Business events have long been celebrated for their economic footprint, such as hotel bookings, venue rentals, and restaurant traffic. But what if the true power of a conference lies not in the delegate spend, but in what happens long after the lanyards are packed away?
That question is at the heart of Destination Canada’s three-year Legacy & Impact Study, which is reshaping the narrative around business events. With the release of its Year Two findings, the message is clear. When guided by clear goals and a shared vision, business events can create lasting legacies that extend far beyond financial benefits.
As Virginie De Visscher, Executive Director of Business Events at Destination Canada, explains, “When business events are designed with a clear purpose and foresight, they transform from being simple gatherings. They become catalysts for lasting change.”
De Visscher: “Measuring beyond tourism metrics tells the real story of success.”
Measuring What Really Matters
In Year Two, the study – conducted in collaboration with #MEET4IMPACT and GainingEdge – examined 12 international events hosted across Canada, spanning sectors from life sciences to natural resources. Drawing on interviews, surveys, and outcome mapping, it applies an advanced legacy framework that goes beyond traditional tourism metrics to capture long-term benefits across six outcome areas that emerged strongly: social, intellectual, policy, human, financial, and cultural. The framework enables comparison across the diverse events, establishing a common language that makes it possible to identify patterns and shared themes in impact delivery, regardless of sector or scale.
The study also shows and reminds us that these outcomes do not occur in isolation; rather, they are deeply interconnected, with one often reinforcing or enabling another. This holistic approach underscores that legacy cannot be measured in silos, but must be understood as a web of mutually underpinning impacts.
Among the outcome areas, social, intellectual, and policy emerged as the most prominent. For instance, the creation of the Québec Civil Society Collectif at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in 2022 brought the voice of civil society forward, resulting in a far wider dissemination of information and learning about biodiversity loss (social outcome).
Meanwhile, dedicated conference sessions during the 11th International Conference on Isotopes (ISO) in 2023 showcased the contributions of women in nuclear science and technology, and helped to strengthen the profile of female scientists (intellectual outcome).
Following the Insects to Feed the World Conference (IFW) in 2022, the Québec government officially recognised insects as livestock in the same manner as poultry and beef, which resulted in a formal sectoral strategy (policy outcome).
The Role of Intentionality
One of the most powerful insights to emerge from the Year Two findings is the importance of intentionality. “Legacy must be embedded from the start, not added at the end,” De Visscher stresses. That means integrating legacy goals into planning from the bid phase onward and aligning events with destination strengths to unlock broader sector impact.
Geneviève Leclerc, Co-Founder of #MEET4IMPACT, underscores this point: “Destinations have to invest in long-term tracking – that’s when the real story comes out. That’s when we’re going to be able to have predictive models of what an event does and how it’s going to yield real impact in five years.”
This kind of planning, she notes, “starts before the event, through intention – what do we want to get from the event? Clear objectives create meaningful outcomes.”
Without proper planning, however, events risk being short-lived, offering only temporary benefits and missing out on the opportunity to create lasting, transformative change.
The research shows that when legacy is built into the fabric of an event, from early planning to post-conference engagement, the outcomes are more meaningful and easier to track. Nine legacy drivers offer a blueprint for doing just that. These are: knowledge transfer, capacity building, sector innovation, legacy frameworks, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, showcasing local expertise, sustainable practices, community engagement, and advocacy activities.
Case Studies in Action
Each event studied brought its own legacy to life. Here are some examples of three legacy drivers in action:
Capacity Building: At the 49th World Polymer Congress (MACRO) in 2022, a dedicated polymer education session highlighted innovative approaches to teaching polymer research to Canadian graduate students, strengthening research capacity and highlighting national expertise to an international audience.
Legacy Frameworks: The Edmonton Declaration, created as part of the CitiesIPCC Cities and Climate Change Science Conference (IPCC) in 2018, has been endorsed by more than 4,500 municipalities.
Advocacy Activities: Pre-event advocacy activities for the 5th International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5) in 2023 culminated in the Leadership Forum, which facilitated discussions amongst leaders to synergise efforts to protect oceans.
What Success Looks Like
Year Two findings also reinforced the importance of the four key success factors established in Year One. When leveraged effectively, these strategies generate meaningful impacts, ensuring events deliver both immediate and long-term value. The report outlines tangible success factors that consistently correlate with impactful legacy stories:
Pre-event activities like advocacy campaigns and stakeholder workshops lay the groundwork for long-term outcomes.
Success Story: Ahead of COP15, local leaders launched the Tiohtià:ke / Montréal Pledge, urging cities worldwide to commit to 15 actions to protect biodiversity and ecosystems. The pledge created a shared platform for tracking global progress toward the COP15 Global Biodiversity Framework. As a result, Tiohtià:ke / Montréal now sits on the committee for Canada’s 2030 Nature Strategy.
Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO) involvement helps connect events with local ecosystems and align them with city strategies.
Success Story: Tourisme Montréal and the Palais des Congrès de Montréal supported the International AIDS Society and the local host committee in organising AIDS 2022. They led a local social impact strategy and convened an impact task force that helped drive pre-event collaboration and a range of community-led awareness efforts around the conference.
Government participation supports higher social and policy influence.
Success Story: Ongoing advocacy and government support during IMPAC5 led to the creation of the first marine refuge to protect the ecologically and culturally significant Gwaxdlala/Nalaxdlala area in British Columbia. The federal government also used the event to launch its 2023 Marine Protected Area Protection Standard and announced CAD$69.5 million for four nature-based projects to support biodiversity, climate adaptation, and poverty reduction in marginalised communities.
External collaboration with local organisations and stakeholders amplifies the event’s reach and impact.
Success Story: Edmonton’s strong cross-sector collaboration during the 2018 CitiesIPCC Cities and Climate Change Science Conference led to lasting climate and policy outcomes. Highlights included the CAD$500,000 Legacy Research Grant with Alberta Ecotrust, the Global Mayors Summit, and the co-development of the Edmonton Declaration, signed by more than 4,500 municipalities. Youth-led initiatives, Indigenous-led panels, and public events further broadened the event’s local impact.
Gary Grimmer, CEO of GainingEdge, highlights Canada’s innovative approach to business events: “What Canada is doing is leading-edge. They’ve developed a national subvention programme that goes beyond just counting heads and dollars. It’s about aligning meetings with the kinds of impacts governments want to see, and using funding not just to bring events in, but to plan and enhance those impacts in measurable ways.”
Looking Ahead
The journey doesn’t end here. Year Three of the study will bring three more events into the fold: the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition 2024, the One Young World Summit 2024, and the GLOBExCHANGE 2025. A final report will be delivered in 2026, offering a comprehensive roadmap for future legacy planning.
Further, the study will evaluate the role of Canada’s International Convention Attraction Fund (ICAF) in fostering legacy planning, aligning with societal goals like sustainability and inclusivity, and advancing Canada’s position in the global events market.
As Virginie De Visscher puts it, “Events aligned with destination strengths unlock deeper sector impact. Collaboration across sectors drives innovation and resilience. Measuring beyond tourism metrics tells the real story of success.”
Each case study demonstrates that with clear intent, business events can transcend their immediate agendas, evolving into legacies in motion, shaping communities, sectors, and policies long after the final session concludes. We look forward to the final study report and hope these stories will inspire continued momentum and deeper impact across the industry.
Further Reading:
Report: Destination Canada Legacy & Impact Study | Insights Report – Year 2
Case Study #2: CitiesIPCC Cities and Climate Change Science Conference Case Study
Case Study #1: Insects to Feed the World: Do You Take Wine with Your Flies?
Introduction to Legacy & Impact Study: Destination Canada to Unveil Case Study #1 at IMEX
Article from Associations Now: The Vital Elements Business Events Need to Drive Lasting Legacies
