This paper summarises the Legacy Event Advocacy Policy Summit 2025 and explains the significance of the Borneo Legacy Declaration as a strategic framework for advancing sustainable development, legacy creation, and policy integration through business events, highlighting how the Declaration aligns with sustainability and legacy theories, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and Sarawak’s long-term development agenda.
The value of a congress is increasingly assessed beyond attendance figures or immediate economic return – its significance lies in its capacity to reshape ecosystems, accelerate knowledge circulation, and anchor territories within global networks of influence. The SRS Annual Meeting 2025, hosted in Strasbourg, offers a particularly instructive example of this shift.
Held alongside the 2026 European Congress on Gynaecological Oncology, the ESGO Legacy event convened leading experts, policymakers, patient advocates and industry representatives in Copenhagen to advance sustainable improvements in women’s cancer care. “Imagine a Europe where your address no longer determines your survival,” outgoing ESGO Vice-President Associate Professor Maja Pakiz said as she opened the…
Destination Canada’s three-year Legacy & Impact Study highlights the long-term economic, social and environmental benefits of major events hosted in Canada. This case study examines how the 11th International Conference on Isotopes (ICI) leveraged Saskatoon’s nuclear expertise to respond to instability in global isotope supply, vital to healthcare and food security worldwide. The…
The International Water Association World Water Congress & Exhibition brought together academics, utility leaders and water professionals from around the world to advance global scientific collaboration and knowledge exchange in water management. It is a strong example of how hosting an international event can elevate domestic participation and raise the profile of national stakeholders.
The International Marine Protected Areas Congress was intentionally scheduled to occur six weeks after COP15 to maximize relevance and impact. It brought together global Marine Protected Area practitioners to work toward conserving 30% of the ocean by 2030, emphasizing MPA networks, the blue economy, biodiversity, climate action, and the connection between ocean culture and wellbeing.
The International Conference on Liquefied Natural Gas offered a critical platform to discuss the energy sector’s role in enhancing global security following Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine, and address other issues such as eliminating energy poverty and tackling the climate crisis. The Canadian Gas Association staged a world-class event that highlighted Canada’s clean energy potential.
The International Social Innovation Research Conference brought together academics, researchers and practitioners from more than 30 countries to share and discuss the latest research and ideas on social innovation. The conference focused on themes such as social entrepreneurship, social impact and social innovation policy, and included workshops and doctoral sessions to support early-career scholars.
The MACRO World Polymer Congress 2022 brought together the global polymer science community for the first time in Canada. The goal of the gathering was to advance international research collaborations, strengthen the profile of Canadian polymer science, and create valuable career development opportunities for graduate students and early career researchers.
The International Metropolis Conference brought together 1,400+ participants from over 100 countries, making it one of the largest global gatherings focused on migration and integration. The purpose of the event was to reinforce Canada’s international leadership on migration governance, while simultaneously strengthening local research and civil society networks addressing immigration and settlement.
The goal of GLOBExCHANGE 2025 was to bring Canada’s clean economy transition to life. The event served as a catalyst for collaboration across government, industry, finance and civil society, translating climate and sustainability commitments into tangible partnerships, policy initiatives and new sectoral platforms.
The UN Biodiversity Conference aimed to finalize and adopt a new post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, which would guide international action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. Canada’s role was to provide the political and logistical platform for multilateral negotiations. The conference exemplified the role of business events as platforms for transformative environmental policy.
The AquaCulture Canada and World Aquaculture Society North America event showcases how business events can deliver substantial value across multiple domains when it is strongly linked to sectoral development. The conference amplified visibility for the local industry and provided momentum for long-term positioning in ocean tech and sustainable seafood development.
The 24th International AIDS Conference represented a significant moment in the global HIV response, uniting researchers, policymakers, clinicians and people living with HIV. For the International AIDS Society, it was an opportunity to accelerate scientific evidence and global solidarity. For local stakeholders, it mobilized the pursuit of renewed advocacy and expanded service access.
The International Council of Nurses Congress in Montréal highlighted the significant impact of global business events in raising visibility, shaping policy and promoting sectoral reform. The event set out to address post-pandemic workforce challenges, stimulate dialogue on systemic racism and equity, and influence ethical recruitment practices amid acute global nursing workforce shortages.
In conjunction with Gothenburg hosting the AC Forum Annual Meeting 2026, Gothenburg Convention Bureau and AC Forum collaborated to design a joint impact project. The initiative aims to strengthen the destination’s understanding of international associations and their meetings, build local capacity to attract and host international congresses more effectively, and foster stronger partnerships with associations.
The Autism Europe Congress 2025 in Dublin was more than a gathering of global experts – it marked a decisive shift in how events can be designed, delivered, and experienced when inclusion is not an add-on, but the foundation. That shift began long before the doors of the RDS opened in September 2025. When Fáilte…
Citizen engagement was the prime objective of this initiative by the European Network of Living Labs, who transformed Andorra la Vella’s main square into a conference space, earning them the Event Innovation Award at the European Association Awards 2026. A great example for other associations aiming to break out of their traditional “bubble”. From Boardroom…
Organisers of Masterclass Zurich 2026 – Vaginal Birth, hosted by the Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Zurich, created a public-centred initiative designed to bring specialist knowledge into the city. while the congress gathered around 200 physicians, specialists, and midwives, mainly from the DACH region, the accompanying legacy project aimed to reach residents directly. From Boardroom…
The congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis demonstrates the impact of Barcelona Convention Bureau’s Legacy Programme, where intentional impact planning helped bring the congress’s scientific advances closer to patients, encouraging their participation in research, whilst educating Barcelona’s business community about stigma around MS and building more inclusive workplaces.
The 19th International Conference on Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes took place in Barcelona in March, gathering 5,300+ participants, in-person and online. The conference showcased the latest innovations and connected endocrinologists, diabetes care providers, researchers and industry professionals from around the world to drive forward the future of diabetes treatment. From Kenes Group…
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