The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and BestCities Global Alliance are thrilled to announce the finalists of the 2024 Incredible Impacts Programme: International Hip Preservation Society (ISHA), European Academy of Childhood Disability (EACD), and World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).
The Incredible Impacts Programme celebrates the value of international association meetings by rewarding innovative thinking and creativity across the industry. Programme finalists demonstrate proven impact in shaping a better world, inspiring others to incorporate their own legacy initiatives into future events.
Whether advocating for global access to quality medical treatments, building a better future for people with childhood-onset disabilities, or advancing democratic engagement among younger generations, the 2024 Incredible Impacts Programme finalists share a common goal of achieving equity for people everywhere. They are:
International Hip Preservation Society – Africa’s prevalence of hip issues is a barrier to economic development, with treatment only available to the wealthy minority. ISHA’s 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting served as a catalyst for its expansion across Africa, with a key objective of building hip preservation hubs that are accessible to patients across the continent – regardless of class, age or gender.
European Academy of Childhood Disability – EACD developed the EACD+ program to improve quality of life for people with a childhood-onset disability by expanding their access to sports, culture and technology. Following the success of EACD2024 in Bruges, Belgium, EACD seeks to expand the programme to future host destinations, as well as creating an Impact Creation Task Force that raises awareness of the needs and rights of people with childhood-onset disabilities and advocate for more inclusive policy making throughout Europe.
World Association of News Publishers – News avoidance impacts civic engagement and the evolution of informed, open societies that are essential to building a better world. WAN-IFRA initiated the Copenhagen Criteria project in 2024 to identify “news values” that will help news organizations better appeal to younger audiences. The association intends to advance the Copenhagen Criteria at the World News Media Congress in Krakow, Poland in 2025, including other marginalized groups, such as women and immigrants, to ensure diverse voices contribute to the conversation about news consumption.
These three associations will compete for the Incredible Impacts Programme $20,000 USD grant at the ICCA Congress (October 20-23 in Abu Dhabi, UAE), with each presenting their entry at a plenary session. Congress attendees will be able to vote on the winner, with the final score evenly weighted between jury and audience.
For more information about the Incredible Impacts Programme, visit www.incredibleimpacts.com
Quotes:
“ICCA is pleased to congratulate the European Academy of Childhood Disability (EACD), the International Hip Preservation Society (ISHA) and the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) for their extraordinary initiatives and participation in the Incredible Impacts Programme. Incredible Impacts helps shine a light on the valuable work organisations do to expand and improve the legacy associations bring to host destinations, and it’s crucial that we support these efforts, which not only strengthen our industry but positively impact the communities we visit.”
— Senthil Gopinath, CEO, International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)
“Congratulations to all three finalists of the 2024 Incredible Impacts Programme. Each has shown a tremendous commitment to advancing legacy initiatives within their association and leaving a lasting, positive impact in their host destinations. They are shining examples of the transformative power of the meetings industry, and we hope associations around the world will take note and be inspired by their successes.”
— Loren Christie, Managing Director, BestCities Global Alliance
“ISHA is honored to be recognized as finalists in the BestCities and ICCA 2024 Incredible Impact Awards for the legacy programme resulting from the ISHA 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting. This recognition reflects the Society’s unwavering commitment to advancing hip preservation surgery in Africa and around the world. This initiative has been led by the orthopedic community within the Africa region, based on learnings from other international regions who have been successful in advancing hip preservation surgery treatment access. The creation of hip preservation hubs across Africa and improving access to hip preservation surgical training, stemming from needs assessment conducted from this meeting, represents a significant step towards improving both the training of surgeons and patient access to life-changing treatments. By empowering local surgeons with the skills and knowledge to perform hip preservation surgery, we aim to improve patient outcomes and expand access to specialized care across the region. We are excited about the impact this initiative will have on healthcare systems in Africa and look forward to continuing our mission of elevating standards of care globally.”
— Caroline Mackenzie, Executive Director, International Hip Preservation Society (ISHA)
“The nomination of EACD+ as finalist in the Incredible Impact Programme is a profound recognition of the dedication and hard work of numerous volunteers who helped to realize a remarkable impact program in Bruges in May 2024. These exceptional individuals have shown a commitment to creating extracurricular activities that not only address immediate needs but also foster long-term growth and independence for people with a childhood onset disability. Their heartfelt efforts and dedication have significantly contributed to improving their quality of life. EACD is committed to continue creating lasting positive change across Europe and around the globe in collaboration with the International Alliance of Academies of Childhood Disability.”
— Elegast Monbaliu, Meeting President, EACD Bruges 2024
“It is an honour to be considered among finalists who do such important work to improve lives. Our project was a rewarding lesson in what is possible by working together with local and legacy associations and citizens – in our case with the Danish Medier association, the Copenhagen Legacy Lab and students from the International People’s College. It is a model of engagement and collaboration that we want to replicate and share with others.”
— Cherilyn Ireton, Executive Director, World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)
