Leaders from one of Europe’s most prestigious gatherings of destination marketing organisations have voiced disbelief at proposed budget cuts which could see the end of both Marketing Edinburgh and the city’s convention bureau. Partner of the Iceberg European Cities Marketing’s Spring Meeting 2019 has just been held in the Scottish capital. From Association Meetings International…
It’s been a busy year for James Rees, Executive Director of ExCeL London. Following election as ICCA President in November 2018, Rees reveals his approach to the US market, to diversity at both ExCeL and ICCA, and how being in a New Romantic pop band helped him thrive in the events industry. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Ambassadors help destinations secure international association meetings. So Edinburgh’s meetings industry has an anxious wait ahead of a council vote on budget cuts that could virtually wipe out the city’s marketing and lead to the closure of Convention Edinburgh and its ambassador scheme. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
Elliott Ferguson, President and CEO of Destination DC (as well as the new National chair of the US Travel Association), has been speaking about his city’s future strategy and new developments. Washington DC is the US number one spot for international association meetings, according to the last ICCA Statistics Report. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) 2019 has just been held in Melbourne. Here are some memorable statements heard during the Knowledge Exchange and elsewhere from sundry CEOs (of a convention bureau, an industry association, and a venue), as well as a strategist, an inventor, a politician, and a poet. From PCMA…
While the Edinburgh Convention Bureau’s future funding lies under threat, so the city has also voiced the idea of a £2 per person nightly “room tax”. Some see this as a welcome source of new revenue, but will any get back to marketing, and what about competitiveness? From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The Iceberg is publishing a series of interviews about the globalisation of large associations. These are jointly produced by partners Boardroom and the Global Association Hubs Partnership. Nicolas Fleury, Deputy Secretary-General of the Geneva-based International Organization for Standardisation, describes ISO’s opening up of a regional office in Singapore. From Global Association Hubs Partnership…
Jane loves life in the Nordics and the spirit of Scotland. Her expertise is based on 20 years of experience across the global meetings industry. Over this time she has been fortunate to have gained wonderful experience and friends from working for some great hotels, a convention centre, a destination marketing organisation, a PCO, and…
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Lesley joined BestCities in 2017 as Market Development Director, and was Managing Director from January 2020 to July 2023, following the decision of BestCities to award extending the management contract to GainingEdge. Lesley is a strong supporter and advocate of the beyond tourism impacts of meetings. In 2017 BestCities formed a collaboration with ICCA to…
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Paul is Executive Consultant with GainingEdge, an international leader in meetings, conventions and business events consulting and management. Paul has provided advice on assignments in Canada, the United States, Denmark, Brazil, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Aruba, Panama, and Thailand, and has been an invited speaker in Asia, Europe, North America and South America. Through GainingEdge, Paul…
Dubai’s race for space is getting further propulsion from the winning of three congresses to be hosted by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. MBRSC was established by the Dubai Government to drive the national sector and enhance the UAE’s knowledge economy. The centre specialises in space science and advanced technology. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
Despite its reputation of centuries-old tradition, London is the mover and groover of the technology universe. 80 percent of venture capital invested in UK tech firms since 2016 has gone to the capital. This investment is drawing, indeed being facilitated by, venues and events sharing in the sector’s strength. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
London and Paris are collaborating to offer a range of travel products aimed at North American incentive buyers. Specialised itineraries of the two-in-one incentive trip have been created allowing delegates to experience new cultural attractions, restaurants and hotels in both capital cities. This includes an official partnership with Eurostar. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Dubai World Trade Centre has secured bids to host ten new global congresses from 2019 to 2022. The high-profile events will bring into Dubai around 37,000 delegates, and include two space congresses set to be hosted by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, the UAE’s hub for space science and research. From Boardroom…
The small workshop is open to all members of the destination marketing sector who are interested in attracting smaller conferences to their destination. Accompanying clients should be decision makers/influencers of a European conference which has less than 800 delegates.
Academics across Edinburgh have slammed proposed budget cuts that would see an 89 percent drop in the capital’s marketing over the next two years as well as the closure of its ambassador programme. Over 75 Edinburgh ambassadors contacted the City Council objecting to the proposal to slash Marketing Edinburgh’s budget by £790,000. From Association Meetings International…
The largest international scientific meeting ever held in Estonia has been named “Conference of the Year” in a ceremony hosted by the country’s convention bureau. The winning 34th European Group for Organizational Studies Colloquium was hosted at the Estonian Business School and Tallinn University. The ECB also named new conference ambassadors. From Association Meeting International…
New convention bureaux alliance Lausanne Montreux Congress won sixteen events in its first full year of operation, with the biggest likely to attract 1,400 delegates. The bids will see the cities host over 8,350 delegates between now and 2022, and pump around CHF 16.5 million (€14.5 million) into the regional economy. From Association Meetings International…
Wesgro, the tourism, trade and investment agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape, has hosted a first meeting around the potential of medical cannabis in South Africa. CEO Tim Harris said: “It is not often that an entire new global industry emerges from nothing to a $50 billion-plus sector”. From the Event…
Olympia London has received planning permission for a £1 billion renovation. The new vision of the 132-year-old exhibition centre is a diverse quarter, with events space, communal areas and leisure facilities. Work will start this year, with the first tenants moving in by 2023, and Olympia will continue to operate during renovation. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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