One year since exhibitions returned after the UK’s COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, EN guest editor Phil Soar explores who the true “heroes” of the pandemic have been. He looks in particular at the roles played by venues that became National Health Service “Nightingale” field hospitals, and finds some encouraging causes for hope. From Exhibition News…
ICC Sydney shows its commitment to Australia’s First Nations peoples with programming, a reconciliation plan, and in artwork and messaging around its campus. Works by artist Jeffrey Samuels have become part of the venue’s comprehensive art collection, and are now also being adapted in other media, including digital signage. From PCMA…
Legacy is an accelerator of culture, and events are an excellent catalyst for legacy. In September, VisitBritain launched a new legacy and impact toolkit in partnership with Iceberg partner #MEET4IMPACT. Journalist Mike Fletcher examines the business of legacy planning after the launch of this toolkit. From IBTM…
Incredible Impacts, from Iceberg partners the International Congress and Conference Association (ICCA) and BestCities Global Alliance, has awarded three associations which have left legacies of social impact and public engagement with their meetings. This year these covered water, brain health and the health benefits of playing football. From Conference & Meetings World…
New research out from Tourism Australia’s specialist business events unit indicates a positive outlook for Australia’s business events industry and good interim outcomes from the recently launched Business Events Australia global brand campaign. Tourism Australia says many expect event budgets to equal or even exceed pre-pandemic levels. From Meetings International…
Sustainable event organisation Positive Impact is urging event professionals to post, share and pledge during the United Nation’s #FlipTheScript action strategy. The Iceberg partner has joined with the UN campaign to take critical action over the Sustainable Development Goals, flipping the script for a more sustainable world. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
A new organisation has been launched to drive the need for diversity, equality, inclusion and environmental action in global business events. New Intent will work with destinations, meeting strategists and supply chains to advocate DEI and environmental action in creating positive societal transformation. From Association Meetings International…
The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau has engaged Sheila Alexander-Reid in the role of PHL Diversity’s Executive Director. As a chamption of marginalised groups, Alexander-Reid will oversee all PHL Diversity effort to promote the city of Philadelphia as an inclusive and welcoming destination for meetings and conventions. From Association Meetings International…
An iconic Asian venue has taken the reduction of food miles to a logical conclusion by growing its very own vegetables upon its roof. The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre has now celebrated the first lettuce harvest of its hydroponic farm. KLCC partnered with a local urban farming company. From Association Meetings International…
Global travel prices are predicted to continue to increase in 2022 and then throughout 2023, says the 2023 Global Business Travel Forecast. Published by CWT, the study covers the drivers behind the increasing prices. According to the report, these are rising fuel prices, labour shortages, and inflationary pressure on material costs. From Conference & Meetings World…
A group of academics from various disciplines will promote the capital city of New Zealand as a place to hold international conferences. Wellington has just launched its Advocate Network, a pool of local thought leaders and subject experts to help enhance the success of the city’s business events bidding. From Association Meetings International…
The US Travel Association has launched the Sustainable Travel Coalition to advance the industry’s strategies in the field. The group has almost sixty members across various sectors, including some big DMOs, hotel groups, meeting venues, and also the Professional Convention Management Association. From Conference & Meetings World…
Meeting planners are more likely to focus on DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) than on environmental impact as part of any sustainability policy, a new study has found. The Northstar Meetings Group survey shows that older planners see less urgency in tackling the UNSDGs, notes Fiona Pelham of Iceberg partner Positive Impact. From Association Meetings International…
The need to fill vacancies and train staff is limiting the recovery of major meeting venues, a recent report has found. The latest quarterly Meeting Room of the Future barometer by IACC has shown that rehiring and reskilling venue staff continues to place limits on businesses reaching usual capacity. From Association Meetings International…
Peggy Daidakis joined the Baltimore Convention Center just ahead of its grand opening in 1979. Eight years later, she stepped into the role of Executive Director, the first woman to do so at a US convention venue. Now in 2022, after years of service and awards, she is retiring from her post. From PCMA…
Director of Event:Decision Matt Grey, together with Mark Handforth, Director of 3Sixty Event Consulting and Healthcare Venues, haven’t got a quick fix for sustainable meetings and conferences. Instead, they lay out the most effective methods to cut the emissions produced by events in twelve key tips for the sector. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
PCMA has held a roundtable discussion in Washington DC on how to navigate events in the wake of the Supreme Court’s overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision on US abortion rights. Ninety minutes of fascinating crosstalk on the rights and wrongs of events boycotting destinations because of their laws ensued. From PCMA…
After the New York International Auto Show 2022 crossed the finish line, 1,000 plants used in its exhibits were donated to local organisations to help green all five boroughs of New York City. The show worked with GrowNYC to repurpose the greenery that filled Subaru’s exhibit and the show’s sprawling electric vehicle test track. From PCMA…
No industry has escaped the talent crunch. For the events sector, hit so very hard by the pandemic crisis, the severe staffing shortage as business returns really stings. Here is a useful roundup of voices on the subject from an association, venues and staffing solution companies, with further reading links. From PCMA…
Keeping events diverse and inclusive often means thinking about issues like age, mental and physical ability, culture, religion, gender identity or language. But how can organisers deliver on diversity, equity, access and inclusion? Arinex Managing Director Nicole Walker offers ten tips for holding a more inclusive event. From Association Meetings International…
Future Meeting Space’s latest research radar has looked at global studies, reports and articles on the future of both business events and business travel. Across over eighty studies, nine concrete trends have been identified about the industry, from the impact of sustainability on mobility to the role of hybrid event formats. From Response Room…
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