An international conference on the buying and selling of endangered animals and plants has been postponed following the Easter Sunday terror attacks in Sri Lanka. CoP18, or the 18th Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, was to have taken place from May into June in Colombo. From Association Meetings International…
The Easter Sunday bomb attacks carried out in Sri Lanka have “directly implicated” International Congress and Convention Association hotel members, according to ICCA CEO, Sri Lanka-born Senthil Gopinath. As a gesture of solidarity, Gopinath has announced that ICCA will pay its respects to the victims during a chapter meeting at IMEX Frankfurt. From Association Meetings International…
Six bomb attacks on Easter Sunday may have destroyed a decade of economic recovery in Sri Lanka that was largely reliant on tourism. The attacks left 253 people dead (revised Ministry figure), with several hundred injured, at churches and five-star hotels. As a result, venues and inbound DMCs have been deluged with cancellations. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Lyn Lewis-Smith, CEO of Business Events Sydney, recently joined a Trans-Tasman Business Circle’s #womenintechontour visiting San Francisco and Silicon Valley to gather intelligence on the skills and talent attraction strategies of US multinational corporations. Global meeting attendees present a ripe opportunity that is currently being overlooked. From Lyn Lewis-Smith via LinkedIn…
The recent terror attacks in Sri Lanka have devastated a country enjoying resurgent tourism since the end of civil war a decade ago. It is crucial that the international community, especially in incentive travel, does not abandon the destination. Rajeev Kohli is joint MD of Creative Travel DMC, which has operations in Sri Lanka. From PCMA…
Recently almost sixty incentive travel professionals took planes, trains and automobiles from sixteen countries to Verbier, Switzerland, to attend the inaugural Society of Incentive Travel Excellence’s SITE Incentive Summit Europe. SITE’s Chief Marketing Officer now reports on the four day alpine excursion of connections, education and destination discovery. From SoolNua’s Pádraic Gilligan at Padraicino…
The creation of La Nuvola Convention Centre, also called The Cloud, has lifted Rome’s appeal as a meetings destination. Despite its much-criticised spiralling costs, construction taking eight years to complete at a cost of €239 million, it’s estimated that the centre could generate between €300 and €400 million annually within five years. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
VisitBritain’s flagship business event MeetGB has been held in Windsor, and VisitScotland Expo has said that its recent staging was one of the biggest since the event began life in 1980. The exhibition took place at Glasgow’s SEC over two days, and saw 340 businesses showcasing products to over 550 buyers. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Canada’s capital, Ottawa, is to launch a conference ambassador programme. Together Ottawa Tourism, the Shaw Centre (above) and Invest Ottawa will offer bespoke support to local experts becoming “trailblazers” by helping the city to secure major meetings. ThinkOttawa will work with its ambassadors to prepare bid documents and provide support. From Association Meetings International…
World Travel Market Africa 2019 has been held at CTICC (the Cape Town International Convention Centre), with thousands of exhibitors and buyers from across the globe attending the leading travel and tourism event in the continent. The meeting included both the African Responsible Travel Awards, and two-day Business Case for Responsible Tourism conference. From the Event…
Destinations International and its Foundation have announced the 2019 “30 Under 30” class, which will convene at the 2019 Destinations International Annual Convention this July in St. Louis, Missouri. The young honorees (the 2018 class is pictured) come from a variety of destination organisations, and will receive mentoring and other opportunities under the scheme. From PCMA…
Several hundred association executives and exhibitors from across the meetings industry have gathered in Gothenburg, Sweden, for the two-and-a-half day 2019 Associations World Congress. The event kicked off with a special forum for medical associations and an uplifting musical reception with performances from various choirs and orchestras. From Association Meetings International…
In advance of the Business Visits and Events Focus North conference in Leeds, organiser John Gallery has been making the case that the north of England offers meetings industry planners good value for money. Some of the region’s destination marketing organisations are also aligning economic development ambitions with events in target sectors. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
No convention bureau would be seen dead without a conference ambassador programme. But why are they important? Here’s a round up from Edinburgh, where budget cuts recently threatened the very existence of its ambassadors, to Glasgow, Dubai, Montreal (whose ambassador gala awards is pictured), Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto and Korea. From Association Meetings International…
The ECM Summer School is an unmissable learning opportunity for all professionals working in Convention Bureaux, Tourist Offices, Congress Centres, Airlines, Hotels, DMCs, PCOs & Meeting Planners! The aim is to equip professionals with the latest marketing tools and to help them to develop the knowledge and skills required for a successful career in conference,…
Thailand’s aspiration to become a leading pharmaceutical destination has received a shot in the arm with the country recently hosting the CPhI Southeast Asia trade show. Organiser UBM brought the event to Bangkok for the first time in conjunction with the Thai Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association and Board of Investment. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…
Imagine a place where strong African culture meets modern urban life, and where years of troubled history have given way to cosmopolitan regeneration. Add in a pioneering new venue like the Kigali Convention Centre, and welcome to the capital of Rwanda, “land of a thousand hills”, in central East Africa. From Boardroom…
Organisers, venues and convention bureaux have celebrated the 2019 Global Meetings Industry Day to promote the economic and societal benefits of the sector. Hundreds of events took place to mark GMID, which was founded by the Meetings Mean Business alliance in the US four years ago to spotlight industry legacies. From Association Meetings International…
Delegates attending the Conference and Hospitality Show held at the First Direct Arena Leeds later this month can also attend a Business Visits and Events Focus North conference, bringing together experts to explore how the north of England can gain a larger share of the £43.3 billion UK meetings and events industry. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Funding has been approved for a $500 million expansion that will double the size of Calgary’s BMO Centre to almost a million square feet and transform it into Canada’s second-largest venue. The further funding will create new spaces for hosting conferences, meetings and exhibitions, to help attract larger conventions and events. From Meetings International…
Seven researchers from Brisbane will share in AUS$30,000 funding from the Lord Mayor’s office to help lure significant international conferences to the city for the first time. The Convention Trailblazer Grant funds early career professionals to attend an international conference in their field, then help attract that meeting to Brisbane. From Association Meetings International…
Powered by 
