Hybrid City Alliance commits to Global Association Meeting Protocol
The Hybrid City Alliance, made up of 24 member cities in 16 countries across five continents, has committed to the development and implementation of strategies based on the findings and recommendations of the ICCA Global Association Meetings Protocol.
The 24 destinations will report back on their individual activities and success at IMEX America in October, and the ICCA Convention in November.
The announcement was made at IMEX in Frankfurt by Lesley Mackay (Ottawa Tourism) and Bas Schot (The Hague Convention Bureau). Members of the alliance leading this initiative are Ottawa Tourism; The Hague Convention Bureau; Business Events Sydney; Explore Edmonton; Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau; Lausanne Montreux Congress; Prague Convention Bureau; Department of Tourism and Information, Taipei City Government; Tourism Winnipeg and Zurich Convention Bureau.
Described as ‘A Strategic Future for the Global Events Industry’, the Global Association Meetings Protocol focuses on four key pillars, which it describes as follows:
- Sustainability, Equity and Legacy: Sustainability; equity, diversity and inclusion; and legacy are now top of mind for association clients when it comes to site selection. Therefore, destinations should dedicate more resources to deliver on those priorities more effectively.
- Crisis Planning and Mitigation: Protocols to enhance safety, health and security should be further enhanced and codified to protect against future cataclysmic shocks and chronic stresses that impact business events.
- Advocacy and Policy: Association clients are asking destinations and their partners to continue to advocate stridently for reducing barriers to travel.
- Sector and Community Alignment: Providing access to local clusters of advanced industries and community leaders is critical for attracting business events in those industries. Selling brainpower as well as buildings improves competitiveness for the destination and enhances legacy outcomes for the client.
