How a conference held in 2014 is still having a positive impact

With sponsor fatigue, spiralling costs and commercial competition posing an existential threat to association meetings, one question is becoming increasingly salient: can conferences really leave a long-term legacy? Or are they just fleeting moments of connection and content?

In the face of growing delegate apathy, association leaders are grappling to define the value proposition of their events, and many are turning to the idea that conferences can and should have a lasting positive impact that extends beyond the walls of the convention centre.

One line of thinking is that the younger cohort of delegates would be more inspired to attend conferences if they felt that in doing so they were helping to tackle real world problems.

Now an event held 11 years ago is offering more evidence that the benefits of conferences can ripple outwards for years, even decades, after the closing ceremony.

In 2014, the 6th IUCN World Parks Congress brought 6,000 delegates to Sydney, from all over the world. Organised by professional congress organiser ICMS Australasia and secured by convention bureau BESydney, the event gathered conservationists, Indigenous leaders, policymakers, and donors in a collective effort to shape the future of protected areas.

The result was the Promise of Sydney, an international plan to strengthen biodiversity conservation through community empowerment, traditional knowledge, and sustainable funding models. A decade later, its impact is still unfolding.

One outcome is the enhancement of protection efforts for the Great Barrier Reef through the integration of Indigenous ecological knowledge. In Namibia, community conservancies born from discussions held at the conference are now empowering local populations to manage - and benefit from - wildlife conservation. Meanwhile, Costa Rica has scaled up its Payment for Ecosystems Services initiative, incentivising landowners to preserve natural forests and biodiversity.

"The long game is about planning for future outcomes—future hopes—and that has to be part of the pre-planning phase,” said Emma Bowyer, CEO of ICMS Australasia. “What we create can lead to greater long-term outcomes, often many years later.”

A more recent example of legacy takes us back to Melbourne, 2023.

The 26th Congress and General Assembly of the International Union of Crystallography, also managed by ICMS Australasia, brought together global scientists and students for a week of discovery and engagement. Beyond lectures and papers, the congress featured a Guinness World Record attempt: the world’s largest diamond crystal model, built by 500 school children.

School children received crystals to help spur interest in STEM subjects Photo Credit: Union of Crystallography

This month, 750 diamond crystal kits used during the event are being distributed to regional and remote schools across Australia and New Zealand. The initiative aims to ignite interest in STEM education among students far removed from the halls of academic institutions. From Alice Springs to the Chatham Islands, schools are eagerly awaiting kits that offer hands-on learning and a tangible connection to global science.

These stories are far from isolated anecdotes—they represent a growing movement in the international association sector. According to the Purpose Under Pressure: Global Association Trends in 2025 report by BestCities Global Alliance and Strategic Membership Solutions, 70 per cent of association leaders now rate creating long-term impact—whether environmental, societal, or policy-driven—as “extremely important.”

“The model is changing fast,” said report author Belinda Moore. “Associations still value in-person connection, but financial strain and changing delegate expectations are forcing them to rethink not just how they meet, but why they meet.”

Legacy, not location, is emerging as the new currency of value.

Fancy venues and attendance figures are being replaced by curated experiences, community engagement, and partnerships that extend far beyond the closing ceremony. As destinations and associations co-create purpose-driven outcomes, long-term impact is no longer a “nice to have”—it’s fast becoming a strategic imperative.

Industry advocacy group The Iceberg has taken the conversation a step further, launching “Iceberg 2.0”—an international movement to engage policymakers and elevate the recognition of business events as instruments of societal progress. It's 'Many voices, One Message' campaign aims to corral an army of business events advocates  - from scientists, doctors, engineers, business leaders - in cities around the world who can exert influence in the corridors of power.

Chair Gary Grimmer was succinct in his appraisal: “Any city that’s not using events as a strategy for their social advancement is a city that is missing out.”

The case studies from Sydney and Melbourne show that when meetings are designed with intention and legacy in mind, their benefits can extend across continents and generations. The business events industry, long seen as a driver of economic activity, is now proving itself as a force for long-lasting, positive change.

Written By

James Lancaster

AMI editor James Lancaster is a familiar face in the meetings industry and international association community. Since joining AMI in 2010, he has gained a reputation for asking difficult questions and getting lost in convention centres. Proofer, podcaster, and panellist - in his spare time, James likes to walk, read, listen to music, and drink beer.