As we approach year’s end, I have been reflecting on what has been an especially energising and fulfilling year for the global business events community. From major international gatherings to regional convenings, this year has demonstrated once again the extraordinary power of events to bring people together to connect, learn and grow, to spark ideas, and to serve as a genuine force for good in an increasingly complex world.
As part of our Vision 2030 planning, we have been taking a thoughtful look at EIC’s ever-evolving role and how we can collaborate more effectively to address some of the long-standing opportunities before us—particularly our collective need to tell a stronger, more unified story about the impact and value of our sector. This work is essential if we are to reach those in positions to positively influence our future through investment and growth, as well as those working every day to attract, encourage and support an expanding and diverse workforce.
With a focus on Advocacy and Workforce, we see tremendous opportunities to better align the many efforts underway across our community and to serve as a central, trusted repository for the resources that help our industry build ambition and take meaningful action. None of this, however, is possible without the extraordinary commitment of our volunteer leaders. Their insight, passion and leadership make these ambitions achievable, and we are deeply grateful for all they do to move our industry forward.
Beginning with our Board of Directors—including our current Chair, Dr Senthil Gopinath, President and CEO of ICCA—to our EIC Council Leaders and more than 100 volunteer leaders who engage each year out of shared values and belief in the power of collective impact, I want to say thank you. I am profoundly grateful for your passion, vision and commitment to excellence.
In 2025, we completed an enormous endeavour with the update of the CMP-IS, enlisting more than 1,000 subject matter experts in the process. We are also addressing much-needed updates to our Accreditation Programme and the CMP Preferred Provider Programme to better serve the needs of practitioners and educators. In a dynamic learning landscape, there are vast opportunities for EIC to support inclusive and inspirational learning journeys.
As we build on our momentum in 2025, we will now turn our attention to the creation of new research, resources and meaningful alliances on the sustainability front to ensure maximum reach, relevance and, ultimately, impact.
In our latest issue of CMP Today, we continue our Futures Landscape content series, spotlighting one of the critical forces shaping global society and our industry—and one that underscores the importance of practising foresight as we build resilience, adaptability and innovative mindsets necessary for long-term success: Accessibility. Many thanks to our contributors—Beth Surmont, CMP Fellow, CAE, FASEA; neurodiversity expert Yush Sztalkoper, CMP; EIC Sustainability and Social Impact Committee Member Elena Fis; and EIC Member and Strategic Partner Encore—all of whom are helping to advance more inclusive, human-centred approaches to event design and delivery.
Looking ahead, work is now firmly underway on the 2026 Global Economic Significance Study, produced in partnership with Oxford Economics and other partners across the business events industry. This landmark research will provide critical insights into the economic and social impact of business events worldwide and will be released in May 2026, in conjunction with Global Meetings Industry Day and Business Events Week.
I want to express my deep appreciation to our global CMP community for your passion and dedication to our sector and to one another—for modelling the way, for engaging with some of the most pressing topics of our time, and for helping shape and evolve the event experience into one of the most meaningful and inclusive ways to connect and honour our shared humanity. In a world filled with distractions, I take great comfort in knowing that what we do matters—now more than ever.
Thank you,
Amy Calvert, President and CEO, Events Industry Council