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REDEFINING THE IMPACT OF BUSINESS EVENTS: NEW REPORT REVEALS PLACE LEADERSHIP AT CORE OF IMEX POLICY FORUM (United States)
A new IMEX report reveals the behind-the-scenes advocacy efforts of the global meetings and events industry. |
Category: North America & West Indies / Carribean islands - United States - Exclusive experiences
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This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on friday 11 july 2025
 IMEX Policy Forum 2025
Photo credit © IMEX
The IMEX Policy Forum, held during IMEX Frankfurt in May, welcomed over 100 destination representatives and 20 policymakers from 30-plus countries. Together they discussed how to influence the future direction of business events through policy making and strategic destination management.
The Forum was moderated by Jane Cunningham, Director of European Engagement at Destinations International, and dialogue focused on the concept of Place Leadership—where strategic destination management and policy making are used to influence the future direction of business events.
Professor Greg Clark CBE FAcSS, internationally renowned global urbanist and key contributor to the Forum, explains in the report: “Business events and place leadership have become more important in the past 18 months. This is a moment of great geopolitical change. Our system of global economic organization is being reset—and that means more opportunity for more places.
“Place Leadership is not about selling the idea of business events—it’s about selling outcomes: more investment, more innovation, better infrastructure, and stronger communities. Business events are catalysts, concentrators, and accelerators. They’re a form of venture capital, if you think about it.”
The comprehensive report provides a high-level overview of the issues raised along with a wide range of proposed solutions and innovative strategic approaches.
Key insights
- In a fragmented world, Place Leadership requires permanent, multi-sector stakeholder coalitions that transcend temporary political cycles to ensure long-term vision and stability
- Destinations must align business events with their location’s broader socio-economic goals. That means reframing their value in terms of innovation, talent, and trade and moving beyond tourism metrics such as delegate spend
- The geopolitical reset offers a rare window of opportunity for destinations to strengthen their global relevance and investment appeal
- Climate action represents both a major challenge and also an opportunity for the business events sector to demonstrate leadership and innovation
Natasha Richards, IMEX’s Director of Impact & Industry Relations, is responsible for bringing together the annual Policy Forum.
She explains: “The Policy Forum was created to help business event professionals share the wide-reaching impact of their events and show how they can support policymaking priorities. It’s a core part of our mission to unite and advance the global events industry—doing everything we can to educate, innovate and advocate around the impact of events.
“This report demonstrates how our industry can learn to speak the same language as policymakers and be seen as accelerators of innovation and broader societal benefits.”
- The IMEX Policy Forum 2025 report can be downloaded here. To find out how to participate in next year’s Forum taking place Tuesday, May 19, 2026, email: policyforum@imexevents.com (quote subject line: PLACE)
- The theme of industry impact is explored further at IMEX America this October. A dedicated education track, Impact, covers ESG (environmental, social and governance), CSR and net zero, plus powerful, personal impact stories and ideas.
- Register here for IMEX America, October 7-9.
The IMEX Policy Forum, held at the Frankfurt Marriott Hotel, was organized in collaboration with the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC), City Destinations Alliance (City DNA), Destinations International, German Convention Bureau (GCB), the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), The Iceberg, and the U.S. travel Association, under the auspices of the Events Industry Council (EIC) and the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC).
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