On 3 April 2025, it is again time for the Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID), which is celebrated worldwide but, unfortunately, perhaps not quite as much here in Sweden. GMID 2025 is a celebration and a reminder that the meetings and events industry makes vital knowledge, economic, and social contributions and still needs tailored programmes to continue to develop.

Meetings Matter

The meetings industry is a meta industry that creates undeniable value for individuals, universities, organisations, associations, companies, cities and society. Moreover, national and international meetings will accelerate the recovery of the travel industry, further strengthening the world economy. Let’s make sure our elected leaders, not least Sweden’s government, and more media understand that the development of meetings, events, and business travel is vital to our economy, generating billions in travel and directly supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs every year, in addition to the proven benefits to corporate performance.

What is happening right now and for almost four more years in the US through the Trump administration is essentially allowing the rest of the world to increase the number of Conventions that will not take place in the US, and where the same administration is now dismantling Universities. Let us hope that the same will not happen in other countries. How many Nobel Prizes will the US miss out on because of Donald Trump?

The following messages convey that face-to-face meetings are the only substitute. They aim to underline the unwavering value of our industry with leaders in universities, organisations, associations, businesses, government, media, and society.

Key points
  • There is power in convening a meeting. Meetings provide undeniable value to people, universities, businesses and communities, and their return will accelerate the continued growth of the meetings and travel industry.
  • The economic benefits of face-to-face meetings and events are clear, and in 2024, they accounted for 42 per cent of all business travel in the US.
  • Meetings drive education, knowledge, and community understanding on critical topics, advancing areas vital to our societal well-being.
  • In 2024, meetings and events travel investment was over $100 billion – revenue vital to the United States’ national and local economies. Now, we can see a continued downturn in the country. It is worth noting that the US is number one on ICCA’s list of the world’s most prosperous countries regarding scientific congresses for 2024.
  • The $100+ billion in meetings and event-related travel costs in the US directly support more than half a million American jobs.
  • Business and convention travel is back, and convention centre bookings for 2023 are up 13 per cent from 2022 in the US.
  • The benefits of meetings range from the tangible to the intangible. They benefit local economies and businesses while fostering individual growth, long-lasting connections, and mutual respect.
#MeetingsMatter for people
  • Strong relationships are key to sustainable business success, and meeting face-to-face is the best way to develop them.
  • While virtual meetings can be convenient, they have proven less effective in developing lasting relationships. Data shows that face-to-face meetings are the best way to capture a person’s full attention.
  • Face-to-face enquiries are 34 times more effective than emails.
  • Just over eight out of ten managers prefer face-to-face meetings to virtual contact.
  • When people meet face-to-face, relationships develop in a way that technology cannot replicate or match.
  • Meetings create a shared sense of mission and purpose, foster empathy across organisational boundaries, and create camaraderie that positions an organisation for success.
#MeetingsMatter for community
  • Meetings support small and local businesses in the communities they are hosted in, often providing long-lasting benefits that are not visible to all meeting and event attendees.
  • Meetings and events help generate travel and tourism in communities and are often the lifeblood of visitors and their investment in many destinations.
  • Hosting an event, congress, or trade fair stimulates a region’s economy by bringing in new visitors who stay in hotels in the area, eat in local restaurants, shop in local stores and bring new revenue to the destination.
#MeetingsMatter for businesses
  • A return to a thriving travel industry – and US economy – depends on the return of business travel, meetings, business events and conventions.
  • In fact, over 81 per cent of executives in the US believe that business travel is essential.
  • Face-to-face meetings offer wide-ranging economic and business benefits, including helping organisations build a competitive advantage and boost revenue performance.
  • Congresses and conferences are essential professional training platforms and key components for developing advanced skills and training.