Last December Mariela McIlwraith, Director of Industry Advancement at the Events Industry Council, went to the UN Climate Conference COP25 in Madrid. There she took part in a panel discussion on the role of the meetings sector in bringing people together to act on climate. From the Events Industry Council…
If the music of modern life seems too allegro, presto or prestissimo, then perhaps an occasional adagio is a good idea. The so-called Slow Movement started off as a protest against fast food, and now extends to many aspects of contemporary culture. So why not also hold slow meetings? From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
For Iceberg partner MCI, seven key industry trends are emerging as the new decade begins: human-centred technology, a new meaning to “live”, the move from “event planners” to “event strategists”, the evolution of personalisation, trust and ethics in the data economy, the power of brands, and sustainability in action. From MCI…
Events always mirror society, and major trends like globalisation have transformed the meetings sector in recent years. At the dawn of a new decade, German Convention Bureau MD Matthias Schultze looks at which trends we should follow, including sustainability and new borderless multisite meeting formats. From Matthias Schultze via LinkedIn…
Last month, just prior to IBTM World’s staging, the Iceberg partner’s inaugural Global Policy and Practice Forum was held in partnership with The Business of Events. Supporting the gathering were the Barcelona Convention Bureau, PCMA (the Professional Convention Management Association) and JMIC (the Joint Meetings Industry Council, which presents The Iceberg). The forum brought together…
This year Glasgow Convention Bureau launched the People Make Glasgow Healthier campaign, taking the messages from a few key medical congresses out of the convention centre and into the community. The conferences were able to create a deeper legacy for the city, with for example 180 people receiving lifesaving CPR training, From Boardroom…
Throughout its history, Manchester has played host to many global breakthroughs, including the first stored-program computer and the splitting of the atom. These days it is rising in positioning as a global conference destination, the value of its international association events almost doubling between 2011 and 2017. From Boardroom…
Denmark has brought together its four largest meetings cities to launch a report on how to make international conventions more impactful for both associations and destinations. The starting point was a trawl of 500 publications globally on the topic, to collect the scattered legacy-driving content in one guidebook. From Boardroom…
Copenhagen CVB and Iceberg partner BestCities Global Alliance have conducted an in-depth piece of future research in a unique collaboration with future scientists and designers. Explore four immersive scenarios for 2040 that spell out potential futures for our industry. The report is accompanied by four audio narratives to make each of the scenarios real and…
The way people eat at events is changing. As populations around the world begin to understand the impact of their eating habits, we are seeing a massive change in what and how people eat. This chapter of the Beyond Food report series delves deeper into these trends, and into the emergence of the plant menu…
The industry has reacted and urged vigilance in the wake of the London Bridge terror attack. Two attendees were killed and three injured at an event at Fishmongers’ Hall. The attacker was shot dead by police. The security concerns raised have been circling for some time. Photo: Ethan Doyle White. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Industry experts from right across the sector have participated in a roundtable about the legacies of business events. The QEII Centre discussion covered the international impact of meetings, the recognition they receive and ways true legacy can be measured. The event also followed an economic study of the venue from Grant Thornton. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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…
Meeting venues are facing increasing event acquisition, property and staff costs and competition from new venues. Planners are having to reconcile rising venue and travel costs with their flat budgets. Both groups are embracing technology in solving these challenges. Carl Law is a Development Manager at Capita Travel and Events. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The London Bridge terror attack has had special resonance for meeting planners. It began during an event at Fishmongers’ Hall, which already stood in the shadow of increased security measures introduced after the previous 2017 attack. But lessons for the industry are complex. Photo: ChiralJon. From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…
2019 is drawing to a close. As we enter a new decade, the world now seems less stable and facing further disruption. Global association of the exhibition industry, UFI, has as per every year been tracking sector developments around the world. Here are five key trends the Iceberg partner has noted. From Kai Hattendorf via LinkedIn…
The trend of making meetings more sustainable is growing. Momentum is gaining pace, and not just in terms of recycling and reducing wastage. Director of Marketing, Europe at Cvent, Judy Elvey, discusses how associations are now integrating sustainability more and more into meetings. She also mentions work with Iceberg partner Positive Impact. From Boardroom…
Most conferences focus on success stories and those leaders who have chosen the right path with positive results. But real learning also comes when you talk about what didn’t go right. That’s the philosophy behind meetings known as “Fail Festivals”, which celebrate lessons emerging over shared “Fail Tales”. From PCMA…
In what way does the purpose of DMCs (Destination Management Companies) change in a market disrupted by the Internet? What happens when the core value proposition of “local knowledge, expertise and connections” is accessible, sometimes more efficiently and affordably, via other platforms? From SoolNua’s Pádraic Gilligan at Padraicino…
England and Scotland have many established convention centres, but finding a home for one in Wales was problematic until Celtic Manor went fifty-fifty with the Welsh government on the £83 million ICC Wales. CEO Ian Edwards runs through the long consultation process that decided what the new venue should be. From Association Meetings International…
It’s not as easy to get to Kathmandu as it is to Brussels or Barcelona. But the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition accepted such logistical challenges with its 19th General Membership Meeting this March. The event drew 300 experts and over 60 speakers from around the world, also leaving a major local legacy. From Boardroom…
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