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…
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…
As authorities around the world are increasingly clearing business events to run again, organisers of conventions and exhibitions, as well as venue and centre operators need to put respective measures in place that create safe environments for participants. A new guide on the matter identifies and promotes globally emerging standards, protocols and good practices. Good…
Iceberg partner IBTM Events has said that IBTM World 2020, due to have taken place in Barcelona, will pivot to a fully virtual event now between December 8th and 10th. The move is a result of the unpredictable travel restrictions that still persist because of the ongoing pandemic crisis. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Manchester’s EventCity conference and exhibition venue has announced its closure and pulled the plans for its new centre. The UK venue had been planning to close and relocate to a new site (pictured). Owners Peel Group however now say EventCity will cease trading completely from March 31st 2021. From Exhibition World…
Collaboration and unity were shining through as 1,419 event professionals, including 305 on site across twelve venues, attended UKickstart. 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 Travel…
The October 1st reopening date for UK business events is to be reviewed following a spike in the pandemic’s infection rate, the Prime Minister has announced. Boris Johnson also said social gatherings with more than six people will be made illegal and are punishable by dispersal, fines and arrest. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The limit on public gatherings in Copenhagen and Denmark’s third largest city Odense has lowered to 50 people after a recent increase in COVID-19 infections. The limit had been raised to 100 in July with the hope of rising to 200 in August. A cap for meetings and conferences remains at 500. From Association Meetings International…
Olympia London is set to reopen in October, beginning with a series of hybrid events including industry fixture The Meetings Show. After working with organisers and other industry bodies, the facility has set out a robust plan of procedures in alignment with the new All Secure Standard endorsed by Government. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Meetings and events leaders in the Czech Republic have pleaded for government support and say that without it up to 114,000 jobs are at risk. An alliance of industry bodies has warned impact on conferences, trade fairs and cultural events from the COVID-19 pandemic will be “enormous”. From Association Meetings International…
Aquatech China 2020, the largest global meeting for the Asian sector, has run at the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center. The event was originally booked to run in June, but was pushed back three months after close monitoring of the pandemic. Now the Chinese events industry is opening up again. From Exhibition World…
An officer of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has called on the meetings industry urgently to speed up action on climate change. Miguel Naranjo warned there “would be no events industry” if the challenge is not met. Event professionals, he said, had a responsibility to contribute. From Conference News…
The UK Government has made it mandatory to wear masks which cover mouth and nose when inside conference and event venues. The call comes a few weeks after it was announced that England’s exhibition and conference facilities are allowed now to host business meetings and events for up to 30 people. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The World Economic Forum has pushed back its Annual Meeting in Davos because of COVID-19. The high-profile gathering, booked for January in the Alpine ski resort, will now run either “early next summer” or when WEF can “guarantee the health and safety of our participants and the host community”. From Association Meetings International…
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 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…
In mid-June the Netherlands started to welcome international travellers back to its borders. There is no limit for maximum attendees at meetings and events, but associations even so are wary, and with countries like the US, India and Australia still unable to travel, planners are considering best strategy for the coming autumn. From Boardroom…
When Marco Oelschlegel became head of Berlin’s Convention Bureau in January 2020, neither he nor the rest of the world knew how difficult and strange the coming few months would be. So just how has the start of his new role ended up being, and what is Berlin’s “new normal” like? From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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 Travel…
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