While the pandemic has forced us to work from home and constant travel has been reduced to the bare essentials, sustainability has taken on a new life beyond footnotes. This significant reduction in the carbon footprint has coincided with a new sense of corporate responsibility towards the sustainability of events, business travel and association ethics.
Sustainability for events means taking action to preserve our natural environment, promoting a healthy and inclusive society and supporting a thriving economy. Making events sustainable is essential for success in today's meetings and conferences industry, as it has become increasingly important as an evaluation criterion for meeting organisers, DMCs and venues as part of the bid proposal.
This HQ #104 brings you several concrete examples of environmental action, interviews with experts and initiatives carried out by destinations at the top of this agenda. In this month's HQ Essential we talk to SolarPower Europe and Social Economy Europe about these ideas from the associations' perspective. We visit conference destinations susceptible to these measures such as South Africa, Thailand or the Austrian region of Tirol. There is also no shortage of strong views from our partners on lessons from COP26 (AIPC), viable models for associations (Kenes) and positive and lasting change through events (GDS Movement).
How to articulate destination marketing with sustainable features applied by hotels, convention centres or restaurants? How to integrate environmental concepts in associations and how to convince members that profit and sustainability can go hand in hand? How can industry leaders and political authorities support and strengthen services and products that promote, vis-à-vis, the ecology and sustainable development of their cities? See the answer to these and more questions on the following pages.
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2021 was a year of many apprehensions, inquiries, and studies, but it was also quite enlightening with regard to such hot topics as sustainability, digitalisation, and the legacy of the meetings. The coming year will be quite challenging and a test bed for many of the findings that have emerged during these months, even if security and physical meetings measures remain unscathed.
More than a chance to start over from the scratch, what lies ahead points to a much broader discussion about an innovative business model that will affect associations and destinations. How will we co-opt new financing schemes to feed this supply chain? Will destinations be willing to give up their old sales strategies? Are associations prepared to offer new services and integrated solutions to their membership?
These are the questions we try to address in our HQ #102 issue partially dedicated to the financing and sponsorship of the global events industry. Our cover story features an interview with Visit Norway about the efforts and crisis management that have taken place in the Scandinavian country since the pandemic began. We also talk to the general manager of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre about the importance of lobbying for the industry's value and its benefits to the local community.
In the chapter for associations, we share variations in the sponsorship industry and the impact of technology companies with the European Sponsorship Association, and new opportunities for live marketing and event services with the giant VOK DAMS. Don't miss also the regular insights from our partners (Interel, Kenes, ECM, Mark Levin, etc.) and our stories from around the world this time taking us to the city of Porto and North of Portugal.
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To cope with these transformations, MEET TAIWAN has launched a new project in order to reform Taiwan's MICE industry. The prefix "re", meaning to come back or again, is the highlight of MEET TAIWAN's new programme - Re-Fresh Taiwan - representing a fresh start for a new ecosystem of local events on an international scale.
Together with increased vaccination rates, these measures demonstrate Taiwan’s resilience an commitment which has enabled people to quickly return to their normal live with safety and business to prosper again.
Discover the green strategy, the support programs, and the various regions and destinations of this island nation, in this special supplement prepared by HQ.
Coming from an atypical summer that has served as a much-needed relief from the tension and anxiety felt throughout the industry, we are starting to get some positive signs everywhere that point to a slow but solid recovery - at least more than meets the eye.
Business travel is climbing the tourism ladder, destination marketing is on the rise, and the membership community is looking for new (and old) opportunities to get together again and re-establish its schedule of events. But how to optimize all those impressions and leads that make us take serious decisions in times of crisis, compare scenarios and resume our business strategies?
Let's talk about Data, shall we? In this issue number 101, we set off the importance that data management and its licensing represent for the effectiveness and everyday life of associations, MICE bureaus, DMO's and all professionals that fill our industry.
We have two exclusive interviews with the German Convention Bureau's new groundbreaking project, Future Meeting Space, and the European smart cities network, Sharing Cities. We kept the conversation flowing about the best destinations and venues around the world, especially at the tech level, and looked into Data at the last ECM Summer School.
We also introduce MESA, a new event support association, and talk about leadership with the International Leadership Association. So don't forget: own your data and make it count - it's sure to be the biggest trend for the return of the 2022 events.
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One hundred is a number with many meanings. For example, turning 100 is something many people dream and look forward to, but one hundred can also mean that something is completed, done, over. For Headquarters Magazine, it means that the July 2021 issue is an unforgettable milestone, but not the last. Once upon a time we started with issue number 1, the beginning, the launch of a magazine specifically for international associations based in Brussels. And now, here we are... time flies!
In this #100 issue, we premiere the 2021 AIPC Member Survey Results on growing trends in convention centres, and unveil eight facts associations need to understand for successful future meetings. We spoke with Liz Ortiguera, the new CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, and tried to figure out why event technology providers skyrocketed in the last year.
We showcase the latest projects from all our partners, from the GDS Movement, through the European Cities Marketing to the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers. We covered destinations such as Thailand, Porto and Houston, and learned how events are slowly returning to venues like the Adelaide Convention Centre or ACC Liverpool.
Also, don’t forget to read the exclusive interview with journalist and social scientist Marco D’Eramo, author of World in a Selfie: An Inquiry into the Tourist Age, about the future of tourism in the digital age.
An edition packed with great content and aimed to be a summary of all chapters and segments of the MICE industry. People used to say that the “best things in life come to those who wait”. Well, if that's true, we'll be here to help you with whatever comes, stays and goes. Stay tuned!
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Innovation, science and technology are driving Australia's future and shaping the next generation of events.
Used to being seen as peripheral by the rest of the world, the oceanian country is a top reference in research and development and is taking the lead on a more sustainable and secure path for the MICE industry.
Watch these innovations stories to find out how Australians are changing the world - from leading their fields to creating entirely new ones. And discover why there's nothing like Australia for business events.
Sustainability is the topic that is on everyone's lips and HQ could not pass up this opportunity to deepen its relationship with the meetings industry. The pandemic was definitely the spark that ignited a broader discussion, but let’s not forget the leading examples that can guide us to a sustainable recovery.
This second HQ of 2021 set out to analyse the impacts and the aftereffect that business events can instigate in the environment and the associations's role in face of this transformative element.
We went to talk to the global community Tourism Declares Climate Emergency, about acting sustainably for circular regeneration; we were at the ECM online conference to report the best principles and models for destination rebuilding; we asked Helsinki why they are an example to follow in climate action; and finally, we tried to figure out the future of the MICE industry in an era that has its days numbered.
In this issue, you can still keep up with our Coronavirus sector featuring various convention centres and destination reports; in our association interview, we invited an international NGO with that advocates for environmentally friendly technical standards, policies and laws, the Environmental Coalition on Standards. Without ever forgetting our high-value association partners with their insights and projects.
In this issue 99, HQ partnered again with Interel to launch the “Women Who Advance Associations” campaign, which aims to celebrate female talent and diversity in the international associative community. Trust the Headquarters Magazine as the most reliable source of good information and industry research.
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The past year has pushed the Polish MICE industry into a new era. Venues, hotels, DMCs, PCOs and convention bureaux, successfully introduced solutions that are not only safe, but also technologically advanced and sustainable. This new reality calls for the development of new procedures, with safety and hygiene measures likely to remain the number one issue in the years to come. This is precisely what is happening now in Poland!
HQ has prepared a guidebook with the best products and offers in the "Land of the Fields", to hold your high-end events. Safety and hygiene standards and procedures when hosting your congress; support from different convention bureaux in the country; the various stories that make Poland a diversified place for any type of meeting; and high scores on smart specialisations.
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HQ Passport would be our fresh new product this year but unfortunately, given the situation we are in, we had to delay the whole process.
Since February, when we launched our debut edition dedicated to the professional agricultural sector, until today, we would have planned four more editions that effectively only resulted in this October one.
Our second Passport, "Medical & Pharmaceutical dossier", is a manifestation of our team's strength and a commitment of honor to the entire industry, in order to inform and 'opening the gates of professional destinations'.
We bring you two destination profiles and their scientific advances in the health sector (Australia and Abu Dhabi), we exchanged a few words with the World Medical Association and the European Federation for Colposcopy and invite the OIC Group to explain us how to organize a successful event in the world of healthcare.
Read our stories and expect a 2021 with many more 'Passports'. Stay safe // Stay strong // Stay with us
Contact Vivian Xu for future inquiries and partnerships at: vivian@meetingmediagroup.com ✍
2021 took off strongly in search of new hybrid offerings, digital solutions and event scheduling. Associations and destinations can no longer wait for an antidote in view of the business slowdown in the event industry and, therefore, several pieces have started to move on this chessboard.
This first 2021 HQ presents a series of fascinating cases among competitors and rivals such as CVBs, DMCs and digital/physical event organisers to build an industry with a new dynamic of cooperation in competition: the so-called "coopetition".
In this issue, you can still keep up with our Coronavirus sector featuring several associations and destination reports; our special feature on “Convening Leaders 2021” with some exciting on-site interviews; the online fam trip we took to Japan, and our usual HQ Essential on the value of partnerships.
In the chapter of the associative profile, we went to speak with an organization that will be vital in the months to come: the European Social Network, a growing community of more than 150 public authorities responsible for social services across Europe, and beyond.
Without ever forgetting our high valued association partners with their insights and projects. In this issue #98 we have also prepared a whole new design for you - check it out! ;)
Get on the right foot this year with your Headquarters Magazine. Download our physical edition or click the button below to access our digital version!
The last breaths of 2020 brought encouraging reports in response to the current pandemic. Prospects for an effective vaccine being approved in the first half of 2021, are beginning to release the shackles of world society and enliven the economic recovery of our industry.
This is excellent news for our associative community but it does not avoid the pressing discussion about new trends, canons and behaviors to address the needs of the next decade. The world is changing and the most daring will change with it!
The last HQ of the year brings the theme of education to the forefront and provides several guidelines and suggestions for our stakeholders to properly prepare for what’s coming next.
In this issue, HQ compiled a list of 21 tips to guide association and meetings professionals through 2021 and beyond (page 16), drafted an in-depth article on new educational methods and training priorities for the whole industry (page 14), and carry on with the saga of international conference destinations facing the burden of this crisis (Page 8).
In addition, we went to talk to Cvent and ICC Birmingham about the digital transition and new practices to build business events again, we introduced two more association profiles to our archive (APIC and Lifelong Learning Platform) and asked the International STEM Council for an overview on the future relationship between nonprofits and event destinations.
Without ever forgetting our high valued association partners with their insights and projects.
Plenty of reasons to grab another edition of your favorite association magazine in print, or follow the link for the digital version. Happy New Year and Good Readings!
By approaching the end of the year, we have already learned how to normalise our lives and work with the"elephant in the room" called Coronavirus.
HQ’s October edition present the MICE industry perspective, after a very strange summer for everybody.
PCOs, DMOs, event professionals, service providers, bureaus and associations had to adapt to new circumstances, resume their working cycles and engage with a whole new system - in which technology is king and innovation is a constant. Virtual events are definitely here to stay and this has enabled a very wide discussion in our industry about what tools, strategies and resources to use in a new hybrid Era.
We searched for new examples of coexistence with social distance in our section, Coronavirus Vs MICE. We spoke with the CEO of the European digital association ALL DIGITAL, the Swiss congress experts CONGREX and the innovative matchmaking platform CONFERLI.
In addition, we attended and reported from several webinars and virtual events that have stood out in recent times for putting the theme of smart meetings industry on the table.
And we also have our regular partners, with their association insights.
Don't miss this excellent issue of your favorite Association Magazine!
Here we are again, in the middle of August, while we have already learned to normalise pieces of an apparent dystopia. No meetings, no travels, associations cut in half and new working methods streamlined at a distance.
This experience economy, to which our entire community and partners dedicate their activity and talent, remains at the rear of our possibilities, but if we reach any conclusion in HQ#95, it's this: virtual events are not a substitute for face-to-face meetings.
In our summer edition, we added a new chapter to the Coronavirus VS MICE section with a long essay on the aviation sector, information on convention bureaus around the world and an interview with the digital platform, Interprefy.
In our section dedicated to associations, we looked at why your association is today more important than ever, how to prepare for post-pandemic challenges and how essential it is to have a strong brand strategy in 2020.
We had a chat with the International Live Events Association and the European Business Aviation Association and Jeffer London asked: "Are you as agile as your members?
The Covid-19 pandemic crisis and the resulting lockdown caught us off guard and the effects were felt gigantically in our industry. Associations, agencies, bureaus, companies and other stakeholders continue to resist the pressure of the general shutdown and to reinvent new business flows and digital alternatives with ambitious returns.
It was therefore inevitable to include in this May issue a very special chapter exclusively dedicated to this outbreak and its impact on the meetings industry. There you can read exclusive interviews with various destination suppliers, the point of view of associations in their collective future and the financial consequences of the novel Coronavirus so far. Don't miss it!
Within our central topic of "Sustainability", we talked to the International Emissions Trading Association (page 6) and Future Earth (page 28) on how to guide positive changes in the era of climate action; we welcomed the CEO of Cohesion Collective, Rory Gluckman (page 44), to our pages with a fascinating article on how to manage talent in leadership spheres and went to visit wonderful places like Montréal, Zurich, New Zealand or Macao.
Without missing the joint Campaign on the 20 Women Who Advance Associations (page 40) in 2020 in partnership with Interel.
Enjoy // Stay Safe // Stay Home
Let us introduce you to our latest product: what you need in the mission towards your next event.
It will be ‘opening the gates of professional destinations’.
That’s why we called it ‘Passport’.
Every branch of industry is a gateway and there are thousands of them in the world of associations. We hope to help associations go through the right passage to a leading destination in their field.
We will be opening many of these gateways for organisers of conferences to show the way, with regard to how congresses and specialised conferences can be the beginning of a brand new economic asset.
For this time and first edition, enjoy your trip in the world of agriculture!
Contact Vivian Xu for future inquiries and partnerships at: vivian@meetingmediagroup.com ✍
For this edition, HQ decided to focus on what to do in order to keep a fresh vision.
"New blood for old boards" is about getting the next generation of association leaders to join the board, how to ensure diversity.
"Cultural diversity" is about the authentic experiences and cultural programmes that a destination can offer, from nature to the immersive power of arts.
Just to give you an idea: read how to build communities within and around your sector (page 38), the glorious opportunities you may discover (page 40), instructions for overcoming your fears (page 52)... We hope you'll find the inspirations you are looking for.
Before you go, don't miss the second part of our World Tour (page 23) with a set of reports from Limpopo, Russia and many more - including a step into the BestCities 2019 event.
Education is an indispensable tool for keeping us up-to-date in this busy and constantly evolving industry. How to train MICE agents for better results and performance?
How to engage in a dialogue that puts training and coaching in the center of the meetings and their participants?
Countdown to the end of the year, our last December issue is devoted to education as a key factor in professional development, resource management and results-oriented leadership.
The power of accessible education (page 46), training platforms for begginers (page 42) or the creation of on-the-ground relationships (page 8) are just a taste of the valuable insights we have for you.
Also don't miss the World Tour (page 19) that our team has mapped with a set of reports on various destinations between Europe, South Africa and Thailand.
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What do you know about Russia as a meetings destination?
Being an emerging destination, it offers abundant new experience to the event participants and conference delegates.
People often associate Russia with its two well-known capitals - Moscow and St. Petersburg - but do you know there is an entire vast country that can amaze you with their cultural, artistic and historical heritages which are beyond your expectation!
Supported by the Union of International Associations (UIA), the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) and the Interel Group, the global public affairs and association management consultancy, Headquarters Magazines serve the needs of international associations organising worldwide congresses.