he 60 ^th ICCA Congress has laid out an important education programme and a world-class speaker line up for its dates in Cartagena de Indias , Colombia , 24-27 October . The Congress theme this year is ‘ Forward to our Future ’ as an industry roadmap .

Delegates who may be unable to travel to Colombia ’ s Caribbean shores , due to ongoing travel issues connected to the Covid pandemic , will have the opportunity to join the proceedings via four regional hubs : Johannesburg , South Africa ; Seoul , Republic of Korea ; Paris , France , and via the Middle East hub in Abu Dhabi . Delegates may also simply use ICCA ’ s state-of-the-art virtual platform and registration for the Congress is flexible , so delegates can change how they participate at any time .

ICCA President James Rees tells CMW : “ Planning began immediately after the success of Kaohsiung in 2020 , hoping for a fully-fledged , face-to-face event but able to pivot if necessary to our successful hybrid format .”

Rees added ; ‘ We have a programme of world-class education and the response from the ICCA community has been overwhelmingly positive , with members already registering and looking forward to meeting once again and sharing experiences as we design the future of the industry together .”

Keynote sessions will be delivered by Dr Mauricio Barbeschi , senior adviser to the executive director , World Health Organisation ( WHO ); Natalia Bayona , director of innovation , education and investments , World Tourism Organisation ( UNWTO ); Carrie Freeman , chair of the Board , Parsons Freeman Company ; Josh Linkner , innovation keynote speaker and bestselling author ; Anu Madgavkar ,

partner , McKinsey Global Institute and Flavia Santoro Trujillo , president and CEO , ProColombia .

Meta trends shaping the industry ’ s future will also be covered , and there will be TEDx-style sessions with breakout workshops to dive deeper into future-forward topics .

Last year ’ s ICCA Congress established the Kaohsiung Protocol , a crowdsourced framework identifying major trends and key strategies to enable the international meetings industry to thrive despite the Covid-19 pandemic . The 2021 Congress promises to continue the collaborative approach to overcoming challenges and reinventing business operations . The programme combines best practices for pandemic-safe meetings with the latest research into the future outlook of business events .

“ ICCA research has consistently found that the general sentiment about the need for face-to-face events has not only remained , but intensified . Furthermore , while digital and hybrid events have expanded audiences for many organisations , these alternatives cannot supersede the serendipitous moments and truly meaningful connections that are the essence of face-to-face meetings ,”

Above : Senthil Gopinath , ICCA CEO

Above right : James Rees , ICCA President

“ In-person meetings are vital to economic development , local job creation , and knowledge exchange .”

said ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath .

“ We ’ ve been listening closely to the motivations and desires of both our ICCA World and Association Community members . As a result , the ICCA Congress 2021 is an event that we are proud to say has been developed for our members , by our members .”

“ The economic impact of international business events cannot be overstated ,” said Gopinath . “ In-person meetings are vital to economic development , local job creation , and knowledge exchange .”

Diana M . Rodriguez , CMP , Cartagena de Indias Convention Center , said : “ We are convinced that face-to-face meetings and events drive socio-economic development for destinations . They serve as platforms for knowledge sharing and generating valuable connections that positively impact businesses and professionals alike , well beyond the event itself . That ’ s why we are ready to welcome ICCA delegates in Cartagena de Indias ; to rediscover the true power of meeting again under the magic spell of our legendary and ‘ heroic ’ city .”

Each ICCA Hub , moreover , will be infused with the Cartagena experience through themed dinners and social events that deliver a Colombian flair .

“ No matter where our delegates are , they can fully engage with the Congress programme . They ’ ll make valuable and profound connections and feel immersed in the event ,” said Gopinath .

“ The future of the international meetings industry is here and we will bring it to the world stage during the ICCA Congress 2021 .”