James Lancaster

Editorial Director

AMI editor James Lancaster is a familiar face in the meetings industry and international association community. Since joining AMI in 2010, he has gained a reputation for asking difficult questions and getting lost in convention centres. Proofer, podcaster, and panellist - in his spare time, James likes to walk, read, listen to music, and drink beer.

The Latest From James Lancaster

Harassment and the hashtag

January 30, 2018Harassment and the hashtagBy James LancasterPerhaps there are times when it pays to have a low profile. The ongoing furore around sexual...

Blinking mad

January 16, 2018Blinking madBy James LancasterOn a list of Things I Could Live Without, a robot designed to ‘enhance use of kitchen appliances’...

Resolution Be a better delegate

January 3, 2018Resolution Be a better delegateBy James LancasterThree days into 2018 and Messrs Trump and Jong-un are toying with the whole mass extinction thing...

Feeling the heat in Barcelona

December 1, 2017Feeling the heat in BarcelonaBy James LancasterThe last time I was in Barcelona my lasting impression was one of visceral disgust as I sat at El Prat...

Smooth talkers

November 21, 2017Smooth talkersBy James LancasterSome words are sneakier than others. They appear to mean one thing while implying something else....

Spanish eyes: bringing home the bacon

November 1, 2017Spanish eyes: bringing home the baconBy James LancasterWe often hear how destination management companies have to go the extra mile to meet the needs of...

PCOs and the human factor

October 23, 2017PCOs and the human factorBy James LancasterSome consider themselves too big for one, others too small. Some can’t imagine living without one,...

Authenticity There’s an app for that

October 17, 2017Authenticity There’s an app for thatBy James LancasterMass tourism is over. Today we crave the authentic. We want to breath the same air as the locals,...

Marriott’s very modern dilemma

September 27, 2017Marriott’s very modern dilemmaBy James LancasterOne of the creepiest things about marketing is the way it attaches ‘values’ to corporations - as if...

When you’ve got to go

September 20, 2017When you’ve got to goBy James LancasterSeasoned conference goers have their own evacuation strategies for when a dull keynote shows no signs...

Life affirming

September 8, 2017Life affirmingBy James LancasterI suppose it was never really in doubt, but it was heart-warming, nevertheless, to see tens of...

Lets not squeeze the life out of meetings

August 25, 2017Lets not squeeze the life out of meetingsBy James LancasterThere has been a shift in emphasis in the meetings industry over recent years, with the pendulum...

Meetings in the age of bullshit

August 17, 2017Meetings in the age of bullshitBy James LancasterThe foundations of the meetings industry would collapse if delegates started treating expert speakers...

Youthful abandon

August 7, 2017Youthful abandonBy James LancasterMaybe they’re rebelling against rebellion. Maybe they care more about their health and wellbeing....

The weirdness of hotels

July 28, 2017The weirdness of hotelsBy James LancasterIt might seem a little against the grain in this age of Airbnb and in-the-know private rental sites,...

The relentless logic of diversity

July 18, 2017The relentless logic of diversityBy James LancasterThe paucity of women on company boards has been the subject of much debate, but it is just the poster...