Learning and discussion at Smart Monday ahead of IMEX America 2026. Image source: IMEX’s press release. Singapore’s contribution to IMEX America’s inclusion discussions offers association leaders a practical example of bringing underrepresented stakeholders into the programme and giving informal engagement more room. IMEX America, Las Vegas, USA — Singapore’s approach to inclusive congress design came into focus during Smart Monday at IMEX America, with an example linking stakeholder participation directly to conference content. Carrie Kwik, Executive Director, Conventions, Meetings and Incentive Travel at Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau, described how an International Farmers Network Forum brought small-scale farmers into the […]

The Canadian Circular Economy Summit 2025 features in Business Events Montréal’s ImpactAIQ case studies. Image source: Tourisme Montréal. An AI platform introduced around IMEX America offers associations a way to connect congress ambitions with evidence of change, raising practical questions about how impact is planned, measured and communicated. IMEX America, Las Vegas, USA — A new event impact platform being introduced at IMEX America is addressing a question familiar to association boards: what does a congress achieve after delegates leave? ImpactAIQ, co-led by #MEET4IMPACT and Gevme, is designed to help event and destination leaders plan intended outcomes and assemble evidence […]

Launched at IMEX America, the Events Industry Council’s Pathways initiative connects career discovery, skills development, professional credentials and mentorship, offering associations and employers a framework for building a sustainable workforce. IMEX America, Las Vegas, USA — The Events Industry Council (EIC) has launched Pathways, a workforce initiative designed to help people enter, develop and sustain careers in the global business events industry. Announced at IMEX America in Las Vegas on 13 October, the initiative brings programmes, resources and partnerships into a connected strategy spanning four career stages: Discover, Develop, Advance and Lead. Its significance extends beyond recruitment. Pathways positions workforce […]

The 2026 Incentive Travel Index reports higher spending per participant alongside widespread disruption from geopolitical instability, providing fresh context for destination bureaux and the meetings ecosystem. IMEX America, Las Vegas, USA — Incentive travel spending is increasing even as geopolitical instability complicates destination decisions, according to the 2026 Incentive Travel Index presented during IMEX America week. The study draws on 2,017 professionals across 83 countries. SITE’s published summary reports spending per person increasing by 7.8% to $5,500, while 60.5% of respondents say geopolitical instability is already disrupting the destinations they use. Produced by SITE Foundation and the Incentive Research Foundation […]

A renewed agreement supports a larger exhibition portfolio in Singapore, creating potential points of engagement for associations in mobility, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and environmental services. SINGAPORE — The Singapore Tourism Board and Messe Berlin have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen the organiser’s presence in Singapore and Asia Pacific, extending a partnership that began with ITB Asia in 2008. Announced on 25 September, the agreement covers business development, digitalisation and sustainability, talent and manpower development, and experience development. It supports Singapore’s Tourism 2040 ambition to triple receipts from meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions. Messe Berlin’s existing Singapore portfolio comprises ITB […]

New international research suggests global instability is no longer an occasional disruption for meeting organisers but an increasingly important factor in destination selection and event planning. SWITZERLAND — Nearly three-quarters of organisations surveyed by IAPCO say global conflicts are affecting their ability to plan or host international meetings, highlighting the growing influence of geopolitical risk on the association events sector. The 2026 Global Socio-Political Impact Survey, led by IAPCO with AIPC, AMC Institute, IFES, ICCA and PCMA, collected responses from 130 organisations. Some 73.84% reported that global conflicts had affected their ability to plan or host international meetings, compared with […]

Association clients increasingly expect their PCOs to deliver more than flawless logistics. IAPCO’s latest industry publication points to a role that encompasses strategy, community, impact, and risk. SWITZERLAND – The Professional Congress Organiser has traditionally been the partner associations turn to when a congress needs to work — registration, accommodation, venues, suppliers, budgets, speakers and countless other operational details. That job description is expanding. The latest edition of The PCO, published by the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO), focuses on what it calls “The Evolving Role of the PCO: Meeting Tomorrow’s Client Needs.” IAPCO observes that clients increasingly […]

TCEB’s new MICE Super Platform signals a broader shift in the role of convention bureaux — from promoting destinations to providing the digital infrastructure connecting buyers, suppliers, and business intelligence. THAILAND – Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau is repositioning itself from a provider of industry information to what it calls a “digital infrastructure builder” with the launch of its new MICE Super Platform. The initiative transforms TCEB’s existing MICE Intelligence Center into a broader digital environment, bringing together data, business insights and digital services through a single sign-on. Launched under the theme “Digital by Design, Data by Default”, the platform […]

A senior mentor can open doors, but simply making the connection does not guarantee development. ULI Singapore’s Young Leaders Group offers a different model: define the mentee’s development need first, then build the mentoring relationship around it. SINGAPORE — Most association mentorship programmes follow a familiar structure: match a younger member with a senior one and assume that proximity to experience will produce development. Urban Land Institute (ULI) Singapore’s Young Leaders Group takes a different approach, and the distinction is worth examining. The ULI Singapore YLG Mentorship Programme, running from April to October 2026, asks applicants to choose one of […]

Publishing a remuneration figure may satisfy a disclosure requirement, but it does not necessarily tell stakeholders whether leadership pay is justified. Singapore’s latest Directorship Report highlights why meaningful transparency requires more than a number — it requires clarity on how pay is structured, linked to performance and ultimately determined. Singapore — More than two years after SGX made individual director remuneration disclosure mandatory for listed companies, the Singapore Institute of Directors has found that while compliance has more than doubled, a meaningful gap remains between disclosing a number and providing the information stakeholders need to assess whether leadership is being […]

While the 17th IHPBA World Congress in Singapore is yet to convene, important questions remain about the long-term governance, resourcing, accountability, and measurement of its liver-cancer equity legacy project.  SINGAPORE — Before the 17th IHPBA World Congress opens at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre on 28‑31 October 2026, its organisers face a question that extends beyond the meeting: who will continue its liver cancer equity project after delegates leave? A US$5,000 seed grant, announced by ICCA and BestCities on 27 August, provides an opportunity to examine how congress ambitions become lasting programmes. The planned work includes regional equity forums, an assessment framework […]

Many association events claim net-zero credentials, yet few offer transparent data on genuine carbon reduction, offset methodology and real-world costs. Using the TGO-verified GSTC2026 Phuket conference as a forensic case study, this article unpacks the actual operational and financial requirements for credible net-zero event certification and assesses whether small associations can replicate the model. PHUKET, Thailand — GSTC2026’s recognition as a Net Zero Event by Thailand’s Greenhouse Gas Management Organisation provides an opportunity to examine what sits behind such a designation—and what other association event planners would need to replicate it. Hosted across two central Phuket venues, the four-day conference […]