Opinion

Generic World Cup image

July 15, 2026When the hosts start writing the rules ...James Lancaster asks what lessons international bodies can learn from the FIFA World Cup 2026Read More

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.

Why virtual meetings change everything – and nothing

October 2, 2020Why virtual meetings change everything – and nothingThe success of any emergent technology depends upon various things: usefulness, reliability, cost, and, crucially, whether you need a degree in computer science to make it work.

Somehow we must learn to accept uncertainty. It wont be easy.

September 11, 2020Somehow we must learn to accept uncertainty. It wont be easy.They say acceptance is the final stage of grief - after denial, anger, depression, and bargaining. Once you’ve reached this point you can begin to move forward and rebuild your life with some sense of purpose.

Closer to home: how Covid-19 is reshaping the future of meetings

August 26, 2020Closer to home: how Covid-19 is reshaping the future of meetingsInternational association meetings – particularly those that attracted thousands of delegates – were once the prized target of convention bureaux. They were the proverbially goose that laid the golden egg.Show More