US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo may have met North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, but we now know that President Trump’s face-to-face with the Supreme Leader on June 12th won’t take place. Before it was officially cancelled, one Iceberg partner pondered the pressures for organisers of such meetings. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…
Istanbul’s standing as a destination for international association meetings is in tatters, with ICCA’s city rankings suggesting that its popularity for conferences has collapsed. For years the city proudly occupied a top ten position. Because of terrorism and other political turmoil, it dropped first to 39th place, and this year to 133rd. From Association Meetings International…
Despite being a coastal city, Cape Town is fighting the worst drought in its history and has come close to actually running out of water. But even before the problem turned critical, water-related conferences were identifying opportunities for creating legacies in the destination. “Never waste a good crisis” has become the apt motto. From Boardroom…
In 2016 Turkey’s largest city Istanbul claimed eighth spot in ICCA’s much-trumpeted city rankings. Today it is in 133rd place. Over the past 24 months the city has suffered deadly terrorist attacks, a failed coup, and a series of purges against its citizens, including teachers, journalists and lawyers. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
Despite a recent report that men give more than twice as many talks than women at scientific conferences, there are signs that female-to-male ratios are improving at some events. One of the best strategies for tackling the gender agenda is to include women as part of the team that selects speakers. From PCMA Convene…
In the US April 10th is Equal Pay Day. The date chosen reinforces a point. It takes women nearly four months longer to catch up to a man’s annual salary. Last year Convene’s Annual Salary Survey reported that female respondents earned 22 percent less than male respondents. This year’s survey has now closed. From PCMA Convene…
As UK firms must now submit gender pay gap data, it is clear that women working at large event agencies are on average paid less than men. But gender pay gaps and staffing makeup are separate issues. If there are still more men at the top, is this for men to address? From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…
Puma has been accused of glamorising crime after hosting a drug and gang-themed party in central London. The sportswear brand invited people to its House of Hustle party in an abandoned Soho mansion by sending out wads of fake £50 notes and ‘trap phones’: less traceable low-tech handsets used by drug dealers. From Meetpie.com…
The organiser of the UK Rail Industry Awards has apologised after the ceremony featured a mock terror assault. The awards at Battersea Evolution were being held on the first anniversary of the Westminster Bridge attack. As well as the spoof terror stunt, complaints were also made about language and humour used during the event. From Meetpie.com…
In October three presentations by US Environmental Protection Agency scientists were pulled from a workshop in Rhode Island. The presenters had contributed to a report citing climate change as a threat. As fewer government scientists attend conferences and with uncertainty over international travel to the US, three experts weigh in. From PCMA Convene…
A former Dallas mayor is calling for the National Rifle Association to move its annual meeting out of the city. The 147th NRA convention is taking place in May at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. It is expected to draw 20,000 attendees and generate $42 million for the city. Photo: Michael Barera. From Meetings & Conventions…
Before opening, the ICE Totally Gaming event at London’s ExCeL was warned by the Gambling Commission that it faced a boycott if it did not stamp out sexism. The message fell on deaf ears, as Microgaming kicked off proceedings with a Playboy-themed show, while Endorphina had pole dancers on its stand. From Meetpie.com…
After the Presidents Club Dinner, it was the charity sector that took the heat, while meetings and events whistled a tune and looked the other way. Coming research will show that the MI also has a problem. But perhaps the response needs to be proportionate and in context. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
Men-only business events and ‘decorative hostesses’ should have been “thrown on the scrapheap decades ago”, says the CEO of the International Congress and Convention Association. But Martin Sirk said the recent Presidents Club scandal should not be seen as typical of the sector. The industry had previously been attacked for its response. From Association Meetings International…
Despite the UK’s imminent exit from the EU, Britain’s corporate event organisers continued to stage events in continental Europe during 2017 with 45 percent of clients choosing international venues. The British Meetings & Events Industry Survey shows Germany to be the preferred European destination among respondents, and equally as popular as the USA. From Meetpie.com…
A survey of female event professionals shows that 61 percent have encountered inappropriate behaviour within the industry. Many said complaints of harassment had been laughed off or they were told not to make a fuss. One answered “I have been told that this kind of thing is just ‘what happens in the industry’”. From Meetpie.com…
The Presidents Club, which hosted an event at the heart of a reported sexual harassment scandal in the UK, has announced that it is closing down. The organisation held a men-only charity fundraiser at which, an undercover report by the Financial Times alleged, young women paid as hostesses were groped and propositioned. From Meetpie.com…
Around 450 US Geological Survey researchers typically attend the annual conference of the American Geophysical Union. But ahead of the recent event the Interior Department said no more than 199 could travel to the meeting, and spending could not exceed $399,000. Only 178 attended and 30 abstracts were withdrawn by absent scientists. From Association Meetings International……
Despite eighteen months of political and economic turmoil in the UK following 2016’s shock Brexit vote, visitors are still coming, not least because of the weak pound and cheaper air fares. VisitBritain’s Chairman Steve Ridgway has been offering some thoughts on how the UK, including its meetings industry, is coping with Brexit. From Skift…
Paris is riding high both on its new convention centre and on hosting the 2024 Olympics. But when one huge event is in town at a major destination, does that cause other large meetings to, erm… bottle out? There’s evidence this is the case, but good reasons why it shouldn’t be. From editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…
The commitment of one of Barcelona’s biggest association meetings, Mobile World Congress, has become lukewarm amid ongoing political unrest after the Catalonian independence referendum. Last year MWC attracted 108,000 delegates to the city, generating €465 million for the local economy and more than 13,000 temporary jobs. From Association Meetings International…
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