Conference & Meetings World Issue 107 | Page 6

News GLOBAL SNAPSHOT EUROPE Czech event on Charles Bridge A 500m long table on Charles Bridge in Prague was the focus of celebrations on 1 July, as thousands of Czechs partied without any social-distancing measures in a symbolic ‘farewell’ to the coronavirus. To date, there have been just 351 Covid-19 deaths officially recorded in the Czech Republic. The Czech government allows public gatherings of up to 5,000 delegates on condition that the venue can provide structurally separate sectors, each holding no more than 1,000 people. ASIA PCMA extends Covid-19 survey into APAC The Professional Convention Management Association has extended its Covid-19 Recovery Dashboard research initiative into the Asia Pacific region. The association’s surveys among the global business events community, carried out since March, document the growing impacts of Covid-19. Karen Bolinger, MD of PCMA APAC, said no survey in the region had yet provided a full view of Asia Pacific as a standalone region. “This edition of the Covid-19 Recovery Dashboard will invite many APAC businesses and individuals in the business events community to contribute,” she said. AUSTRALASIA New dates announced for MEETINGS 2021 in Christchurch With the 2020 MEETINGS show, due to take place in Auckland in April, postponed due to coronavirus, all eyes in New Zealand are now on MEETINGS 2021, scheduled 30 June-1 July 2021, at Te Pae Christchurch, the city’s new convention centre. CINZ Chief Executive Lisa Hopkins said: “Working together with ChristchurchNZ, Te Pae Christchurch, Vbase, Tourism New Zealand, Air New Zealand and Christchurch International Airport, we will be bringing influential buyers into the heart of the South Island for an unforgettable experience. EUROPE Swiss venue trinity reloads with new offer Swiss venues Congress Center Basel, Messe Basel and Messe Zürich have used the Covid lockdown to restructure, merging their sales departments under a single Reloading Live brand. The two Messe Basel halls and the premises of the Congress Center Basel now form a large single, inner-city congress centres. The venues now permit easy cancellation or postponement of events by organisers. A recent study by Deep Knowledge Group listed Switzerland as the safest country in the world in respect of Covid-19. 6 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 107