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Meetings and Events Associations: An Insider’s Guide

The events and meetings industry is hardly short of its own professional associations. A good many of them are even Iceberg partners! You join for the networking, education and advocacy, then get much more. But which are right for each of the different tribes within our overall sector? From SoolNua’s Pádraic Gilligan at Padraicino…

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Planning for Families: New Approaches to Convention Education

It is not unusual for conventions to include recreational options for significant others and children. It is more enticing to register if the business trip is also a family vacation. But Destinations International Annual Convention organisers took the idea to the next level by holding an education session for the whole family. From PCMA…

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US Independent Planners React to Hilton Commission Cut

The decision of Marriott International to reduce group-intermediary commission rates has already made a major impact on the North American independent planners, many of whom have business models built entirely around commission. Now Hilton is doing the same. What will this mean for both the planners and the wider industry? Photo: Daderot. From Meetings & Conventions…

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Smart Cities: Neighbourhoods and Communities

Port Covington in Baltimore, Lake Nona in Orlando, Hudson Yards in New York, and Quayside in Toronto are all being built or rebuilt from the ground up to promote mobility, connectivity and livability. In 2018 both the Consumer Electronics Show and South by Southwest launched tracks dedicated to smart cities for the first time. From Skift…

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Events: About to Hit Boom Time?

For some years the event sector struggled to find a voice. Now being more recognised as part of the marketing mix can only benefit the industry as a whole. The MD of marketing communications agency Triggerfish, Andrew White, believes the events sector could be about to hit boom time. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

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Visit Faroe Islands’ Ambassador Network

The Faroe Islands are in the North Atlantic Ocean above Scotland. They belong to Denmark but are semi-autonomous. They also have a meetings industry and are seeking to attract international congresses. Visit Faroe Islands even has an Ambassador Network, with an Ambassador Day and Ambassador Awards, to do just that. From tmf dialogue marketing…

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Largest Ever European Association Summit Held in Brussels

For the sixth year in a row, visit.brussels has just staged the European Association Summit 2018 at the newly-rebranded SQUARE Brussels Convention Centre. This year’s EAS was the biggest to date, with over 200 participants, twenty themed workshops and three plenary sessions. For the first time industry associations ICCA and PCMA also participated. From Boardroom…

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Building a Built Environment Legacy in Glasgow

When the Chicago-based Society of Architectural Historians ran its 70th Annual International Conference, it left the US for the first time in forty years and visited Glasgow. The Glasgow Convention Bureau, VisitScotland, and the Universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow all helped showcase the local built environment and start a wider conversation about the future of cities. From Skift…

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Engaging with the Start-Up Sector at Events

With advances in technology and the rise of crowdfunding platforms, the start-up scene is booming. This has seen many events emerge for those that play in the sector, like 4 Years from Now (4YFN), an initiative from the GSM Association which takes place alongside its flagship Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. From Freeman XP…

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Puerto Rico’s Recovery: The Role of Meetings

Puerto Rico has worked hard to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Maria last year. But its comeback is far from over. In January, the governor submitted a troubling forecast: an eleven percent contraction for the economy and an eight percent population drop for next year. Can business events ensure a brighter future? From PCMA…

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Medical Conferences in the Modern Age

National medical associations hold conventions yearly, while international ones are held every two to four years. But educational timeframes have utterly changed in the digital age. So what will happen to the traditional convention model, and its role in medical professional education? Neurosurgery Professor Antonio A.F. De Salles asks whether conventions will become digital. From Boardroom…

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The New Approach Required for True Equality

The events industry has a significant female workforce, yet only 27 percent of women at CEO or MD level. So there’s some catching up to do. For International Women’s Day, Director of Venues at RIBA Moya Maxwell discusses where we are, where we’re going and what needs to change. From editor’s blog at Meepie.com…

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Frances McDormand’s Speech: A Legacy for Meetings?

In her Oscar acceptance speech, actress Frances McDormand finished with two words: “inclusion rider”. The notion that an actor can contractually insist a film’s cast and crew meet a certain level of diversity was first floated at a conference. If inclusion riders become standard in Hollywood, might they also for event speakers? From PCMA Convene…

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31st M&IT Awards: The Frozen and the Chosen

As reported in News, event professionals braved snow and icy conditions to attend the 31st M&IT Awards. From tales of just how difficult the arctic journey was for some, to the backstage excitement no awards should be without, the ceremony turned out to be one of the best ever. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…

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Why Virtual Meetings Can Work Alongside Face to Face

For years organisers have asked whether virtual or hybrid meetings would negatively impact face to face. The Professional Convention Management Association began live streaming Convening Leaders in 2010, then its summer Education Conference. The video content has now generated $1 million in revenue, and live attendance has continued to grow along with membership. From Successful Meetings…

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Legacy: The Benefit in Marketing Destinations

A partner of The Iceberg, tmf dialogue marketing has also been looking at issues surrounding legacy. From ambassador programmes, to the way Qatar is becoming a knowledge economy to ease dependence on fossil fuels, to the idea of sponsoring speakers to give talks to the destination community, this is what it has found. From tmf dialogue marketing…

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