From the well-informed Kai Hattendorf and his Newsletter, Thoughts & Observations, we read: “As of the last count, there are 52 events in the US scheduled for 2025 (according to Skift Meetings). On the 2026 calendar, two of them will merge, and move to Canada, as Destinations International (DI), a professional association for destination organisation professionals, will merge its Advocacy Summit and Thrive: The Community Vitality Summit into one event, called Advocacy & Action: The Destination Impact Event, to be held October 2026 in Ottawa, Canada. CEO Don Welsh says the programme will “turn insight into influence and vision into measurable outcomes.”
Restructuring for The Iceberg as Trust takes control over the advocacy platform
The Iceberg, the advocacy platform for the business and professional events industry, will transfer from The Fred Production Company Ltd to The Iceberg Trust, a UK-based charitable incorporated organisation, effective January 2026. Founded in 2017 by James Latham with support from leading global associations including ICCA, UFI The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, AIPC, and others, the platform will now be governed by a board of trustees.
US-based association management firm Gregg H. Talley, FASAE, CAE will oversee its strategic and operational delivery and complete development of Iceberg IQ, an AI tool enabling ambassadors to advance industry advocacy worldwide.
