The rising importance of place leadership for destinations was under the spotlight at the Policy Forum held yesterday at IMEX Frankfurt. Over 100 destination representatives and 20 policymakers from 30-plus countries gathered to discuss and learn how to influence the future direction of business events through policy making and strategic destination management.
Internationally renowned global urbanist Professor Greg Clark addressed the room: “Business events and place leadership have become more important in the past 18 months. This is a moment of great geopolitical change. Our system of global economic organization is being reset – and that means more opportunity for more places.”
Clark framed the challenge starkly: Most governments are still structured around sectors—housing, health, education—while place, as a unifying concept, is often left out of policy-making altogether. “The risk,” he said, “is that places become the orphans of policy.”
The solution? Cross-sector leadership teams. Integration and collaboration have been key to London’s success, according to one of the Forum’s attendees, Howard Dawber, Deputy Mayor of London for Business and Growth, and Chair of London & Partners.
He explained: “It’s been a difficult few years with Covid and geopolitical changes. Now people are looking for new alliances and new relationships—technologies are having a major impact in the sector—and it’s growing strongly. Using ‘place’ as part of how you sell a destination to potential partners, conventions, and exhibitions, and also how you create place and enthusiasm about a sectorial conference can spill out into a long-term impact on the city’s economy.”
The IMEX Policy Forum, held at the Frankfurt Marriott Hotel, was organized in collaboration with the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC), City Destinations Alliance (City DNA), Destinations International, German Convention Bureau (GCB), the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and Meetings Mean Business Coalition, under the auspices of Events Industry Council (EIC) and the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC).
