Developed by USTA’s Group Travel Network, MMTM is a unified industry platform and resource kit aimed at shaping how business executives understand when and why meeting in person is worthwhile. These resources are designed to be adapted and distributed to marketing and sales teams to incorporate into client campaigns, sales conversations and content channels.
The International Research Foundation (IRF) and Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), with research partner Oxford Economics, have launched the 2026 edition of the Incentive Travel Index (ITI), the most comprehensive and longest-running annual study of the global incentive travel industry, exploring geopolitical risk, AI adoption, qualifier preferences and the future of destination management companies.
This article from the Centre for Events and Festivals analyses and summarises a new research report on long-term event impact from the University of Technology Sydney Business School, which shows governments are vastly underselling their investment in attracting conferences, justifying it purely with tourism data such as delegate hotel spend.
Destination Canada’s research provides the most comprehensive evidence to date of how events create lasting economic, social and environmental impact. In collaboration with #MEET4IMPACT and GainingEdge, thousands of data points were analyzed from 15 global events hosted across Canada in key sectors. The findings are clear: impact is not accidental — it is engineered.
Global conflict, policy change and socio-political instability are having a growing and measurable impact on the international meetings and conferences industry. The findings reveal a significant shift in the operating environment for international meetings. 73.84% of respondents said global conflicts have impacted their ability to plan or host international meetings, up from 53.92% in 2025.
Building on the Copenhagen Risk Assessment White Paper from 2023, the Copenhagen Risk Navigator 2026 aims to elevate risk management to a core business discipline across the entire international business events ecosystem. The Navigator equips organisations, associations and destinations with a shared framework and structured approach to understanding, prioritising, and mitigating risk.
SITE and Maritz have released Investigating the Power of Incentive Travel Across Generations, a comprehensive study into how generations respond to incentive travel, reward and recognition. Findings show incentive travel works powerfully across every generation, but the profile of the people earning travel, assumptions behind programme design and the meaning of the reward are shifting.
University of Exeter research is being used to enhance the world’s only annual sustainability tourism and events benchmark since 2025. The GDS-Index Systems Map shows destinations how specific actions may create knock-on effects across environmental, social, supplier and destination management areas, empowering cities to make more effective decisions for a more sustainable visitor economy.
The 2026 Economic Significance of Business Events study by EIC found that the “invisible industry” — a term coined by Charles Osgood to describe “an industry that no one thinks about, let alone thinks about as an industry” — supports 24.2 million jobs and contributes $3.1 trillion in sales to the global economy. From Skift…
The new global research provides a comprehensive view of the scale, scope and impact of business events worldwide, measuring activity across more than 180 countries. Produced in association with Oxford Economics, the study finds that business events generated US$1.3 trillion in direct spending and supported US$1.8 trillion in total GDP worldwide in 2025. From EIC…
Effective advocacy requires access to accurate information and this inaugural report, “Strength Beneath the Surface,” was designed with a primary goal: To provide a loud and clearer voice for group travel, one that cuts through the noise and misperceptions, especially after a challenging 2025. In short: there is much evidence of resilience and optimism.
AI is increasing the need for human meetings, not reducing it, according to new research commissioned by The Meetings Show. Challenging assumptions about the role of technology in improving efficiency, almost two-thirds of business leaders (62 per cent) say AI is increasing the need for human discussion and alignment. From M&IT…
Germany continues to strengthen its position as a leading destination for international meetings, congresses and events. The MICE sector remains stable, reinforcing the value of personal connections and strong networks. Despite global market pressures, Germany’s event industry continues to demonstrate resilience, adaptability, and a strong focus on quality and international appeal.
In 2025, IAPCO Accredited PCO members organised 23,512 meetings and events across 187 office locations worldwide (an increase of 20.77% from 2024), with over 7.7 million participants. While the number of meetings delivered has increased, average participant numbers per event have dropped from 408 to 328, pointing to a market that is changing shape.
Live B2B event production company Encore and consultancy/research company Boldpush surveyed 447 event professionals to map the current state of experience design, focusing on four key areas: programming, connection, technology and trust. Headline finding: events and participant demands are evolving faster than the playbooks currently being used. Download the full report, free of charge…
This is the Edinburgh International Conference Centre’s (EIC) third annual Impact Report. This time, they decided to look at environmental, social and economic impacts together. The report doesn’t just track what happened inside the EICC, it reflects what events should do: create lasting value beyond the venue, the people who visit and the events themselves.
This new edition reflects the author’s unique ability to blend academic rigour with practical relevance, making it an essential guide for students, professionals, and educators within the events industry. Case studies from every continent, experts’ perspectives, and thought-provoking discussion points at the end of each chapter, ensure that this volume remains an indispensable resource.
To assist business events organisations to develop their own comprehensive sustainability strategies, IMEX is sharing details about its business philosophy, experiences, and implementation models. While industry progress remains uneven and the need for clear direction persists, the strategy positions sustainability as central to how the sector responds to risk, regulation and long-term resilience.
Destination Canada’s Canadian Tourism Outlook 2026–2035, prepared with Tourism Economics, highlights that demand for Canada as a destination is accelerating. The sector is outperforming expectations. The opportunity ahead is bigger than ever. This Outlook gives industry, government and partners a shared, current view of where growth is heading and what it takes to capture it.
Executive assistants remain the largest group of business event organisers in Australia; this provides a useful snapshot of how buying behaviour is shifting. Activity and budgets are back to 2019 levels but the way events are being planned has changed: Lead times are shorter. Convenience, speed and ease of delivery are now key decision drivers.
David Adler digs deeply into the Freeman Spring 2026 Learning Trends Report, highlighting the content strategies that truly motivate and engage attendees, driving impact and repeat attendance. The era of celebrity speakers and rock band “networking” events is being overtaken by attendee demand to put usable ideas and solutions at the centre of event design.
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