Incredible Impacts Programme Opens Submissions for 2018 Grants

Incredible Impacts Programme Opens Submissions for 2018 Grants

The programme that celebrates the “beyond tourism” lasting impacts associations have made is back for a second year running as it prepares to shine the spotlight on even more inspiring legacy examples.

After a successful first year, the Incredible Impacts Programme, developed by the BestCities Global Alliance and ICCA, has announced that they are once again looking for associations to share examples of how they are leaving long-term legacies. Factors such as sustainability, environmental considerations and knowledge sharing are fundamental elements of international associations and the Incredible Impacts Grant presents an opportunity to showcase best examples that will inspire and motivate others.

With three grants of US $7,500 available, entrants have the opportunity to be recognised for their innovative work while securing funds that can be used towards future legacy projects.

Last year, in its inaugural year, the programme launched with 20 associations submitting their unique and innovative approaches to going beyond tourism. Evaluation was conducted through a peer review by a panel of judges from international associations, who were extremely impressed with the quality of case studies shared. One of the winners was The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) for its World Thrombosis Day Campaign.

Speaking of their success, Louise St. Germain, Director of Membership and Marketing of ISTH said: “The Incredible Impacts Programme is an amazing platform for associations like ISTH to showcase the creative ways they are addressing issues beyond tourism.”

“Receiving the $7,500 grant has enabled us to further build awareness of the critical condition of Thrombosis and Haemostasis than ever before. The money will be utilised to develop and distribute additional online and print resources that will be crucial to the education of health care providers and the public which is such a fantastic step forward for us.”

Louise will join the panel to judge this year’s nominations alongside fellow 2017 Incredible Impacts winners; Tracy Bury, Director of World Confederation for Physical Therapy and Elisabeth Pollard, Executive Director of World Parkinson Coalition Inc. Silke Schlinnertz, Head of Events & Operations of Euroheat & Power, Belgium and Bettina Borisch, Executive Director of World Federation of Public Health Associations, Switzerland will also join the panel.

Developed to help associations make tangible progress in creating meaningful legacy programmes for their international meetings, Incredible Impacts will showcase powerful examples of good practice within the industry just like ISTH, demonstrating the true value of meetings.

Paul Vallee, Managing Director of BestCities said: “We couldn’t be more pleased with the success of the first Incredible Impacts Grant Programme and year two is expected to bring even more attention to international associations that are truly making a difference to improve the world.”

“Last year’s Incredible Impacts submissions drew attention to the inspiring work being done with standout examples from Twitter chat events that made global impressions to fresh approaches to inclusivity that reached both attending and non-attending audiences.”

“It is important to acknowledge and celebrate those within the industry who are showing leading practice and our ultimate goal is to have their examples to inspire others.”

ICCA CEO Martin Sirk stated: “Over the last decade the world’s leading meetings destinations have all embraced strategies that place intellectual capital creation and knowledge exchange, and economic and societal development goals ahead of traditional bed-night driven, tourist-centric metrics. Everyone is now talking about the legacy that meetings generate, and no sector leaves a more powerful legacy than international association meetings. Whether trying to influence government policy, drawing public attention to healthcare challenges, or simply finding new ways to provide support for disadvantaged groups of their members or stakeholders, associations are always aiming to make a positive difference, and so we’re delighted to be able to support them and to showcase their stories in this innovative way.”

Those interested in applying for the 2018 grants must simply demonstrate a track-record in “beyond tourism” or legacy programme/project related to their international meetings. They must also consider how they will use the grant to better upcoming or future events.

An independent jury will determine which three associations which will be announced at the ICCA Congress in Dubai from 11-14 November 2018. Associations interested in applying can nominate themselves or candidate associations can be nominated by any ICCA member.

The first round of submissions must be received before 1 August 2018. Shortlisted applicants will be asked to share further information for the second stage of the programme.

For further information on the Incredible Impacts Grant and for details on how to submit your nomination visit: www.bestcities.net or ICCA’s Knowledge Hub on www.iccaworld.org/knowledge.

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#ICCA #BestCity #BestCities #ISTH #MICEnews #MICEmedia #MICEnetwork #KnowledgeHub

GLOBAL DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE AWARD

INCON 2017 PRESS RELEASE:
Industry wide digital infrastructure award opens

Entries from leading meeting venues are expected for this year’s Digital Infrastructure Award, which opened at IMEX America today. The global award spearheaded by INCON and supported by: IACC, ICCA, the ICEBERG, Best Cities, IMEX and AMI magazine encourages the development of best in class Digital Infrastructure in meetings venues around the world. Daejeon Convention Centre from South Korea and Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre were joint winners of the 2017 Award. Previous winners included: Austria Center Vienna, MCEC and Darmstadtium.

At the launch, Carol McGury, INCON Co-Chair and Executive Vice President of Smith Bucklin remarked “INCON partners value the calibre of the submissions for this prestigious award. We look forward to seeing leading facilities submit their entries and showcasing the best in class meeting venues”.

Bob Heile award judge explains “the quality of the digital infrastructure that venues provide can make or break an event, not to mention just providing a positive experience for the delegates who just want to stay connected”. Bob is a founding and still active member of IEEE 802.11, the standard behind Wi-Fi. He has been involved in effectively writing the rule-book for wireless standards for the past 27 years. He organizes and participates in more than six different conferences on WIFI and digital communications annually where he tests at first hand the quality of digital communications in venues across the globe. Bob together with an international panel of judges will review the nominations and the winners will be announced at IMEX Frankfurt in May 2018.

INCON looks forward to receive entries for this year’s award. An application can be completed from the INCON website: www.incon-pco.com/award. There is no entry fee. All it takes for a venue to be considered is to fill in an application with full details about your venue and return it by 28th February 2018.

Press enquiries can be taken as follows:
Angela Guillemet, Executive Director, INCON
T: +353 86 311 40 67
E: angela@incon-pco.com
W: www.incon-pco.com

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#INCON #IACC #ICCA, #ICEBERG #BestCities #IMEX #AMImagazine #MICE #MICEnews

Edinburgh leaps up world rankings of business tourism destinations

Edinburgh leaps up world rankings of business tourism destinations

Edinburgh is celebrating a new global position moving up eight places to 27 in the world’s city rankings for international association meetings according to the leading industry body, the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).

In the highest ICCA ranking for Edinburgh in a decade, Scotland’s capital hosted 76 ICCA recognised meetings in 2016, equating to over £35M in economic impact for the city.

Hosting a rich variety of meetings from across the globe, high-profile conferences that took place in 2016 included, Autism-Europe Congress, International Society of Applied Ethology Congress, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes & Instrumentation and the Congress of the European Society of Agronomy.

Edinburgh’s Ambassador Programme, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, continues to play a significant role in the city’s ongoing success in winning competitive bids to host international meetings. Overseen by Convention Edinburgh, part of Marketing Edinburgh, the 500 plus members represent the best of Edinburgh’s business, scientific and academic elite.  Each Ambassador is committed to promoting Edinburgh as a centre of excellence across the globe.

As the UK’s most popular meeting destination outside London, Scotland’s capital is keeping good company, with other high-movers in the top 30 including Tokyo (21), Buenos Aires (17) and Helsinki (22).  Edinburgh has also moved up the ICCA European rankings from 20 last year to 18.

Earlier this month, Convention Edinburgh announced a particularly strong start to the year with five recent international bid wins for the city, expected to generate over £7M. These included European Group for Organisational Studies Colloquium (EGOS), International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM) and Eurocities.

Elaine Miller, Ambassador & Association Bid Manager at Convention Edinburgh said:
“To have Edinburgh independently recognised as one of the top 30 international association destinations in the world is a huge achievement and a testament to the hard work of a city-wide team of business tourism professionals.

“The sheer diversity of associations that choose to host their meeting in Edinburgh last year is a reflection of Edinburgh’s growing global reputation as a leading hub of excellence across a huge range of fields, including life-science, informatics, sustainability and creative industries.”

Edinburgh Ambassador, Prof. James Garden, The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, who helped bring the Meeting of the European Surgical Association Congress to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 2016, said:

“Over the years, I have had the privilege of bringing several conferences to Edinburgh and been spoiled for choice by the variety of excellent venues. Edinburgh’s rich medical heritage and historic architecture, combined with an ever-increasing number of direct flights linking to international hubs, make it the ideal destination for a medical meeting.”

For further information on Convention Edinburgh and its services at www.conventionedinburgh.com @conventions

 

#ICCA #IRSPM #EGOS #Edinburgh #MICEmedia #MICEnews #PressRelease

Business Tourism in the Capital is Soaring

Business Tourism in the Capital is Soaring
Convention Edinburgh unveils recent bid wins
 
Edinburgh, the UK’s leading International meetings destination outside of London, has announced a solid start to 2017 with five new bid wins equating to 3,400 delegates and serving over £7M to the local economy. In conjunction with its members, Convention Edinburgh – the organisation responsible for promoting Edinburgh as a premier conference, events and meeting destination – has released details of the large-scale events that will help the Capital city maintain its world class status.

Recent confirmed wins include the European Group for Organisational Studies Colloquium (EGOS) taking place in July 2019 with 1,200 delegates expected and bringing a total of £4M in economic benefit to the city. In April 2018, the International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM) will host their 22nd annual conference in Edinburgh in April 2018 bringing £732K to the city with 600 delegates. On a similar scale, Eurocities will host its conference in November 2018 bringing 500 delegates and £977K to the economy.

Currently ranked 35 in the world’s city rankings by International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and a member of BestCities Global Alliance, Edinburgh offers undisputed standards of excellence for hosting high profile conference and events.

Constantly evolving its facilities to further strengthen its offering, recent developments include the revamp of Edinburgh First’s McEwan Hall, part of the University of Edinburgh, which is undergoing a multi-million-pound renovation to transform the historic venue, due to re-open this summer. £25M is also being invested to revamp the 1935 bandstand in Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens to create a 3,000-seat concert and event venue space with a new pavilion, café and visitor centre that will be completed in December 2019.

Lesley Williams, Head of Business Tourism at Convention Edinburgh said:
“We’re off to a really strong start for 2017 and can only see this strengthening over the remainder of the year. Despite challenges and uncertainties brought about by Brexit, it’s great to see Edinburgh consistently attracting high-profile events and conferences.  The city is truly cementing itself as a global competitor.
“As a convention bureau, Convention Edinburgh recognises the support clients need in the planning of their event from location scouting and building relationships with key people and organisations to creating meaningful events through legacy and sustainability – and we’re there every step of the way. Edinburgh as a destination is a fantastic option for events of all sizes and we’re always working to develop and strengthen our offering.”

Professor John Amis, Conference host of EGOS (2019) and Chair in Strategic Management & Organisation at University of Edinburgh said:
“Edinburgh is a beautiful, historic and connected city that combines its heritage with vibrant, modern facilities and first class service. It presents the European Group for Organizational Studies with a unique opportunity to host a highly professional and memorable event in a stunning setting. The multidisciplinary social science traditions of EGOS are reflected in the dynamic and engaging intellectual climate at University of Edinburgh Business School, and in its relationship with the University’s other world class disciplines, including Informatics, Law, Sociology, Psychology and Public Health.”
Professor Stephen Osborne, Conference host of IRSPM (2018) and Chair of International Public Management at University of Edinburgh said:
“Finding good conference venues for the International Research Society for Public Management annual conference is always a challenging and competitive process, as many institutions bid to host the conference. However, Edinburgh’s combination of outstanding conference facilities, excellent international travel links and host of social and other activities to supplement the conference programme, make it a stand-out choice.”

For further information on Convention Edinburgh and its services at www.conventionedinburgh.com @conventions

New Waste Watchers initiative will slim down waste and increase recycling at IMEX in Frankfurt

New Waste Watchers initiative will slim down waste and increase recycling at IMEX in Frankfurt

IMEX supports Earth Day 2017
IMEX in Frankfurt is introducing several major new sustainability initiatives this year as it continues to innovate and encourage the industry to unite and contribute to greater environmental awareness and social responsibility.

Speaking just before Earth Day 2017 (22 April), Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group said: “Our approach to sustainability is both to lead by example and to shine a spotlight on key industry campaigns, for example, through our sponsorship of Positive Impact’s campaign to tell the story of the power of events during the United Nations International Year of Sustainable Tourism 2017.

“We’re committed to supporting their target of 2 million shares of the hashtag #shareapositiveimpact, for instance. That means both before and during the show we’ll be inviting everyone to share photos or examples of good sustainable ideas, either in their home communities, on their travels or once they get to Frankfurt. We’re also championing the UNWTO’s call for Ambassadors. They need event pros who are prepared to step up, speak out and advocate sustainable events.

“In practice, we continually seek to develop innovative systems to reduce the ecological impact of our own use of resources and materials. We also encourage and make it easier for exhibitors and buyers to contribute in their own way. We work closely with our partners including GMIC, Messe Frankfurt, Meet Green and The Venetian®| The Palazzo® and the Sands Expo® in Las Vegas, to achieve this. It’s a lot of work, for them and for us, but we care and we believe it’s worth it.”

Waste Watchers – a new call to reuse and recycle
A key new initiative at IMEX in Frankfurt (16- 18 May) will be Waste Watchers. Partnering with local non- government organisation ShoutOutLoud, the IMEX team has set up this programme to reduce waste by providing opportunities for everyone to re-use and recycle an extensive range of materials. Leftover food, furniture, stand graphics, flowers and stationery that would usually go to waste can be donated daily and will be distributed to those who need them with the help of a local food network and a refugee support group.

Saving trees, reducing paper
This year IMEX in Frankfurt is saving 2.7 tons of paper by not producing a printed Show Catalogue. Hosted buyers and visitor buyers will be able to find out full information about exhibitors and the vast range of education sessions available from a new Show Planner, by downloading and using the Show App and via the show website.

Printing badges on paper rather than card will further reduce the show’s environmental footprint, as will the use of hydroelectricity across the whole show. These innovations are additional to the many sustainability best practices and legacy initiatives which have become established at IMEX in Frankfurt over the years. Full details can be found here.

Learning from sustainability experts
IMEX also provides many opportunities for everyone to learn more about sustainability. Among the many sessions on offer will be: Global Destinations Sustainability Index: Driving Performance and Competitiveness, by Guy Bigwood of MCI. He’ll explain his company’s partnership with ICCA and how the Global Destinations Sustainability Index helps drive sustainable practices.

Founder of Positive Impact, Fiona Pelham, whose company has created a “bold year-long campaign” for 2017 will also talk about ‘The Power of Events in the UN International Year of Sustainable Tourism’.

New IMEX GMIC Innovation in Sustainability Award
Also new this year is a new IMEX-GMIC Green Award – the Innovation in Sustainability Award. This is designed to highlight inspiring event professionals who are driving sustainability forwards through innovation, collaboration and idea sharing. It will be presented to the winner at the Gala Dinner at IMEX in Frankfurt.
Campaigns to reduce waste and encourage sustainability are also implemented at IMEX America and at the IMEX Group offices where in 2016 recycling saved the equivalent of 34 trees and 5,790kg of CO2.

The greening of IMEX America
At IMEX America 2016, the clear measure of the show’s continuing progress in sustainability was its APEX/ASTM score which increased for the 5th consecutive year to 90 per cent of level 1 standards. Decreasing paper use saved the equivalent of 13 trees, energy use per participant was down by 13 per cent and there was an 18 per cent decrease in total carbon emissions.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group comments: “IMEX has always been committed to supporting sustainable and socially responsible practices within the meetings industry, hence measuring our performance against the APEX/ASTM scores, which are tough! We will continue to provide education and awareness to suppliers and buyers within the industry to support the ongoing development of best practice. And we’ll keep on asking more of our partners and suppliers. This really is a game that you win by working together. And it’s one of the reasons why our new IMEX Group strapline is: We Are All Connected.”

Two rising stars at IMEX are continuing the CSR conversation as part of #CSRshareDay, a global Twitter campaign taking place today. @IMEXMilda and @IMEXrog are sustainability champions within IMEX. Join them at 14.00 GMT as part of a live discussion on sustainability.

#IMEX17

Millennials in the Meetings Industry launch new network

Millennials in the Meetings Industry launch new network

A new network aimed at young professionals in the Business Events industry has been launched. Called Meetings + Millennials, the network aims to be the place where young professionals from the meeting, incentive travel, conference, event and exhibition sectors can gather to learn, connect and advocate. The network will operate as an on-line community (see http://www.meetingsandmillennials.com) with informal face to face meet-ups at all major MICE events.

“Meetings + Millennials started when three of us attended the ICCA Forum for Young Professionals in Barcelona in 2015. The forum was excellent. It brought us all together but, once it was over, there was no formal setting to meet again and develop the connections. Meetings + Millennials provides us with that important place and – importantly – it helps us dispel the cliché that we’re an ‘entitled generation’ said Gráinne Ní Ghiollagáin, Business Development Manager at Croke Park Meetings and Events, and co-founder of Meetings + Millennials.

“Thanks to Martin Sirk, executive Director at ICCA, we were asked to co-ordinate a session at the ICCA World Congress on millennials in the workplace. Coming together to create the presentation for ICCA was a wonderful experience and made us realise how the voice of our generation is not yet heard in our industry the way it would be in the start-up sector or Tech, for example. By creating this network, we believe we can change that” added Anne Berrevoets, Events Coordinator, European Association for International Education and co-founder of Meetings + Millennials.

“We’ve created an on-line hub to learn from each other, share our experiences but also to advocate for our sector and to highlight the unique perspective we bring to the work that we do in meetings, incentives, conferences and events. Since we presented at ICCA we have been asked to conduct sessions at conferences in Paris and Frankfurt. These platforms allow us to educate corporations, agencies and associations on how to get the best from their millennial team members” said Aoife McCrum, Social Media & Digital Marketing Manager at SoolNua, and co-founder of Meetings + Millennials.

 

#YoungProfessionals #ICCA #MICEnews #MICEchannel

ICCA’s solidarity visit to Istanbul

ICCA’s solidarity visit to Istanbul
Today, Istanbul is hosting ICCA’s CEO Martin Sirk, European Regional Director David Bodor, and Board Member Marta Gomes, and showing their support of ICCA’s global community during the ‘ACE of MICE by Turkish Airlines’ tradeshow.

CEO Mr. Sirk stated that: Over the last 20 years Istanbul established itself as a “premier league” player in the international association meetings market, and the rest of Turkey developed a strong country-wide infrastructure and professional capacity on the back of that pioneering work, with Turkish Airlines adding to the mix with its ambitious, global network. Turkey and Istanbul have acted as an invaluable bridge between East and West, Europe and the Middle East, between cultures and peoples.  The challenges currently facing Turkey can blind us to this vital role that the country can play in our global industry, and we hope to identify some practical solutions and ideas that will help our members re-establish long-term growth and development in Turkey’s meetings industry.

Regarding ICCA’s full support, Istanbul CVB’s General Manager Ms. Hicran Ozbuk added: ‘‘We are extremely pleased to have the full support of the ICCA. Istanbul has a breathtaking history, having been the capital of no less than three different empires, and has been a mercantile trade center for many centuries.

We are confident that Istanbul will continue to be the top place for meetings and conference. In 2016 the city hosted a number of well-attended congresses. In addition, the city welcomed over 11.9 million international visitors in 2016 (MasterCard Report), and this makes the city one of the top 10 most visited cities in the world. We strongly believe that Istanbul will continue being a strong meeting point for both business and leisure visitors. We are also focusing on the congresses that will be held in Istanbul this year. We will be hosting very important congresses with a large number of delegates in 2017. Just to name a few; the World Petroleum Congress (WPC) with 5.000 delegates, the Apimondia International Apicultural Congress with 8.000 delegates, World Conference of the International Association of Science Parks (IASP), WFNS World Congress of Neurosurgery and World Congress of Aesthetic Medicine. For upcoming years, 2018 and beyond, we are working more and more effectively with new leads and we are happy that we are receiving positive feedbacks for future congresses.’’

In addition, Istanbul also hosted significant congresses in 2016: the World Energy Congress with 10.000 delegates,the World Cereal and Bread Congress, the World Polymer Congress, the World Congress of the Universal Federation of Travel Agents’ Association and World Congress on Human Resources Management with 3.000 delegates. The list goes on and on.

#ICCA #TurkishAirlines #MICEnews #TourismNews #MICEchannel

Redesigned Association Day at IMEX

Redesigned Association Day at IMEX puts emphasis on peer to peer education & networking across all levels of the profession

IMEX Association Day, the annual event exclusively for association professionals, will feature a new, extensively researched and redesigned programme when it takes place the day before the IMEX in Frankfurt exhibition in May. The IMEX team has collaborated with planners from across the globe to gather views and experiences before creating this new structure to meet audience requirements even more effectively. 

The restructured Association Day programme will feature a new Association Management Stream, covering topics such as understanding why members leave and how to persuade them to stay. There will also be two Meetings & Events Streams (A and B), addressing issues such as how to maximise member participation at events, and how to identify and approach new sponsors.
Each session is case study led with the emphasis on sharing best practice. Time for peer to peer discussion and networking is also factored into the day.

The Association Management Stream, hosted by ASAE, has been specifically designed for those in senior positions. Managing associations through turbulent times; developing an effective volunteer strategy; small association management and how to engage with future generations are among the topics to be discussed. Speakers include senior executives from the European Golf Course Owners Association and the Entomological Society of America who are set to share their knowledge of ‘membership engagement and retention strategies’.

Trends in meeting and design formats
Davi Kaur, head of the congress unit at the European Cancer Association, will deliver a session in Meetings & Events Stream A on ‘how to create a world class event’, with a case study covering all aspects from event format to attendee experience and legacy. This new Meetings & Event Stream, chaired by the ICCA, will cover how to develop effective partnerships with convention bureaus and trends in meeting formats and designs. Speakers include Juliane Leyva Gonzalez, Congress Manager, European College of Sport Science and Roy Palmer, Executive Director, Association of International Seafood Professionals. It ends with a roundtable discussion on dealing with international cultural issues.

Managing events with a small team
Meetings & Event Stream B features a case study presentation on ‘how to attract and retain more sponsors’ with speakers from the British Bankers’ Association and the International Diabetes Federation. Roger Simmons, regional sustainability director at MCI group is one of the confirmed speakers for ‘how can associations make their events more sustainable.’ This stream will also cover:  top tips for effective programme and content development, negotiating global hotel contracts and managing events with a small events team. Other speakers include Christine Gouillard, Head of Congress Account & Scientific Programmes at the European Society of Cardiology and Charlotte Balling, Event Manager at Danish Maritime Days.

Open to all levels of association professionals registered to attend IMEX as either hosted buyers or visitor buyers, Association Day offers a valuable opportunity for peer to peer education and networking, allowing participants to understand the successes and challenges faced by other associations.

Peter Reckling, from the Association of Social Work and Criminal Justice in Germany, who attended last year, says: “This is the one day each year when I can look outside of my job and at the world outside…..and the future.”

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, explains: “We wanted to ensure that we offer content that is a real benefit to association professionals at all levels of seniority and experience so we consulted more extensively than ever. The resulting programme is really strong and, as always, we have some excellent and highly motivated partners to thank for their expertise and contributions.”

The free afternoon of education, co-delivered by ICCA and ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership will be followed by the highly regarded networking reception, Association Evening hosted by Marriott Frankfurt.

For more information and to register visit http://www.imex-frankfurt.com/events/education/association-day/#Registration or contact Natasha Richards natasha.richards@imexexhibitions.com

IMEX in Frankfurt takes place at Messe Frankfurt from 16 – 18 May 2017.

#IMEX #IMEX17 #MICENews #EventNews

EICC beats off stiff UK and international competition to land top industry award

EICC beats off stiff UK and international competition to land top industry award
“Innovation and flexibility” of Scotland’s leading conference venue brings it out on top against London and Middle East

Edinburgh, 6 July 2016 – The Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) won the hotly-contested industry award for ‘Best Conference Venue for over 900 Delegates’ at the 7th annual Conference Awards at Tobacco Dock, London on Friday 1st July.  Scotland’s leading conference venue beat off competition from some of the world’s top venues – including the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and ExCeL London, to land the award for the first time.

The judging panel for the awards said: “The EICC has shown great innovation and flexibility – the team has an agile approach which enables them to respond with creative solutions to any challenges that the clients might have.”

Marshall Dallas, the EICC’s Chief Executive, said: Marshall Dallas, the EICC’s Chief Executive, said: “When you look at some of the names we were up against this year, it’s a definite sign of how far we have progressed as a team and as a venue over the last 24 months. Industry events, such as the Conference Awards, are a powerful reflection of how the EICC has become a leading force within the global events market – and that really comes down to the investment we have made in our facilities, our technology and the incredible people who make up this amazing team we have here at EICC.

The EICC experienced its busiest year in 2015 hosting 139 business events for the corporate and association markets. Highlights in the 2015 calendar included HRH The Princess Royal officially opening the Lennox Suite in January and George Clooney attending the UK’s largest business dinner ever in November when over 2,000 people dined alongside some of the biggest names in British business and entertainment in the heart of Edinburgh.
About EICC – opened in 1995, the remit of the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) is to drive economic impact to the city and to date has helped to deliver around £500 million to the local economy while hosting over one million delegates and 3,000 conferences.  The EICC is owned by City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) and operates at arm’s length as an independent commercial venture. Edinburgh is the highest ranked UK conference destination outside London according to leading global industry body, the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).
About Lennox Suite – the multi-purpose Lennox Suite was opened in May 2013.  The Suite is the key part of a £35 million expansion at the EICC which focused on adding industry-leading technology and functionality, the expanded space features moving floor technology which can be easily configured to multiple set-ups – options include banqueting or arena mode for 1,400 people or a tiered auditorium for 2,000 people.  The redevelopment has improved the EICC’s ability to attract even more international conferences to Edinburgh.

Valuable solutions to key question ‘How to Remain Relevant’ to be revealed at IMEX Association Day

Valuable solutions to key question ‘How to Remain Relevant’ to be revealed at IMEX Association Day

Association executives from 40 countries will be discovering and developing solutions to the vital industry question – ‘how to keep your association relevant’ – to potential and existing members at this year’s IMEX Association Day. This unique annual event is taking place on Monday 18 April 2016 at the Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel. From the packed programme of discussions, presentations and networking they will gain valuable insights from peers and expert speakers about the ways that associations are tackling this issue, including demographic, financial and technological perspectives. For the first time this year, the Day will open with a keynote session. The engaging speaker will be Charles Leadbeater, a leading authority on innovation and creativity who advises major internationally known organisations such as the BBC, Vodafone, Microsoft and Ericsson. A number of the sessions have been designed and will be co-delivered by leading industry associations including ICCA  and ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership and the programme has been developed in conjunction with the International Association of Facilitators. After a networking lunch and the keynote speech, delegates will choose between four topics in each of the two afternoon sessions. The full day will conclude with relaxed drinks and dinner with invited industry guests at the popular Association Evening at the Marriott Hotel, Frankfurt. As a result of a new partnership between the Association Management Companies Institute (AMCI) and IMEX, AMCI will for the first time hold a co-located educational programme, ‘Association Management Companies – A Focused Look at Challenges & Solutions!’, on the morning of Association Day. The programme is aimed at existing AMCI members and potential members. Tina Wehmeir, CEO of the AMC Institute said, “We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner with IMEX to provide exclusive association management company-focused education on IMEX Association Day. We have assembled a powerful line-up of thought leaders to facilitate the transfer of knowledge based on years of experience working in the association management company industry.” More than 300 association professionals who have registered as either a Hosted Buyer or a Visitor for the IMEX trade show are expected to attend the day which is exclusively open to association executives. The event’s host sponsors are the Marriott Frankfurt and Starwood Hotels & Resorts and its supporting sponsors are Business Events Australia, Vienna Convention Bureau, Jerusalem Conventions & Visitors Bureau  and Your Singapore. Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group commented; “At Association Day 2015 we asked all participants during the opening plenary session “what is the biggest challenge associations face?” The resounding message was relevancy.Association Day 2016 is a unique opportunity for these dedicated professionals to come together with their peers and share experiences on such a vital subject. The comprehensive, highly collaborative programme will provide valuable answers to help them to tackle this major issue. “This new partnership with AMCI is an exciting initiative for IMEX and we are very happy that AMCI and many of its international members will be joining us in Frankfurt. I am sure that AMCI members will take away valuable new knowledge and benefit greatly from the experience, not only the superb speaker sessions arranged for the morning and Association Day but also from visiting the IMEX show itself, with its extensive range of suppliers, education and networking opportunities.”