This Meetings International report is packed with thought-leadership articles on issues such as using Futurist techniques, implementing augmented analytics, the future role within Business Events strategies for Science Parks and Business Incubators, restating our industry’s value proposition via a catchy(?) new acronym, and how destinations are using events to reinvent their branding and market competitiveness.
Kai Hattendorf draws some worrying conclusions from his analysis of a high-level survey and White Paper on corporate meetings by ELX. Event teams want to act strategically, but without robust measurement, executive buy-in, or visible impact, they remain internal service providers, unable to unlock their events’ enormous full potential.
Boardroom’s Vicky Koffa explores how Kuala Lumpur is helping to change the global Business Events narrative from carbon costs to societal value and innovation: It is easy to see why business events have become a target in sustainability debates. Delegates flying in from across the globe, vast exhibition halls buzzing with activity…
Kai Hattendorf with a deep-dive into a sector he knows intimately, drawing out lessons that are of value to meeting professionals both within the trade show sector but also far more widely. Main takeaway: “Experiences, not Engines” drive success.
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.
CityNationPlace asserts that place leadership teams are prioritising socially conscious strategies, and highlights some of the important implications for destination branding and stakeholder engagement. It isn’t just within the Business Events sector where this perspective-shifting discussion is taking place: The days of chasing growth for growth’s sake are increasingly behind us…
Mark your calendars for 5 May 2026, when the next iteration of this global report is issued (superseding the 2023 edition) on Global Meetings Industry Day, the global advocacy programme championed by Events Industry Council. This is the most authoritative global estimate of “above the waterline” economic impact of event expenditure by delegates and organisers….
Founded by designer, author and pro speaker David McCandless, this website is dedicated to making sense of the world with graphics and data visuals. Packed with information on economics, social issues, business and trade, demographics, scientific progress and healthcare performance, it also provides great advice on how to turn your own data into compelling stories.
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.
This is a big move towards common ISO standards for events: industry association leaders should be reaching out to UFI CEO Chris Skeith, who’s been proposed as Inaugural Chair. Championed by UFI, managed by AFNOR (Association Française de Normalisation), the ISO Technical Committee on Events is a milestone in advancing international standards for the sector…
Trade show marketing contributes near $2 trillion to the worldwide economy. Trade Shows from One Country to the Next delves into the international differences when exhibiting products and services outside of your country of origin. The book focuses on the needed adjustments that must be made to achieve greater success communicating at a trade show.
ICCA and BestCities Global Alliance have announced the recipients and finalists of the 2025 Incredible Impacts Programme, which recognises associations delivering transformational impact through their events. One of the three finalists for the $20,000 USD Main Grant is the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) – World Rural Health Conference (Limerick, 2022). Conference Chair, and…
From Skift Meetings: The poor jobs reports of the past three months reflect what planners are seeing in the meetings industry — fewer jobs with more applicants. There’s growing number of green #OpenToWork circles on LinkedIn and posts from job hunters about their struggles trying to find work in the meetings industry…
Henley Business Centre Professors Andrew and Nada Kakabadse outline ways in which insights and data from local, frontline stakeholders are key for international associations to navigate turbulent times. Without systems for obtaining such input, Boards cannot navigate effectively. This applies particularly to international meetings, as key platforms for obtaining grassroots feedback and input into strategy.
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.
Leading global tourism and business events industry consulting firm, GainingEdge has announced that Steen Jakobsen will begin work as the company’s new CEO on September 1, 2025. Jakobsen has more than 25 years of international experience in the global tourism and business events industry. He served as Director of the Copenhagen Convention Bureau for 14…
From GatheringPoint.news, by David Adler: The events industry is the vast ecosystem behind conventions, trade shows, conferences, festivals, and brand experiences—a powerful engine that moves people, money, and ideas. As offices went hybrid and remote, these gatherings absorbed the social, professional, and even romantic collisions that used to happen at work…
The Events Industry Council (EIC) has launched the updated Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) exam, aligned with 2025 CMP International Standards. Enhancing global relevance, the revision adds domains on sustainability, technology integration, evaluation, and risk management, ensuring the CMP credential remains the benchmark for excellence in a rapidly evolving events industry.
This City/Nation/Place article highlights how economic development agencies and universities can best collaborate, but notably absent is the business/professional events sector, a key vector for such partnerships and for maximising collaborative impact: evidence that our industry still has far to go before earning a permanent seat among place leaders.
The US will impose sweeping import tariffs from 7th August, targeting key trade partners including Canada, China, and the EU. Trade shows face rising costs, disrupted logistics, and lost de minimis exemptions. While small to midsize exhibitors may pull back, committed firms see opportunities in maintaining visibility and adapting strategically. From Trade Show Executive…
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