As events begin to open in Asia and Europe, and regulations in Germany make the distinction between mass gatherings and business events, we see a glimpse of a post-COVID-19 future for our industry. Naturally attendees are concerned about health and safety and want assurances that the right measures are taken to maintain personal safety. Freeman’s…
Medical and scientific meetings came to a sudden halt when the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the world. Kenes Group kept cancellations to a minimum, postponing most events, but there was one event in particular that took a leap of faith to turn into virtual with less than three weeks’ lead time: the 2nd AAT-AD/PD™ Focus Meeting…
Three of the meetings industry’s biggest associations have pooled expertise to produce a guide about making event environments safe to re-open. “Good Practice Guidance: Addressing COVID-19 Requirements for Re-Opening Business Events” is co-written by Iceberg partners AIPC, ICCA and UFI. From Association Meetings International…
With coronavirus leading to major trade fair casualties in the German capital, politicians are calling for a new plan for Messe Berlin, including the injection of €80 million of public money into the venue. International travel show ITB at the venue was a notable early victim of the crisis. From Exhibition World…
The best we can do during the COVID-19 crisis is to continue to learn from each other as we try to plan ahead in an uncertain and rapidly shifting world. Here are the results of the second PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association) Convene biweekly check-in, conducted during the first week in May, to determine how…
As New Zealand entered Alert Level 3 on April 28th, so construction has restarted on WCEC (the Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre). Already slightly ahead of schedule, the 18,000 square metre venue is the capital’s first premium space for conferences and exhibitions. WCEC has also announced a virtual layout planning tool. From Boardroom…
Event professionals will need to have a flexible mindset and to adapt and evolve business practice in a world after the pandemic. So said Patrick Smith, Senior Vice President and CMO of Cvent, during EduMonday on PlanetIMEX, Iceberg partner IMEX Group’s new virtual platform. From Meetings International…
COVID-19 has disrupted many things, including our sense of time. While the period of quarantining might seem interminable, our current reality and attempts to plan for the future have never been more fluid. The business events landscape used to take months and months to change. With the pandemic, it changed overnight and continues to evolve,…
Iceberg partner IMEX Group has announced the creation of a virtual experience featuring 3D interactive islands called PlanetIMEX. Launching on May 6th, the platform will offer free access to a variety of industry content on community, education and networking islands, the first two available on the launch date. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
While some organisers are taking the nuclear option and cancelling their events altogether, others postpone or try pivoting to online solutions to make sure delegates don’t miss out completely. William Thomas, CEO of Gallus Events, recalls the first online event he ran and the lessons learned from it. From Association Meetings International…
Both the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild served meatless meals during their award ceremonies this January. Meatless meals were also served up at Convening Leaders in San Francisco, sponsored by Iceberg partner IMEX. There are many good reasons to go meatless, but it’s not always easy getting attendees to stomach the idea. From PCMA…
The decisive general election result back in December gave a boost to UK marketing expenditure during the final quarter of 2019, according to the IPA Bellwether Report. Cuts to event marketing were seen over Q3 and Q4, but the report is optimistic about the sector for 2020 and 2021. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
UK Universities hosting conferences can expect to boost annual sales by around £2 million. So says a recent survey by CUBO, an association of university business officers. The figures released at CUBO’s Winter Conference at Edinburgh University show average income levels up by eleven percent against 2018. Photo: Alljengi. From Association Meetings International…
The Iceberg doesn’t usually focus on the activities of individual agencies working across the meetings and events sector. But it is hard not to notice one founded at the same time as our very own little platform celebrating business event legacy, particularly when that agency is actually called “Legacy”. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2020 has just taken place in Davos, Switzerland. You might think those invited to attend are all part of the global elite, but the World Economic Forum actually assigns its delegates a category according to their level of importance. Photo: World Economic Forum / Valeriano Di Domenico. From PCMA…
According to Jim Sharpe, the new CEO of Aventri, event technology is now far easier to use. Whether it’s using a WhatsApp group to stay in contact with event planners, or automating reporting to capture meeting metrics, technology is not only impacting carbon footprint but also changing and upskilling teams. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Industry mega-gathering Convening Leaders has just taken place in San Francisco’s Moscone Center. The organiser PCMA, the Professional Convention Management Association, gave details of its flagship event’s impact at a press conference, just after the signing of a partnership with the Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau. From PCMA…
In comes another year, and with it yet another list of trends to watch on the horizon. Events will deliver personalised experiences with the aid of artificial intelligence. Plus, sustainability, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and flygskam (flight shaming) are also on the map, as is Q and A 2.0, Conversation and input. From PCMA…
A lot has happened over the past year. Amidst all the political, social and technological goings-on, you may have missed big shifts in event design and experience strategy. The Design Studio™ of Iceberg partner Maritz Global Events just convened to discuss observations from 2019 and prognostications for 2020. From Maritz Global Events…
Ulrike von Arnold, Deputy Director of the Vienna Convention Bureau, has received one of the meeting industry’s highest honours, ICCA’s Moises Shuster Award. The award announcement was made at the 58th ICCA Congress in Houston. Past winners include Paul Flackett, Martin Lewis, Ray Bloom, Connie Cheng and Christian Mutschlechner. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
In what is claimed to be a first for the meetings and events industry, Business Events Montreal has just launched its Guaranteed Success Pledge. So confident is the city that planners will reach their attendance target numbers, that it will honour its financial commitment for the anticipated number if they don’t. From Boardroom…
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