On the very day Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised the UK would be leaving the European Union “do or die” (October 31st, and spoiler alert, it did not), the European Tourism Association gathered over 100 delegates from across leisure and business tourism to discuss Brexit’s impact on the sector. 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…
A major fire at the New Zealand International Convention Centre construction site in Auckland’s central business district will not prevent the city hosting the APEC Leaders Week event in 2021, says the country’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. But NZICC’s opening, set for 2020, will be significantly delayed by the blaze. From Association Meetings International…
Weeks of anti-government protests in Chile have forced the embattled President Piñera to cancel both this month’s APEC trade summit and COP25 UN climate conference in December. The 2019 Cochrane Colloquium,a major healthcare meeting, was also due to be held in Santiago, but the growing death toll has forced its cancellation. From Association Meetings International…
“The majority of disabled people don’t travel to conferences because they expect their needs will not be met”. So says Alan Broadbent, an accessibility writer and consultant to the events industry. Three examples of inclusivity, a venue (ICC Wales), a meeting (Glasgow’s IASSIDD World Congress) and a city (Dubai), are analysed. From Association Meetings International…
The trend toward plant-based diets has made headlines recently, and this June the first Plant Based World Conference & Expo launched at the Javits Center in New York City. The inaugural event welcomed 3,737 attendees, including professionals from retail, specialty restaurant and food service, healthcare and distributors. From PCMA…
One of the biggest takeaways from the World Wildlife Fund’s research into ending food waste occurring in commercial kitchens was the need to clearly better communicate with meeting planners about the multiple ways in which they can reduce food waste. So says Monica McBride of WWF, who lists some approaches to follow. From PCMA…
It’s clear that food production and consumption needs to change, and radically, to safeguard the planet and feed a growing population. The best place to start for the business events industry is with food waste, and now the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has been working on food conservation in convention centre kitchens and hotels. From PCMA…
Food waste isn’t about ignorance, it’s about changing behaviour. Through the prism of our fear of running out, how can we regulate the wasteful habits of the events industry? Beyond Food: Food Wastage and the Fear of Running Out (Lime Venue Portfolio website, registration required) Survey Shows Event Planners Responsible for “Alarming” Food Waste (Association…
CWT Meetings & Events says that sustainability is rising in importance for the industry. The claim comes in its new 2020 Future Trends Report bonus supplement “The Future of Sustainable Events”. As activists are protesting around the world, like Extinction Rebellion in London, companies are taking increasing notice. Photo: Jwslubbock. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
A survey has found that almost a third of planners throw away fifteen percent of food they commission for events. New research from Lime Venue Portfolio, in partnership with BCD Meetings and Events, makes clear the need for the meetings industry to take a lead in tackling food waste. From Association Meetings International…
The Swedish concept of “flygskam” or “flight shame” is starting to affect air travel. So says new research from UBS, which claims that one person in five is actively reducing the flights they take for environmental reasons. What do event professionals make of the possible impact, on incentive travel especially? From Conference & Incentive Travel via AIME…
Gina Glantz is the co-founder of the advocacy campaign GenderAvenger, and the global lead champion of meetings booking panels and not manels. Already recently profiled in these pages, she has just filmed an interview for the video series PCMA Ascent Luminaries, which promotes diversity and inclusion in business events. From PCMA…
Sustainability continues to rise up the agenda across meetings and events, and two Iceberg partner specialists in this area have turned up in a series of video interviews on the subject filmed at IMEX America, Positive Impact’s Fiona Pelham and the Global Destination Sustainability Index’s Guy Bigwood. From Endless Events…
While some destinations fail to invest in reaping the rewards of business and professional events (the current example being the Scottish capital and the public sector funding cuts devastating convention and visitors bureau Marketing Edinburgh), meetings are increasingly being acknowledged by city authorities across the board for the economic and social legacies they leave. Iceberg…
The fourth meeting of Dubai’s City Readiness Committee, which brings together the major parties involved, has declared all the preparations for Expo 2020 to be on track. The body coordinates both local and federal entities. It is now just a year before the six month event, with 25 million visits expected. From Meetings International…
Fake and predatory events provide little or no substance, if they even take place at all, create confusion in the marketplace, and siphon off the very same audiences that legitimate events work so hard to attract and educate. They are becoming a real problem in the meetings industry. What can be done? From PCMA…
Has the war on plastic blinded us to other problems we face? Jemma Peers, Commercial Director at Top Banana, explores sustainability issues and shares the top three quick wins the industry can start practicing for long-lasting impact: watching air miles, reducing waste and creating sustainable menus. From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Edinburgh will leave Iceberg partner BestCities Global Alliance at the end of the year after major public sector funding cuts that have devastated Marketing Edinburgh. The body is the destination’s convention and visitors bureau, and is responsible for promoting the city to the world. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
For the first time ever the UN has received commitments from the event industry at the Sustainable Development Goal Summit in New York. 7,000 pledges were collected from 58 countries, and the resultant “acceleration action” from Iceberg partner Positive Impact is promoting events as a form of lifelong learning (SDG 4). From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The American Express Meetings and Events 2020 Forecast reports that industry professionals are “looking aggressively” towards next year. All meeting types are expected to see steady growth for the fifth year in a row. But planners across Europe are facing specific challenges in relation to GDPR and the uncertainty around Brexit. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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