As The Iceberg reported in October, the Swiss regions of Lausanne and Montreux have joined forces to create the joint Lausanne Montreux Congress. Two LMC representatives, Director Lausanne Tourisme Steeve Pasche and Director Montreux-Vevey Tourisme Christoph Sturny, have been speaking exclusively about their future plans. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
During the European Banking Federation annual summit at the National Bank in Brussels, an alarm went off. Then another. And then another. In an exclusive interview, EBF senior events coordinator Tina Marolt describes the steps taken in dealing with every event planner’s worst nightmare. Photo: Tiger Rus. From Association Meetings International…
The branded plane that flew the foolhardy to the Fyre Festival in 2017 was just one footnote in the event disaster to end them all. After Fyre’s calamitous collapse, and the organiser’s imprisonment for fraud and $26 million fine, two new TV documentaries dissect every event planner’s worst nightmare. Photo: John Klos. From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…
As 2018 leaves its footprints on the sands of time, here’s to the past extraordinary year. The last twelve months brought great change to the meetings industry, from the #MeToo movement, to the war on plastic, and to fears about climate change. That’s before even the dreaded “B” word. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Steff Berger is Managing Director of VOBE – Inspires People, which organises events of up to 20,000 attendees for mainly European associations. Here the conference consultant and event planner shares expertise in crisis management, from counterterrorism measures like airport scanners, to working with local authorities to minimise risk, and the potential threat of cyberattacks. From PCMA…
Events and meetings transform destinations for the better. The tireless Pádraic Gilligan, Chief Marketing Officer of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence, offers a thought-provoking report from the recent SITE Executive Summit in Rwanda. The country saw a horrific genocide in 1994, and yet today is “incentive-ready”. From SoolNua’s Pádraic Gilligan at Padraicino…
Now companies have to respond almost immediately to bad publicity, overreaction is the danger. When the positive benefits of an activity aren’t understood, the damage can be even greater. Our incentive specialist looks at headlines the sector has weathered and what they say about the real value of incentive travel. From SoolNua’s Pádraic Gilligan at Padraicino…
Among other sessions at IBTM World in Barcelona, findings from the IBTM World Industry Trends Report 2018 were presented. Rob Davidson of MICE Knowledge said that the top three reasons for booking an incentive destination were political stability and safety (66 percent), value for money (65 percent), and service quality (59 percent). From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
A new index which ranks cities in terms of their competitive strength for attracting international conventions was launched at the 57th ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) Congress 2018. The index scores cities based on their strengths in relation to eleven key drivers that GainingEdge says influence association decision-making during destination selection processes. The first…
A Riyadh investment conference, dubbed the “Davos in the desert”, kicked off amid huge controversy surrounding the killing of Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. Dozens of business leaders and politicians pulled out of the Future Investment Initiative following the mounting speculation over the Saudi Arabian government’s role in the journalist’s consulate murder. From Meetpie.com…
Designed for an industry that never sleeps, IMEX America 2018 was brimming with opportunity and learning right down to its last moments. From hearing hosted buyer experiences and exhibitor perspectives, to education content like C2’s session on connecting with audiences and The Events Industry Council’s on cybersecurity, it was a packed final day. From the Event…
Conservative Members of Parliament in the UK have had personal details revealed by the official mobile app of their party conference. Users found they were able to access MP’s information simply by entering email addresses with no password. Within minutes of the flaw’s discovery, app accounts were already being hacked. From Meetpie.com…
Security at the Prague Congress Centre has been put to the test during the largest anti-terrorist exercise ever held in the Czech Republic. 70 armed “terrorists” invaded a musical performance in the presence of 2,000 visitors who were freed by the intervention of elite units of the Czech police. From Association Meetings International…
While Hurricane Florence didn’t touch down in Charleston, the destination estimates it took a $63 million hit as a result of cancelled events. Some organisers postponed early to avoid potential issues, others tried to move forward right up until the governor issued the call for mandatory evacuation. Some groups even turned events virtual. From PCMA Convene…
Where meetings and events choose to go, and how they approach their content, are affected by many factors, not least the influence of political disruptors like Brexit or the 2016 US presidential election. So says Rod Cameron, Executive Director of the Joint Meetings Industry Council, which presents The Iceberg. From CIM News Magazine…
As Hurricane Florence barrelled down on the Carolinas, the Water Quality Association converted its face-to-face Mid-Year Leadership Conference, planned to take place in Hilton Head, South Carolina, into a virtual event. Water quality sector professionals were able to watch presentations and take part in board, committee, task force and section meetings on their laptops. From PCMA…
Several events were cancelled at convention centres expected to be impacted by Hurricane Florence as the storm approached landfall. The National Rifle Association called off the second NRA Carry Guard Expo scheduled at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Other venues that cancelled events include the Raleigh Convention Center in North Carolina. From TSNN…
Cybersecurity is among the top threats facing businesses and governments in 2018. What you might not realize, though, is that it can impact consumers not only at voting booths and cash registers, but also at meetings and events. Cybersecurity expert Rebecca Herold explains how to protect yourself from the threat. From Successful Meetings…
Border security seems to be of increasing importance in a more nationalistic political age. But sometimes the business of implementing border security involves collaborating across borders. Tony Smith, Chair of the International Border Management and Technologies Association, discusses IBMATA’s recent inaugural conference, and why collaboration is a main focus. From PCMA Convene…
Vienna is the world’s most “liveable” city. That’s according to the annual Economist Intelligence Unit Global Liveability Index. It’s also the first city in Europe to top the survey: Melbourne had lead for seven years previously. But what is the link between “liveability” and actually attracting conference delegates? From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…
A recent report from the IMEX Policy Forum 2018 (see Research) outlines three areas of concern raised during the event by Gloria Guevara Manzo, the World Tourism and Travel Council President and CEO (pictured at IMEX with Group Chairman Ray Bloom). Her three concerns were: security and safety, crisis preparation and sustainability. From PCMA Convene…
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