All of us, all generations, need upskilling and a proper preparation for the coming revamp of the Meetings Industry in the wave of digital/hybrid events that affects all the professionals working in convention bureaus, DMOs, hotels, PCOs, DMCs, airlines as well as corporate planners, association executives or meeting professionals. All are involved.

It has been 35 years that the Summer School exists, and round years have to be celebrated especially in “krisis” times, as for the ancient Greeks, “krisis” meant above all decisions and new opportunities.

The main asset of the Summer School is undoubtedly the group of senior meetings industry professionals, suppliers and clients, who forms the Faculty and voluntarily devote themselves for the sake of the training of the new generations just entering the industry.

For years, it was hands-on introduction to the secrets of a relevant global and transversal activity belonging to all branches of knowledge for the newcomers and for the young professionals who could acquire some insight view from a non-academic perspective from highly appreciated senior professionals of relevant European institutions.

The pandemic gave us last year no other chance than turning it into a virtual event and a great opportunity not only for the newcomers, but for all the meeting professionals to create a moment where all the actors in this multifaceted and complex industry could finally discuss at a higher level what are the new formats, patterns and protocols that regulate our industry after such a period of big changes.

THE FACULTY

The faculty are all members or partners of ECM and give their time on a voluntary basis – a way of giving back to the Meetings Industry: Richard Allchild, Senior Sales Manager, IMEX Group ; Melissa Baird, Chief Storyteller, Global Destination Sustainability Movement ; Tamara Bernstein, Europe Regional Director, ICCA ; Guy Bigwood, Managing Director, Global Destination Sustainability Movement & GuBi Consulting ; Rob Davidson, Managing Director, MICE Knowledge ; Benjamin Dunster, Head of Partnerships, Reed Travel Exhibitions ; Ahmed El Shal, Chairman, ICOM Group ; Adriaan Fourie, Business Development Manager: Conventions, Meetings & Incentives, Cape Town & Western Cape Convention Bureau (Wesgro) ; Angela Graun, Senior Director, Head of Meetings & Events EMEA, Radisson Hotel Group ; Olivier Henry-Biabaud, Managing Director, TCI Research ; Jenny Holland, Sales Manager IBTM World & WIRED, Reed Travel Exhibitions ; Barbara Jamison-Woods, Head of Business Development Europe, London & Partners ; Ruud Janssen, Designer, Event Design Collective ; Sam Johnston, Manager, Convention Bureaux of Ireland ; Catherine Kalamidas, Account Manager Congresses, Rotterdam Partners ; Cain Leathem, Exercise & Nutrition Consultant, IMEX Group, GB Fitness ; Sissi Lygnou, CEO Operations & Devt. PCO Services, AFEA Travel & Congress Services ; Heike Mahmoud, CMP, Chief Operating Officer, CCH – Congress Center Hamburg ; Pier Paolo Mariotti, CMM, CMP, Meeting Manager, EURAC Research Bolzano – Course Director ; Christian Mutschlechner, Member of the Board of Directors, Congrex Switzerland & former Director, Vienna Convention Bureau ; Miguel Neves, CMP, Editor-in-chief, EventMB ; David Peacock, Senior Advisor Future Tourism Group, Simpleview Inc. ; Riccardo Pizzuti, Sales & Marketing Manager, Roma&Lazio Convention Bureau ; Olivier Ponti, Vice-President Insights, ForwardKeys ; Annika Rømer, Senior Manager for Copenhagen Legacy Lab, Wonderful Copenhagen ; Annamaria Ruffini, President & CEO, Events In & Out ; Mathias Sondermann, Senior Director Head of Events Programs & Experience, SAP ; Petra Stušek, CEO, Visit Ljubljana & President, European Cities Marketing ; Katarina Thorstensson, Smart Tourism & Sustainability Strategist, Göteborg & Co ; Daniel Waigl, Executive Director, CIRSE ; plus representatives from Best Cities and IAPCO and Wonderful Copenhagen. –> LIST UPDATED ON JULY 21, 2021

WHAT TO EXPECT THIS YEAR

Based on last year’s experience, we’ve set up a special edition tailored for all Meetings Industry professionals, no matter their level of experience, to give them the opportunity to interact with senior experts and learn from each other with relevant presentations and engaging activities.

Hosted on a digital platform, this new well-thought-out programme holds the promise of three interactive and insightful half-days to cover what makes our industry fantastic: BUSINESS, PEOPLE and last but not least, PLACES. We are taking advantage of the online world to deliver more content and create a space fit to exchange and challenge ourselves with different formats and sessions, while allowing you to network with your peers, all from the comfort of your home and office.

We aim to bring the industry professionals closer, share perspectives and strengthen networks in these challenging times when collaboration is key with the help of the most qualified and senior Meetings Industry experts. Whilst we hope to be able to meet in-person soon, it is with great pleasure that we will welcome you online for the 35th ECM Summer School, on August 24-26, 2021!

#TourMIS2021

The 16th TourMIS Users’ Workshop and International Seminar is organised by European Cities Marketing, the European Travel Commission, MODUL University Vienna & UNWTO and is aimed at city, regional, national, and international tourism organizations, as well as universities and companies from the hospitality and tourism industry.

It is directed toward managers, academics, as well as consultants and representatives of governments and international organizations dealing with tourism. Participants are invited to register for both days or can choose to participate in just one event. Thursday, September 9 will be dedicated to the TourMIS Users’ Workshop, and the International Seminar will take place on Friday, September 10.

This year’s topic is on Consumer Trends and Changes in Travel, Before and After the Pandemic.
The pandemic Covid-19 has lasted a long time and values, preferences and attitudes have shifted. This will have an impact on the consumer’s future decision-making in general but also specifically for travelling. What were the trends that were developing before the pandemic, are they still going strong or have they changed because of the pandemic? Do you see specific trends in your destination that are different from your surrounding areas? What seems to be the cause? How will we perceive travelling differently after this pandemic (due to shifted attitudes) and what will be the key criteria when choosing a destination or mode of transport? Or will travelling actually decrease after years of growth? The consumer will certainly be a different one after having stayed at home for the last 18 months. This seminar is all about raising understanding about how consumers and potential travellers have changed and what they possibly will be like during the next 6-12 months.

Ceci n’est pas
une conférence
sur le tourisme

THIS IS NOT A TOURISM CONFERENCE. Why? Because the future of tourism is about much more than tourism – and with this conference, European Cities Marketing in association with Group NAO invites ECM members, destination and tourism professionals to seek above and beyond tourism to inspire our industry’s future.

THIS IS NOT A TOURISM CONFERENCE, because we want to remind ourselves to look outside our industry echo chamber – reinforced by our SoMe feeds, our inboxes, the reports we read, and in the tourism conferences, where we meet. With this conference, we want to deliberately expose ourselves to inspiration beyond tourism – for purpose, new solutions and understanding.

To give you an idea: What can MICE professionals learn from streaming services? What can destinations learn from the F&B industry on circular economy? What can the fashion industry teach us about responsible marketing? Or airlines about consumer loyalty? How can nature inspire new destination designs? What can we learn from lifestyle retail about user involvement? … and much more.

THIS IS NOT A TOURISM CONFERENCE, because tourism and visitors are increasingly fluid concepts; as we have become involuntary tourists in our own home, as we shift between work and leisure while holidaying, as we tune into an international conference from our living room, as we are technologically enabled to experience places on insider terms, as the attractions are increasingly non-touristic or as negative perceptions of tourists make us want to appear as anything but.

What are the longer-term consumer and traveller trends post-COVID? How will this shape the experiences, services, and destinations in demand? Will we continue to shy away from crowds? How will localism develop as we are again allowed to travel abroad? And what is the post-COVID sentiment towards tourism?

THIS IS NOT A TOURISM CONFERENCE, because we will not only seek inspiration outside our industry, we will also address the broader needs of our destinations and cities: Over the past years, we have seen a paradigm shift in focus from tourism as a goal in itself to tourism as a means, as a resource to building better and thriving cities – more specifically in terms of job creation for diverse groups, technological innovation, cultural offerings, community resilience and place making, heritage protection, social inclusion, public transportation etc.

How can tourism add value to this broader context? What and how, precisely, can DMOs make a difference? And how does this impact the long-term relevance of the DMO and of tourism to industry stakeholders? To residents? And to policy and decision makers?

The conference will be virtual, September 23-24, 2021.

More information available sooon!

#ThisIsNotATourismConference
#WeAreECM
#ECMPowerOfCommunity
#GroupNAO

#ECMTIC2021

Join us for the 8th ECM TIC Expert Meeting that will be held in Girona on October 27-29, 2021.

European Cities Marketing, through its TIC Knowledge Group, organises every year an Expert Meeting for Tourist Information Centres managers and staff exclusively, whether they are ECM members or not.

This event will provide you with a unique opportunity:

• to meet and network with colleagues working in Tourist Information Centres all across Europe,
• to share knowledge and best practice with other destinations to stay ahead of the latest market’s trends,
• and to grow your business as well as strengthen your professional expertise.

The TIC Expert Meeting offers a mix of incentive and exchange opportunities for all attendees. This is why the diversity of participants is of great importance. This event is for managers and TIC front office professionals coming from small and large cities and working for either public or private tourist information organisations – whether they are ECM members or not.

Please note:

• The attendance is limited to 90 persons, with a maximum of 2 delegates per city !
• Lunches and dinner included
• Your participation fee does not cover accommodation or transport

The aim of the meeting is of course to get to know your European colleagues, to share knowledge with them but most of all, we want you to have fun and leave full of inspiration and with a bunch of new friends.

We are looking forward to welcoming you for this eighth edition!

IMEX America sets the pace for doing business on an international scale. Increasing in size and scope annually, this event features the largest Hosted Buyer Program in North America and attracts thousands of buyers and exhibitors from the U.S. and around the world. The energy at IMEX America is everywhere, connecting everyone with key players, generating innovative ideas and driving business with the force of global opportunities. Plug into the power source at IMEX America: the pulse of the meetings industry.

ECM organises the 15th Meeting of CEOs of Capital & Major Cities in Madrid on December 12-14, 2021.

For more information and programme, contact ECM Head Office