At their IMEX press conference in Frankfurt, Destination Canada and #MEET4IMPACT presented this extended summary of the findings from the multi-year, multi-event Canadian Legacy & Impact Study, focusing on the key drivers of long-term impact, the critical success factors that determine whether impact strategies will be effective, and the wide range of tactical legacy drivers…
Founder and Chair of the Centre for Events and Festivals, Dr Mike Duignan provides academic credibility to the recently released Canadian Legacy & Impact Study Final Report, stating, “This is a simple but rigorous framework of legacy drivers.” Duignan argues that there is a critical need for alignment between governments, DMOs, event owners and organisers,…
This paper summarises the Legacy Event Advocacy Policy Summit 2025 and explains the significance of the Borneo Legacy Declaration as a strategic framework for advancing sustainable development, legacy creation, and policy integration through business events, highlighting how the Declaration aligns with sustainability and legacy theories, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and Sarawak’s long-term development agenda.
In a conversation with Guy Bigwood, the GDS-Forum 2026 emerges as a reflection of the meetings industry’s shift from ambition to accountability. Highlighting themes such as impact measurement, destination stewardship and regenerative development, the GDS-Movement CEO argues that stakeholders are increasingly demanding evidence of progress rather than sustainability pledges alone. From HQ Magazine…
Global Destinations Sustainability Movement (GDS-Movement) revealed the winners of Innovation, Impact, and new Changemaker Awards, recognising leading destinations driving positive transformation across the tourism and events sectors, during the GDS-Awards Ceremony, held as part of the GDS-Forum and Impact Day in Szczecin, Poland.
#MEET4IMPACT is challenging destinations to rethink their role in the business events ecosystem, arguing that DMOs must move beyond promotion and become active facilitators of long-term social impact. In a conversation with their Consultant Made Raie, the organisation highlights the growing importance of legacy, community engagement and impact measurement for positive change. From HQ Magazine…
From Māori-led programming to youth-led declarations, New Zealand’s conferences are shaped by values as much as venues. In M&C Asia’s latest cover story on legacy in business events, Penelope Ryan, Tourism New Zealand Global Manager Business Events, explains how the country deliberately engineers long-term legacy across every event it hosts.
#MEET4IMPACT’s Geneviève Leclerc summarises Destination Canada’s Legacy and Impact Study with four key conclusions: impact moves like a chain reaction; inclusion isn’t a programme, it is architecture; impact doesn’t scale by accident; frameworks are not documents, they are the architecture of intention. From #MEET4IMPACT…
Destination Canada’s three-year Legacy & Impact Study highlights the long-term economic, social and environmental benefits of major events hosted in Canada. This case study examines how the 11th International Conference on Isotopes (ICI) leveraged Saskatoon’s nuclear expertise to respond to instability in global isotope supply, vital to healthcare and food security worldwide. The…
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…
This is the Edinburgh International Conference Centre’s (EIC) third annual Impact Report. This time, they decided to look at environmental, social and economic impacts together. The report doesn’t just track what happened inside the EICC, it reflects what events should do: create lasting value beyond the venue, the people who visit and the events themselves.
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 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 helped bring the congress’s 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.
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.
This second edition globe survey is being conducted in collaboration with IAPCO, AIPC, AMCI, IFES and PCMA, to understand how the business events sector is being impacted by the current geopolitical and economic environment. Deadline for submissions is 10 April 2026!
ICCA CEO Dr Senthil Gopinath argues that a projected doubling of business events sector value by 2035 makes it more imperative than ever to communicate the societal value of events to policymakers. Their role in setting visa regimes, air travel regulations, infrastructure development and destination development strategies will determine whether this growth projection transpires.
From its pioneering beginnings in 1983 to a world-class event hosting thousands, AIME has grown into a powerhouse for connection and collaboration. AIME 2026 brought together industry leaders, associations, and innovators to spark over 25,000 meaningful conversations in just two days. Beyond meetings, it is a catalyst for ideas, partnerships, and economic growth—driving opportunities across…
Ireland celebrated the success of 109 Conference Ambassadors at the most recent CARA (Conference Ambassadors Recognition Awards) gala evening in Dublin, recognising academics and business leaders who were responsible for attracting major international association meetings to the country during the years 2023 and 2024. Highlights of the evening were two Spotlight Awards, for Sustainability and…
Dr Emma Delaney analyses some key issues regarding subventions and other financial incentives, drawing from the perspective of PCOs. Amongst her conclusions: flexible, co-created incentive packages are more effective than rigid, conditional offers, and when aligned with a destination’s goals, incentives can facilitate sustainable, inclusive and high-quality conferences and stronger societal impact. From CEF…
Dr Senthil Gopinath, CEO, ICCA, articulates the case for why and how we can change external perceptions of the business events sector amongst audiences beyond our own “bubble”. He argues the industry must speak with a stronger, unified narrative that highlights business events as drivers of knowledge exchange, innovation, economic growth and long-term societal impact.
Riding on its strongest performance to date, Business Events Sarawak is leading a nationwide conversation to strengthen Malaysia’s business events ecosystem through a legacy-focused approach aligned with national development priorities, uniting government agencies, associations, academia, industry leaders and media across Kuching, Sibu, Miri, Bintulu, Kuala Lumpur and Penang. From Meetings International…
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