This is big: how the European Union recognises our industry

This conference took place in Brussels on April 17th 2004, and was organised, under the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, by visit.brussels in partnership with the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), City Destinations Alliance (CityDNA) and the European Exhibition Industry Alliance (EEIA). More than 180 industry professionals and 52 speakers – including many European policy makers – from 15 countries attended the conference.

The event provided insights into some of the most relevant issues for the Meetings Industry and the EU institutions, with the aim of fostering cooperation. It goes in two ways:

• Creating a better understanding within the Meetings Industry of the workflows and the procedures in the EU political system as well as the impact of EU legislation and its implementation on our sector.
• Raising the awareness among the representatives of the EU institutions of the positive impact and the current challenges of the Meetings Industry.

Participants engaged in discussions on issues including sustainability and mobility legislation, the impact of EU trade policy on business events, talent development strategies and the need for digital innovation. By highlighting the contribution of meetings and events across all sectors, industry professionals underlined their integral role in driving innovation, collaboration and economic growth across Europe.

And it made clear the importance of our industry. “The meetings industry encompasses a wide range of cross-sectoral actors with a high degree of relevance to nearly all EU policy areas and respective European Parliament Committees and European Commission General Directorates. These include academic institutions, start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs, large companies, local and national governments, clusters, trade organisations, innovation hubs, research institutes etc., as well as venues, organisers suppliers, associations and destinations involved in hosting, planning and organising business events, meetings, conferences, trade fairs, and exhibitions”, says the conclusion document.

The conference highlighted that meetings and events are drivers of positive change for society. The meetings industry is a key contributor to the future growth of the global economy and plays a vital role in disseminating knowledge and fostering professional practices.

By providing meeting platforms and marketplaces for all sectors and industries, meetings drive science and innovation, trade and economic prosperity and to achieve the EU’s objectives: to build a resilient economy; to embrace digital transformation; to build a green, fair and social Europe; to promote European interests and values on the global stage; and to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness. The document also stresses that the meetings industry makes a significant contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals and enriches destinations through social inclusion, cultural diversity, knowledge sharing and community engagement.

“The meetings industry is a key contributor to the future growth of the economy and plays a vital role in disseminating knowledge and fostering professional practices”

The result of the conference is a manifesto, which calls on national and regional authorities, the newly elected members of the European Parliament and the next European Commission to work with the sector in the following areas. We don’t publish here the whole manifesto, you can check it on here.

The objectives are to align efforts of political and private players on:

• The added value of meetings to the visitor economy (recognise the role of knowledge exchange, in the areas of business, corporate, academic, social and economic development, recognising the economic benefits of meetings, for instance).
• The European Commission’s Tourism Transition Pathway and the Meetings Industry (for instance, strengthen the representation of the meetings industry, in the policies in of the European Commission, support the sector in its double transition, green and digital, strengthen the infrastructure for R&D, education and skills development).
• Data and statistics of business events (develop data models for the meetings industry, anchoring such data in the national statistics and Eurostat).
• Sustainability and mobility (recognise the transformative impact of meetings in promoting sustainable practices and social values at an international level, support sustainable systems in venue management and meeting organisation…).
• R&D, innovation and competitiveness (use meetings and exhibitions as platforms to communicate, promote and leverage European programmes, initiatives and policies, help start-ups and SMEs participate in events in order to internationalise their business).
• Trade policy and visa (facilitate an open environment in the EU and globally through trade agreements, simplify visa procedures for exhibitors and visitors coming for meetings…).

The participants invite EU policy makers at all levels to intensify the dialogue, create a dedicated unit at the European Commission for the Meetings Industry to map, develop strategic visions, objectives and frameworks to achieve economic success.

The participants remind meetings are a vital component of Europe’s capacity for innovation, competitiveness, sustainable development goals and societal change. This industry not only creates employment opportunities and stimulates economic growth, but also facilitates the exchange of knowledge and innovation. Music to our ears…

Official photographs from the EU Dialogue website - driving positive change in the Meetings Industry.