BestCities
BestCities Global Forum puts culture at the core of meetings
CULTURAL INTEGRATION IS A STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE FOR EVENTS, THE BESTCITIES GLOBAL FORUM HEARD – AND SAW – IN GUADALAJARA IN FEBRUARY.
A cross the Americas,
meetings and conventions are evolving. No longer limited to hotel ballrooms and exhibition halls, association events are working closely with host cities to integrate local culture and community into every session, keynote, and breakout. This transformation was on full display at the BestCities Global Forum, held in Guadalajara, Mexico, 5-8 February, 2026.
Guadalajara as the stage, not just the host The BestCities Global Forum brought together representatives from 13 member cities, association leaders, media, and speakers – but Guadalajara wasn’ t just the setting, it was central to the event’ s lasting impact.
Each day invited delegates to experience a new element of Guadalajara’ s character. Sessions unfolded in some of the city’ s most iconic landmarks, including UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Teatro Degollado, a neoclassical theatre, and Hospicio Cabañas, a former hospital and orphanage. While the venues impressed with their grand architecture and historical importance, they also added valuable context, inspiring deeper conversation and exchange of ideas.
Culture and community at the core Local identity shaped the agenda from beginning to end. Delegates were treated to performances of Jarabe Tapatío – Mexico’ s iconic‘ Hat Dance’
with roots in Guadalajara – and live mariachi. At Expo Guadalajara, a sustainability-themed scavenger hunt turned a standard site tour into a hands-on exploration of green features and innovative design.
Even small touches made a big impression. Delegates were welcomed with cookies baked by local entrepreneur Marisa Lazo, and received hand-beaded lanyards made by Wixárica artisans. One keynote shared her story in Spanish – with BestCities partner Snapsight using its proprietary tech to translate her words in real-time via audio and on-screen captions.
Sustainability and local industry anchored many of the conversations.
Above: A trip to the theatre, Jalisco style
Left: Destination Vancouver. Zenna Wong Photo. – where neurorehabilitation was tied with snow sports
A case study on Intermoda, Latin America ' s largest fashion trade show, illustrated how regional events can influence global practice. Meetings held at heritage venues like Hacienda El Carmen, a former colonial estate, showed that strategy and setting can – and should – go hand-in-hand.
The message: culture is strategy From excursions to nearby communities like Tequila and Tlaquepaque, to the use of electric carriages for transportation, the BestCities Global Forum sent a clear message: cultural integration isn’ t a nice-to-have; it’ s a strategic imperative. When events collaborate with a city instead of merely occupying its spaces, connections become deeper and legacy grows stronger.
Other cities are embracing this model, too. In Washington, DC, the AIJA 63rd International Young Lawyers’ Congress paired its programming with a Human Rights Run along the National Mall and dinners hosted by local attorneys in their homes. Meanwhile, the AVMA Convention 2025 and 40th World Veterinary Association Congress brought conservation themes to life through birding tours at the National Zoo and youth outreach initiatives like‘ Vet for a Day’.
Vancouver offers another example. Destination Vancouver designed a 2025 f familiarisation programme that tied neurorehabilitation discussions to adaptive snow sports during the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025. Delegates didn’ t just sit on panels; they skied alongside Paralympians and spoke with clinicians on the slopes.
These aren’ t isolated cases. They’ re part of a growing trend: meetings enhanced by local context, designed with intention, and driven by deep collaboration between associations, destinations, and local suppliers. The Forum in Guadalajara marks a defining moment in this evolution: a model where culture isn’ t an add-on, but the foundation itself. n
ISSUE 141 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 23