Opinion

Moody Melbourne

September 9, 2026Should events and tourism really be under one roof?Three different organisations, three different purposesRead More

The IOC has revolutionised its bidding process: will associations do the same

July 22, 2021The IOC has revolutionised its bidding process: will associations do the sameIn the end it was a formality, but that didn’t stop the celebratory firework display or the spontaneous celebrations that erupted in the streets of Brisbane after the city was named host of the 2032 Olympics - joining the queue behind Paris (2024) and Los Angeles (2028).

Host cities: will the pandemic change the rules of engagement

June 25, 2021Host cities: will the pandemic change the rules of engagementThe relationship between international associations and the cities who host their meetings has never been entirely straightforward. Although generally a happy and fruitful one, it has been beset by the same thorny issues that crop up in any relationship that is essentially transactional in nature.

Smiling group of women

May 13, 2021Community is great so long as events don’t get lost in the mixOne of the peculiarities of the internet is how it has connected individuals across previously unimaginable orbits, while simultaneously leading people to lead more atomised, separated lives. This tension has forced us to rethink what we mean by community and what we have gained and lost in relation...

Forget cocktail tables its time to get serious about networking

May 10, 2021Forget cocktail tables its time to get serious about networkingThe future of international association meetings could boil down to this single question: how will organisations measure return on investment when paying for their staff to attend conferences?

April can be cruel but there are reasons to be cheerful

April 7, 2021April can be cruel but there are reasons to be cheerfulThe sun has been shining on my little corner of rural England. When the wind relents the days already feel warm, long and easy. But when the wind blows, icy swirls of Arctic air jolt you back to the present and bring to mind that famous line from T.S. Eliot about April being the cruellest month.

Supplier view: bureaux are getting the crumbs from the table

March 16, 2021Supplier view: bureaux are getting the crumbs from the tableInternational associations like to think ahead. Some will issue a request for proposals (RFPs) from cities competing to host their meetings many years in advance. My consultancy is working on bids for conferences that are happening in 2032! But after a dreadful year for destination marketing...

The road to recovery: borders bubbles and beaches

February 19, 2021The road to recovery: borders bubbles and beachesBorder crossing

Inclusion: could hybrid worsen the ‘digital divide’

February 2, 2021Inclusion: could hybrid worsen the ‘digital divide’At what point does an idea someone floated on LinkedIn calcify into received wisdom?

Green planet: for business events the stakes have never been higher

January 19, 2021Green planet: for business events the stakes have never been higherThere is broad scientific consensus that for the world to reduce its carbon emissions steeply enough to prevent catastrophic global heating, humanity as a whole must quickly get its act together.

Vaccine: the future looks brighter let’s not blow it

November 11, 2020Vaccine: the future looks brighter let’s not blow itNews that a safe and effective vaccine may be given approval for use in a matter of weeks has raised the tantalising prospect that life could return to normal sooner than anyone dared imagine.Show More