ICCA
Why the meetings industry needs to stop talking to itself
ICCA CEO SENTHIL GOPINATH ON THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT MATTERS TO POLICYMAKERS AND SPEAKING THEIR LANGUAGE
T he global business events
industry is very good at talking to itself.
At industry events, we discuss the value of meetings, the importance of destinations, the future of association congresses, technology and changing delegate expectations. We share ideas, discuss best practice and challenge each other.
That conversation matters, but it is no longer sufficient – especially if our industry is to move beyond its image of‘ event planners’ and achieve status as true advocates for the power of meetings and events to transform destinations and leave lasting impact on communities.
For me, effective advocacy is not simply about telling governments or policymakers how valuable our industry is. It is about understanding what matters to them, finding where business events contribute to those priorities, and being able to make that connection clearly.
A destination, for example, should not only say that hosting an international association meeting brings delegates and economic activity. It should be able to explain how that meeting can support the destination ' s wider priorities: strengthening international relationships, connecting local expertise with global knowledge, supporting research and innovation, or creating opportunities for future collaboration. And that requires a different kind of conversation. It is also something our members can learn by looking beyond their own markets. Both IBTM and the 2026 ICCA Congress in Panama provide opportunities to do exactly that.
At IBTM, we bring together destinations, associations, suppliers and other stakeholders from across the global business events ecosystem. That is an opportunity not simply to exchange business, but to listen to how others position the value of meetings to different audiences. How does a convention bureau speak to a mayor? How does an association demonstrate its contribution to a country ' s knowledge economy? What evidence makes a policymaker take notice?
These are advocacy lessons as much as they are business lessons.
The same applies to the ICCA Congress. The idea of‘ Crossing Worlds’ in Panama is about more than connecting people within the confines of our industry; it’ s about understanding the connections among communities, industries, economies and ideas. For leaders in this industry, that means looking at their own destinations differently: which are the sectors, institutions and policymakers that should be part of their story, and what shared priorities could bring them together?
Advocacy becomes much more powerful when it starts with those questions.
It also means being prepared to bring other voices into the conversation. A policymaker does not necessarily
Above: Dr Senthil Gopinath need another presentation about the size of the meetings industry. They need to understand what meetings can do for the priorities they are already trying to achieve.
This is the reason I believe our industry has an enormous opportunity.
We need to become better at translating what we do into the language of others. We need stronger evidence, better stories and more confidence in engaging outside the old familiar circles. And – maybe most importantly – we need to learn from one another.
Meetings and events have a compelling story to tell. But we should not spend all our time telling it to each other.
The real test of advocacy is what happens when we leave the conference hall, sit down with officials and decisionmakers, and make the case for why business events matter to the future of their destination, their economy and their communities. n
ISSUE 145 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 9