Visit Brussels, in partnership with the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), City Destinations Alliance (CityDNA) and European Exhibition Industry Alliance (EEIA), hosted the “EU Dialogue: Driving Positive Change In The Meetings Industry” on April 17. Organized as part of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (E.U.), over 180 industry professionals and European policymakers from 15 countries/member states took part. The event included insight from 52 speakers and facilitated discussions aimed at driving tangible progress toward recognition by European policymakers.
As the home of the E.U. institutions and a multitude of European and international professional associations, Brussels hosts events of all kinds. Against that backdrop, the “EU Dialogue” event caught the attention of senior policymakers and institutional stakeholders through its purpose and value proposition. The conference succeeded in creating and driving an open and constructive dialogue between key industry stakeholders and representatives from the European institutions, including the European Commission and Parliament. It highlighted the contribution of business events to economic growth and prosperity.
Patrick Bontinck, CEO at Visit Brussels, said, "We now have a clear idea of how the sector can contribute to organizing events that highlight the advantages of a destination, its intellectual capital and its infrastructure while maximizing its overall impact towards greater diversity, equality and inclusion, but also towards an industry that is aware of social and environmental issues and is ready to make sustainable changes to the way it operates. This event also highlighted the fact that we should speak more of the 'visitor economy' rather than just ‘tourism,’ as this term more fully encompasses and represents the entire ecosystem.”
James Rees, president of JMIC, added: “The business events sector builds and operates the marketplaces and meeting places for various industries to gather, exchange ideas and create solutions for the pressing challenges we face today. This event aimed to raise awareness about the industry's broad impact and its potential for further development.”
Throughout the day, attendees engaged in in-depth discussions across a spectrum of critical topics, including sustainability and mobility initiatives, EU trade policies’ impact on business events, talent development strategies and the imperative of digital innovation. By spotlighting the sector’s multifaceted contributions, participants underscored its integral role in driving innovation, collaboration and economic growth across Europe. Throughout the day, it was underlined that meetings and events are universal drivers of positive change for society. They have the power to advance and achieve the E.U.’s objectives in the coming years: building a resilient economy, embracing digital transformation, building a green, fair and social Europe, and promoting European interests and values on the global stage.
The event also fostered discussions on the sector’s challenges. This included discussions on trade policy, advocating for streamlined visa processes and a firm embedding of the meetings events industry in the European Tourism Pathway.
Petra Stušek, president of CityDNA, concluded, “There is no doubt that tourism and the meetings sector go hand in hand as vital contributors to sustainable development goals. They are essential for the visitor economy, which can benefit the destinations’ social inclusion, cultural offerings and relations, knowledge societies and local communities. It’s important to embrace the existing tools at the European level like the Tourism Transition Pathway, which is aligned with meetings industry challenges. We share many goals with the European Union, and we need to speak with one voice while still embracing all components and illustrating the diversity and relevance of our sector.”
For more information, visit www.visit.brussels.
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