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Author:JesúsGuerreroChacón,HQ'sDeputyEditor
The HQ teamattendsawiderangeofeventseveryyear,andonepatternhasbecome impossibletoignore:programmeseverywhereincludeAIsessions.Delegatesoftentellusthatthe lastconferencetheyattendedalsofeaturedakeynotespeechorAIdemonstration.However, whenwespeakwithindustrypartners,adifferentsentimentemerges.Manypartnerssaytheyfeel curiousbutunsurehowtoapplyAIpractically orchoosefromtheexpandingrangeoftoolsavailable.
Thismismatchbetweenindustryenthusiasmanddelegateexperiencehighlightsadeeper issue.Robotsgreetingpassers-byorvirtualrealitygogglesmayattractattention,butthisalone isnotastrategy.OnLinkedIn,post-eventreflectionshavebecomealmostobligatory,with manyprofessionalscompelledtosharerecapstosignalattendance,learning,and contribution.However,thesepostsoftenreadasAI-generatedand,whilemakingposting easier,canreplacegenuinereflectionwithautomatedvisibility.
ThetruevalueofAIlieselsewhere.Whenappliedwithpurpose,itcanhelpassociations, conventionbureaux,venues,plannersandsupplierstonurturetheircommunities,personalise attendeejourneys,streamlineregistrationandscheduling,improveleadcapture,supportyearroundengagementandenablesmallerteamstooperatemoreefficiently.Usedintentionally,it canstrengtheneducation,advocacyandmembervalue.
Nevertheless,ourindustryoftengivesprioritytovisualimpactovermeaning.Programmesoffer high-levelinspiration,butlackthepracticalguidanceandgovernanceframeworksrequiredfor theethicalandsecureimplementationofAI.Delegateshearaboutinnovation,butleave withoutunderstandinghowtoalignAIwithorganisationalgoals,dataresponsibilitiesanddaily operations.
ThechallengessurroundingAIaretechnological,organisationalandenvironmental.Many organisationsarestillmodernisingtheirsystems,updatingprocessesandaddressingcapacity gaps.Theriseof‘shadowAI’showswhathappenswhenstafffeelunprepared:theyturnto availabletoolsusingpersonalaccounts,inadvertentlyexposingconfidentialinformation. Meanwhile,AI-poweredcyberthreatsareincreasingrapidly.Eventorganisersholdlarge volumesofsensitivedata,yetmanystilllackthepoliciesandtrainingneededfortoday’srisk environment.
Environmentalandregulatorypressuresarealsoincreasing.Internationalinstitutionsare examiningtheenergyandwateruseofdatacentres,andthe UnitedNationsEnvironment Assembly hasnowplacedsustainableAIonitsagenda.InEurope,partsofthe AIAct maybe delayedduetopressurefromtheUSadministrationandmajortechnologycompanies,creating uncertaintyfororganisationspreparingforcompliance.Thesedevelopmentswillinfluencehow thesectordesignssystems,managesdata,andmaintainstrust. AIremainsessential.Itcanempowerteams,supportdecision-makingandreducerepetitive
tasks,enablingstafftofocusoncreativity,strategyandrelationship-building.Thequestionisnot whetherAIhasaplaceatevents,buthowweshapetheconversationsaroundit.Different stakeholdersrequiredifferentguidance,fromgovernancemodelsanddataprotectiontostaff training,ethicaluseofAIandworkflowoptimisation.
Foroursector,therealissueisnothowmuchAIweadopt,buthowintentionallyweuseit. Goodgovernancerequiresclearstandards,transparentprocessesandresponsiblehuman oversight.Withtheseelementsinplace,AIstrengthensteamsandimprovestheexperiences wedesign.Asweenterayearofrapidchange,thekeyconversationishowtomanagethese riskswithclarityandpurpose,andhowtodefinealastingroleforAIthatsupportsorganisations ratherthancreatingawoweffect.
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MANAGINGDIRECTOR VivianXu vivian@meetingmediagroup.com
MAGAZINEMANAGER ManuelFernandes manuel@meetingmediagroup.com
DEPUTYEDITOR JesúsGuerreroChacón jesus@meetingmediagroup.com
COMMERCIALMANAGER JesúsParrado jparrado@meetingmediagroup.com
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EDITOR'SLETTER -3
INTRO-5
SPECIALFEATURE Prague -6
ASSOCIATIONINTERVIEWS
EuropeanRiskManagementCouncil10Alzheimer’sDiseaseInternational12InternationalSymposiumon IntensiveCareandEmergency Medicine -14
HQESSENTIALS
TheDNAofCities -16
CustardSurveys -18
CTWEvents -20
DESTINATIONFEATURES
TechnologicalVancouver -24
BleisureinTheHague -26
DestinationsInternational - 28 Porto&NorthofPortugalInterview -30
HQREPORTS
ICCACongress2025 -32 IMS25 -34
Guadalajara - 36
IBTMWorld TrendsReport 2025 -38
HQASSOCIATIONINSIGHTS AIPC -41
SinaBunte -44
Governology -45Mark
Levin -46IAPCO -48
CityDNA -50
PCOINSIGHTS
WorldPCOAlliance -52
TECH
Cvent -54
ExpoPlatform -55
Author:ManuelFernandes,HQMagazineManager
Backin2023,the EuropeanAssociation Summit inBrussels,soughttodissectthe‘Futureof AssociationProfessionals’forawell-composed audienceofassociationexecutives,covering thefundamentalsofadvocacy,mentoringand networkinginapost-pandemicworld.Inthe closingsession,theorganisersdecidedto challengethreeyoung,freshlymintedprofessionalsto reflecttogetherontheirjourneyandwhatthey wouldchangeforthebetterwithinthecommunity.
Aftertwofairlygenericand‘well-mannered’ testimonials,thelatter’sunfilteredfeedbackleftan awkwardmoodintheroom:“Ibelieveweoftenuse theseforumsasechochambersforpeer validationwithoverlyrehearsedspeechesandlittle roomfordisagreement. Ifeelweareafraidtogoagainstthegrainand burstthebubble.”
PerhapsIambeingtoounfairtoalargegroupof playersclimbingthismountain,butafter participatinginthelasttwomajoreventsinour sector(the ICCACongress inPortoand IBTM World inBarcelona).Ifoundmyselfdwellingon thesewordsamidalitanyofintentions, manifestosandrallyingcriessuggestingthatthe meetingsandeventssectorisonthevergeofa moralrenaissance.Asconceptssuchas advocacy,purposeandlegacypickupsteam amongassociationsanddestinations,Ifearwe maybeatriskofconfusingconsensuswith substanceandstructuralprogresswithshort-term gains.
Weproclaimeventsascatalystsforchange–platformsforsocialinclusion,environmental responsibility,andcommunitylegacy.Infact,as recentanalysesonsustainabledestination managementandvariousimpactroadmaps (checkoutsomeoftheminthisedition) argue,eventshavethepotentialtopromotethe ecologicaltransitionofurbanscapesandareseen asstrategicassetsforinfluencingcommunities, economiesandpublicperception.Thatsaid,I thinkthesectorfacesthreeinterrelated weaknesses:limitedpublicvisibility,restricted positioning,andinsufficientcollaborationbeyond itsownecosystem.Withouttheinvolvementof
broadersocialactors(fromlocalNGOsto grassrootsprojects),thepromiseof transformativeeventsremainslargely aspirational.
Thiswasclearlyevident atthe Association
LeadershipQuest duringtheICCA Congress, whichunderscoredthatuncertaintyisnolongertemporary butastructuralconditionrequiringashiftinleadership mindset.Whilegeopoliticalinstability,risingcostsand evolvingmemberexpectationsremainpressing issues,thedeeperchallengeliesinredefining relevance–howassociationscreatevalueacross generations,upholdneutralityinpolarisedcontexts andstaypurpose-drivenamiddisruption.The sessionreinforcedthatinnovationextendsbeyond technologytoincludetrust,intentionaldesignand meaningfulcollaborationwithdestinationsand venues.Yetongoingfrustrationsaround transparencyandengagementhighlightapersistent gapbetweenambitionanddelivery,suggestingthat progressdependsonlong-termpartnershipsaligned aroundsharedvaluesandcredibility– doesitringa bell?
Recognisingthesegapsisnotanexcercisein reproach,butacalltodeliberateaction (takea lookatourinsightsfromtheIBTMTrends
Report2025.) IftheICCAsessionframed uncertaintyasastructuralcondition,the AssociationLeadersForum at IBTM grounded thatchallengeinday-to-dayrealities.Discussions exposedthegrowinggapbetweentherhetoric ofpartnershipandthepersistenceoftransactional practices,particularlyaroundcosts,risksharing andvaluedelivery.Whilecollaborationandcocreationwererepeatedlychampioned,some partiesmadeclearthatrealprogresswillrequire greateraccountability,clearerexpectationsanda shiftfromshort-termexchangestogenuinely strategicrelationships–echoingtheICCA'scall forakindofleadershipthatisbothgoal-oriented andoperationallybrave.
Inshort,legacyandpurposearenotinherited throughdeclarations,butratherachieved throughresponsibleexecution,circular cooperation,andethicalmanagement.Publicly sharingimpactassessmentsandimplementation modelsstrengthenscredibilityandfostersa cultureofcontinuousdevelopment.Asthat‘new grad’atthesummitwarnedus,consensuswithout actionoftenleadstoamonolithofstagnation,while insularrhetoricofferslittlemorethansuperficial reassurance.Haveagreat2026withHQ!