The covid pandemic has left a lasting impact and, coupled with the backdrop of the increasing focus on the principles of sustainability and how they relate to events, there is a laser focus on the value of meetings, their role and how best to design meetings to achieve objectives.

There are several trends reshaping the role of the international meetings industry:

• Destinations are increasingly placing sustainable development at the core of COVID-recovery strategies, rebuilding in a way that tackles climate change and aligns with the SDGs.
• Regulatory changes are being introduced to protect the environment by limiting carbon emissions and the adoption of new sustainable business practices where the ROI is measured through the lens of social, economic and environmental development.
• Shifts in governmental, industry and citizen behaviour and expectations, all of which will have a direct and profound impact on the global business events industry.

The perceived value of the global business events industry will be increasingly dependent on its ability to become a supporting pillar of national, regional and/or local strategic development priorities, where its value will be defined not just economically but also in terms of its contributions to social and environmental development.

MeetDenmark’s role will be to build the vision and the infrastructure, the tools and processes and develop a strategy which positions events as key contributors to sustainable development both in Denmark as well as In Europe and the World.

Success for MeetDenmark will require a more strategic approach to a Danish Meeting Legacy Strategy, defined in terms of:

• Support of identified national and regional development priorities
• Alignment and contributions to national priorities vis a vis the SDGs
• Collaboration with national/regional and/or local clusters

With its advanced understanding, knowledge and practice of strategic meeting legacy planning, MeetDenmark is in a strong position to lead the way in repositioning the role of international business events.