Business events more than just tourism: JMIC

A global movement led by the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) is seeking to change governments’ perspective on the events industry. The message they’re trying to put out is that the industry is not just about tourism, but rather, about transformation and being change agents.

“The business and professional events industry is, in my mind, actually a transformative strategy for governments, that are trying to develop the knowledge and creative economies,” said Gary Grimmer, CEO for GainingEdge. “This is a strategy for improving medical care, a strategy for improving standards, a strategy for attracting new talent.”

In the long run, with the success of the movement, the industry should make decisions on event destinations based on the understanding of what the association or corporate client wants to achieve rather than focusing on the number of hotel rooms or convention centre facilities.

While infrastructure and tech are important to facilitate smooth events, the movement aims to highlight business events as transformative for trade, first and foremost.

“Now I am picking a destination that understands who I am, understands what I am trying to achieve, and is willing to work with me as a partner to extend the legacy, extend the leave-behind that I’m going to have in knowledge transfer. In business opportunity and in economic development, that’s a win, win, win, win,” said Gregg Talley, president and CEO for Talley Management Group.