ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) rankings just posted saw destination Vienna reclaim the top spot worldwide for the first time since 2012. The 2021 Iceberg partner survey attributed 92 congresses to Vienna, with Lisbon second (91) and Athens third (66). Barcelona and Singapore are next, then Madrid, Prague, Paris, Berlin and Brussels. From Meetings International…
Over a hundred parties made a pledge at COP26 to reduce the carbon emissions created by the events industry. The coalition has doubled in size since that time. Kai Hattendorf, the President of Iceberg partner UFI and former Chair of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (which presents The Iceberg), helped make it happen. From PCMA…
International conferences are the most carbon-intensive activity for associations. Here five sustainability experts answer twenty fundamental questions to let organisations begin their journey towards net zero and assess their progress along the way. Included are views from Iceberg partners GDS-Index and Positive Impact. From Association Meetings International…
Jaimé Bennett, PCMA’s Regional Director of EMEA, was taken on a tour during her site visit to Vienna earlier this year. The aim was to find places Convening EMEA participants could explore during the meeting. One was a café which helps older residents augment their pensions and social lives through baking. From PCMA…
The UK has experienced red weather warnings and unprecedented high temperatures of late, with services shut down and events postponed. Europe and the United States have also suffered. Liz Taylor, the CEO of event management firm the Taylor Lynn Corporation, has sweated over the best solutions to keep delegates cool. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
On the back of a flash survey, Editor James Lancaster talks with Loren Edelstein, VP Content Director at Northstar Meetings Group, about how the US Supreme Court’s about turn on Roe v. Wade could inflence where international associations meet, and whether organisations should be being political about site selection. Photo: Ted Eytan. From Association Meetings International…
Carina Bauer, CEO of Iceberg partner IMEX Group, has been talking about her organisation’s Green Squad and its sustainability impact. The Squad was set up in 2017 to collect the sustainability champions within IMEX and share initiatives across the business. The Group has also signed the sector’s Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge. From Conference News…
During the pandemic, uncertainty was a daily torment for association meeting planners. With the threat of lockdown ended in most countries, the market is approaching business pre-pandemic. But organisers are also caught between a labour and skills crisis plus rocketing inflation. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
The first IMEX in Frankfurt since 2019 was marked by an outrush of camaraderie, celebration, and most importantly, business. The Iceberg partner CEO Carina Bauer hailed a succcessful show and said that the future looks bright for the industry, while also acknowledging that the current business climate is rather challenging. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Peter King, the Chief Executive of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, has announced he is to leave the role after eleven years. In 2018 King led the AU$205 million expansion of MCEC, and in recent years he helped the venue become a global leader in business event sustainability. From Meetings International…
Following a comprehensive remodelling and modernisation which began in 2017, the Congress Center Hamburg has fully reopened for business. Thee new CCH is now one of Europe’s largest convention centres with 36,000 square metres of available space, which includes fifty multifunctional halls spread across four levels for conventions and events. From Association Meetings International…
New GBTA (Global Business Travel Association) research has collected industry and external stakeholder insights to benchmark perceptions, priorities and actionable opportunity for more sustainable business travel. Barriers to making business travel more sustainable include higher costs, limited data, and lack of access to information. From Meetings International…
Two-thirds of venues say they will recover to 2019 revenue levels in either 2022 or 2023. So reports international venue association IACC’s annual Meeting Room of the Future Barometer 2022. Predictions did differ by country, with Denmark projected to surpass 2019 by 2022 but the Americas by 2024. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Daegu in South Korea hosted the 2013 World Energy Congress, often referred to as the “Energy Olympics”. The meeting built upon long-term city strategy in solar power and upon staging earlier events in the sector. It went on to create multiple legacies to shape Daegu’s future. By Jane Vong Holmes, Senior Manager Asia, GainingEdge. Two…
There is no denying events have changed because of the pandemic, as have the wants and needs of both organisers and attendees within the healthcare space. So, what are the key changes, and the trends we are seeing in terms of the way that the industry approaches them? From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The problem is familiar and has been escalating rapidly over the decades. Global food produce is not enough to cover the needs of our planet’s ever-growing population. The issue will be discussed in depth at Quebec City, Canada, throughout the fourth edition of the International Insects to Feed the World conference. From Boardroom…
In the heat of the pandemic, meeting tech evangelists were hailing the switch to virtual as a transformational moment, rather than a practical necessity. It was always odds on that most would return to meeting in person once the worst was over. So, is the new normal the same old normal? From Association Meetings International…
Iceberg partner IMEX has now been championing sustainable exhibitions for over two decades. With its two huge global events generating zero waste and powered by renewable energy, the Group has just set its sights on zero carbon. CEO Carina Bauer explains how exhibitions need to become much more sustainable in order to survive. From Exhibition News…
Fresh off the back of taking her first incentive trip since the start of the pandemic, agency Eventful’s Head of Incentives Holly Mills shares the changes she has witnessed in the industry and the trends that are going to shape the future of the category, including replacing that word “incentive”. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Iceberg partner European Cities Marketing has just staged its International Conference and General Assembly in Hamburg, rebranding during the event as the City Destinations Alliance. The meeting formulated policy on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, also making a video of solidarity, and held a remarkable session hearing from two industry colleagues based in Lviv, Ukraine. Russia’s…
IMEX in Frankfurt will finally open its 20th anniversary edition to the meetings industry on May 31st. In a multi-video preview of the Iceberg partner show, Natasha Richards of IMEX looks at the high-level IMEX Policy Forum 2022, plus Martin Sirk of Sirk Serendipity discusses multiple issues facing associations after the COVID-19 pandemic. IMEX Policy…
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