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…
A recent trip to Guadalajara, Mexico, including both The Iceberg and its partner Boardroom, revealed a lot about this emerging conference destination. Also visiting the Jalisco state capital and life sciences hub of Latin America was Professor Bettina Borisch, Executive Director of the World Federation of Public Health Associations. From Boardroom…
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roots that have since evolved into innovation-based economies, showcasing a revamped identity not only helps to correct outdated perceptions but is also key to drawing in the right groups, for instance associations.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…
The GSMA Mobile 360 Series – Eurasia conference, a regional event run by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association, will be held in Moscow later this year. It follows last year’s successful debut in the same city, which gathered more than 600 attendees, over half of them director-level or above. From Association Meetings International…
Hamburg will be hosting the 2022 conference of the International Society for Hydrocephalus and Cerebrospinal Fluid Disorders. The meeting win underpins the city’s reputation as an intellectual capital for medical congresses. Hamburg’s large healthcare cluster includes companies, universities, research and training institutions, hospitals, and insurance funds. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Oman has won a bid to host the 30th edition of the International Radiology Congress in October 2020. Event highlights will include both diagnostic and interventional radiology, radiation protection and the use of artificial intelligence applications. More than 1,000 experts are expected to attend the congress from all over the globe. From Boardroom…
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…
London’s standing as a host for major medical meetings has been raised, with Europe’s leading liver association choosing the city for its flagship meeting. Over 10,000 specialists will attend the European Association for the Study of the Liver’s International Liver Congress next year. The 2019 event has just run in Vienna. From Association Meetings International…
How do you create a cohesive community right across a global profession? Tracy Bury is Deputy Chief Executive of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy. Her portfolio includes the WCPT Congress, which in 2017 won the association an inaugural “Incredible Impacts” grant for its commitment to creating legacy. From BestCities Global Alliance…
As event organisers attract bigger audiences, they can outgrow the centres that once hosted them. But expansion of those venues is a tall order since most involve public funding. Getting buy-in for major investment may mean navigating a complex political maze, wrangling support, and explaining why a centre matters to a city’s economy. 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…
The creation of La Nuvola Convention Centre, also called The Cloud, has lifted Rome’s appeal as a meetings destination. Despite its much-criticised spiralling costs, construction taking eight years to complete at a cost of €239 million, it’s estimated that the centre could generate between €300 and €400 million annually within five years. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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