Senior executives from the global convention centre-community recently gathered in Bilbao for the AIPC Annual Conference, under the theme “Bridging the Gap: Venues Connecting Human Experience and Innovation.” But beyond the technology on display and the venues discussed, one question dominated: what is a congress now expected to achieve, and for whom? From Boardroom…
This year’s GDS-Forum and Impact Day held in Szezecin, Poland, aimed to build the capacity of every delegate to improve the sustainability and event impact strategies in their destinations by tapping into the expertise, experiences and tacit knowledge of their peers. The informal but innovative meeting design elements created new connections, unlocked new insights, and…
In this interview at the 2025 IMEX Place Leaders Forum, US Travel Association MD Group Travel Kevin Hinton explains the two critical sides of his job, and how USTA’s efforts in these dimensions interact to support the success of the US business events sector. Before they travel, overseas visitors to the US frequently receive inaccurate…
COO of Business Events Adelaide Tony Saulters explains how his bureau focuses on the world-class specialisations in his destination when determining which events to target, assessing their potential importance not just on delegate numbers and expenditure, but on their capacity to drive inward investment and talent acquisition, and the extent to which they can facilitate…
Companies are placing conference attendance under a microscope, sending fewer employees than in previous years — or choosing not to send anyone at all. 56% of respondents to GBTA’s recent survey said their organisation has changed its meetings or events strategy in the past three months, with 24% saying they are reducing employee event attendance.
Across Europe, conferences and exhibitions help to shape cities, through visitor spend and supporting industrial strategies and economic development. Europe is experiencing a summer of ferocious heat, which scientists predict will become the ‘new normal’. AMI’s writers explore how the events industry is coping, responding, and thinking about the future.
The process of designing and executing a seamless event is an art, but tracking and analysing all the metrics is definitely a science. The formula for success can vary from group to group, but there are some universal metrics that most planners should focus on — ones that go beyond total attendance and satisfaction scores.
Speaking at this year’s Place Leaders Forum at IMEX Frankfurt, future of cities expert Prof. Greg Clark articulates the potential for business events to fulfil a pivotal role within destinations’ strategic thinking, thanks to the emergence of new competitive realities as we enter an era where the Innovation Economy interacts with the Experience Economy. Our…
For years, the UK’s BE sector has been making the same case to government: we are more than tourism. Now, Parliament has said it too. The Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s new report is arguably the strongest political endorsement the sector has received, warning it risks falling behind without Government commitment to funding. From M&IT…
In August, the Louder Together “congrestival” will take place in Antwerp, combining a conference and festival where children, young people and teaching artists from around the world convene in a lively mix of theatre festival and scientific conference, with a clear ambition to create societal impact. From Flanders Convention Bureau…
Copenhagen’s life science congresses are being asked to do more than convene international specialists. Through Valuable Meetings, a MeetDenmark project supported by the Danish Board of Business Development, the city is exploring how congresses can become active platforms for sector development, connecting global associations with Danish research, healthcare, companies and innovation networks. From Boardroom…
Organised by the Association of Association Executives, the Associations World Congress took place in Portugal this year, setting up camp at the Lagoa Congress Centre and the Tivoli Carvoeiro Algarve Resort for three days of debate, collaboration, and an industry doing some serious reckoning with its own future. From Boardroom…
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International association meetings can find themselves in the frontline when geopolitical conflicts erupt. This Boardroom feature by Pamela Wilton explores the implications of key risk factors, illustrates why associations can no longer argue that they are “apolitical by nature”, and outlines how to build a geopolitical resilience framework.
Gatheringpoint’s David Adler suggests answers to the conundrum of managing two conflicting realities simultaneously: projecting confidence to the market, whilst making real-time decisions behind the scenes. Exercising resilience in real-time during periods of high uncertainty is one of the hardest challenges imaginable, especially with only partial vision of what’s happening.
60 years young: that’s the spirit of Melbourne Convention Bureau, one of the world’s most successful and innovative DMOs. The MCEC – Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre – is a relative youngster with only 30 years under its belt, but the venue laid out its ambitions at birth by achieving a six Green Star sustainable…
Plato designed the Academy around dialogue because he understood that knowledge advances through inquiry and exchange. Ksenija Polla questions whether modern associations still design their gatherings with that purpose in mind, and calls them to embrace their role as stewards of curiosity, welcome new voices, facilitate exchanges and intentional participant journeys, and measure intellectual outcomes.
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