Following the killing of a major cartel leader on February 22, the US Embassy and Consulates in Mexico issued a shelter-in-place order for Puerto Vallarta, Punta Mita, and Riviera Nayarit, triggering security concerns and widespread travel disruptions. The advisory has since been lifted, but repercussions are being felt across the events industry. From Skift Meetings…
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…
Ottawa Tourism and Invest Ottawa highlight their growing partnership to attract high-value international conferences and events, supported by the Think Ottawa program and Destination Canada’s International Convention Attraction Fund. With Ottawa’s strengths across aerospace, defence and security, cybersecurity and AI, the destination team is building a future pipeline of business events aligned with these sectors.
Experienced sustainability practitioner and impact consultant Jessica Vandy takes issue with the inappropriate and reputation-damaging misuse of sustainability terminology such as “regenerative”, a slowly growing trend that she argues is infiltrating event websites, venue brochures and destination marketing. Credibility and trust are essential attributes, and sloppy use of language is putting these at risk.
Roy Ying says Hong Kong and cities across Greater Bay will reap benefits after visits by UK and Canadian leaders to Beijing. High-level diplomacy resulted in extending visa-free travel, leading to opportunities for MICE organisers, and marking the latest milestone in a sweeping national strategy to open China’s doors wider to the world. From MIX…
The event industry does not lack expertise; it lacks a system that turns thousands of successfully delivered events, research, and thought leadership into accumulated professional knowledge that helps us continually improve how events are planned, delivered, and evaluated. Prof Mike Duignan sets out a pragmatic framework to solve this fundamental challenge.
Scotland’s capital is set to become the first city in the UK to fund its convention bureau through a mandatory tourist tax – or ‘visitor levy’ – in what could herald the start of major changes to how cities across the country attract business events and conference tourism. From M&IT…
Industry leaders warn that new screening requirements for travelers to the US from countries in the Visa Waiver Program could mean higher costs, lost business, and meetings moving to other countries. Event planners remain hopeful that changes applying to business travelers will either be dialed back or get caught up in red tape. From Skift…
As the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics approach the final stretch, they are not just inspiring a world of aspiring athletes; they are also a key driver of revenue and a factor lifting projections for European event agencies. Executives at four major European event agencies told Skift Meetings they’re planning for a strong year ahead…
Following the ruling by the US Supreme Court that tariffs introduced under the auspices of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act are unconstitutional, the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance described the decision as “welcome news for the business and professional events industry” which has faced mounting costs and prolonged uncertainty as a result of the tariffs.
European city destination leaders gathered in Barcelona in February for the 19th CityDNA CEO Meeting. Hosting the meeting in Barcelona was symbolic – few cities have more visibly navigated the political, social and structural pressures surrounding urban tourism. European destination CEOs addressed a central reality: the role of the Destination Management Organisation has fundamentally evolved.
Timed to recognise the founding of the world’s first destination organisation on February 19, 1896, in Detroit, Michigan, this worldwide advocacy event recognises the leaders and organisations that drive tourism, economic growth and community vitality. Greetings by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and state Governors of Illinois and Wyoming were amongst many messages of support.
Following its traditional evolutionary approach to destination sustainability metrics, the Global Destination Sustainability Movement has focused on consolidation, precision and alignment with global sustainability frameworks, enabling the Index to function even more effectively as a rigorous improvement-in-performance programme for destinations around the world.
The “ESID EHA SIOPE Focused Symposium 2025” started a new chapter in collaborative thinking for these three European associations. As more and more associations find themselves dealing with complex issues that are relevant to the Missions and expertise of other associations, this excellent case study helps understand not only why such collaboration is valuable, but…
From Meeting Newz: Research released at the newly opened New Zealand International Convention Centre highlights the significant contribution that multi-day conferences and business events make to New Zealand. The report, resulting from a 12-month study in conjunction with Business Events Industry Aotearoa, showed that in 2025, the sector delivered $925M in economic and productivity contributions.
ECA highlights the impact of the latest (third!) DHS shutdown that started on 14 February, especially on critical Transportation Security Administration, who will be working without pay again. As many take up second jobs to pay their bills, security checkpoint lines are forced to close, leading to longer wait times and more missed flights.
Northstar Meetings Group has collaborated with industry experts isla to create unique online learning courses for event organisers, one for beginners (The Sustainable Events Course) and one for those looking to further their existing knowledge (The Advanced Sustainable Events Course). Watch and learn at a pace suited to you with these on-demand courses.
The launch of the MeetEngland Impact Network at Sheffield’s Cutlers’ revealed why intellectual capital is one of England’s biggest advantages on the international business events stage. It was a genuinely significant industry moment — not just another announcement, but the start of something that could reshape England’s global competitiveness. From M&IT…
Dr Emma Delaney from the University of Surrey explains how the “psychic income paradigm”, a concept well established in sports events, offers a credible way to capture the overlooked social and emotional value that is delivered by business events. From Centre for Events & Festivals…
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