BestCities Global Alliance is celebrating 25 years of championing and facilitating legacy-making business events that improve the world. Through groundbreaking initiatives like the Incredible Impacts Programme and the Madrid Challenge, the organisation has helped guide the industry towards a legacy of sustainability, positive social impact, and a close-knit community.

Impactful origins

BestCities was launched in 2000 during the Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) in Melbourne, Australia. Gary Grimmer, executive chairman of Gaining Edge, was then CEO of the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB), one of BestCities’ original partner destinations.

“BestCities was conceptualised in 1999 in Puerto Rico, where the International Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus was holding its annual meeting,” said Gary Grimmer. “At the time, I was CEO of the Melbourne bureau. Rick Antonson of the Vancouver bureau and Jack Munro of the Edinburgh bureau asked me to meet with them to discuss the concept. Our goal was co-promotion through a collaborative process that elevated the successful outcomes for conventions that came to our destinations. We also wanted to offer a unique convenience where meeting planners could simultaneously engage with some potential destinations instead of just one at a time. I’m impressed at how far BestCities has come over the past 25 years.”

“Melbourne is thrilled to have been a part of BestCities for 25 years,” said Julia Swanson, CEO of Melbourne Convention Bureau and incoming Board Chair of BestCities. “As incoming Chair, I look forward to the many exciting opportunities as we continue to build on the legacy of innovation and real-world impact that BestCities has fostered for a quarter of a century.”

25 years of milestones

BestCities has dedicated 25 years to building a more sustainable, impactful meetings industry:

  • In 2000, BestCities launched with five members. Today, BestCities has 13 partner cities whose open knowledge exchange and close collaborations facilitate positive community changes worldwide. They are: Berlin, Germany; Cape Town, South Africa; Copenhagen, Denmark; Dubai, UAE; Dublin, Ireland; Guadalajara, Mexico; Houston, USA; Madrid, Spain; Melbourne, Australia; Singapore, Southeast Asia; Tokyo, Japan; Vancouver, Canada; and Washington, DC, USA.
  • In 2016, BestCities hosted the first Global Forum in Dubai, achieving a 100 per cent delegate satisfaction rating. Since then, the annual gathering has attracted over 185 association attendees. The most recent Global Forum, held in Dublin from 24–26 January 2025, hosted 21 association representatives and seven media titles.
  • In 2017, BestCities, in collaboration with the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), launched the Incredible Impacts Programme, which honours international association meetings that achieve a powerful, lasting societal impact. Over the years, the programme has distributed $200,000 in funding to help associations advance their world-changing initiatives.  
  • In 2021, at the Global Forum in Madrid, BestCities introduced the Madrid Challenge – a pledge from destinations and associations to integrate impact and sustainability into daily conference planning. From an initial batch of 23 pledges at the Global Forum in Madrid, the Madrid Challenge has grown to 61 association meeting planners who have joined the community. During the 2025 Global Forum in Dublin, BestCities reinforced its commitment to the Madrid Challenge by hosting the ICCA Association Impact Masterclass, which offered educational insights related to impact.

“Over the past 25 years, BestCities has achieved several accomplishments that have made a notable impact in the global meetings industry,” said Edward Koh, Board Chair of BestCities. “We’ve expanded to 13 partner destinations worldwide, helped dozens of international conferences leave positive legacies in their host communities, and supported the meetings industry to build back better following a global pandemic. We are eager to step into an even brighter future as we move towards a more sustainable, socially impactful industry.”