When Marco Oelschlegel became head of Berlin’s Convention Bureau in January 2020, neither he nor the rest of the world knew how difficult and strange the coming few months would be. So just how has the start of his new role ended up being, and what is Berlin’s “new normal” like? From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The Bulb, a UK-based sustainable event consultancy, has released a guide to help meeting organisers to navigate the “new normal” and make sure the progress made in creating a sustainable industry is not lost. The increase in need for PPE (personal protective equipment) has seen a rise in plastic pollution. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
2020’s DNC (Democratic National Convention) made history for being the first time a US national political convention was held online. For any professional working in the events industry, it was an historic chance to watch and learn from a high-profile, all-or-nothing experiment in how to capture audience attention and engagement. From PCMA…
Seoul cautiously resumed business events in June, starting with exhibitions and congresses. Dental meeting SIDEX was the first large-scale example with 4,860 attendees over two days. After their firm focus on sanitation protocols, organisers confirmed two weeks later that no COVID-19 cases had arisen after it. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
While some associations are adapting quicker than others, there remains a general misconception on what is a virtual event. Is it anything as simple as a giant Zoom call, or does it entail more than that? Can simply renting a platform solve everything? What is the role now of event planners? Creating a virtual congress is as…
As part of the #aNewTomorrow initiative, Iceberg partner ECM (European Cities Marketing) invited ten Long Thinkers – experts in their fields, industry influencers and purposeful changemakers – to look further ahead, beyond thee crisis and towards a New Tomorrow for tourism and destinations. These are now all compiled in this catalogue and shared anew. A…
Event professionals in Hong Kong have been urging government to provide further financial support as COVID-19 continues to batter the industry. The Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention Industry Association presented a member survey to the Hong Kong SAR’s Commerce and Economic Development Bureau. From Association Meetings International…
Dubai is the safest location in the world in which to host international exhibitions, according to a survey of 4,000 professionals in 130 countries by Messe Frankfurt Middle East. This July the Dubai World Trade Centre hosted the AiEverything conference, the region’s first in person business event since March. From Association Meetings International…
UK eventprofs have drawn attention to the critical state of the industry by lighting venues and other landmarks across the country in red. ICC Wales participated, and in London workers wore red shirts and lined the entire Southbank from Westminster to Tate Modern, all as part of the “Red Alert” #WeMakeEvents campaign. From Exhibition News…
In an effort to kickstart the market, associations and prominent leaders in the sector have joined together to create and support UKickstart Event 2020 in September. The multi-hub free-to-attend live and virtual event is the first big national face-to-face gathering of meeting professionals since lockdown. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The winner of the IMEX-EIC (Events Industry Council) 2020 Innovation in Sustainability Award is GDS-Index, a benchmarking and performance improvement programme for business tourism and events destinations,. IMEX, an Iceberg partner like GDS-Movement, will celebrate the award in May 2021. From Conference & Meetings World…
Informa Markets has postponed CPhI South East Asia to May 2021. The event had been scheduled for November 2020 in Maung Thong Thani, Thailand. The meeting is set to return to the Impact Arena next year, and Informa will also create a CPhI South East Asia matchmaking platform online. From Exhibition World…
AAPX (the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo) and the co-located SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association Show) have together cancelled their shows due to run this November in Las Vegas. Virtual options will be explored. The loss of CES 2021 is now compounded by a further hit of $259 million and about 160,000 attendees. From Exhibition World…
US exhibition professionals have been urged to support the call to Congress to include the industry’s concerns in any new deal to aid the economy. While they hammer out rival multi-million dollar economic stimulus bills, legislators are being asked by Exhibitions Mean Business to consider multiple provisions. From Exhibition World…
COVID-19 has had a heavy impact on the meetings industry in Italy, which has come to a virtual stop after five years of steady growth, according to new research. 69.7 percent of all events have been cancelled, 16.9 percent deferred until 2021 and only 13.4 percent postponed until autumn. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
A campaign to restore confidence in UK events and experiences across all sectors has now raised £30,000 for PR. Further support is needed, and the organisers are calling on more businesses to get involved. The aim is to raise awareness in the general public and national media about the industry. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Two-thirds of those who exhibit at business events say their absence has had a notable and detrimental impact on business. So says a study of the recovery of trade shows from research specialists Explori together with Iceberg partner UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry. From Exhibition World…
The 25th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals is heading to Perth in December 2023. The event is set to bring thousands of experts into the city and deliver AU$10 million to the local economy. The win was supported by Tourism Australia’s Business Events Bid Fund Program. From Association Meetings International…
International association meetings, particularly those that are attracting thousands of delegates, were once the prized targets of all convention bureaux. COVID-19 has made the immediate future smaller and more regional. But this trend was already underway and should not frighten destination marketing organisations. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
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