2020 has been crushing for the DMO (destination management organisations). Destinations in the US have endured wiped-out funds as a result of zero hotel occupancy, en-masse event cancellations, and double-digit layoffs, not to mention further challenges with social unrest and also, for some, natural disasters. 2020 has brought the DMO to the brink. From PCMA…
The Netherlands Tourism Board recently hosted a meeting called “Dis-Connect”. Association, venue and destination professionals joined a virtual workshop staged live at the museum of the Royal Delft pottery factory. They painted white tiles with blue paint in the style of the famous “Delftware” produced in the town since the 17th century. From PCMA…
UFI’s NGL Grant promotes the next generation of leadership within the exhibition sector, rewarding young professionals who show initiative driving change and innovation in their own area. 2020’s recipients have been saying why they applied for the Iceberg partner scheme, and also discussing the role that hybrid offerings play in the sector. From UFI…
Like many other organisations, the American Psychological Association quickly switched its in-person 2020 annual convention to an all-virtual event because of COVID-19. Even though the pivot happened in just three months, it was decided from the start to make the August event better than it could possibly have been on site. From PCMA…
It is time once again to grab your own little piece of The Iceberg! The call has just been issued for partners and ambassadors through 2021 and 2022. Iceberg Founder and Producer and James Latham believes sharing storytelling and advocacy is the best possible route to wider appreciation of the sector and its vital role in…
A new report published by the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), which presents The Iceberg, offers the most comprehensive assessment yet of meetings industry activities addressing the full range of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). The program was an extension of an initiative begun by Iceberg partner UFI, the global association of the…
When the lockdowns began in the US in March, it was hoped COVID-19 would be well under control by the autumn. As we enter the last quarter of 2020, we have come to accept that we will be living with COVID-19 well into 2021 and perhaps 2022, that its effects on the economy will linger,…
This report addresses the issue of waste in the exhibitions industry. It derives from several actions of Iceberg partner UFI, including the set-up of dedicated regional task forces around the world and the selection of best practices. Compiled by Greenview, a member of the UFI Sustainable Development Working Group, the report also includes a detailed…
The EICC (Edinburgh International Conference Centre) was marking 25 years of operation in the same week as revealing that 2019 was its most successful ever year. The venue has made an economic impact of over £720 million since opening its doors in 1995, with £12.6 million achieved in 2019. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The UK Space Agency is supporting a new exhibition and conference to drive growth throughout the UK’s space sector. Space-Comm Expo will take place from in May 2021 at Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre. It will be a showcase for key technologies and thought leadership in the sector. From Exhibition News…
“Incredible Impacts”, the awards for legacy run by Iceberg partners ICCA and BestCities Global Alliance, has unveiled three association winners whose events have been “leading examples of excellence within the global meetings industry”. Each will receive a $7,500 grant toward future legacy projects. From PCMA…
Looking to hold a virtual conference to remember? What can you do to spice things up? Here are five rather unusual ideas for injecting fun into the mix, from sharing some musical experiences with karaoke or kazoos to the nonprofit animal sanctuary running a service called (I kid you not) “Goat-2-Meeting”. From Associations Now…
COVID-19 has slammed the brakes on the international expansion of associations, their big conferences having been essential to delivering such goals prior to the pandemic. International Advisor Martin Sirk, of Iceberg partner Global Association Hubs, says that association-friendly regional destinations are the answer. From Boardroom…
The PCMA Rocky Mountain Chapter just hosted an in person meeting for over sixty people with an additional online audience. Chapter leadership recognised planner members’ fears over hosting live events themselves, so made the call to take the plunge first with their “Six Foot Laboratory”. From PCMA…
Iceberg partner AIPC has recently published two video perspectives about how business events are now evolving. ICCA President and ExCeL London Executive Director James Rees (pictured) talks to IMEX CEO Carina Bauer. ICCA and IMEX are also Iceberg partners. The second feature is on the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center. From AIPC…
Convention venues know that when meetings return they will often be in hybrid format. So many are installing amenities like broadcast studios. The Javits Center in New York has added a 30,000-square-foot studio with a private green room area, two studio cameras and a giant video wall. From Associations Now…
The first UKickstart event brought together 1,419 event professionals both online and across twelve “in person” venues. It was the first live and virtual national gathering of the sector since lockdown. Illuminate at the Science Museum was one of the venues chosen to host a selection of physical attendees. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Jeremy Rees took over as CEO of ExCeL London towards the end of 2018, after joining as Sales Director in 2010. Here he discusses how the venue became an emergency field hospital for COVID-19 patients, the NHS Nightingale London, and is now restored to its original, event-ready state. From Exhibition News…
As associations pivot their offerings to virtual or hybrid with the ongoing onslaught of COVID-19, so venues are also doing the same. President and CEO of the Palais des congrès de Montréal Robert Mercure spells out how the facility’s media services are adapting to address client needs through the sector’s new normal. From Boardroom…
The 59th ICCA Congress in Kaohsiung is to showcase a unique and hybrid hub-and-spoke model, with regional events across the globe coinciding with the main congress and sharing the experience for those unable to attend it. The locations include the main host destination, along with Kuching, Cape Town, Luxembourg, Malaga and Riyadh. An all-virtual option is…
After reader input, latest COVID-19 Recovery Dashboard survey has changed the wording “cannibalise face-to-face attendance” to “impact face-to-face attendance” in the survey questions. Both planners and suppliers expect digital tech will have a greater impact throughout the rest of this year: an average of 57 percent in August versus an average of 47 percent in…
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