ICCA
How DMOs are shaping the next era of global meetings
DMOs are increasingly measured by how well they align events with local knowledge ecosystems, sustainability targets, and long‐term development goals.
ICCA CEO DR SENTHIL GOPINATH DISCUSSES ICCA’ S ROLE IN HELPING SHAPE A NEW SENSE OF‘ PLACE’ FOR EVENTS
D estination Management
Organisations( DMOs) have always been a key stakeholder in the international meetings landscape. Increasingly, their role is broader, more strategic, and more futurefacing. As economic priorities shift, technology accelerates, and expectations around sustainability and community impact intensify, ICCA’ s relationship with DMOs is evolving in ways that reflect the wider changes happening in the global events ecosystem itself.
A history of shared purpose When ICCA was founded in 1963, destinations were already recognised as much more than just venues; they were seen as strategic partners. The Mexico Tourist Board’ s membership in 1965, ICCA’ s first DMO member, set the tone. Ever since, destinations have been central to shaping the success – and legacy – of international association meetings.
Today, ICCA brings together hundreds of DMOs across nearly 100 countries, all united by a shared goal: to develop and nurture destinations that can host events with real scientific, social, and economic impact. In an increasingly competitive and interconnected world, this network is one of the most important channels through which knowledge, innovation, and best practices flow.
Knowledge exchange: The key to connection At ICCA, we support DMOs as they navigate a fast-moving industry, creating a space for destinations to examine the issues that matter most to their success: evolving sustainability standards, legacy planning, the impact of technology advancement, and changes in the association business model.
Workshops like the upcoming European Destination Management Business Workshop in Salzburg show this in action. These are not generic expos; they’ re curated environments where DMOs and associations can have thoughtful conversations about expectations, challenges, and opportunities.
One of the biggest transformations in destination management is the shift from simple tourism promotion toward real‘ place stewardship’. More and more, DMOs are tasked with economic development, knowledge growth, the creation of social value, and long‐term community impacts.
ICCA’ s research collaborations, such as our work with convention bureaus and universities to develop an association conference impact measurement tool, demonstrate the importance of this shift. The results of this research reinforces a reality many DMOs are already seeing: environmental responsibility and community impact are now core evaluation metrics for destinations. They’ re not‘ add‐ons’, but rather central aspects to how events justify their presence and how destinations measure success.
ICCA data shows that over 60 % of association meetings now include legacy or community‐impact objectives. This is an indication that destinations are being evaluated on much more than just venue capacity, and that
Above: Senthil Gopinath
A sector in motion The DMO of tomorrow will operate very differently from the DMO of the last decades. AI and digital tools are reshaping everything from business intelligence to community engagement. Cities are redefining their value propositions around long‐term place resilience, and associations expect destinations to align with key societal and scientific goals.
ICCA’ s role isn’ t to decide direction, but to support destinations as they navigate the many complexities. By highlighting trends and data, sharing emerging practices, and connecting professionals who might otherwise face challenges alone, ICCA helps strengthen the entire global business events ecosystem.
If the past few years have shown anything, it’ s that DMOs are no longer just about‘ place’. Instead, they can be seen as architects of global knowledge exchange, tasked with creating legacy for their communities – a challenge ICCA is ready to support. n
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