The Archive
50 issues. One industry.
Every issue of PLENARY since our first edition, covering destinations, association management, industry trends, sustainability and PCO operations. Click any issue for the full brief, or contact us for the complete digital edition.
Issue50
DST
Singapore's Second Wave of Meeting Space
A look inside the city-state's newest purpose-built congress halls and how its convention bureau is courting mid-size scientific societies away from larger regional rivals.
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Issue49
TRD
Hybrid Formats Reach a Quiet Plateau
Three years after the hybrid boom, attendance data from congress organisers suggests the format has settled into a smaller, more deliberate niche.
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Issue48
ASC
Membership Dues in an Era of Budget Scrutiny
Association finance chiefs describe how they are defending dues increases to members who are auditing every line of their annual subscription.
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Issue47
SUS
Carbon Reporting Becomes a Bid Requirement
Several major federations now require host cities to submit carbon estimates at the bidding stage; we look at how convention bureaux are responding.
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Issue46
PCO
Abstract Management Software, Compared
We put four widely used abstract-submission platforms through the same scientific congress workflow and compare reviewer experience.
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Issue45
DST
Vienna After Dark: The Rise of the Evening Congress
Vienna's historic palaces are opening their doors for after-hours plenaries and gala dinners, and planners are rethinking the traditional nine-to-five congress schedule.
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Issue44
TRD
AI Matchmaking on the Exhibition Floor
New recommendation engines are pairing exhibitors with buyers before doors even open; we test what the accuracy looks like in practice.
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Issue43
ASC
Succession Planning for Secretary Generals
A generation of long-serving association leaders is retiring; we look at how boards are structuring handovers without losing institutional memory.
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Issue42
SUS
The Plant-Forward Congress Menu
Catering teams at large congresses are quietly rebalancing menus toward plant-based options, driven as much by cost as by delegate preference.
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Issue41
PCO
Staffing a Congress Secretariat in a Tight Labour Market
Professional congress organisers describe the hiring challenges behind the scenes and how some are restructuring teams around freelancers.
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Issue40
DST
Kigali's Quiet Ascent as a Congress Capital
Rwanda's investment in a new convention centre and direct flight routes has made Kigali an unlikely contender for African regional association meetings.
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Issue39
TRD
The Return of the Long Congress
Five- and six-day scientific congresses are making a comeback among societies that had shortened programmes during leaner years.
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Issue38
ASC
Building a Volunteer Pipeline That Doesn't Burn Out
Chapter volunteers remain the backbone of most international associations, and we profile three federations rethinking recognition and workload.
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Issue37
SUS
What a Zero-Waste Exhibition Floor Actually Requires
Reusable stand structures and material take-back schemes are gaining ground at trade shows, though the logistics remain complicated.
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Issue36
PCO
Contract Clauses Every PCO Should Renegotiate
Force majeure language written after recent years of disruption looks very different; contract specialists walk through the clauses worth revisiting.
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Issue35
DST
Copenhagen's Bike-First Delegate Experience
We examine how Copenhagen's cycling infrastructure has become a genuine selling point for congress bids, reshaping how delegates move between venues and hotels.
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Issue34
TRD
Badge-less Entry and the Data Trade-off
Facial recognition and RFID wristbands are speeding up entry lines, and organisers are having frank conversations with delegates about the data involved.
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Issue33
ASC
Governance Reform After a Decade of Growth
Fast-growing global federations are revisiting their bylaws, and we walk through three governance overhauls and what prompted them.
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Issue32
SUS
Water and Energy Audits for Convention Centres
A handful of venues have opened their utility data to independent auditors; we report on what the numbers reveal about real energy use.
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Issue31
PCO
Onsite Registration Without the Queue
Self-service kiosks and pre-printed badges are cutting opening-morning bottlenecks at large congresses; we compare three approaches.
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Issue30
DST
Inside Dubai's Mega-Venue Arms Race
As Gulf states compete for the largest exhibition halls on the planet, we ask whether bigger venues actually translate into better association events.
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Issue29
TRD
Simultaneous Interpretation Goes Remote
Remote interpreting hubs are cutting costs for multilingual congresses, though interpreters themselves have concerns about session quality.
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Issue28
ASC
The Case for Regional Chapters Over Global HQ
Some associations are decentralising decision-making to regional chapters; we weigh the member-engagement gains against the coordination costs.
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Issue27
SUS
Legacy Programmes Beyond the Closing Ceremony
Host cities are experimenting with community legacy projects tied to congresses, from research grants to youth education partnerships.
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Issue26
PCO
Managing Sponsor Expectations at Scientific Congresses
Pharmaceutical and technology sponsors want more visibility than ever; PCOs describe how they protect scientific independence while keeping sponsors happy.
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Issue25
DST
Kyoto's Balancing Act Between Heritage and Hosting
Japan's ancient capital is drawing international congresses without compromising its temples and neighbourhoods, offering a model for heritage cities elsewhere.
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Issue24
TRD
What Gen Z Delegates Actually Want From a Conference
Survey data from student and early-career delegates challenges some long-held assumptions about session length and networking formats.
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Issue23
ASC
Young Professional Programmes That Actually Retain Members
Early-career membership tracks often lose people after year one. We look at the design choices behind programmes with better retention.
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Issue22
SUS
Rail-First Bidding for European Congresses
A growing number of European associations are scoring bids partly on rail accessibility, pushing some host cities to rethink their pitch.
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Issue21
PCO
The Freelance PCO Economy
A growing share of congress management work is handled by independent consultants rather than agencies; we look at what's driving the shift.
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Issue20
DST
Cape Town's Second-City Advantage
With lower costs than Europe and a growing roster of direct flights, Cape Town is positioning itself as the value destination for African and global scientific unions.
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Issue19
TRD
The Quiet Consolidation of Event Technology Vendors
A wave of acquisitions among registration and abstract-management platforms is narrowing planners' options; we map who owns what now.
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Issue18
ASC
Advocacy Budgets and the New Government Affairs Playbook
As policy scrutiny of international bodies grows, associations are professionalising their government relations functions, sometimes for the first time.
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Issue17
SUS
The Uncomfortable Math of Offsetting Delegate Flights
Carbon offset schemes tied to congress registration are proliferating, and we examine how rigorously the underlying credits are verified.
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Issue16
PCO
Crisis Communication Drills for Congress Teams
Some secretariats now run tabletop exercises for medical emergencies, protests, and venue failures well before a congress opens.
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Issue15
DST
Buenos Aires and the Latin American Congress Circuit
A tour of the venues and convention bureau incentives driving a resurgence of international association business across South America.
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Issue14
TRD
Security Planning for High-Profile Association Events
Congress organisers describe how threat assessment has changed for events featuring government ministers or controversial policy topics.
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Issue13
ASC
What Association Boards Get Wrong About Digital Transformation
Consultants working with international federations describe the recurring mistakes boards make when funding new membership platforms.
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Issue12
SUS
Circular Design for Modular Exhibition Stands
Stand builders are shifting toward modular, reusable systems; we talk to three companies about the economics of the switch.
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Issue11
PCO
Housing Blocks and the End of Easy Hotel Allotments
Hotel commission structures are tightening, and PCOs describe new strategies for securing delegate room blocks in high-demand cities.
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Issue10
DST
Gothenburg's Small-City, Big-Ambition Model
How a mid-sized Swedish city built a reputation among medical and engineering associations by leaning into density, walkability, and academic partnerships.
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Issue09
TRD
Measuring the Economic Impact of a Congress, Properly
Convention bureaux are under pressure to prove return on public investment; we compare three methodologies for calculating economic impact.
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Issue08
ASC
The Economics of Multi-Year Congress Contracts
Locking in host cities three or five years out protects budgets but limits flexibility; association finance teams weigh the trade-offs.
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Issue07
SUS
Accessibility as a Sustainability Metric
Some associations now track physical and sensory accessibility alongside carbon metrics, arguing that inclusive design is part of responsible hosting.
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Issue06
PCO
What a Good Site Visit Report Actually Contains
Seasoned congress managers share the details a site visit report needs that junior planners often miss.
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Issue05
DST
Riyadh's New Convention District
Saudi Arabia's newest exhibition district is designed from scratch for international congresses; we report on what it means for the region's bid strategy.
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Issue04
TRD
Incentive Travel Rebounds With Higher Expectations
Corporate incentive programmes are back to pre-pandemic volumes, but buyers are demanding more personalised, less templated itineraries.
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Issue03
ASC
Diversifying Non-Dues Revenue
From certification programmes to data licensing, associations are building revenue streams that don't depend on membership growth.
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Issue02
SUS
Second-Tier Cities and the Sustainability Argument
Smaller host cities are pitching shorter delegate travel distances and lower per-capita footprints as a genuine sustainability advantage.
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Issue01
PCO
Budgeting for the Congress That Might Get Postponed
Contingency budgeting has become standard practice; PCOs walk through how they model postponement and cancellation scenarios.
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