The “Legacy Wall” at IMEX 2018.

This issue of Business Events World falls as IMEX still has the entire industry collected together and power-networking in Frankfurt. Much of our coverage of the show is therefore still to come.

But The Iceberg‘s favourite subject – legacy – was very much in evidence across the event, from “The Legacy of Positive Policy Making” being the theme of the renamed IMEX Policy Forum, to the wall above set up for exhibitors to share legacy stories upon. Perhaps building walls can be a good thing after all.

In issue 34 of Business Events World and on The Iceberg, the Features section contains an unmissable and timely reminder of the transformational nature of business and professional events. GainingEdge’s Gary Grimmer and Gregg Talley of the Talley Management Group are in the first of two brilliant videos. European Cities Marketing’s Dieter Hardt-Stremayr, Conference Partners’ Nicola McGrane, Vienna Convention Bureau’s Christian Mutschlechner and Destinations International’s Colleen Phalen make up the second film.

In News (click the right arrow) figures show that the German events sector continues to grow. IMEX does as well: the 2018 running is the largest ever. There are headlines also from many Iceberg partners. Mary Larkin has been elected 2019-20 President of UFI, the exhibition industry’s global association. Corbin Ball joins three other industry titans entering the Events Industry Council’s Hall of Leaders. Singapore’s Jeannie Lim is the new Board Chair at BestCities Global Alliance.

The International Congress and Convention Association’s annual rankings are behind much of the News this issue. They show Middle East growth, also reflected in ICCA’s own membership engagement. Barcelona is top city for the first time since 2004, and Istanbul has dropped from 8th place to 133rd in just two years.

Venues make News as well. A new Oklahoma City Convention Center could open in 2020. ADNEC and ExCeL London celebrate ten years together. ICC Wales enters its next construction phase. Seattle’s Washington State Convention Center expansion is green lit.

There’s still more on The Iceberg itself (click View all News). Victoria in Australia has committed AU$800,000 for regional events. Montreal’s Palais des congrès has created a “Multisector Strategic Taskforce”. And an events industry charity very close to The Iceberg‘s heart, Howard’s Way Walk, is to hold a final hike raising money to combat pancreatic cancer.

In Opinions (still clicking the right arrow) you will find ICC Sydney’s Geoff Donaghy on formalising legacy creation, a salute to Gothenburg, Amazon’s use of silence at meetings, Australia’s national bid fund, five IMEX themes to explore, more on Istanbul’s ICCA rankings drop (the second fall of Constantinople!), the business events story of Canada and four ambassador programmes there, how Cape Town is turning its water crisis into a meetings knowledge hub with attendant legacies, and how SoolNua’s Pádraic Gilligan got a first experience of our very own Joint Meetings Industry Council.

Until the next time…

Robert Coren, Curator of The Iceberg

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