ICCA joined the European Association Summit (EAS) of the European Society of Association Executives’ (ESAE) in January. Change and resistance to change was a strong feature this year. To change, there needs to be dissatisfaction with the status quo, a vision on where to go underpinned by the skills to make it happen. Only in this way can resistance to change be outweighed.
Leaving the Summit, our thoughts on how this can apply to the business of association meetings was how ICCA Members could support associations in changing their meeting. Many associations copy-and-paste their annual meeting. There is often internal resistance to change but also a hunger to try new things and innovate. Having extensive experience hosting diverse conferences and meetings, destinations and venues are in a unique position to contribute to rethinking an associations’ Congress and to add their skills set to the mix. Associations want partners and not just suppliers. Have a conversation beyond room set-ups and budgets. Often association staff are trying to convince a traditional volunteer leadership of the need for change. Be a partner in supporting them (if they want support!) in overcoming resistance by providing insights, experience and case studies.
This is a good segway to creating impact - which drives change beyond the meeting. If association clients haven’t already thought about impact, share with them the case studies on the ICCA Best Cities Global Alliance Incredible Impacts website.The Seed Fund Grant is a great way to get started (2026 closing date, 2 June).
Dermot Ryan, Head of Association Engagement, moderated a breakout on DEI and Congress selection as part of a session called: When Values Hit the Boardroom: DEI in Association Governance. The consensus – the main driver for Congress selection is how it can drive the mission of the association forward in terms of outreach – be that education or member engagement. DEI is important as part of the bigger picture, valuing all Members and attendees and their feeling of belonging in the meeting but not the only factor. It is the responsibility of the association governing Board to proactively and not reactively think how they can facilitate this in each host city.