Tuesday, July 15, 2025
In May 2025, more than 100 destination representatives and 20 policymakers from more than 30 countries gathered at IMEX Frankfurt for the IMEX Policy Forum, a major event in the global meetings industry. Discussions centred on the idea of Place Leadership, emphasising how important strategic destination management and policy-making can be in determining how the business events industry develops in the future. In addition to providing a means for destinations to forge closer ties with legislators, the forum provided a crucial forum for industry leaders to examine the ways in which business events support social development, innovation, and the economy.
What is Place Leadership?
At the core of the IMEX Policy Forum 2025 is Place Leadership, a concept that emphasises how destinations can use business events to drive long-term economic growth, investment, and innovation. Professor Greg Clark CBE FAcSS, an internationally renowned urbanist and a key contributor to the forum, shared his insights on the growing significance of business events and their relationship with place leadership. He emphasised that this partnership is more than just about promoting the tourism aspect of business events; it is about showcasing the broader outcomes these events can generate, including investment, better infrastructure, and the development of stronger communities.
According to Clark, business events act as catalysts, accelerators, and concentrators, similar to venture capital for regions, helping them grow economically and socially. This insight underscores the transformative potential of business events in shaping the socio-economic landscape of regions. The Place Leadership framework, therefore, is essential for understanding how business events can have lasting, positive impacts on the host destinations and their global reputation.
Key Insights from the IMEX Policy Forum 2025
The IMEX Policy Forum 2025 generated key insights and proposed solutions to ensure that destinations and their business events thrive in an increasingly interconnected and evolving world. The following insights were some of the most important takeaways from the event:
1. Building Permanent Multi-Sector Coalitions
One of the primary challenges in Place Leadership is the fragmented nature of political and economic systems. In a world that is rapidly changing, it is crucial for destinations to build permanent multi-sector coalitions that go beyond temporary political cycles. This approach ensures that long-term vision and stability can be maintained even as governments and policies shift. The importance of having stable and forward-thinking partnerships among stakeholders in the tourism, business, and government sectors was emphasised as a critical element for sustainable destination management and success.
2. Aligning Business Events with Socio-Economic Goals
Another important takeaway was the need for destinations to align business events with their broader socio-economic goals. This requires reframing the value of business events beyond the usual metrics like delegate spend. Destinations should focus on the larger outcomes that business events can deliver, such as fostering innovation, developing talent, and enhancing trade. This holistic approach can ensure that business events contribute meaningfully to the local economy and society, rather than being seen merely as transient or isolated events.
By aligning business events with national or regional development goals, destinations can create a more impactful and sustainable tourism model that contributes to long-term growth. In turn, this helps destinations become more resilient and better positioned to attract future events.
3. Capitalizing on Geopolitical Shifts
The forum also touched on the current geopolitical reset and the opportunities it offers for destinations to strengthen their global relevance. As global economic structures are being redefined, destinations have a unique chance to increase their investment appeal and global connectivity. The rapid changes in the global landscape present a rare window of opportunity for regions to boost their competitive edge by positioning themselves as leaders in business events and innovation.
This geopolitical shift is especially important for emerging markets and developing destinations, which can leverage their cultural uniqueness and business events to establish themselves as global players in the MICE industry. The IMEX Policy Forum discussed how destinations can take advantage of these shifts to create new partnerships, expand international networks, and position themselves as global hubs for business events.
4. Climate Action and Innovation
An urgent challenge highlighted during the forum is the role of climate action in the business events sector. The climate crisis presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the MICE industry. Destinations and event organisers must demonstrate leadership by incorporating sustainable practices into their events, whether through carbon offsets, sustainable venues, or eco-friendly transport options.
The forum also emphasised how business events can serve as platforms for climate innovation. By engaging stakeholders across multiple sectors, business events can become powerful catalysts for driving change, raising awareness, and creating solutions that address the global climate crisis. Destinations that prioritise sustainability in their event offerings will not only attract responsible travellers but also position themselves as forward-thinking leaders in the global tourism industry.
IMEX’s Role in Advocating for the Business Events Industry
IMEX has long been committed to advocating for the global meetings and events sector. Natasha Richards, Director of Impact & Industry Relations at IMEX, explained that the Policy Forum is a core part of the company’s mission to unite the industry and advocate for positive change. Through initiatives like the Policy Forum, IMEX aims to educate stakeholders about the impact of business events and help shape the future direction of the sector. The 2025 IMEX Policy Forum provided a platform for education, innovation, and advocacy, focusing on how the business events industry can support policymaking priorities and contribute to global development.
Conclusion: The Future of Business Events and Place Leadership
The IMEX Policy Forum 2025 has cemented Place Leadership as a central concept for the future of business events. By concentrating on long-term strategies that match business events with more general economic and social objectives, destinations now have the chance to reinterpret their roles as global players. Destinations can guarantee that their business events provide enduring value for the local community and the global market by placing a high priority on innovation, sustainability, and global connectivity.
The forum has emphasised how business gatherings can develop into effective instruments for innovation, cultural exchange, and economic revitalisation as the world economy continues to change. The future of the MICE sector will be significantly shaped by IMEX’s ability to assemble important stakeholders and promote cross-sector cooperation, resulting in a more inventive, inclusive, and sustainable global events sector.
