return on investment dividends to all stakeholders and participants.
Meeting professionals from around the world, but especially from Africa and South Africa are invited to attend this International Masterclass to learn about the latest advancement in meeting design and how technology can change the way meetings are held; to advance knowledge and develop skills in the discipline of Meeting Architecture; and to increase value…
In this free webcast moderated by Incentive’s Leo Jakobson, attendees will learn everything they need to know to run an effective consumer loyalty program. The session will offer a step-by-step guide on how to create the rules structure, promote the program, track participant performance, deliver the awards, and measure the results.
We check in with experts to discuss the newest meetings technology tools and how planners and show organisers are making the most of them at their events.
A minimum of 10 and maximum 15 ICCA venues each invite a client to the Workshop to discuss their specific meeting requirements. Clients must conform to strict selection criteria, so ensuring that participating venues can promote their company and services to senior decision-makers who are actively looking for destinations and venues. No other event offers…
Using Apps to Jumpstart Your Events With the proper help, it is possible to build a contract that will protect today’s meetings. This webcast will feature advice and tips from legal experts, meeting planners, and suppliers on how to customize a contract to address the specific needs of a meeting with a special emphasis on…
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This global programme has been custom-designed for international association executives and for ICCA members who interact directly with associations and their meetings, to learn from and about each other, to explore how to design, organise, negotiate and host more effective and successful meetings, and to build lasting business relationships and friendships.
The World Education Congress is designed to teach meeting and event professionals to think outside the ballroom. More than 2,000 global meeting and event professionals join us every year to learn how to stop planning meetings and start designing transformative experiences that deliver return on investment dividends to all stakeholders and participants.
No other event offers the same opportunity for client and supplier to meet face-to-face and discuss future co-operation in a tailor-made Workshop environment. Participating bureaux can promote their company and services to senior decision-makers who are actively looking for destinations. Clients are also given some private time to network during the Client’s Forum.
ibtm® latin america, part of ibtm® events, is the place where leaders, organizers and specialized suppliers for congresses, conventions, corporate events and incentives meet for business adventures. For suppliers to the industry it’s the place to develop new business leads, increase their sales, and promote their company and brands in the Americas, Latin America and…
City Fair is a one day event of pre-scheduled appointments dedicated to the lucrative and growing sector of city tourism organised by ETOA and ECM. This is a unique opportunity for European city tourist boards and their suppliers to meet, network and conduct business with tour operators and city product developers from all over the world.
Activities include conversations with thought leaders who bring fresh outside perspectives. In a city rich with design, art, architecture, fashion and more, New York City provides the perfect backdrop for us to think outside the traditional meeting paradigm. We will use these attributes to drive our conversation and innovate our thinking. Together we will celebrate dialogue…
The 30th ECM Annual Meeting & General Assembly will be held in Dubrovnik May 31 – June 3, 2017. European Cities Marketing is a non-profit organisation improving the competitiveness and performance of the leading cities of Europe. ECM provides a platform for convention, leisure and city marketing professionals to exchange knowledge, best practice and widen their network…
Events are fleeting. But experiences create emotional connections that last long after the event is over. Experiences leave your guests feeling inspired and mobilized to create real change. The truth is, you don’t just plan events. You design experiences. XDP is a two-day, business-focused experience for association professionals and industry partners.
Bringing industry leaders together with representatives of governments and government agencies, our aim is to garner government understanding and support, critical to the advancement of our industry. The programme includes a tour of the show floor, a ministers’ meeting exclusively for national and government politicians, a global exchange of best practice and a forum with meetings…
Discover 3,500 worldwide exhibitors, the latest trends and hundreds of meeting professionals under one roof. With the largest global array of exhibitors from every sector in the meetings industry, come to IMEX prepared to do a year’s worth of business in just three days. Choose from 150 seminars, including seminars, workshops, campfires and bite-sized show-floor education. Over 200…
This SITE Foundation event brings together SITE members, industry colleagues and top Hosted Buyers the night before IMEX 2017 for an evening of networking and business exchanges.
Europe’s exhibition industry is in a new investment cycle. More than €5 billion are being invested into venues and venue infrastructure within 10 years, with one mutual aim: to make Europe’s exhibition industry fit for the future. It is time to focus on the elements for future success, in May, in Cologne!
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