Looking to hold a virtual conference to remember? What can you do to spice things up? Here are five rather unusualĀ 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.Ā 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 Travelā¦
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 congrĆØs de MontrĆ©al 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. Ā The locations include the main host destination, along with Kuching, Cape Town, Luxembourg, Malaga and Riyadh. AnĀ all-virtual option is…
After reader input, latest COVID-19 Recovery Dashboard survey has changed the wording ācannibalise face-to-face attendanceā to āimpact face-to-face attendanceā 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…
Collaboration and unity were shining through as 1,419 event professionals, including 305 on site across twelve venues, attended UKickstart.Ā Started by etc.venues and with support from twelve sector associations, the new event for many was a first meeting face-to-face since the crisis began. Photo: Hosted by NML, via Twiitter. From Meetings & Incentive Travelā¦
Zoom shares hit a record high as the virtual meeting platform released its financial results for Q2 2020.Ā Zoom earned more money in the last three months than it did throughout 2019. Revenue was 355 percent up on the same time last year, reaching $663.5 million. New large business clients include ExxonMobil. From Conference News…
The hybrid multi-site event BOCOM saw players from across Germany’s meetings industry demonstrating readiness for future event formats. Several hundred participants met on-site at the central conference venue in Berlin and at the hubs in Amsterdam, Essen and Vienna, as well as virtually from all continents. From GCB…
Consumer electronics show IFA has run at Messe Berlin, as German trade shows and exhibitions restarted this September. In line with local COVID regulations, attendance was limited: just 750 attendees allowed at each show segment, so invitation only for industry experts and sector media. From UFI…
When the time comes for in person events to start up again, convention centres across the US will be ready to deliver an experience prioritising health and safety.Ā Much of that will be the result of new technologies, new cleaning protocols, and new staff positions that venues have in place. From Associations Now…
When the SBFA (Serbian Federation of Beekeeping Association) entered the “Incredible Impacts” grants run by the Iceberg partners ICCA and BestCities Global Alliance this year, its bidding stage legacy story wasn’t eligible. Even so, SBFA’s efforts are discussed by the association and Serbia Convention Bureau. From BestCities Global Alliance…
2020’s RNC (Republican National Convention) offered event industry strategists another opportunity to see how organisers of a high-stakes, big-budget meeting can answer the challenges of capturing audience attention and engagement during the pandemic, still getting criticism over their choice of venues and lack of social distancing. From PCMA…
How do you make sure your event adheres to US Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines? A new tool let the National Cattlemenās Beef Association meet safely but in person through the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting this July in Colorado. NCBA worked with 42Chat to launch a symptom screening tool. From PCMA…
The Bulb, a UK-based sustainable event consultancy, has released a guide to help meeting organisers to navigate the “new normal” and make sure the progress made in creating a sustainable industry is not lost. The increase in need for PPE (personal protective equipment) has seen a rise in plastic pollution. From Meetings & Incentive Travelā¦
2020’s DNC (Democratic National Convention) made history for being the first time a US national political convention was held online. For any professional working in the events industry, it was an historic chance to watch and learn from a high-profile, all-or-nothing experiment in how to capture audience attention and engagement. From PCMA…
While someĀ associationsĀ are adapting quicker than others, there remains a general misconception on what is a virtual event. Is it anything as simple as a giant Zoom call, or does it entail more than that? Can simply renting a platform solve everything? What is the role now of event planners? Creating a virtual congress is as…
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