M&IT Magazine | February 2020
Sector: Travel
Coronavirus: Contracts, Insurance and Careful Communication
As organisations consider how to address the impact of coronavirus on upcoming meetings and events, what about the legal and insurance issues that arise? Barbara Dunn is a Partner with the Associations and Foundations Practice Group within Barnes and Thornburg, practicing in association, meetings, travel and hospitality, law. From PCMA…
Coronavirus: ISE 2020 Runs With Attendance Down by 26 Percent
Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), the world’s largest exhibition for AV and systems integration, has just taken place at the RAI in Amsterdam. With growing concern over coronavirus, and after the cancellation of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, ISE’s MD Mike Blackman explains which steps the meeting chose to take. From UFI…
Coronavirus: Exhibition Sector Facing Difficult Crisis Decisions
Cancel, delay or go ahead? Planners of industry events are facing tough choices as significant gatherings of thousands or tens of thousands pose a major risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus. The cancellation of Mobile World Congress due to have been held in Barcelona shows how organisers are now under intense pressure. From Tech Xplore…
Coronavirus: 2020’s AIME Continues with Care and Confidence
Just in advance of Iceberg partner AIME, the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event, opening its doors in Melbourne, its Event Director Jay Martens discussed the way both the meeting itself and the wider industry sector have been coping with the twin crises of Australia’s bushfires and the subsequent coronavirus outbreak. From PCMA…
Coronavirus: Lessons in Pivoting Meetings to Digital or Hybrid
For events whose attendance might now be impacted by the coronavirus crisis, pivoting to a digital or hybrid approach can be a solution. In 2018, as Hurricane Florence closed in on both Carolinas, the Water Quality Association turned its face-to-face Mid-Year Leadership Conference, planned for South Carolina, into a virtual event. From PCMA…
Prague: CVB Ambassadors Build Technology Hub
Who helps an association to decide which destination should host its next conference? Who better to provide the personal element than the city’s own thought leaders? Prague’s Ambassador Program started back in 2008, shortly after the establishment of the Prague Convention Bureau. A collection of academics was assembled with immediate results. From Boardroom…
The IRF 2020 Trends Report
The IRF 2020 Trends Report highlights key trends that will affect organizations, their products and services, and the workforce in 2020. From enhancing program reporting to embracing the experience economy, the study identifies key areas of change and their implications for workforce engagement, incentive travel and recognition. The IRF 2020 Trends Report (IRF website version)
Coronavirus: GSMA’s MWC 2020 Cancelled
Mobile World Congress, the huge smartphone conference, has been cancelled after significant exhibitors pulled out citing the coronavirus crisis. The association behind the event, GSMA, could have to foot the bill for the entire cost of cancellation unless Spain’s government declares the outbreak a health emergency. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Coronavirus: Macau UFI Event Postponed
UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, has postponed its Macau Asia-Pacific Conference and Digital Innovation Forum, set to take place early next month. Over 300 delegates were expected at the Iceberg partner’s event, which due to the coronavirus crisis in China will now take place “later in the year”. From Association Meetings International…
Coronavirus: Turning Venues into Hospitals
In China, major venues like the Wuhan International Convention and Exhibition Center have been repurposed as temporary hospitals during the novel coronavirus crisis. But British nationals evacuated from Wuhan, the centre of the outbreak, have been taken to Kents Hill Park hotel and conference centre to spend fourteen days in quarantine. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Coronavirus: Cancelled Fair Reveals Crisis Scale
The potential long-term impact of novel coronavirus on international events was underlined after planners cancelled a massive art fair in Hong Kong. Art Basel, Asia’s largest event of the kind, had to be called off even though taking place in late March. Iceberg partner ICCA has made a statement on the outbreak. From Association Meetings International…
Glasgow’s Ambassadors Bring in £650m
Glasgow’s Conference Ambassador Programme, the first in the UK, has contributed at least £650 million to the city’s economy since it started thirty years ago. The scheme has 1,600 members. 141 events, indeed 35 percent of all meetings held in Glasgow last year, were led by a local conference ambassador. From Association Meetings International…
Coronavirus: Meeting Disruption Roundup
As coronavirus continues to disrupt global travel and trade, planners of events are delaying, cancelling, or soldiering on with their plans. The Singapore Airshow 2020 has gone ahead with temperature screening on site. But some exhibitors have pulled out and a related conference has been cancelled. Other events have been postponed. From PCMA…
Coronavirus: JMIC Issues Statement
The Joint Meetings Industry Council, which presents The Iceberg, has put out a statement about coronavirus. President Kai Hattendorf said the crisis showed that freedom and will to travel to meetings can be easily affected. But events are also the best way to address such issues. Photo: CDC / Dr Fred Murphy. From Association Meetings International…
Coronavirus: Regional Event Travel Disrupted
Travel restrictions are in force across the globe as the number of cases of novel coronavirus continues to grow worldwide and the death toll within China mounts. The outbreak is now disrupting meetings all across the region. A UN biodiversity meeting was relocated. IT&CM China and CTW China have been postponed. From Association Meetings International…
Tackling Homelessness: Protesting at the UN Climate Conference
Homeless hackathons, like those being held this year in Edinburgh, Montreal, Barcelona, Dundee and London, are one way for meetings to tackle this pressing social issue. The MD of organiser Gallus Events recently had a personal experience of homelessness outside COP25, the UN Climate Change Conference, in Madrid. From Association Meetings International…
BOCOM: The Right Time to be Holding a Multisite Conference
The Iceberg recently published German Convention Bureau MD Matthias Schultze’s views about the multisite BOCOM conference being held this April. As the coronavirus crisis devastates the whole global meetings industry, this borderless communication event’s approach could perhaps not be more timely. From Matthias Schultze via LinkedIn…
Coronavirus: Cultural Perspectives from a Chinese DMC and PCO
As coronavirus isolates China from outside countries, Ping Liu, CEO of destination management company and professional congress organiser China Star, offers cultural views on how her business is approaching cancellations and postponements. Links to Professional Convention Management Association resources on coronavirus. Photo: Painjet. From PCMA…
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