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 (ERST), the city is exploring how congresses can become active platforms for sector development, connecting global associations with Danish research, healthcare, companies and innovation networks.
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.
Copenhagen Convention Bureau launched the Copenhagen Risk Navigator at this year’s IMEX, and explained that this comprehensive, practical collection of 14 different risk management tools has been custom-developed and made available freely to the entire business events community: destinations and organisers / owners, as well as industry suppliers. Developed by CCB in partnership with GainingEdge…
David Adler, GatheringPoint.News, explains why big investors have decided the most valuable asset in an artificial age is a room of people who showed up, and have spent US$5 billion in five weeks to prove it. The events business has become a veracity business, and veracity is in short supply in the age of AI.
As the events industry pushes for greater inclusivity, new parents, especially mothers, are asking why so many events still turn them away at the door. For many parents, particularly those with infants who are breastfeeding or not yet in childcare, the inability to bring a child means skipping the events entirely. From Skift…
The latest edition of IMEX’s European show offered participants a glimpse of the state of the global events industry. Compared to last year, the geopolitical uncertainty was more obvious and no more resolved, but somehow the events world appears to have become used to this level of stress, on both buyer and supplier sides.
From Māori-led programming to youth-led declarations, New Zealand’s conferences are shaped by values as much as venues. In M&C Asia’s latest cover story on legacy in business events, Penelope Ryan, Tourism New Zealand Global Manager Business Events, explains how the country deliberately engineers long-term legacy across every event it hosts.
#MEET4IMPACT’s Geneviève Leclerc summarises Destination Canada’s Legacy and Impact Study with four key conclusions: impact moves like a chain reaction; inclusion isn’t a programme, it is architecture; impact doesn’t scale by accident; frameworks are not documents, they are the architecture of intention. From #MEET4IMPACT…
Today, legacy matters just as much as delegate numbers, room nights and economic impact. Across Asia-Pacific, destinations are embedding legacy thinking into each stage of the event lifecycle, from bid strategy to programme design and post-event tracking. M&C Asia asks how convention bureaus are turning business events into catalysts for lasting change and impact.
Apollo bought 140 trade shows. Searchlight bought CloserStill. MARI bought the consumer side. In short: Apollo, Searchlight, and MARI just spent $5B on live events in seven months. What looked like isolated deals may signal a broader shift: live events becoming a serious asset class. David Adler spells out the profound implications of these mega-purchases.
IAPCO’s “Dear Associations” campaign ensures that leaders from the worlds of healthcare, science, technology, trade and academia are the faces and voices that can best influence policymakers in destinations worldwide to truly understand the impact and value of association meetings. Leading PCOs describe why this issue is so critical and what needs to change for…
BEIA CEO Lisa Hopkins outlines the combination of advantageous factors and hard work that have enabled New Zealand’s industry to enjoy the proactive support of their recently appointed Minister. With a ministerial portfolio that covers social development and employment, the voluntary sector and disabilities, as well as tourism and hospitality, the new Minister is an…
Business Events Sydney CEO Amanda Lampe and ACCI’s Director Strategic Partnerships & Engagement Andrew Hiebl describe the necessity of building strategic partnerships aligned to the economic and societal development priorities of government, rather than petitioning or lobbying for support. Our role as an at-scale medium of knowledge and know-how transfers and an effective means of…
Whether extending trade from exhibition halls into production floors, or grounding conference insights in real-world settings, factory access is playing a bigger role in MICE programmes. In sectors such as electric vehicles, robotics, aerospace and precision engineering, access to factories is important in driving programme differentiation, providing privileged insights and cementing economic positioning. From M&C/ASIA…
With over half the population and rapidly evolving industries, Asia-Pacific is poised to shape the future of many sectors. PCMA’s Kelly Ricker (Chair, Board of Directors), and Sheriff Karamat (President & CEO) assert that APAC is entering a phase where it can redefine what associations and their meetings are meant to do. From Association Commons…
Kai Hattendorf documents a fundamental shift in the way AI will influence the future of events: rather than primarily being a suite of tools for organisers, AI’s most impactful role will be in how younger delegates use it long before the event starts to guide their entire decision-making on whether and how to participate.
David Adler, Gathering Point News, explores the rationale for establishing the Centre for Events & Festivals as a response to a fragmented events industry, weak knowledge-sharing, and limited use of evidence. The organisation aims to bridge academia and practice, strengthen collaboration, and promote more sustainable, inclusive, and community-focused approaches to event design and delivery.
With the adoption of the EU Directive Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (EmpCo), the European Union is taking a further step to address greenwashing and increase transparency in sustainability-related communication. The German Convention Bureau analyses how the Directive’s provisions (applicable from 27 September 2026) are likely to impact our sector.
Boardroom’s Vicky Koffa and Remi Deve summarise the key issues, opportunities and challenges discussed at the recent EAS 2026, all of which provide vital insights for business events suppliers and destinations interested in better understanding the current thinking and priorities of their association clients. An important conclusion: collaboration has become a strategic necessity.
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