This year the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (left) marks its 46th anniversary. Integral to Kenya’s history and a beacon for its future, no one thinks of the capital Nairobi without the iconic building slicing through the skyline. From its 1973 opening to the present, international meetings have been at KICC’s heart. From the Event…
Meetings in Europe are increasing in number, but becoming shorter and smaller. So says the ninth edition of Iceberg partner European Cities Marketing’s Meetings Statistics Report, which reveals 2.9 percent growth in the number of meetings between 2017 and 2018. Delegate numbers and delegates days have however slightly decreased. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
EICC, the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, is partnering with the Edinburgh BioQuarter hub to raise the international profile of the Scottish life sciences sector. Their collaboration aims to bring more medicine and life sciences conferences to Scotland’s capital, while at the same time encouraging more entrepreneurs to start up innovative businesses. From Association Meetings International…
The Palais des congrès de Montréal is opening its CITE Event Innovation and Technology Centre, in order to help organisers with reinventing the experience they offer through the expertise of local startups. A dozen firms have joined or will be joining the centre, ultimately in a full-scale co-working space. From Boardroom…
Jeremy Rees, ExCeL London CEO, has been revealing his plans for the future of the venue. Topics covered include measuring event success, budgets, safety, changes inside the industry, and the sector’s wider recognition. Ahead of Sibos, the centre upgraded its W-Fi, and also installed a living wall of more than 9,500 plants (see picture). From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Has the war on plastic blinded us to other problems we face? Jemma Peers, Commercial Director at Top Banana, explores sustainability issues and shares the top three quick wins the industry can start practicing for long-lasting impact: watching air miles, reducing waste and creating sustainable menus. From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Conferences and events are set to play a key role in the West Midlands’ new Regional Tourism Strategy, which aims to grow the area’s visitor economy by more than £1 billion and create 19,000 local jobs. At the conurbation’s heart is Birmingham, a city on the rise. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Meet in Reykjavik, in partnership with the Icelandic Travel Industry Association, has hosted an annual event for partners in the country’s meetings industry. At the event, three of the convention bureau’s ambassadors were honoured for their roles in securing important meetings for the Icelandic capital. From Meetings International…
Ottawa Tourism and The Hague Convention Bureau have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will bring the two cities’ convention offerings closer together over the coming years. The agreement was initially discussed five years ago at the ICCA Congress in Antalya, and both organisations have since then sought ways to cooperate. From Meetings International…
For the first time ever the UN has received commitments from the event industry at the Sustainable Development Goal Summit in New York. 7,000 pledges were collected from 58 countries, and the resultant “acceleration action” from Iceberg partner Positive Impact is promoting events as a form of lifelong learning (SDG 4). From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The American Express Meetings and Events 2020 Forecast reports that industry professionals are “looking aggressively” towards next year. All meeting types are expected to see steady growth for the fifth year in a row. But planners across Europe are facing specific challenges in relation to GDPR and the uncertainty around Brexit. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
During August, Iceberg partner Positive Impact conducted a survey of event industry commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Over 7,000 pledges from 58 countries were received, like using only plant-based food to reduce carbon footprint. In a video from outside UN HQ in New York, CEO Fiona Pelham explains. From Positive Impact via YouTube…
The first time Gina Glantz used social media to call out the lack of women on a conference panel, she was “rebuked”. This ultimately led to the foundation of the campaigning nonprofit GenderAvenger, and later a change in how meetings respond to the naming and shaming of sessions which only schedule “manels”. From PCMA…
We’re told that the events industry is one of the most stressful sectors in which to work. It doesn’t have to be. Will Glendinning, event producer, director, designer and adventurer, lays out four key issues behind most of the stress workers deal with on a daily basis. From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The shame and stigma of mental illness need to be addressed within the events industry. That was the call at UK Event Wellbeing Week 2019 in London. One idea raised was that clients might foster change, as they increasingly ask about work culture in RFIs (requests for information). From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Iceberg partner Positive Impact has been campaigning for the meetings industry to align its activity to the framework of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. An industry survey that was conducted during August is being submitted to the UN itself. In a further video recorded at IMEX America, CEO Fiona Pelham explains. From IMEX via YouTube…
Glasgow will be welcoming 30,000 delegates, among them 200 world leaders, to discuss climate change at COP26 next year. The Glasgow Convention Bureau has also just reported best ever year-end results for conference business, attracting as well incentive and motivational events like KFC’s RGM Fest. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
A recent conference hosted by Tropic Skincare at The Vox was the first fully plant-based event held at the Resorts World Birmingham venue. As a developer of freshly made, cruelty-free products, the cosmetics brand had wanted to reflect these values through its conference menu. Meals included an “indulgent” gala dinner. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Edinburgh has just shored up its ambition to become the “data capital” of Europe by hosting ESOMAR Congress 2019. The global data and insights summit at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre attracted more than 1,200 international delegates, and over 3,600 online viewers. The Scottish capital is considered the UK’s fastest growing tech hub. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
France’s Art Nouveau capital, Nancy, has jumped on the sustainability agenda and is emerging as a premier locale for green meetings. The Prouvé Congress Center boasts a roof covered in solar panels and a bee farm. The trend towards green initiatives trickles through the rest of the city, and its convention bureau as well. From Boardroom…
CWT M&E’s 2020 Future Trends in Meetings and Events probes into the shifting currents that will frame meetings and events in 2020. It examines how global and regional marketplaces are evolving, to inspire you and keep your M&E program always a step ahead. 2020 Future Trends in Meetings and Events (CWT M&E website, registration required) CWT…
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