- DMOs that are well positioned to assist their association clients are no longer just service providers but strategic allies who listen, understand, and co-design impactful event experiences.
- The power of alliances lies in their ability to multiply that impact. An industry leading example is the destination partner cities of the BestCities Global Alliance, who are setting benchmarks for innovation and accountability in the meetings industry.
- A successful alliance or partnership must be truly collaborative; creating platforms for shared learning, fostering support for each other through crises, and amplifying their collective voice on the global stage.
Although disruption seems to be the new normal for the business events industry, the last few months have been particularly noteworthy. As the expectations of our international association clientele continue to evolve, destination marketing organizations (DMOs) are being called to move beyond traditional roles as hosts to become strategic allies in shaping the future of business events. Alliances and partnerships among global cities are proving to be a powerful model to answer that call. DMOs are discovering that collaboration enhances resilience, amplifies impact and drives innovation. The BestCities Global Alliance, celebrating its twenty-fifty anniversary this year, continues to be the global gold standard for an alliance of DMOs.
A Global Alliance for Global Challenges
The BestCities Global Alliance is a community of 13 world-leading destinations—Berlin, Cape Town, Copenhagen, Dubai, Dublin, Guadalajara, Houston, Madrid, Melbourne, Singapore, Tokyo, Vancouver, and Washington DC. These cities are not merely members of a network; they are partners united by a shared commitment to leveraging business events as a force for good. By collaborating with their association clients, each destination partner works to ensure that meetings in their destinations strive to be sustainable and leave a positive impact on the community.
By working together, there are a number of ways that these DMOs can more effectively navigate global disruption. Knowledge exchange among members fosters innovation and alignment on key industry trends like DEI, legacy and sustainability. Pooling resources, sharing best practices and co-creating strategies allows them to address the needs of clients in the face of increasing geopolitical, environmental, and economic disruptions. This collective approach also fosters resilience and enables destinations to adapt and respond quickly with greater insight. When Guadalajara, Mexico joined the BestCities Global Alliance in May, 2022 it did not have any concrete sustainability strategy when it came to Business Events. Today, after learning from fellow alliance partners, it is seen as a leading force in sustainability in Latin America. The destination and its ecosystem of stakeholders are engaged in a number of sustainability projects with large-scale tradeshow events, such as the Intermoda fashion exhibition, to reduce their environmental footprint.
From Host to Ally: A Strategic Evolution
Clients today are seeking more than just a venue and location, they are looking for partnerships that offer purpose, support sustainability goals, and create lasting legacies. In response, the BestCities destination partners are well positioned to assist as they are not just service providers but strategic allies who listen, understand, and co-design impactful event experiences.
Through active listening and client engagement, destinations in the BestCities Global Alliance align their offerings with client values. They work together and with their clients to turn events into catalysts for change, embedding social impact, accessibility, and environmental responsibility into the core of the planning process. A great example of this is ICCA’s Association Impact Masterclass, which the BestCities Global Alliance hosted for 15 clients earlier this year. GainingEdge’s Executive Chairman, Gary Grimmer, was one of the instructors.
Alliances as Catalysts for Collective Progress
The power of alliances lies in their ability to multiply impact. Together, destination partner cities of the BestCities Global Alliance are setting benchmarks for innovation and accountability in the meetings industry. The learnings from early groundbreaking programs like the Copenhagen Legacy lab helped inform incredible programs on legacy and impact in cities like Singapore, Cape Town and Vancouver. They are creating platforms for shared learning, supporting each other through crisis, and amplifying their collective voice on the global stage.
These partnerships are more than operational, they are visionary, helping shape a future where business events are not just successful, but also meaningful. By fostering collaboration over competition, alliances like BestCities are proving that global challenges require global solutions and that we are stronger together.
Conclusion
As the business events industry navigates a new normal defined by disruption and transformation, alliances offer a path forward. The BestCities Global Alliance exemplifies how strategic collaboration can build resilience, unlock innovation, and ensure that business events leave a positive legacy for people, places, and the planet.