The Global Destination Sustainability Movement has released a must-read guide for destination marketers and managers on the latest regulations, including advice on what practical steps to take, both to remain in compliance and to use your sustainability positioning for competitive advantage in attracting events. From GDS-Movement…
From UFI: The new Global Economic Impact of Exhibitions (2024) report, produced by UFI and Oxford Economics, evaluates the direct output generated by the production of exhibitions and other exhibitors and visitors’ spending at €150 ($162) billion. This first level of impact, which includes inflation, benefits not just the exhibition industry, but all related sectors,…
A thoughtful article by Gary Grimmer on the latest geopolitical changes and their implications for both international business events and the societal cost in the fields of healthcare, science, trade and beyond. Numerous commentators and analysts are concluding that the changes to US policy and in power relationships between countries and regions will generate far…
The two of the three most important umbrella organisations for the business events sector, Events Industry Council and Joint Meetings Industry Council announced at IMEX 2025 a joint programme of advocacy, research and sustainability standards, including working together with Oxford Economics on the 2026 Economic Significance of Business Events Industry report, which will provide worldwide…
From IAPCO: The results of the Global Socio-Political Impact Survey of 2025 which was issued by the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO), in collaboration with the National PCO Association Task Force members and global Strategic Partners, show two-thirds of respondents (59.53%) reported that global conflicts have impacted their ability to plan or host…
From 1TourismWorld: Jane Cunningham, Director of European Engagement at Destinations International, highlights a pivotal shift in destination management toward community-focused stewardship. She emphasizes prioritizing citizens’ interests, ensuring tourism contributes positively to local life rather than becoming a burden. Cunningham advocates engaging communities in tourism planning and aligning visitor experiences with residents’ values, promoting sustainable growth….
From Centre for Events & Festivals: What if we’ve been measuring the value of the Olympic Games all wrong? For decades, critics and champions of mega-events have sparred over their economic and social impact. Are they a catalyst for sustainable change—or just a two-week spectacle with ballooning costs? But maybe we’re asking the wrong question….
MICE/BE/CVB/LINK veteran Gary Grimmer reinvigorates an age-old challenge: we may understand and are able to communicate the scale and range of impacts that our events deliver for destinations, organisations, attendees and society at large, but what is the best way to present our sector to policymakers and other non-insiders? Is it possible or even desirable…
From Destinations International: This survey aims to gather your expert insights on emerging trends and strategic priorities that destination organizations should pursue over the next three years. Your perspectives will help shape the future direction of destination marketing and management organizations, including Destination Organizations (DOs), DMOs, DMMOs, CVBs, national/state/regional tourism offices, chambers of commerce, and…
From Boardroom: Just ahead of IMEX Frankfurt, a report has come out to reshape how destinations and associations collaborate in a shifting global environment. Purpose Under Pressure: Global Association Trends in 2025 – the result of a partnership between BestCities Global Alliance and Strategic Membership Solutions – unveils compelling data from 586 association professionals across…
From Northstar Meetings Group: The April 2025 Northstar/Cvent Incentive PULSE Survey reveals some major shifts and challenges for incentive travel programs. Optimism levels for incentive travel have dropped dramatically in the past six months. Nearly half of planners say their programs have been negatively affected by recent changes in government, social and economic policies. Business…
In this episode of Trade Show Talk, host Danica Tormohlen interviews Chris Skeith, CEO and Managing Director of UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, who started in this role in January 2025I. Skeith shares insights about his career path, including his tenure at the Association of Event Organizers UK, and discusses his new…
From ICCA: ICCA and the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) have renewed their memorandum of understanding (MOU), reaffirming their commitment to collaborate and strengthen engagement within the international association meetings sector. Building on a strong foundation of partnership, the two organisations will continue working together to expand opportunities, develop impactful educational resources, and foster…
From Boardroom: As climate change climbs the global agenda, academia is being pushed to rethink how it conducts research, collaborates, and shares knowledge. In this timely piece, Mickael Benaim, Associate Director & Head of Research at SFA Connect, explores how CO₂ emission budgets are reshaping academic travel, conference formats, and institutional sustainability strategies…
From Business Traveler: Anxiety is creeping into the corridors of corporate travel. With 2025 well underway, a new survey from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) paints a sobering picture: nearly one-third of global travel managers expect their company’s business travel volume to fall significantly next year, with an average forecasted drop of 21 percent….
From EIC: Today, the Events Industry Council (EIC), the global voice of the business events industry, released its quarterly Global Events Barometer for 2024 Q4. The numbers reflect positive momentum for the global business events industry throughout 2024 in almost every region around the world while acknowledging growing concern about the impacts of major policy…
At The Meetings Show APAC 2025, Michael Shoory, Head of APAC Tourism Analysis – Tourism Economics, shared insights on the rebound of MICE activity and business travel globally, and for APAC specifically, and discussed Tourism Economics’ projections for business travel in APAC in coming years, the economic benefits of business and MICE tourism for destinations,…
From Identity, The Human Experience Agency: Events may have a closing date, but their impact shouldn’t. From global agreements to everyday brand moments, this feature explores how to design experiences that leave a lasting legacy, with insights from Identity’s Simon Dunnell and Helen Wright. By their very nature, events feel fleeting. There’s a date, a…
By Kai Hattendorf: 2024 was the best year ever for the trade show industry globally by revenues. 2025 likely won’t be. Uncertainties around an aggressive, tariffs-driven challenge to global trade from the new U.S. administration are shaking markets and economies around the world. If high import tariffs announced by the U.S. administration are here to…
From Skift Meetings: Featuring Nicola Kastner, CEO of Event Leaders Exchange (ELX), and Kevin Hinton, managing director, group travel, at U.S. Travel Association, this week’s Skift Meetings webinar had one overriding theme — uncertainty. It took Skift Meetings Executive Editor Andrea Doyle several minutes just to describe the numerous repercussions of Trump administration changes so…
From Global Destination Sustainability Movement: If business events’ profits were a country, they’d be in the top 15 in the world. The Events Industry Council notes that “the $1.62 trillion of total GDP supported by global business events would rank the sector as the 13th largest economy globally.” We’ve seen encouraging progress from this vital…
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