PCMA Editor-in-Chief Michelle Russell drew our attention to this discussion of how the model of scientific conference should be changing in the wake of the pandemic. It contains a fantastic example of serendipitous legacy, a chance meeting at a conference in Puerto Rico leading to some Nobel prize-winning CRISPR gene editing. From Chemistry World…
Fay Sharpe, Founder of the mentorship programme Fast Forward 15, was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the Queen’s New Year’s honours for services to mentoring women, gender equality and charity fundraising. Sharpe has also retraced her career on M&IT’s Talks podcast. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
If attendees are missing the chance encounter at virtual events, the lack of “liminal” space in the environment may be the culprit. This can also be missing at in person events. Julius Solaris, VP of Marketing Strategy, Events at event tech company Hopin, gives us a new idea for planned serendipity, “liminality”. From PCMA…
Companies at Convening Leaders’ Tech Village at Caesars Forum were asked to identify what has changed about digital attendee experiences during 2021. The need for quality content with no “fluff” or “friction”, the opportunity for event delegates to socialise, and the chance to reach a global audience were among the key takeaways. From PCMA…
Hospitality Helping Hands (HHH) during PCMA Convening Leaders 22 left a legacy advancing child literacy across 62 schools in the Las Vegas area. The nonprofit Spread the Word Nevada brought in four big boxes to Caesar’s Forum with 10,000 books for children that volunteers sorted and prepped. PCMA’s Foundation also donated $10,000. From PCMA…
The UK events industry as a whole is a vastly fragmented animal, before the pandemic worth £84 billion to the country every year. This leading article from Martin Fullard is a direct message for the UK’s Government, which calls for the industry now to be shown the respect it deserves. From Conference News…
Anna Abdelnoor, Co-founder of the event sustainability body Isla, took a different journey to IBTM World in Barcelona this year. To show her commitment to slow travel, Anna opted for rail over air, and producd 97 percent lower carbon emissions than she would have had she flown. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The Iceberg ambassador Jane Cunningham (pictured centre with Lesley Williams and Nigel Brown promoting “Incredible Impacts” as “The Incredibles”) is leaving Iceberg partner BestCities Global Alliance after twelve years. The Iceberg will pay its own tribute elsewhere, but Jane has also given this interview to her own BestCities colleagues. From BestCities Global Alliance…
PCMA’s Convening EMEA, which brought attendees from 29 nations together in Lausanne last October, started and ended on a sustainable note. Measures included giving the delegates a first-class pass on public transport, no paper handouts, and a hosting venue clad with columns of photovoltaic cells, the SwissTech Convention Center. Photo: Mattias Nutt. From PCMA…
The bad experience of an Israeli minister, unable to enter a COP26 venue because she is a wheelchair user, reveals the distance planners still have to travel on accessibility and inclusivity. Lizzy Eaton, the Founder of Oddity Events and Marketing, remembers her own mistake on accessibility. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
When a staffer from one Iceberg partner, ASAE, flew to Colombia to attend the annual global congress of another, ICCA, it was both her first time on a plane in two years, and her first event in the same period. Amy Hissrich learned COVID had changed both her and some of the logistics. From Associations Now…
The Net Zero Carbon Events pledge from the Joint Meetings Industry Council, which presents The Iceberg, has just been delivered at COP26. At the 60th Congress of our partner ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association), The Iceberg spoke to Aileen Crawford of the Glasgow Convention Bureau and to Guy Bigwood of the Global Destination Sustainability Movement. Speaking…
The Net Zero Carbon Events pledge from the Joint Meetings Industry Council, which presents The Iceberg, has just been delivered at COP26. Iceberg founder James Latham talks to former JMIC President Kai Hattendorf and Miguel Naranjo and Laura Lopez of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change about what it means for the sector….
Meeting professionals say they are feeling more confident and well-equipped to plan high-quality meetings and events and adapt to any ongoing uncertainties. This is according to the 2022 Global Meetings and Events Forecast, the 11th annual report produced by American Express Meetings & Events, a division of American Express Global Business Travel (GBT). The report’s…
The GDS-Index is a performance improvement programme to make the business and leisure tourism industry more sustainable. In a collaborative effort it supports destination management organisations and convention bureaux to adopt, promote and recognise responsible and regenerative practices. Iceberg partner the Global Destination Sustainability Movement evaluates four key areas that it believes are vital to…
Most destination marketing organisations are not measuring environmental impact of business events, or even including meetings in their “climate strategy”, an Iceberg partner report says. The GDS-Index for 2021 found 86 percent of cities had a climate strategy, but only 36 percent included “business events” specifically in it. From Association Meetings International…
After skipping a year because of the pandemic, IMEX America, the largest global meetings industry trade show, was staged once again in Las Vegas. The tenth edition of the show drew 3,300 buyers and more than 2,200 exhibiting companies. The numbers were down from 2019, but a joyful reunion even so. From Northstar Meetings Group…
Following months of planning, research and consultation, JMIC’s Net Zero Carbon Events, an initiative to radically reduce sector emissions, was presented at Glasgow’s COP26. At the time the pledge already had 109 actual signatories, including COP’s venue the SEC Centre, and 211 additional supporters. The Joint Meetings Industry Council presents The Iceberg. From Association Meetings International…
The NEC Group is to redevelop its Birmingham campus and create 14,000 square metres of new outdoor event space, to be run alongside its other venues on the site. NEC Group said the building work would create around 3,500 local jobs and also a greener and more sustainable campus. From Exhibition News…
UFI’s 88th Global Congress held in Rotterdam saw the association’s return to face-to-face gatherings. The Iceberg partner event drew 350 participants from about 40 countries and regions. The main theme of the congress, staged at the Rotterdam Ahoy and co-hosted by Rotterdam Partners, was “together again”. From Exhibition News…
Business Events Sarawak, the local region’s convention bureau, has just launched a scheme to help congress organisers to leave positive legacies through their meetings. The initiative identifies five key areas where legacy occurs, namely sectoral, economic, environmental, plus community and social, and political. BESarawak’s initiative was launched at TRIBE. From Association Meetings International…
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