UFI is delighted to announce that the 94th UFI Global Congress will be held in the dynamic and welcoming city of Guadalajara, Mexico. Hosted by the Guadalajara Convention and Visitors Bureau, this flagship global event will once again unite exhibition industry leaders from across the world for four days of collaboration, innovation, and strategic dialogue.
The Forum gives emerging professionals a genuine voice — and a seat at the table — empowering them to challenge assumptions, share bold ideas and help shape the future of our industry. This event is open to ICCA members, Observers association executives, and students of any age, though priority will be given to Young Professionals.
In August, the Louder Together “congrestival” will take place in Antwerp, combining a conference and festival where children, young people and teaching artists from around the world convene in a lively mix of theatre festival and scientific conference, with a clear ambition to create societal impact. From Flanders Convention Bureau…
Copenhagen’s life science congresses are being asked to do more than convene international specialists. Through Valuable Meetings, a MeetDenmark project supported by the Danish Board of Business Development, the city is exploring how congresses can become active platforms for sector development, connecting global associations with Danish research, healthcare, companies and innovation networks. From Boardroom…
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…
When the 76th International Astronautical Congress convened at ICC Sydney in 2025, Sydney became host of one of the world’s most strategically charged sectors. Space agencies, governments, scientists, engineers, commercial suppliers, students and the public gathered in Darling Harbour at a congress that reflected the ambition and complexity of the global space economy. From Boardroom…
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Silvano joined Congrex Switzerland in 2010 and is a member of the company’s senior management team. He leads the Marketing, Sales, Communications and Sustainability divisions. His career began in the hospitality sector, and he has since accumulated more than twenty years of experience in the business events industry. Congrex Switzerland is one of Europe’s leading…
The value of a congress is increasingly assessed beyond attendance figures or immediate economic return – its significance lies in its capacity to reshape ecosystems, accelerate knowledge circulation, and anchor territories within global networks of influence. The SRS Annual Meeting 2025, hosted in Strasbourg, offers a particularly instructive example of this shift.
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…
The Paris je t’aime Convention Bureau and Choose Paris Region recently jointly launched the Guichet Unique Grands Événements, a one-stop portal for major events. One team, one contact, one voice for events of 500 participants or more – across association congresses, corporate events and agency-led programmes.
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 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 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.
Three of the world’s leading events and exhibition associations have joined forces to unite and strengthen their European advocacy work under a single body: the European Events and Exhibition Industry Alliance (EEEIA). The move expands the existing European Exhibition Industry Alliance (EEIA), founded by EMECA and UFI in 2012, to formally incorporate ICCA…
The Autism Europe Congress 2025 in Dublin was more than a gathering of global experts – it marked a decisive shift in how events can be designed, delivered, and experienced when inclusion is not an add-on, but the foundation. That shift began long before the doors of the RDS opened in September 2025. When Fáilte…
Whether extending trade from exhibition halls into production floors, or grounding conference insights in real-world settings, factory access is playing a bigger role in MICE programmes. In sectors such as electric vehicles, robotics, aerospace and precision engineering, access to factories is important in driving programme differentiation, providing privileged insights and cementing economic positioning. From M&C/ASIA…
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.
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…
In a vote of confidence for the positive societal and economic impact of Business Events, C$15 million has been earmarked over the next three years to help attract events in strategically important sectors. Administered by Destination Canada, ICAF has helped secure 116 international conventions, generating C$803.3 million in direct economic impact and supporting 6,692 jobs.
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