The International Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus must embrace "stability, a simple concept with which the association has experienced great difficulty," said Edward Nielsen, president and CEO, in his president's report at the IACVB annual meeting. A record-breaking 715 registrants (including spouses and sponsors) attended the conference, held at Disney's Contemporary Resort in Orlando in June.

The meeting was a turning point for IACVB, which has undergone a number of staff upheavals in recent years and has borne the disgruntlement of many of its members, who felt the organization was out of touch with their needs. IACVB has been regrouping under Nielsen's tenure since January 1998. In addition to stability, Nielsen's other goals include improving member education, and balancing the needs of all IACVB members: large, small, and international bureaus.

In keeping with its goal of broadening its international reach, IACVB announced that the group would hold a joint meeting with the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and the Asia Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus in 2000. No agenda or location had been set as of press time.