Meetings professionals gathered in Belgium to discuss how destinations can help organisers create more impactful events and create greater resilience for the industry as a whole.
The VISITFLANDERS Convention Bureau, #MEET4IMPACT, and the Global Destination Sustainability Movement
(GDS-Movement) hosted the inaugural Impact Day at Saint
Magdalena's Church in Bruges, Belgium.
More than 120 participants from the conference and events
industry, representing Australia, North America, and Europe, gathered to examine
the question: how can conferences and events have lasting positive effects on
host communities and their residents?
The Impact Day highlighted innovative practices, leading
research, and collaborative approaches to maximising the social and
environmental value of conferences and events.
VISITFLANDERS Convention Bureau presented its framework and
methodology for creating impactful conferences. This four-step process aims
to help organisers measure and enhance the social impact of their events to benefit
local communities, the association, and the environment.
Other Impact Day highlights included presenting the impact
methodology - shifting the focus from 'more' to 'better' conferences, discussing impact funding and showcasing successful impact case
studies.
Throughout the day, participants learned about subvention (financial
grants from destination organisations) strategies and heard from experts in the
field.
Geneviève Leclerc, CEO and co-founder of #MEET4IMPACT said:
"We gathered with 120 of our industry peers, all focused on how we can
collectively enhance our impact and scale it. I’m incredibly excited that we’ve
opened a conversation about meaningful engagement with other ecosystems equally
dedicated to driving change for society and the planet. In this inaugural
event, we stepped outside our usual space, endorsing the role we can play as
agents of change—with the right partnerships and mindset."
Guy Bigwood, CEO, GDS-Movement added: "With the
challenges we face, it’s crucial that we become more strategic and collaborate
effectively to secure the funding needed to drive real change. Today marked an
important first step in the right direction."
What's next?
The conversation around impact is continuing this week during the
GDS-Forum and CityDNA Autumn Conference, which started on 15 October. The
event aims to ‘translate innovative ideas into regenerative action for
socio-economic and environmental prosperity in cities and regions’.
CityDNA, GDS-Movement, and Visit Bruges are partnering to
present this in-person event dedicated to enhancing cities' environmental and
socio-economic well-being.
