Brussels is the preferred destination across Europe for association event organisers, and for the eighth year in a row, according to the Union of International Associations’ annual rankings. The capital has built up a network of over 2,250 registered associations, and 733 meetings of international associations were held across Brussels during 2018. From Association Meetings International…
Venue operator AEG Ogden has welcomed the formal Queensland Government announcement of the Cairns Convention Centre’s AU$176 million upgrade. The plans will see existing facilities refurbished, plus an expansion built creating a further 3,000 square metres of meeting, banquet and exhibition space. Work is due to start in June 2020. From Meetings International…
Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has just supported the hosting of the International Dragon Award Annual Congress at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani. About 7,500 delegates are expected to have generated revenue of 640 million Baht ($20.7 million) during the four-day event, the largest-ever Chinese convention to be held in Thailand. From Meetings International…
Associations World Congress 2020 organisers have announced that the event will be hosted at the Estoril Congress Centre in Portugal. AAE, the Association of Association Executives, examined universities as well as hotels and other facilities in choosing the destination, and it is pledging for 2020 to invest more in increasing delegate attendance. From Association Meetings International…
Ahead of the World Congress of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, held in Glasgow, First Citizen Eva Bolander posed for Project Ability artists. The initiative showcases people living with disability, and the event was part of the wider “People Make Glasgow Healthier” campaign. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The 12th European Pain Federation Congress in 2021 is to be hosted by The Convention Centre Dublin. The meeting will bring together 3,000 clinicians and researchers, and will generate over £3.7 million for the local economy. The bid from the Irish Pain Society was supported by both the Dublin Convention Bureau and Fáilte Ireland. From Association Meetings International…
At Meetings Africa 2017, South Africa launched a bidding fund to target international association meetings. Now at the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry congress, Deputy Minister of Tourism Fish Mahlalela has discussed its 2018-19 submissions. These total 108 event bids, with an economic impact of around R2.5 billion. From the Event…
PCMA, the Professional Convention Management Association, has just published its annual “Best in Show” list. The ten stories include using art therapy at a haematology event, a heart rhythm meeting dropping registration fees for self-paying attendees from lower income countries, and a biomedical event letting students earn credit towards attendance costs by staffing the meeting. From PCMA…
The Iceberg prefers “familiarisation trips”. The rest of the sector uses the shorter “FAM trips”, usually with the capital letters. But why shout? For the second time, and now with accompanying video, one of our more particular partners pleads for industry excursions to remain lower case. From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Shaun Vorster is Vice President of Business Integration and Activations at Dubai’s Expo 2020. Here he talks about that role, shares information on what to expect at the October 2020 launch, and discusses the place legacy holds in shaping both the programming of Expo 2020 and the afterlife of its venues. From the Event…
The Africa Chapter of Iceberg partner the International Congress and Convention Association is small but active. ICCA’s annual statistics list how many association meetings are held in cities around the world. The Regional Director for Africa at ICCA, Esmaré Steinhöfel, explains what the latest rankings mean for the continent, and where growth opportunities lie. From the Event…
A historic and musical icon, Liverpool has seen substantial regeneration in recent years, reinventing itself as a life sciences knowledge hub, with further expertise in creative digital technology, maritime and logistics. It also boasts a world-class event campus and other venues hosting major national and international meetings. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
Recognising the role associations play in advancing both social and economic value through their meetings, the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, in partnership with the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau, is investing in building up the professional capacities of the local association community. It’s an acknowledgment of hosting partners’ contribution to successful events. From Boardroom…
Toulouse, Montreal, Singapore, along with Seattle, South East England and Bengalaru in India, are all destinations with clusters of innovation in aerospace. Where knowledge collects, so do associated meetings, so these hubs of expertise in this exciting sector are also attracting significant international events. From Association Meetings International…
Vienna has hosted ESOC, the 21st European Symposium for Organic Chemistry, in the process consolidating its strengths in the sector. Alongside the scientific programme, the meeting introduced its first-ever associated job fair for PhD and postdoctorate students, with companies participating in the technical exhibition conducting interviews on site. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
The World Congress for Esophageal Diseases is expected to be bigger than ever when it returns to Tokyo in 2022. The International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus was founded by Dr Kōmei Nakayama in 1979, and its first World Congress was held in Japan’s capital in 1980. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
Iceberg partner BestCities Global Alliance has launched its Global Recognition Award, celebrating associations who deliver positive change and leave lasting legacy in the cities where they meet. The International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) were each awarded $500, both grants creating further legacies. From Association Meetings International…
Glasgow Convention Bureau has reported an almost £1 million boost to the city’s economy after hosting the recent 27th International Input-Output Association Conference. The IIOA meeting was in the UK for the first time and attracted a record number of delegates from nearly fifty countries. Sustainability was critical in its staging. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Over one hundred international conferences, expected to attract over 127,000 delegates, are to take place at CTICC, the Cape Town International Convention Centre, until 2026. The events will have significant impact on the Western Cape and South African economy. According to ICCA rankings, Cape Town is the leading meetings destination in Africa. From the Event…
The Quebec City Convention Centre has hailed an “outstanding” year in which it hosted 210 events, among them 71 conferences, and over 216,000 delegates. Quebec City Ambassadors, many of whom are research professors at Université Laval, helped land eleven of the eighteen international conferences held at the centre in 2018–2019. From Association Meetings International…
Iceberg partner European Cities Marketing, in collaboration with TCI Research, has used analysis of over a million social media postings to study the reputation of destinations across Europe. The City Sentiment Index Report reveals the theme of MICE scoring highest intensity in London, and highest positivity in Oslo (pictured). From European Cities Marketing…
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