To recognise this year’s top ICCA Data Provider, it gives us great pleasure to announce that Maryam Ashkar, Business Analyst at Maastricht Convention Bureau, has been chosen "Researcher of the Year 2025" and will receive a certificate, together with a sum of €500 to be put against any ICCA product or event within 24 months of winning the award!
We appreciate Maryam’s cooperation to help contribute excellent meetings information to the database. We are confident he will be an inspiration for other members who are not yet using the database and its update functionality to their fullest potential. Because of her efforts, the ICCA Database offers improved data for other ICCA members!
Why do you consider it so important to contribute your meeting information to ICCA Business Intelligence?
Contributing to ICCA Business Intelligence is essential because the strength of the platform lies in the quality and completeness of its data. By sharing accurate and up-to-date meeting information, we collectively build a reliable dataset that enables meaningful analysis, supports informed decision-making, and increases transparency across the global meetings industry.
What do you gain from using the ICCA Business Intelligence for your work with the Maastricht Convention Bureau?
ICCA BI provides valuable insights that support our strategic and data-driven approach. It allows us to identify trends, analyze association behavior, and benchmark Maastricht against competing destinations. This helps us prioritize opportunities and strengthen our positioning within the international meetings market.
What advice do you have for other ICCA members who haven’t actively used the ICCA Business Intelligence?
I would encourage members to approach ICCA BI as both a contribution platform and a strategic resource. Starting with small, consistent inputs already add value, and over time this leads to more robust insights that directly support business development and decision-making.
Do you have any ICCA BI tips for your fellow ICCA members?
Prioritize data accuracy and consistency, as these are key to generating reliable insights. In addition, make full use of the analytical capabilities within ICCA BI—exploring patterns and trends can uncover opportunities that may not be immediately visible through basic data use.
What do you plan to do with your €500 voucher?
I am planning to use the voucher towards attending an ICCA event, as these provide valuable opportunities for knowledge exchange, industry insights, and connecting with peers.
Tell us something that is happening/in the works at Maastricht Convention Bureau that you’d like the members to know about.
At Maastricht Convention Bureau, we are further strengthening our data-driven approach by aligning our acquisition strategy with key knowledge sectors. By combining local ecosystem strengths with insights from platforms such as ICCA BI, we aim to attract conferences that create long-term impact for both the destination and the scientific communities we serve.