IBTM World has announced the launch of IBTM Ignite, an initiative designed to connect start-ups with industry advisors and investors, providing space for early ideas and creative thinking. Over a hundred new start-ups representing sectors including event technology, sustainability, new event agency concepts, and inclusive talent sourcing businesses will take part in this year’s programme.
A planner’s guide to making a lasting mark on attendees, companies, communities, and the environment: In this report, Skift Meetings set out to provide insights, strategies, and real-world examples to empower planners to create events that not only meet objectives but also leave a lasting positive impact on their attendees, communities, and the planet.
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…
During the celebration, we will: Reveal the 2025 GDS-Index results, which are vetted, verified, correlated, and validated by our benchmarking assessors; Celebrate and recognise the Leadership, based on ranking, and Most Improved destinations, based on year-on-year improvement (independent of ranking); Share inspiring, real-world, recent stories of progress, innovation and collaboration from around the earth.
View this video interview of Guy Bigwood, CEO and Chief Changemaker with Global Destination Sustainability Movement, as part of the series “Travel Redefined: Tourism for People and Planet” by Content with Purpose and Global Sustainable Tourism Council, in which he urges destinations to start thinking and acting beyond sustainability and into regeneration.
When the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war forced the International Gas Union to move the 20th edition of the International Conference & Exhibition on Liquified Natural Gas from St Petersburg to Vancouver with only 14 months notice, no-one anticipated the invaluable addition of societal partnerships onto the conference agenda, enabling the event to communicate the…
Event sustainability organisation isla announced the findings of its latest report at the Made Possible Festival held in London’s Barbican Centre this May. With almost 1000 recent events adding to previous reports on almost 4000 events, including data from over 2700 supply chain companies, the report highlighted the key areas where our sector can make…
From BIZ + Leisure: Sarawak will take centre stage in the global scientific community with the 17th International Conference on Materials Processing and Characterisation (ICMPC 2025) from November 27-29, 2025. To be held at Imperial Hotel, Miri, this conference will bring together leading researchers, engineers, and academics from all over the world such as the…
By Guy Bigwood, CEO and Chief Changemaker, GDS-Movement: As destination leaders, we pride ourselves on adapting to change, crafting strategies that serve and protect people and places. The newly released and excellent 2025 DestinationNEXT Futures Study, developed through consultation with 537 participants from 36 countries, offers inspiration but, also, a warning. There’s much to applaud…
Three major legacy-related goals were achieved at this event: inspiring young people to consider careers in one of the growth industries of the future, encouraging informed multi-level discussion of the key issues from families to governments, and influencing policy at the European level. This Case Study forms part of Wonderful Copenhagen’s ‘Cases from Congresses’ series,…
In a time when certifications and indexes dominate the sustainability narrative, this whitepaper invites destination leaders to look deeper—beyond metrics and toward meaningful, transformative strategies. Drawing on 20 expert interviews, survey data and real-life insights from frontrunner cities like Helsinki and Gothenburg, it challenges DMOs to use frameworks as tools—not as finish lines.
This White Paper produced by VivaCITY (a partnership between CityDNA and Simpleview / Granicus) examines the role, benefits and limitations of sustainability indices and certifications. With evolving EU regulation raising expectations and challenging both local policymakers and destination management professionals on destination sustainability standards and performance, this paper argues that these concepts are not ends…
VisitBritain’s updated Delegate Spend Report reveals that 62% of all delegates on average intend to return to the city where the event is held, and 47% intend to return to invest or grow business relationships, encouraging sector growth. You can learn more about the findings / download the full report here…
Last month, The Iceberg shared its introduction to three case studies of how the GDS-Award winning city is activating the attraction of business events to advance social, societal, and economic transformation, destination development, and positive change. “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do,” claimed Katarina Thorstensson, Head of Sustainability at the city’s destination…
In this episode of The Meeting Room Podcast: Out of Office, industry leaders discuss sustainability, innovation, and tourism. Edward Koh of the Singapore Tourism Board highlights Singapore’s net-zero roadmap and sustainable MICE initiatives. Matthew Burgess previews the World Design Congress at London’s Barbican, showcasing sustainable event planning. Stephanie Tan Pure unveils Macau’s transformation with The…
From Boardroom: As the European Green Deal is shaping various sectors in the continent, associations need to step up their game for advocacy and actively lead their sectors towards transformation. Few have risen to that challenge with the clarity and collaborative ambition of the European Boating Industry (EBI), which has just been awarded the 2025…
A wave of directives – including the CSRD, ECGTD, and GCD – will set bold new standards for sustainability, transparency, and trust in tourism. But these aren’t just legal hurdles. They’re a chance to lead. Join GDS-Movement and the European Travel Commission (ETC) for a vital webinar that shows how destinations can move from compliance…
A wave of directives – including the CSRD, ECGTD, and GCD – will set bold new standards for sustainability, transparency, and trust in tourism. But these aren’t just legal hurdles. They’re a chance to lead. Join GDS-Movement and the European Travel Commission (ETC) for a vital webinar that shows how destinations can move from compliance…
Transform the way you deliver events… Two 6-week online courses, curated by isla, and designed to support you on your journey to become an expert in delivering sustainable events – one for beginners (The Sustainable Events Course) and one for those looking to further their existing knowledge (The Advanced Sustainable Events Course), in line with…
Destination Canada’s Legacy & Impact Study examines the lasting economic, social and environmental impacts of up to 16 business events held across Canada between 2018 and 2024. This case study highlights the legacy of the CitiesIPCC Cities and Climate Change Science Conference, which inspired cutting-edge urban climate science research in Edmonton and beyond. …
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