The ICCA Pharma Compliance Training takes place for the first time in December 2026, bringing together representatives of medical and pharmaceutical associations for two intensive days of learning, exchange and best‑practice sharing in Düsseldorf, a dynamic healthcare and life sciences hub. Open to association professionals who are event leads and meet the criteria.
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In 2016, Alicia Yao became the Chief editor of Association Innovative Development, a quarterly magazine owned by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, China Association for Non-Profit Organization (CANPO) for the executives of over 2,300 China National level associations. In 2018, She co-founded China Business Event Industry Committee (CBEIC) jointly with CCPIT-CSC and serves as its…
Organised by the Association of Association Executives, the Associations World Congress took place in Portugal this year, setting up camp at the Lagoa Congress Centre and the Tivoli Carvoeiro Algarve Resort for three days of debate, collaboration, and an industry doing some serious reckoning with its own future. From Boardroom…
Deanna Varga, CEO & Founder of Mayvin Global, has published a series of three follow-up White Papers to her COVID and Association Toolkit papers for association leaders. The overall theme is Mission and Margin, with three strategic areas of attention: Financial Sustainability, Mitigating Risk and Innovating for Growth. Varga notes that associations frequently struggle to…
Drawing on decades of experience representing associations, Thomas Reiser argues the most successful destinations are no longer simply selling venues and hotel rooms; they are becoming strategic partners that help associations advance their missions, connect with local expertise and create lasting impact. Stronger collaboration between associations and destinations has never been more important.
Held alongside the 2026 European Congress on Gynaecological Oncology, the ESGO Legacy event convened leading experts, policymakers, patient advocates and industry representatives in Copenhagen to advance sustainable improvements in women’s cancer care. “Imagine a Europe where your address no longer determines your survival,” outgoing ESGO Vice-President Associate Professor Maja Pakiz said as she opened the…
From Associations Commons, by Peng Ee Ooi: By every traditional measure, IFAT Munich 2026 is already a success story. The 2026 edition runs from May 4–7, 2026, celebrating its 60th anniversary, the event features 3,400 exhibitors and attracted 142,000 visitors from 170 countries, utilizing 300,000 square meters of space to showcase advancements in water, sewage,…
In conjunction with Gothenburg hosting the AC Forum Annual Meeting 2026, Gothenburg Convention Bureau and AC Forum collaborated to design a joint impact project. The initiative aims to strengthen the destination’s understanding of international associations and their meetings, build local capacity to attract and host international congresses more effectively, and foster stronger partnerships with associations.
Citizen engagement was the prime objective of this initiative by the European Network of Living Labs, who transformed Andorra la Vella’s main square into a conference space, earning them the Event Innovation Award at the European Association Awards 2026. A great example for other associations aiming to break out of their traditional “bubble”. From Boardroom…
With over half the population and rapidly evolving industries, Asia-Pacific is poised to shape the future of many sectors. PCMA’s Kelly Ricker (Chair, Board of Directors), and Sheriff Karamat (President & CEO) assert that APAC is entering a phase where it can redefine what associations and their meetings are meant to do. From Association Commons…
Organisers of Masterclass Zurich 2026 – Vaginal Birth, hosted by the Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Zurich, created a public-centred initiative designed to bring specialist knowledge into the city. while the congress gathered around 200 physicians, specialists, and midwives, mainly from the DACH region, the accompanying legacy project aimed to reach residents directly. From Boardroom…
The spike in the price of airline fuel has raised the stakes for international associations wondering where to hold their next annual congress. For organisations used to the familiar tread of rotation patterns and long-term planning cycles, the impact of higher airfares on budgets and congress attendance is another factor to throw into the mix.
In April, Lagos became a meeting point for the global childhood cancer community, hosting the CCI Africa Annual Conference 2026, held alongside the SIOP Africa 2026 Congress. Government representatives, civil society organisations, medical institutions, researchers, survivors, families, and strategic partners gathered to improve quality of care, quality of life, and childhood cancer outcomes. From CCI…
The congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis demonstrates the impact of Barcelona Convention Bureau’s Legacy Programme, where intentional impact planning brought scientific advances closer to patients, encouraging their participation in research, whilst educating Barcelona’s business community about stigma around MS and building more inclusive workplaces. From Boardroom…
Associations have only a few weeks left to prepare and submit entries for this year’s programme, with US$25,000 in grants on offer. Co-organised by BestCities Global Alliance and ICCA, Incredible Impacts encourages associations to share the innovative ways in which their meetings generate societal value, locally and nationally where the meeting takes place, or worldwide.
As geopolitical instability continues, organisers are under growing pressure to respond quickly, communicate clearly and reassure clients when disruption strikes. Boardroom’s Vicky Koffa interviews Kenes Group CEO Ora Lahav on why crisis readiness should no longer be treated as an occasional capability, but needs to become part of an international event organiser’s everyday operating mindset.
Boardroom’s Vicky Koffa and Remi Deve summarise the key issues, opportunities and challenges discussed at the recent EAS 2026, all of which provide vital insights for business events suppliers and destinations interested in better understanding the current thinking and priorities of their association clients. An important conclusion: collaboration has become a strategic necessity.
ICCA CEO Dr Senthil Gopinath argues that despite all today’s geopolitical pressures, associations can still remain both neutral and resilient. But what they have to accept is that disruption, uncertainty and ongoing threats are the “new normal”, not anomalies that will swiftly pass on by. From Boardroom…
International association meetings can find themselves in the frontline when geopolitical conflicts erupt. This Boardroom feature by Pamela Wilton explores the implications of key risk factors, illustrates why associations can no longer argue that they are “apolitical by nature”, and outlines how to build a geopolitical resilience framework.
This White Paper from MayvinGlobal association consultancy contains a case study on the journey undertaken by the Australian Business Events community to create a unified industry body, the Australian Business Events Association (ABEA) in 2023, to ensure the sector had an authoritative voice that would be taken seriously by national government and other policymakers.
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