After months of lockdown, many countries are just now gradually reopening events. This is not just countries that have suppressed the pandemic, but also many where the situation remains uncertain during a second wave of cases. So how do events look in a COVID-19 world? From Rod Kamleshwaran of the Iceberg partner GainingEdge via LinkedIn…
COVID-19 has forced a rethinking of travel. Many conferences have been cancelled. Some have gone virtual. This analysis looks at actions that might reduce conference travel emissions by up to 90 percent, including holding a conference biennially in accessible locations, plus having both regional hubs and more virtual events. From Nature…
When ASN (the American Society for Nutrition) decided to switch its live event set for late May in Seattle to all-virtual just sixty days before the meeting, the organising team of ten didn’t know what to expect from the pivot. Nutrition 2020 typically draws 3,500 delegates, but about 30,000 attended the virtual version. From PCMA…
In the rush to pivot strategies for the new normal, it’s easy to lose sight of what matters for an association and its members. Here is a guide to this transformative shift for associations and their congresses, including the delegates, sponsors and technology: the myths, facts and opportunities around virtual events. From MCI…
The ICCA Statistics Reports are based on the ICCA Association Database, which means the figures cover meetings organised by international associations according to ICCA criteria: a meeting must take place on a regular basis, host at least 50 participants, and rotate between a minimum of three countries to be included in the Database. ICCA’s Association…
As the pandemic wears on, respondents to the latest COVID-19 Recovery Dashboard have become more clear-eyed about its economic repercussions, but are still uncertain how best to plan for events in 2021. The new survey compares results from one month earlier and two previous bi-weekly surveys. Planners and suppliers have had another month under their…
Since 2018 GainingEdge has led two major projects for MeetDenmark on meeting legacies. The purpose has been to identify how Danish destinations can create significant added value for visiting congresses while also increasing the value for Danish society beyond the traditional economic benefits. Now MeetDenmark has released the second study completed in 2020 which explores the processes, mechanisms and…
In late May, Talley Management Group President and CEO Gregg Talley served as a panelist on a webinar TMG co-hosted with EventBank. The event discussed ways associations, both nationally and globally, can reposition themselves after the pandemic. Associations across the United States are facing unprecedented challenges because of COVID-19. From adapting to working from home…
This report was created for leaders in the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) industry, and particularly operators of small and mid-size sector businesses who are focused on business survival and eventual recovery. It is based on an extensive review of recent and relevant news, studies and analysis, as well as interviews and panel discussions…
Unprecedented times mean unique collaborations. The Joint Meetings Industry Council has held a global webinar, delivered by The Iceberg and presented across four regional satellite events by four trade shows (AIME, IBTM, IMEX and Meetings Africa). JMIC was crowdsourcing ideas for an advocacy manifesto. From Conference & Meetings World…
The owners of ICC Wales and Celtic Manor Resort are to be cutting staff by almost half due to the COVID-19 crisis. The Celtic Collection, which owns both the Newport conference centre and hotel, has said 450 of its 995 staff are to leave, the financial model not now being sustainable. From Association Meetings International…
The Scottish Event Campus has secured new conference business during lockdown in partnership with Glasgow Convention Bureau and the city’s academic institutions. The business won amounts to 189,944 participant days for the city and will bring £144 million into Glasgow’s economy. From Association Meetings International…
Large trade fairs hosting thousands of visitors are already taking place in South Korea, which stemmed the spread of coronavirus and thus has one of the lowest death rates in the world. Until June 2021, funding is available for safety measures. Piece includes video from 5,000 delegate dental conference SIDEX. From Association Meetings International…
RAI Amsterdam is one of first venues in Europe to reopen without visitor number restrictions. The relaxation of further measures by the Dutch government on July 1st means the centre can again host major events. The RAI had already made its spaces COVID-secure and fully in line with health and safety guidelines. From Meetings International…
The Geneva International Motor Show, cancelled just days before opening earlier this year, will no longer take place in 2021 and has been put up for sale. The organisers have said that the sale of the show to Palexpo SA is now the preferred solution. They have also rejected an offered state loan. From Exhibition World…
A step-by-step guide to creating meetings with long-term societal benefits has just been published by MeetDenmark, an association of the country’s convention bureaux. The study Meeting Legacies: Innovating for Enhanced Value Creation was co-authored by MeetDenmark and consultancy and Iceberg partner Gaining Edge. From Association Meetings International…
A “groundbreaking” Phd study into the academic benefits of attending and hosting meetings has now been published by the convention bureau Wonderful Copenhagen. The thesis by Thomas Trøst Hansen, 148 pages long, has identified specific benefits academics can reap by hosting or attending academic events. From Association Meetings International…
Europe’s largest exhibition centres have mobilised and demanded a restart on September 1st. EMECA, which represents major venues, issued a statement on the urgency of reopening centres and called for financial support from European and national authorities to guarantee the survival and recovery of the entire industry. From Exhibition World…
IMEX America has been cancelled due to COVID-19. Iceberg partner the IMEX Group has confirmed that the show, set for Las Vegas during September, will no longer run. CEO Carina Bauer with Chairman Ray Bloom cited issues with securing hosted buyers, long lead times and ongoing travel restrictions. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Berlin’s business events industry is kickstarting the reopening of the city’s meetings and conferences, with outdoor events of up to 500 delegates allowed since June 16th. Commercial or private indoor events with up to 150 delegates have been allowed since June, and events with up to 300 from July. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
IBTM Americas 2020 has now been postponed again due to COVID-19. The Iceberg partner’s show, set to have taken place in Mexico City in late August, is to be replaced with virtual events through the rest of 2020 into 2021. Reed Exhibitions Mexico said that travel restrictions were to blame. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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