“Business Events Legacies”, the Joint Meetings Industry Council’s recent report, reveals “significant” failings in the way governments measure the true value delivered by conferences, congresses and trade shows. But further sharing of sector impact stories could give the report weight in the battle to convince the world of the industry’s worth. From UFI…
After enduring record temperatures at sector meetings, the CEO of UFI, global association of the exhibition industry, muses on its recent report about supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Joint Meetings Industry Council is doing similar work, plus Iceberg partners UFI, ICCA and AIPC have launched a Global Alliance. From Kai Hattendorf via LinkedIn…
The meetings and events industry is served by many international trade associations, quite a few of them partners of the Iceberg. Some have formalised collaborations, the latest being The Global Alliance, a sharing of content between ICCA, UFI and AIPC. But are there still too many for the sector? From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
This project collected, analysed and synthesised the findings of all prior Joint Meetings Industry Council Case Studies to deliver a verdict on the broader contributions that conferences, congresses, trade shows, convention centres and bureaux deliver to destinations, communities, industries and economies. The cases were drawn from four continents: Europe, Asia, South America and Australia. The…
A multi-year, international study of business events has found a mismatch between how governments value the sector and its broader long-term outcomes, with researchers recommending ways the industry can better document these legacies. The report is a compendium of the Joint Meetings Industry Council Case Studies hosted right here on The Iceberg. From Meetings International…
The UK’s first-ever tourism sector deal is set to deliver a focussed new government strategy to grow the country’s conferences and meetings. It has created plans for identifying business events it might support, with separate criteria for attracting events to the UK, growing existing meetings and creating new ones. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The Meetings Show has reported best-ever exhibitor stand sales figures and the highest number of pre-scheduled appointments in its seven year history. The event kicked off with a conference attended by 350 hosted buyers. Overall revenue has increased by 20 percent year-on-year, with an 18 percent rise in international exhibitors. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Iceberg partners AIPC (the International Association of Convention Centres), together with ICCA (the International Congress and Convention Association) and UFI (the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry) have formed an alliance to collaborate on delivering comprehensive benefits to their respective members. Educational content, research, standards and advocacy will be the focus. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
An estimated £20 billion of direct expenditure was generated by event delegates across UK venues and wider in 2018, according to the latest UK Conference and Meeting Survey. The figure is up from £18.1 billion in 2017. The overall number of events held in 2018 was the highest in recent years. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Sheffield has welcomed over 200 international delegates to the first ever International Child and Adolescent Knee Congress. The two-day meeting was organised by local ambassadors and orthopaedic surgeons Nick Nicolaou and Fazal Ali. Delivering about £250,000 in economic impact to the city, the event is set to remain in Sheffield long-term. From Association Meetings International…
Food waste is a major concern for more than six of every ten meeting planners, according to the IACC annual Meeting Room of the Future report 2019. The survey also shows that 44 percent believe ethical operations and sustainable practice will be crucial for venues by 2024. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The Hague is using its role as host of the 2019 European Geothermal Congress to encourage further geothermal deployment across the continent. The destination aims to be carbon-neutral by 2030, and has at least four geothermal heating plants planned. EGC 2019 just took place at the World Forum. From Association Meetings International…
Professor Eileen Murphy, head of Archaeology and Palaeoecology at Queen’s University Belfast, helped secure the European Association of Archaeology’s annual conference for the city in 2022. A Northern Ireland Ambassador, Murphy worked with the convention bureau at Visit Belfast in bidding for the meeting, expected to generate £3.8 million for city coffers. From Association Meetings International…
The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company has secured a VAT waiver for international organisations that hold events at its UAE venues. The exemption covers exhibitions and conferences not exceeding seven days in length whose owners don’t have a permanent base in the UAE. ADNEC says the move will enhance competitiveness. Photo: Aravind Sivaraj. From Association Meetings International…
Any manifestation of political instability can have a devastating effect on a destination’s perceived attractiveness for staging major events. Stuart Bailey, the CEO of a Hong Kong-based exhibition and conference organiser, believes that international impressions of the special administrative region’s recent protests are overblown, and should not deter either business or leisure visitors. From UFI…
The World Tunnel Congress 2019 was recently held in Naples, Italy. Over 2,700 attendees from more than 70 countries, an 80 percent rise in delegates, gathered at the Mostra D’Oltremare Congress Center. Trips included ancient and Renaissance archaeological sites, and legacy projects donated excess food and helped build community housing. From Boardroom…
Food waste is a universal problem, a lesson in Moroccan manners clearly shows. In the latest Meeting Room of the Future report from IACC, 62 percent of planners consider how a venue manages its waste before booking. 54 percent want to know if it buys from sustainable sources. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
You don’t have to be a doctor to change people’s lives! On June 5th, Global Exhibitions Day brought the industry together like never before. GED 2019 also saw the sector trying to quantify the huge transformative power of exhibitions as a medium, for entrepreneurs, businesses of all sizes, and destinations. From UFI…
Dr Lance O’Sullivan certainly knows the power of conferences. Aged 17, the twice-expelled disruptive child from a deprived background was taken to a Māori medicine meeting by his aunt. A smart and charismatic doctor speaking there captured the teenager’s attention and started his career path as healthcare innovator. From Association Meetings International…
On the occasion of 2019’s Global Exhibitions Day (GED), UFI, the industry’s global association, is launching a new report and online database. These will track initiatives and projects in the global exhibitions business shaped around the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. This resource, a first of its kind, aims to showcase work done…
Unlike anything humanity has experienced before, the current scale, scope and complexity of change is shaking foundations society has accepted as the norm. Five converging megaforces present destinations with both tremendous opportunities and challenges: climate breakdown, ecocide, demographic shift, social change and digitalisation. The meetings and events industry supports 26 million jobs, $1.5 trillion in global…
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