Meetings industry
leaders have met with European policymakers in Brussels to push the case for
the lasting positive impact of international conferences and events.
The EU Dialogue event - 'Driving Positive Change in the Meetings Industry' - gathered delegates to explore how meetings can advance the EU's objectives in the coming years.
They include: fostering a resilient economy, embracing digital transformation, promoting a green, fair, and social Europe, and advocating European interests and values on the international stage.
EU Dialogue attendee and visit.brussels CEO Patrick Bontinck said: “Everyone is talking about positive impact. The conference demonstrated what this term means for the meetings industry.
"We now have a clear idea of how the sector can contribute to organising events that highlight the advantages of a destination, its intellectual capital, and its infrastructure.
“This event also highlighted the fact that we should speak more of the visitor economy rather than just 'tourism,' as this term more fully encompasses and represents the entire ecosystem.”
James Rees, President of JMIC, highlighted the essential role of the business events sector in facilitating exchanges and solutions for today's challenges.
“The business events sector builds and operates the marketplaces and meeting places for various industries to gather, exchange ideas, and create solutions for the pressing challenges we face today. This event aimed to raise awareness about the industry's broad impact and its potential for further development.”
The EU Dialogue event also underscored the urgent need for centralised data to demonstrate the positive societal impact of meetings and events.
“In the discussions about statistics and data, it became clear, once more, that the business events and exhibition sector is fragmented and complex, which is reflected in a multitude of data and studies produced by the sector itself and a striking lack of representation in any official statistics,” said David Boon, UFI European chapter chair for the European Exhibition Industry Alliance (EEIA).
“In order to be visible to and recognised by governments and policymakers on all levels, it needs a clear presence with some basic data in official national, European and global statistics.”
Organised by visit.brussels in partnership with JMIC, City Destinations Alliance (CityDNA), and EEIA, the EU Dialogue event served as a platform for industry leaders to unite and address key challenges and opportunities in the meetings industry.
