UChicago Medicine demonstrates how universities can utilise their participation at major events to showcase the excellence of their researchers, labs and departments, whilst highlighting how their academic work creates important value and impact for wider society. The 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting provides a clear example of how this can be achieved.
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.
On 29 May 2026, ECA, UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, and MAD Event Management hosted the inaugural Global Policy Forum in Washington, D.C. This invitation-only forum brought together leaders from across the global business and professional events industry for a focused dialogue on key cross-border policy issues shaping the industry’s future.
The Events Industry Council (EIC), in collaboration with the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), today announced the next phase of its targeted refinement of the Sustainable Event Standards (SES), marking a significant step forward in strengthening alignment, usability and real-world application across the global business events sustainability landscape.
226 business and professional events industry leaders and advocates travelled to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., as part of the ECA’s annual Legislative Action Day to meet with members of Congress with a unified message: our industry is a proven engine of economic resilience and growth, that requires a policy environment to match.
#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…
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.
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…
Meetings Capitalized is a fresh approach shaped by research and focus groups, which identifies experiential design as a defining priority for meeting planners. DDC’s updated approach makes it easy for planners to lead with experiences and outcomes, with Washington, DC’s institutions and offerings becoming integral to the meeting experience itself. From Exhibitor…
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.
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.
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