Europe
A month into 2026 and Julia Green, head of corporate events at Center Parcs Corporate Events in the UK, highlights five MICE trends setting the pace and worth getting ahead of this year Bigger is no longer better. In 2026, success isn’t being measured by how many people you pack into a room, but how engaged they actually are. With budgets tightening and expectations rising, organisers can’t just r...
Stephanie Günther has been appointed director experience & quality at events agency VOK DAMS worldwide. The new role continues her 25-career with the Germany-based agency. “Stephanie Günther understands our clients’ needs and desires like no other within VOK DAMS. Her strategic vision and deep understanding of quality, brand management, and customer expectations have shaped our work for many y...
Gary Waugh, head chef at Hilton Glasgow explores what event organisers should consider when choosing a venue, ensuring its F&D offering meets evolving expectations while maintaining quality, profitability and creative flair. Food and drink (F&D) has always been central to human connection – and in the meetings and events world, they’re now a statement of brand, culture and values. Today’s ...
Dublin is to host the Rotary International Convention in June 2031. The five-day event, which will be staged in the RDS, is projected to bring up to 20,000 visitors from over 140 countries to the capital and deliver an estimated €68m boost to the Irish economy. Ireland’s 67 Rotary clubs put together the conference bid, which was supported by Fáilte Ireland, its Dublin Convention Bureau team and th...
Two new members have joined the Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe – Malta and Wales. They joined on 1 January. The two additions take the alliance’s membership to 30 national convention bureaux, with the announcement made in Dublin during the group’s first annual meeting of the year. The alliance has also created a new Alliance Coordination Office to support joint pro...
Global DMC Partners (GDP), the international network of destination management companies (DMCs) and specialised event service providers, together with its DMC partner Emotionstore, brought together industry leaders to the Epic Sana Lisboa in Lisbon, Portugal, for its annual Connection, 8-11 January, 2026. The invitation-only conference united clients and DMC partners for three days of data-driven ...
The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) represented the business events sector at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos earlier this month. The association used the forum to engage directly with policymakers and senior government figures, including Sri Lanka’s prime minister Harini Amarasuriya and Said Al Saqri, advisor to Oman’s Ministry of Economy. Discussions foc...
Global storytelling agency, INVNT has appointed Caspar Mason as creative director, EMEA. He will lead creative strategy and delivery across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, covering brand experiences, live events and integrated experiential projects. The role includes shaping creative direction for regional clients and supporting global programmes delivered from the EMEA business. Mason joins I...
A new film-based campaign from Visit Porto and North of Portugal highlights the growing trend of destinations using narrative-driven content to attract meetings and events business. “The Big Trend, by Ofelia de Souza” represents a departure from conventional destination promotion, which typically focuses on venue capacity, infrastructure and accessibility. Instead, the three-minute fil...
The preliminary programme has been released for the CityDNA International Conference & General Assembly 2026, taking place on 22–24 April 2026 in Helsinki. The conference will explore The Human Pulse of Place and Purpose, examining how destinations can better understand the behaviour and mindset behind data, and translate insights into practical action. The programme includes a series of Case ...
The International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) and PCMA have formalised a new strategic collaboration through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement, signed at PCMA Convening Leaders 2026, in Philadelphia, covers co-operation across thought leadership, professional education, research, and emerging leader engagement within the global business events ...
Impact XM and Jack Morton, two leading global brand experience agencies, have announced, 21 January, that they are merging. The new unified agency will be supported by global investment firm The Riverside Company and will operate under the Jack Morton name. The agencies bring complementary strengths and their statement said they intend to create “a fully integrated experiential offering designed t...