From Boardroom: The decision to bring the 5th World Conference of Women’s Shelters (5WCWS) to Sydney in 2025 was never simply about logistics. For Karen Bentley, CEO of WESNET, Australia’s national peak body for domestic and family violence services, it was a chance to deliver real, lasting change for women and communities across Australia and…
Under an MoU signed in Hamburg, organisers will collaborate with Singapore Tourism Board to bring three conferences to Asia Pacific as the renewable energy industry becomes crucial to the environment. Another example of destinations using business event strategy to turbo-charge the development of key economic sectors. From MIX Business Events Magazine…
The German Convention Bureau is looking to recruit 40 “research fellows” to participate in the first study in a series of research projects exploring the future evolution of business events, and is especially interested to hear from international meeting owners and organisers. Deadline for sign up is 28 February 2026. More details here…
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 the legacy of the One Young World (OYW) Summit, held in Montréal/Tiohtià:ke from September 18 to 21, 2024. Connecting emerging leaders from around the globe, the Summit catalyzed youth-led action…
ICCA has signed a landmark partnership agreement with Beijing Capital Group Exhibitions & Events to co-develop a three-level professional education certification programme designed specifically for China’s fast-growing business events sector. The Certified International Business Events Professional (CIBEP) programme will introduce international standards, foundational industry knowledge, and practical skills to emerging and mid-level talent across China.
From Skift Meetings: A flurry of late-year dealmaking shows growing confidence in the events sector, even as geopolitical and economic uncertainty lingers. Investors see a fragmented industry ripe for consolidation. The events industry rarely sees a day like this. Five major deals were announced in a 24-hour window – activity that signals renewed confidence across…
Kai Hattendorf observes that much has been written and discussed in trends, outlooks, and on stages around the breakdown of the traditional business flow: For decades, the rhythm of the exhibition industry was rigid: Venues booked five years out, marketing campaigns launched twelve months out. That era is over, so how do we adapt?
The latest survey results show that unanticipated government actions are the biggest threat to meetings. Planner sentiment is trending downward again: Forty-four percent of planners are less optimistic than they were six months ago. Compression has eased and RFP responses have improved, though planner concerns over costs and contract terms have increased.
Gathering Point’s David Adler argues that the more artificial the world becomes, the more essential real gatherings are to our collective survival. What we once called “events” has grown into something much bigger: the Gathering Economy: You can sense this maturity most clearly in the way audiences behave. The dependable six-month registration curve is gone…
Rotterdam & Partners’ Business Development Manager Catherine Kalamidas argues for the unique role only DMOs can play in bringing together business, academia, government, civil society and environmental interests using business events as a focal point for collaboration and intelligent, coordinated development that serves all interests. She argues that if a DMO is defunded, its role…
Destination DC’s Melissa Riley argues for the continued positive interrelationship between leisure tourism and business events, and that bed-nights will continue to be the dominant KPI for destination organisations in the US, funded as they are primarily by bed tax. However, her organisation is increasingly targeting events based on policy priorities of the DC district…
Gary Grimmer argues that developing a value proposition around event impacts is the most strategic issue facing both destination promoters and events organisers. If we measure and report impacts effectively using multi-dimensional KPIs that communicate the industry’s full economic, social and environmental value, we’re going to be part of a more successful and sustainable industry.
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At ICCA Congress 2025, Conference Ambassador Professor William McLean presented the legacy story of the World Endodontic Congress (WEC) 2024, a finalist in the Incredible Impacts Programme 2025. Hosted by the International Federation of Endodontic Associations (IFEA) and British Endodontic Society (BES), WEC 2024 in Glasgow, Scotland, harnessed creative, engaging activities to boost oral health…
The 14th Autism Europe Congress (AEC 2025) has been recognised for its societal impact, earning the 2025 Incredible Impacts Seed Grant Award from ICCA and BestCities. The Congress, held in Dublin in September, in partnership with AsIAm and Fáilte Ireland, focused on accessibility and meaningful inclusion for autistic people, with the programme and event design…
For an academic perspective on the events sector (as opposed to the usual industry-led approach), make sure you follow the Centre for Events and Festivals. Many of CEF’s professors are attempting to evaluate events with a much more scientific rigour than is the norm. CEF Insights are short, accessible articles written by industry experts.
Destinations International’s Jane Cunningham and MMGY NextFactor’s Managing Director Cassandra Gilbertson discuss the ways in which DI’s latest biennial study will shape the policy priorities and primary challenges facing destination organisations worldwide over the coming years. A huge shift in business models and strategic responsibilities has been taking place over the last decade, moving from…
A unique collaboration between academia, event impact expert practitioners #MEET4IMPACT, AI events company Gevme and leading meetings destinations aims to help meeting owners and destinations to create unique impact reports on these events, making it relatively simple to plug a wide variety of large data sets into standardised reporting frameworks, for example “Theory of Change”…
ICCA and Destination Canada have unveiled The State of Sustainability in Associations Report, revealing that while global associations increasingly value sustainability, many still struggle to turn commitment into measurable action. According to the study, 66% of international associations rate sustainability as very or extremely important, up from 60% in 2023, but consistent implementation remains elusive.
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