What is the JMIC Iceberg?

The Iceberg, presented by The Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), is a not-for-profit global industry movement founded in 2017 and supported by the industry`s leading educators, publishers, event owners, and practitioners collaborating to document and quantify the value and legacies of business and professional events.

The values articulated through The Iceberg extend beyond, yet include, the more visible and immediately measurable travel and visitor economy associated with inbound events – hence the analogous theme of the industry movement.

The Iceberg also delivers additional visibility and legitimacy to partners engaged in their respective advocacy programs and thus provides a `whole of industry` platform with many voices supporting one message; that business and professional events belong at the epicentre of any organisation or destination growth and/or social development strategy.

The Iceberg also extends access to partner education, information, and event resources via its online platform and shared communications – an ecosystem of trust which advances the interests of all partners.

Why did JMIC initiate The Iceberg?

The Iceberg was launched to create a delivery mechanism for the very best in well-documented stories about how The Meetings Industry* creates value across the entire economic, academic, and social spectrum.

These case stories, studies and data illustrate the conceived or serendipitous networking, sharing of knowledge, innovation, loyalty and motivation, exchange of ideas, trade and investment, lifelong learning and professional development which result as legacies of business and professional events.

They also help government and community investors to understand that by accessing the people, knowledge and investment required to deliver improved community healthcare [among other socio-economic outcomes] as legacies of meetings and events, they too can realize their respective social and economic priorities – whether in science, technology, medicine, or tourism – or to brand as an intellectual hub in a key cluster identified in the economic development framework of the city, state, or nation.

* The Meetings Industry: is a meta industry responsible for the design and delivery of all forms of face-to-face business, trade, professional, public sector, government and NGO, and NFP meetings and events.

In only 20 months The Iceberg has achieved all that and more, gathering and delivering an array of information to support persuasive arguments to anyone in the industry engaged in the all-important task of industry advocacy.

The Iceberg has become the pre-eminent industry communications vehicle – for those who need good stories to share with government and other community investors.

In total, The Iceberg has curated and distributed over 40 bi-weekly newsletters incorporating over 500 curated stories, case studies, research reports, features, publications and videos which can be used by industry to illustrate both the immediate – and longer tail – outcomes that can be realized by both community and organizational investors seeking change agents with which to implement their economic and social transformation strategies.

All aboard!

First and foremost: “Thank You!” to the founding partners of The Iceberg.

It seems a long time since The Iceberg set sail in 2017 such has been the new trajectory and corresponding dialogue bequeathed to it by the support of these leading industry organisations.

The Iceberg has illustrated the power of collaboration and in so doing, it has revealed the scale of the industry`s contribution beyond tourism, beyond the tip of the perceived industry iceberg, to the broader growth and social agendas of businesses and governments all over the world.

Their contribution has demonstrated that as an industry we can change our own understanding of the legacy of business and professional events – and provide the content and storytelling required to illustrate to others that these outcomes far outweigh the immediate and measurable supply chain impacts in travel and tourism – themselves so brilliantly articulated in the wake of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis by the US Travel Association-led Meetings Mean Business Coalition.

But as community concerns over the impacts of over-tourism mount, The Iceberg will continue to harness the storytelling and research which illustrate the outcomes and legacies aligned closer to the purpose and intended legacies of events – many of which advance the local community interests and their development goals.

As Prof. Greg Clark CBE shared with industry at the IMEX Policy Forum, its storytelling to government and community investors must adapt, evolve, and assume relevance to these broader economic and social transformation strategies.

Secure your Partnership on The Iceberg: January 2019 – December 2020.

Founding Partners will have been contacted directly.

However, if your organisation would like to join the crowd-funded Iceberg movement presented by the Joint Meetings Industry Council for 2019 and 2020, then here`s what you need to do now;

Each partner is required to submit an annual contribution, secured for a minimum 2 years.
Please click here and indicate the nature of your organisation in relation to the Partnership Categories below. The Iceberg Secretariat will then dispatch the relevant Request For Partnership (RFP) Agreement to you. This Agreement will detail the obligations of The Iceberg and of the Partner.

In order to upload your information, event, and information resources in advance of January 1^st 2019 please secure your Request For Partnership no later than November 1^st 2018.

Partnership Categories and Annual Fees* as follows:

Industry Associations / Organisations:
1000+ Members: £6,000
500-1000 Members: £4,500
1-500 Members: £3,500

Industry Event Owners:

Global: £4,500
National: £3,500

Industry Publishers:

Multiple Brand Owners: £2,750
Single Brand: £1,750
Industry Consultancies/Practitioners: £1,750

*Invoiced annually in advance. Payment required by January 1^st 2019 and 2020 respectively.

Be a part of the movement! 

A shared economy is a shared responsibility of all those organisations purporting to support the industry advocacy and storytelling.

The Iceberg looks forward to sharing your contribution to the industry leadership!