Back in 2014, meetings and events industry veteran Fay Sharpe began Fast Forward 15, a mentoring programme to give 15 female professionals a voice in the industry. The scheme includes one-to-one sessions, group workshops and a graduation ceremony, held this year on board the Silver Sturgeon on the River Thames. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Harrogate Convention Centre in Yorkshire has hosted more than 320 suppliers from UK and Ireland at the ExploreGB event, together with at least 250 international organisations from 31 countries. Peter Dodd, the Commercial Director of Welcome to Yorkshire, offers a north of England events perspective. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
One of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, British-Swedish multinational Astra Zeneca is responsible for research into and manufacture of many cutting-edge medicines. As Catherine Boissier, Associate Professor and Associate Director working as a Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control Project Lead in Gothenburg explains, meetings are a vital tool in that endeavour. From Meetings International…
Business and professional events are key to economic and social transformation. South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, Derek Hanekom, confirmed as much at Meetings Africa 2019, held recently in Sandton, Johannesburg. Minister Hanekom acknowledged the contribution to tourism numbers from business events but emphasised that the legacies of events in healthcare and economic development were where…
For destinations with industrial roots that have since evolved into innovation-based economies, showcasing a revamped identity not only helps to correct outdated perceptions but is also key to drawing in the right groups, for instance associations. Former Rust Belt cities Cleveland, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Cincinnati have all reinvented their economies. From PCMA…
Omnipress recently conducted an online survey of 150 association and event professionals. The results have been compiled and published in the fifth annual State of the Conference Industry Report, which tracks the evolution of educational content and the role it plays at the annual conference. Educational content provides significant value to association members in 2019….
Organisers have unveiled a sneak peek of the Dubai Exhibition Centre, set to host the six-month-long World Expo 2020 from October next year. Other legacy constructions that were built for the sole purpose of hosting the World Expo include Paris’ Eiffel Tower, London’s Crystal Palace and Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building. From Association Meetings International…
The Greek capital is targeting small and medium-sized international conventions with “know-how and financial resources”. So said Alexis Galinos, MD of ADDMA (the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency), at the 9th Hellenic Association of Professional Congress Organisers conference. Athens is currently 26th in ICCA city rankings. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
400 participants from 40 countries have gathered in Madrid for the World Hospital at Home Congress, the first event of its kind. Dr. Bruce Allen Leff, the event co-chair, said: “We talked a lot about the HaH community that this meeting has helped to build, but with this congress, we became a tribe”. From PCMA…
ACC Liverpool has confirmed a series of conferences returning to the venue after signing multi-year deals. Insurance buyers association Airmic recently confirmed, signing a four year deal over the next twelve years, taking its congress to 2031. The British Equine Veterinary Association has also signed a two year deal for 2022 and 2024. From Association Meetings International…
Maputo is getting ready to host the upcoming Mozambique Ports and Rail Evolution Forum 2019. The meeting joins two others in transport already taking place in Africa, with dmg events growing its portfolio in the sector. Mozambique is expected to be investing more than $13bn into port, railway and corridor infrastructure development. From the Event…
For the fifth year running, Omnipress has just published its “State of the Conference Industry Report”, which collects and analyses the responses of 150 association professionals, many directly responsible for event planning. Managing last-minute content changes was revealed as the respondents’ most common challenge, with content distribution also posing problems. From PCMA…
Lyn Lewis-Smith, CEO of Business Events Sydney, recently joined a Trans-Tasman Business Circle’s #womenintechontour visiting San Francisco and Silicon Valley to gather intelligence on the skills and talent attraction strategies of US multinational corporations. Global meeting attendees present a ripe opportunity that is currently being overlooked. From Lyn Lewis-Smith via LinkedIn…
The recent terror attacks in Sri Lanka have devastated a country enjoying resurgent tourism since the end of civil war a decade ago. It is crucial that the international community, especially in incentive travel, does not abandon the destination. Rajeev Kohli is joint MD of Creative Travel DMC, which has operations in Sri Lanka. From PCMA…
Big association conferences are often regarded as being at the very centre of the events universe, with long lead times and high returns, both in prestige and legacy. But professional congress organisers also create original events, like Kenes Group’s recent and “tribal” World Hospital at Home Congress (pictured). From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
A global initiative to address plastic use at events has just been launched by Iceberg partner Positive Impact, supported by the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The campaign is collecting usage data as well as encouraging the switch to alternative materials, and began when the two organisations’ CEOs met at a conference. From PCMA…
First announced in February, the #MEET4IMPACT Project is the brainchild of Geneviève Leclerc, Founder of Caravelle Strategies. Along with several partners, the initiative is creating a framework to support the generation and measurement of association meetings’ social impacts. More details have now been unveiled about the approaches being taken. From Boardroom…
José Zuniga of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care has been named Executive Director of the Year in Gothenburg at the International and European Association Awards. The Association of the Year Award was the European Society of Endocrinology. The event is a highlight of the Associations World Congress. From Association Meetings International…
Centaur Media Travel and Meetings is to be sold to Northstar Travel Media UK for £9.25 million. The company’s 25-year-old Business Travel Show is claimed to be the largest event of its kind in Europe, while its flagship The Meetings Show is said to be the UK market leader. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The SIAARTI Academy event of the Italian Society for Anaesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care has won the corporate social responsibility trophy for AIM Group International at the 9th Global Eventex Awards. The legacy-focussed event, an Iceberg favourite, was hosted on the island of Lampedusa and included a major incident simulation (pictured). From Boardroom…
The Cannabis Expo has just lit up Cape Town for four days, as visitors to Sun Exhibits, GrandWest, arrived and learnt about this rapidly growing industry. Over 16,500 attended the show, even more than visited its inaugural staging in Pretoria. The expo heads to Durban this June. From the Event…
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