ICCA is thrilled to announce our strategic involvement in a brand-new industry-wide competition: the UNWTO Startup Competition for Mega Events and Mice Tourism. This bold new initiative looks to reward new thinking and innovation around Startups working in and around the business events industry.
Tourism – including business tourism - is one of the leading sectors in international trade, accounting in 2019 for 28% of the world's services exports, representing 1,7 trillion dollars from international tourism, turning it into the fifth largest traded services sector (UNWTO). While many factors influence tourism growth, MICE tourism and mega events can contribute massively to the influx of tourists to a country and destination. The launch of this competition will celebrate how SMART solutions can cut through to new audiences and enable business growth.
ICCA believes this competition mirrors our commitment to sustainability, legacy, and DEI but with an added – and obvious - business focus element. To stand out and be chosen as a finalist requires a real commitment to innovation, something ICCA also passionately supports. By primarily pitching the competition to young professionals looking to shake up the status quo, we are providing them a platform to make a name for themselves on the global stage.
ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath adds: “This initiative appeals to ICCA’s commitment to both innovation and supporting our young professionals. Fresh ideas and new talent are the lifeblood of our industry, something we must all encourage. We should enhance the Startups in our industry to secure the future of the industry. By focusing the attention on Startups, and awarding a prize for the best working examples, we believe our global community will be the richer for it. We look forward to collaborating with the UMWTO - and our fellow sponsors - to create something that will generate a tremendous industry buzz.”
The deadline for entry is September 1st with finalists pitching their entries to a panel of experts in October.
For more details, visit UNWTO Startup Competition for Mega Events and MICE Tourism