Last year, the IBTM World Trends report found itself looking at new frontiers. How had the meetings and events landscape changed in the wake of the pandemic, what behaviours had been adopted, how were other industries looking at this same landscape? Also, how was the global economy dictating the future welfare of our own market…
The 12th annual Global Meetings and Events Forecast is based on a survey of 580 meetings and events professionals from around the world and interviews with industry leaders. The survey ran in May and June 2022. Respondents represent corporations, associations, buyers and suppliers from five continents and 23 countries. The result is a statistically and…
IBTM World has come to a close with organisers claiming 100,000 business meetings were held at the exhibition. The Iceberg partner also reported that 10,000 attendees had collected in Barcelona during three days. Over 2,200 exhibitors from 150 countries attended the show, along with 3,500 buyers. From Exhibition News…
During COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative launched its Roadmap. This is designed to aid suppliers, venues, and businesses along their journey to reaching Net Zero by 2050. Net Zero Carbon Events, itself launched at COP26 in August 2021, now has 400 supporting organisations from 55 countries. From Exhibition News…
Gothenburg is the world’s most sustainable events city for a sixth year running as once again the Scandinavian destinations dominated Iceberg partner the Global Destination Sustainability Index. Bergen in Norway clinched second spot, with Copenhagen in third. The 2022 GDS-Index list was announced at the 61st ICCA World Congress in Krakow, Poland. From Association Meetings International…
Association meetings are facing tough economic headwinds with renewed sense of purpose, while focusing on legacy, sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion. That was the unmistakable message from the 61st Congress of Iceberg partner the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), held in the city of Kraków, Poland. From Association Meetings International…
A series of case studies by the Copenhagen Convention Bureau aims to show what happens when associations prioritise long-term impact in the early planning stages of an event. Using a revised legacy methodology, the Iceberg partner Copenhagen Legacy Lab has been studying five events hosted in the city in 2022. From Association Meetings International…
Sarawak in Malaysia has published the first volume of a new academic journal designed to help the sector “reset and recover” while identifying legacy opportunities. Business Event Sarawak joined with several bodies, including Iceberg partner ICCA, to create the International Journal of Business Events and Legacies IJBEL. Photo: Nicky Tay. From Association Meetings International…
IMEX organisers heralded the eleventh edition of IMEX America “the big comeback we’ve all been waiting for” in regard to the events, meetings and incentive travel sector. The show was 45 percent larger than last year due to the easing of travel restrictions and also returning exhibitors taking more space. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
A group of Edinburgh-based event professionals have launched a new tool to measure the societal impact conferences and meetings have in the city. The BEST (Business Events Shaping Tomorrow) tool has been developed to evaluate the positive outcomes from the business events hosted in the capital each year. From Conference News…
The Events Industry Council has published the results of its 2022 Equity Benchmarking Study, which has uncovered widespread diversity, equality and inclusion dissatisfaction among event professionals, minority groups and women. EIC appointed its Equity Task Force in 2020 to address systemic racism and all discrimination across the sector. From Exhibition News…
Meeting professionals expect on site events and budgets to rise in 2023, says American Express Meetings & Events. The twelveth annual Global Meetings & Events Forecast found that more than three quarters (77 percent) of respondents were now optimistic about the health of the industry heading into 2023. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The second annual Convening EMEA conference, organised by Iceberg partner PCMA (Professional Convention Managers Association), has been held in Vienna at Messe Wien Exhibition Congress Center. The omnichannel event gathered about 400 sector professionals in person and virtually. Sustainability was a significant running theme. From Association Meetings International…
City leaders in Strasbourg hope a striking new venue will improve the destination’s reputation in hosting international business events. The €200 million Strasbourg Exhibition Centre adds to existing venues in Strasbourg’s Parc de Expo which began in 1974 with the Strasbourg Convention Centre, also called Palais de la musique. From Association Meetings International…
The CEO of Iceberg partner UFI, Kai Hattendorf (pictured right!) has been looking into his crystal ball yet again as the year ends. With the pandemic lingering in some territories, Russia’s war in Ukraine, inflation skyrocketing and the climate crisis, what are the key trends to see business events through 2023? From Exhibition News…
Copenhagen Convention Bureau launched the Copenhagen Legacy Lab in 2019 to bridge international congresses held in Copenhagen with the local public, business and science communities. This Iceberg partner lets global associations both to achieve their objectives and solve societal challenges through events, and it aims to create the world’s leading hub for legacy. From Meetings International…
Jane Cunningham has worked for hotels, a convention centre, a DMO (destination marketing organisation) and a PCO (professional conference organiser). She has also worked for two Iceberg partners, BestCities Global Alliance and Destinations International. Here she offers her thinking on legacy and Net Zero Carbon Events. From Meetings International…
Meeting planners reacted strongly to the US Supreme Court overturning the Roe v. Wade ruling on abortion rights. Over 40 percent said state abortion legislation would influence site-selection decisions. But Iceberg partner Destinations International has been on a mission to convince groups that travel boycotts simply do not work. From Northstar Meetings Group…
How does a desire to minimise the environmental impact of events fit into a traditional RfP (Request for Proposal)? This was the question asked by Guidelines International Network when sourcing a place to hold its international conference in 2023. The starting point was with Global Destination Sustainability Index, an Iceberg partner. From Association Meetings International…
As preparations for COP27 were being made in Egypt last month, Glasgow Convention Bureau was showing how the Scottish city had benefited from hosting the UN’s Conference on Climate Change twelve months earlier. Sixty percent of city tourism businesses improved sustainability credentials as a result of COP26. From Boardroom…
The “Invisible Industry” was a label put on the meetings and hospitality sectors back in 1996 by broadcaster Charles Osgood. Now this title has become an advocacy roadshow, thanks to a 49-foot trailer stocked with interactive media. It launched a year-long “Invisible Industry Tour” of US cities last June. From PCMA…
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