November 30th 2022

What’s New This December?

It’s the final month of the year and we’re all set to end 2022 with a bang! Here’s our final round-up.

BestCities Global Forum 2022 

The much-anticipated BestCities Global Forum is finally happening in Vancouver this month. From 8 to 11 December, the BestCities head office team and representatives from all partner cities are heading to Vancouver to host association planners and meeting planners. 

The programme is packed with sessions that are both educational and fun, and the Global Forum promises, once again, an opportunity for delegates to learn about measuring the impact of business events and drawing insight from projects delivered on the ground in Vancouver.

Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter for the latest news and live updates during the Global Forum.

Nigel on Tour

Nigel spoke at the 3rd Business Events Tribal Meet TriBE Assembly – Reimagine Our Future in Kuching, Sarawak. The TriBE Assembly was expected to draw a crowd of more than 200 business event leaders from Malaysia, Asia Pacific and Europe.

Nigel presented a session on 29 November, giving the inside scoop on how to apply for the Incredible Impacts Programme. On 30 November he presented a session on the Legacy Impact of Business Events followed by a panel discussion with Jane Vong Holmes of GainingEdge, Prof Andreas Zins of Curtin University and Waikin Wong from ICCA Asia Pacific. 

Season’s Greetings

“The holiday season is once again upon us; what a year it has been. 

Time passed by quickly as we had so many exciting happenings this year. To name a few: we were at IMEX Frankfurt and IMEX America, we represented BestCities at the ASAE Annual Meeting 2022 in Nashville and at PCMA Convening EMEA in Vienna, and, more recently, we celebrated the winners of our Incredible Impacts Programme at the annual ICCA congress in Krakow. And, at the time of writing this, we are packing our bags once last time this year for the BestCities Global Forum 2022. 

2022 was a busy year but it was more than welcome after two years of living through a pandemic. 

From all of us at BestCities Global Alliance, we’re wishing you a happy holiday season and a joyous New Year.”

Lesley Williams

Updates from our partner cities

Melbourne

Victoria named the Pacific Regional Convening Partner for the Women Deliver 2023 Conference

Victoria, in partnership with the Commonwealth Government, will be the Pacific Regional Convening Partner for the Women Deliver 2023 Conference – one of the largest gender equality conferences in the world.

Melbourne Convention Bureau is proud to be part of the Victorian Government’s important work in the lead-up to Women Deliver 2023, which will bring over 6,000 gender equality champions, feminists and decision-makers worldwide to Kigali, Rwanda.

Together with their Pacific neighbours, MCB will fast-track collective action to bring perspectives on climate justice, First Nations treaty and truth-telling, economic empowerment, women’s sexual health and reproductive rights and ending gender-based violence.

As a Regional Convening Partner, MCB will create a regional committee of grassroots advocates, women’s rights organisations and sector partners and host in-person and virtual events in the lead-up to the conference.

Melbourne’s popularity is on the rise with the Indian market

India was the fastest growing inbound market for Victoria pre-Covid. This was predominantly leisure travel. However, Melbourne has been steadily seeing increased business event interest out of India and now presents the largest source of leads out of the Asia-Pacific market.

This growth has been supported by Melbourne Convention Bureau’s (MCB) increasing engagement activity in the Indian market and 11 new weekly direct air services with Air India and Qantas to Melbourne.

The future pipeline of Indian Incentive Groups is strong, with MCB currently managing $50 million worth of incentive bids out of India, with decisions expected this financial year. Over the last few months, MCB has also hosted three new Indian incentive groups hailing from the finance and insurance sectors.

MCB is seeing smaller groups travelling more frequently – the three recent groups brought 1,077 delegates to the city, staying on average four days with a big focus on team building activities and more sustainability-focused activities.

Other updates from Melbourne: 

Maria Rivera, North America Director of Business Development, attended the IEEE Convene 2022 in Boston, where business event organisers from more than 31 countries came together to discover, discuss and design new innovations for future engineering conferences.

Melbourne recently hosted the International Congress on Obesity (ICO) 2022 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, which saw over 1,000 global leaders across the fields of science, medicine, research, and policy come together to showcase the latest research on all aspects of obesity. The bid to host ICO 2022 was secured by MCB in partnership with leading scientific organisation – Australia & New Zealand Obesity Society (ANZOS), and with support from the Victorian State Government and Tourism Australia’s Business Events Bid Fund Program.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen recognised for its sustainability efforts

Copenhagen has once again been recognised for its sustainability efforts in this year’s Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDS-Movement) Index, which has just been released at the ICCA World Congress in Krakow. Copenhagen was named the third-best-performing city and best-performing capital.

Copenhagen Legacy Lab launches legacy case studies from key congresses

What happens when associations prioritise long-term positive impact in the early planning stages of their event? And what kind of activities and outcomes can it lead to? To cast light on this, Copenhagen Legacy Lab is launching a series of legacy case studies. The case studies aim to give an insight into the strategic process – from planning to execution and first outcomes.

Throughout 2022, Copenhagen Legacy Lab has been rolled out at several congresses in Copenhagen, including ESPGHAN 54th Annual Meeting, ISPIM Innovation Conference, The Global DIY-Summit, ESTRO 2022, and EULAR 2022. They are part of the initiative’s first series of case study papers that look at five congresses with a strategic approach to legacy in the planning, execution and evaluation of their congress. ESPGHAN is the first case study, recenly published, with the other four to follow in the coming weeks.

Two months till Copenhagen takes on the title of UNESCO-UIA – World Capital of Architecture

Next year will undoubtedly be the year for architect enthusiasts to visit Copenhagen. Throughout 2023, there will be plenty of opportunities for locals and visitors alike to experience innovative architecture and urban solutions that contribute to the realisation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including addressing issues related to climate change.

World Capital of Architecture is also an offshoot of another great event next year; the UIA World Congress of Architects CPH 2023, which takes place on 2-6 July 2023 at Bella Center Copenhagen. This congress is expected to attract over 10,000 delegates, including architects, city developers and other professionals from the international building sector. Titled ‘Sustainable Futures – Leave No One Behind’, the congress has a clear goal to promote, discuss, create and showcase architecture as a vital tool to achieve the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Dubai

The World Congress of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 5-9 December. The congress will see therapists, psychiatrists, nurses, teachers, paediatricians and others from the industry in attendance. The program includes lectures and workshops with leaders from all over the globe, focusing on topics such as brain imaging, genomics, telepsychiatry and more.

Also happening this December is the World Congress of Gastroenterology which will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 12-14 December 2022. Participants will get an insight into the latest research in the key areas of medicine during this three-day convention. There will be plenty of workshops, talks, panel discussions and hands-on training that will provide the right guidance to improve patient care.

Madrid

It’s raining awards in Madrid

In the last few weeks, Madrid has taken home no less than four awards. For the fourth consecutive year, Madrid won the World’s Leading Meetings & Conference Destination 2022 award by World Travel Awards. Madrid also, once again (for the fifth year in a row!), won Europe’s Leading Meeting and Conference Destination award by the same World Travel Awards. Also, for the third year in a row, Madrid was named Europe’s Best MICE Destination by the World MICE Awards. To top it all off, for the fourth consecutive year, readers of Smart Meetings publications awarded the Madrid Convention Bureau with the award for Best Convention Bureau.

Like many of our partner cities, the Madrid team was present at IBTM Barcelona from 29 November to 1 December, where 1000’s of industry professionals and quality suppliers had a chance to connect, network, and learn what’s new in the event industry.

Dublin

Dublin Bid for 2028 European Football Championship

The Cabinet has signed off on a bid for Ireland to be a joint host of Euro 2028. If successful, the Aviva Stadium and Croke Park would potentially share seven games, with 120,000 fans expected to travel to Ireland for the tournament. The projected economic benefit, if Ireland was to co-host the European football championship in 2028, would be €361 million.

Third time’s a charm for The CCD at The World Travel Awards!

After 12 years in operation, this is The CCD’s third time winning the title of World’s Leading Meetings & Conference Centre 2022, having previously been awarded the title in 2019 and 2017. The World Travel Awards were announced on Friday, 11th of November. The venue beat off stiff competition from 16 finalists from across the world, including Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE, ExCeL London, England, International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), Australia, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Australia and Las Vegas Convention Center, USA.

Irish beer and distillery tours named best in the world in travel ‘Oscars’

The Guinness Storehouse was named ‘World’s Leading Beer Tour Visitor Experience’ at the World Travel Awards (WTA) held in Muscat, Oman. The Dublin visitor attraction beat global competitors, including the Coors Brewery Tour in Colorado and Singapore’s Tiger Brewery Tour to take first place.

Jameson Distillery Bow St. was named ‘World’s Leading Distillery Tour’ for 2022, an award the Dublin attraction has now won several times. It beat off global distillery tours, including Jack Daniels and Jim Beam in the US and Scotland’s Glenfiddich Distillery (as well as the Tullamore D.E.W. Visitor Centre) to take the top spot.

Tokyo

Year-end greeting

The Business Events Tokyo team expresses gratitude to business partners and colleagues for their ongoing support this year and sends our best wishes for the festive season.

May the New Year bless you with health, wealth, and happiness!

22nd International Congress of Nutrition (ICN)

The well-anticipated ICN will be held in Tokyo from December 06 to December 11 in Tokyo’s flagship facility, Tokyo International Forum. It is expected to attract 4,500 specialists from around the globe.

Nutrition has the power to provide health and happiness to people living today, as well as to future generations; therefore, “The Power of Nutrition: For the Smiles of 10 Billion People” was chosen as the theme of this Congress.

December events:

01 – 03 December 2022: International Coronary Congress 2022 (ICC 2022)

06 – 11 December 2022: 22nd International Congress of Nutrition (ICN)

Singapore

Singapore awarded the Best MICE Destination Worldwide at the 2022 Business Traveller Awards.

Held at London’s Royal Garden Hotel on 31 October, and attended by over 200 industry leaders, winners were chosen based on readers’ vote. 

As a Global Asia node for MICE, Singapore Business Events partners with the industry to pioneer innovative solutions and offer world-class facilities and experiences so that planners and organisers can realise exceptional events in Singapore. 

Singapore’s events industry is back in full swing

Singapore looks forward to welcoming landmark events in the coming years into 2023 and beyond: from Gastech 2023, the 2024 Worldchefs Congress and Expo, to the 110th Lions Club International Convention, which will be held in 2028.
 
As they welcome more events, Singapore is focusing on becoming a sustainable MICE travel destination — where events can achieve greater results while leaving behind smaller footprints. They offer easy access to a range of innovative offerings across venues, hotels and experiences, helping event planners integrate sustainability initiatives throughout the delegate journey.

Recent medical conventions in Singapore

Singapore recently hosted a number of medical conventions, convening delegates from around the world to discuss pertinent issues on healthcare and welfare:

14th World Stroke Congress 2022 welcomed over 2,500 delegates in-person and over 2,000 virtual delegates to exchange insights on the latest scientific advancements. As part of legacy-building and broader community-engagement to promote stroke awareness, a walkathon fundraiser and light-up of 17 iconic landmarks around the Marina Bay area was organised.

7th World One Health Congress 2022, provided a platform for more than 1,400 delegates in-person and more than 1,000 virtual attendees from diverse backgrounds to discuss the One Health agenda, advancing global efforts to improve collective resilience against global health challenges.

Singapore also looks forward to the upcoming European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Asia Congress and the 48th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery in December, which will cover medical breakthroughs in the region.

Reimagine meetings in Singapore

Singapore offers a breadth and depth of venues and unique experiences that meet business and leisure needs. From holographic projections for your meetings to one-of-a-kind venues and wellness experiences, Singapore empowers exceptional meetings and events.

Join David Blansfield, Executive Vice-President of Northstar Meetings Group, in his recent visit to Singapore to discover the city’s latest, unexpected and reimagined MICE experiences and capabilities.

Berlin

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Berlin

The end of the year is approaching, and Berlin has turned into a shining Christmas city. 70 unique Christmas markets can be visited throughout the city area as well as Illuminations in the Christmas Garden and the Zoo.

visitBerlin Convention Office goes to IBTM World

As one of our last appearances this year, the visitBerlin Convention Office will be present at IBTM World 2022 in Barcelona. Located at the GCB stand (Germany Convention Bureau, F53- 01), Berlin will introduce BESTIVAL 2023, the Meeting Guide Berlin and Sustainable Meetings Berlin to interested customers.

Berlin ranks 5th in the GDS Sustainability Index

For the second time, Berlin has taken one of the coveted places in the most important international sustainability ranking for the tourism and events industry – the “Global Destination Sustainability Index 2022“. Among global metropolises, Berlin is once again ranked 5th. Overall, the German capital ranks 26th among all participating destinations worldwide, including not only cities but also regions, an improvement of two places.

Planning for BESTIVAL 2023 has started

BESTIVAL 2022 is now three months ago, and the planning for next year has already started. In 2023, BESTIVAL will take place on 6 and 7 July. As a best practice festival for sustainable events, BESTIVAL showed that it is possible to plan a sustainable event while adhering to the three pillars of sustainability: ecology, economy and social aspects. The Sustainable Event Guidelines Berlin established the structural framework for the planning to have the event certified according to ISO20121 in the future. The entire environmental report can finally be viewed on their website. 

Berlin Meeting Campus

Another innovative project that has been successfully pushed forward this year is the Berlin Meeting Campus. The Berlin Meeting Campus combines various event venues and hotels in the vibrant quarters of Berlin into one location. This allows event planners to book several locations as ONE venue and combine them flexibly depending on the size and format of the event. With this offer, more options for large events are available, and Berlin’s capacities are less dependent on seasonal booking situations.

visitBerlin on social media

Berlin’s new MICE campaign has been running for a few weeks now. With the following 3 slogans, the Berlin Convention Office advertises on social media:

  • 9 to 5 meets 5 to 9,
  • work meets afterwork and
  • convention meets Berlin.

Guadalajara

Guadalajara International Book Fair 2022 

The 36th edition of the Guadalajara International Book Fair will make the city and Country go into FIL Mode (Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara).

With Sharjah and Arab culture as guests of honor, the largest fair of its kind in the Spanish language returns without restrictions or capacity limits. The programme includes 3,000 literary, academic, scientific, artistic, professional, kids’ and youth activities; in addition to the presence of Sharjah and Arab Culture, the expected turnup is an estimated audience of 800,000 people, including 600 writers from 45 countries.

Guadalajara to host the International Aquarium Congress 2024

Guadalajara is proud to announce that they will host the International Aquarium Congress 2024. During the celebration of the International Aquarium Congress 2022, Acuario Michin Guadalajara received the baton to host this great international event in 2024.

Guadalajara Guadalajara

A few weeks ago in Mexico City, Guadalajara was recognized as a member of the BestCities Global Alliance.

“More than a badge of honor, it is our responsibility to belong to this exclusive club of cities that excel in the field of Meeting Tourism. To be on a par with such cities as Tokyo, Dubai, Copenhagen, Madrid, Vancouver, Dublin, and Singapore is a great privilege and represents the effort and the union of various sectors of Guadalajara’s value chain” said Gustavo Staufert, General Director of the Guadalajara Convention and Visitors Bureau.

At the same time, it was announced that the Guadalajara Guadalajara tourism brand would be integrated within the Guadalajara Metropolitan Zone Tourism Trust, with the main objective of boosting the flow of visitors, encouraging tourism and promoting a renewed image of Guadalajara.

Take a moment to watch this video to get a feel of the vibes of this amazing night in Mexico City.

Houston 

Houston named a finalist in the 2022 City Nation Place Awards

City Nation Place (CNP) is an organization that focuses on the intersection of destination marketing, economic development and quality of life. 

Houston was named as a finalist in two categories – Best Use of Data and the prestigious Place Brand of the Year, including being the only finalist in that category from North America.  This global award celebrates and benchmarks the very best in strategic thinking, marketing, and design for places. According to CNP, the 2022 finalists represent the very best of strategic approaches to engaging citizens, visitors, talent, and investors. The finalists’ case studies include inspiring examples of creativity, innovation, and effectiveness, whether in the use of data, the application of design, the engagement of citizens, the marketing of place attractiveness for tourism and economic development, or the overall strategic approach to managing and projecting a positive reputation for cities, regions, and nations.

Houston ranked # 11 on America’s Best Cities report

Educated, diverse and hard-working, Houston is America’s stealthy powerhouse on the rise.

Austin may get the attention, but the promise of the Lone Star State drawing Californians and New Yorkers is quietly being fulfilled in Houston. In the past year, immigration, both domestic and international, has swelled the metro population to well past seven million— an increase of almost 300,000.

Big Art. Bigger Change.

An inspired fine art mural exhibition transformed Downtown Houston into an open-air museum with works by globally renowned artists. The ambitious art walk curated and co-produced by Street Art for Mankind takes over a mile-long stretch of downtown commercial building walls, block by block, promoting Sustainable Development Goals for Houston and the world.

The idea for Big Art. Bigger Change. was set in motion after Houston was chosen as one of six host cities to take part in the Zero Hunger campaign launched last year by World Food Program USA in partnership with Street Art for Mankind. Founded by Audrey and Thibault Decker in 2016, SAM works with internationally prominent street artists to raise awareness for social and environmental issues, including the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.

Big Art. Bigger Change. includes nine major works by ten internationally recognized street artists, including three Houstonians, with themes that address sustainable development goals ranging from green energy, climate change, and innovation to human rights, social equity, and education for all.

Cape Town

Cape Town to host the 8th World One Health Congress

Cape Town has won the bid to host the 8th #WorldOneHealthCongress (WOHC). This bid was spearheaded by Prof Marietjie Venter, Head: Zoonotic arbo- and Respiratory virus Research programme at the University of Pretoria, and supported by our destination partners, the Cape Town International Convention Centre and the South Africa National Convention Bureau.

One Health is a collaborative, multisectoral, and trans-disciplinary approach – working at local, regional, national, and global levels – to achieve optimal health (and well-being) outcomes recognizing the interconnections between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment. The One Health paradigm forges co-equal, all-inclusive collaborations between animal, plant, environmental and human health arenas, i.e. chemical, engineering, and social scientists, dentists, nurses, agricultural/ horticulturalists, and food producers, wildlife and environmental health specialists, and many other related disciplines that fall under its purview.

Cape Town looks forward to welcoming an estimated 1 500 global scientists and policymakers who will converge in the Mother City in September 2024 to address complex global health challenges.

Vancouver

2024 Grey Cup

Canada’s most prestigious sporting event is returning to the West Coast, hosted by the B.C. Lions for the 111th Grey Cup in November 2024. This is the 17th time Vancouver will host the games, held at BC Place.

Inaugural Michelin Guide Vancouver

Vancouver has long enjoyed tremendous acclaim for its culinary scene and the MICHELIN Guide Vancouver further elevates its reputation as a global dining destination.

On October 27, inaugural selections honouring local chefs and restaurant teams were announced. 8 restaurants earned the one-MICHELIN-Star distinction, and 12 received Bib Gourmands. The full selection, including Recommended eateries, totals 60 restaurants.