What’s New This June
Welcome to the June round-up from BestCities Global Alliance. This month, we explore what inclusive event design really looks like in practice, share the latest ICCA rankings results, and hear what's new from our partner destinations. From a packed programme at IMEX Frankfurt to major congresses landing across our partner cities, there is plenty to catch up on.
Dive in to stay informed and inspired.
Association Focus: Important News and Events
BestCities Community Café: A Practical Guide to AI for Association Events
BestCities Global Alliance is hosting its next Community Café on 25 June, 14:00–15:00 CET, and if AI is on your agenda this year, this one is worth your time.
The session walks through three tools already in use across the MICE industry: Spark (built with PCMA) for planning, Snapsight for content amplification, and ImpactAIQ (built with Meet4Impact) for measuring event impact. Together, they offer a practical framework for how associations and destinations can work with AI across the full event lifecycle.
Speakers Jonathan Easton and Keerat Singh from Gevme will lead the session. Registration is free and open to Madrid Challenge signatories, senior global meeting planners, media, and BestCities partner destinations.
BestCities Global Alliance at ASAE Annual Conference
BestCities Global Alliance is sponsoring the ASAE Global Lounge on Sunday 16 August, where Managing Director Loren Christie will be available throughout the day to meet with associations looking to take their meetings international or grow their international delegate numbers.
At noon, BestCities will host a panel discussion in the lounge exploring what inclusive design looks like across different regions, and how developing cultural expertise can improve events, attract larger audiences, and strengthen an association’s global reach.
Find out more about the ASAE Annual Meeting and Exposition on the ASAE Annual Meeting website.
BestCities Destinations Lead ICCA Rankings as Knowledge Economies Reshape Global Meetings
Five BestCities Global Alliance destinations have ranked among the world’s top cities for international association meetings in the ICCA Globewatch Business Analytics 2025: City and Country Rankings report.
The results reflect a broader shift in how associations select host cities, with research capability, innovation ecosystems, and access to leading academics now ranking as critical selection criteria alongside traditional factors like infrastructure and connectivity.
The ranked BestCities destinations are Singapore (#5), Copenhagen (#7), Tokyo (#10), Madrid (#13), and Dublin (#18), each recognised for the depth of their knowledge economies and sector expertise.
Find out more about the rankings and what they mean for the global meetings industry in our latest article.
Designing Inclusive Events: Creating Experiences Where Everyone Belongs
Inclusivity in event design is no longer optional, and BestCities Global Alliance has published a new article that offers a practical framework for embedding accessibility into every stage of the attendee journey.
From registration and programming to networking and the onsite experience, the piece covers the concrete steps organisers can take to ensure more delegates feel welcomed, represented, and supported. It also connects this work to SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, a goal that sits at the heart of BestCities’ broader commitment to responsible events.
Read the full article on designing inclusive events on the BestCities website.
Head Office Highlights: What’s Happening at BestCities Global Alliance
Welcome, Ligia González
With the 2027 BestCities Global Forum now confirmed in Cape Town, preparations are well underway and we are bringing in some extra support to keep momentum going.
Ligia González will be joining the team to work closely with Tia Daniels on association outreach and Global Forum registrations. Ligia knows BestCities inside out, having served as Guadalajara’s representative on the BestCities Strategic Business Development team, and having led the city’s hosting of the 2026 Global Forum.
Her industry network and deep familiarity with how BestCities works make her a natural fit to help accelerate registrations for Cape Town.
2027 BestCities Global Forum: Programme Takes Shape
The programme for the 10th anniversary BestCities Global Forum in Cape Town, taking place 21–24 January 2027, is coming together and it is shaping up to be a memorable edition.
The main forum days split across two iconic settings: education sessions and the welcome function take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, before the group heads to Stellenbosch for a day of education sessions, a city café with destination partners, and a gala dinner.
The Forum is open to international associations, association management companies, and core PCOs who meet the eligibility criteria.
Find out more and register your interest on the BestCities Global Forum 2027 website.
BestCities Global Alliance at IMEX Frankfurt
IMEX Frankfurt brought the full BestCities Global Alliance family together, and it was a busy few days.
Before the show opened representatives from our 13 destination partners and the head office team gathered for a strategy session to align on what lies ahead, closing the day with a welcome reception.
A highlight of IMEX Frankfurt was the annual BestCities Breakfast, which brought together association leaders, media, partners and representatives from BestCities’ 13 partner destinations for a morning of networking, knowledge sharing, and meaningful conversations. Attendees explored topics including the Copenhagen Risk Navigator, insights from FIFA World Cup host cities Houston, Vancouver, and Guadalajara on planning for major events, and updates on the 2027 Global Forum in Cape Town.
Managing Director Loren Christie also moderated a session on inclusive event design as a core principle, with panellists from Destination DC, visitBerlin, and Melbourne Convention Bureau exploring what inclusion looks like across different cultures and regions.
IMEX delivered, and the conversations from this week will carry the network well into the months ahead!
City Buzz: What’s Happening in BestCities Destinations
Copenhagen
Copenhagen Risk Navigator Launch
The Copenhagen Convention Bureau has launched the “Copenhagen Risk Navigator – International Strategies and Tools for Business Events, a practical framework designed to help organisations, associations, and destinations move from reactive risk responses to informed, forward-looking decision-making across the full event lifecycle.
Developed in collaboration with FERMA and RIMS, the Navigator builds on Copenhagen’s 2023 Risk Assessment White Paper and introduces a Risk Management Toolkit that is accessible and scalable for stakeholders at all levels.
The Copenhagen Risk Navigator is freely available to all business events professionals worldwide and can be downloaded on the Copenhagen Risk Navigator page.
Madrid
Pope Leo XIV Visit, 6–9 June
Madrid is preparing to welcome Pope Leo XIV for a series of meetings with the faithful at iconic city locations including Plaza de Cibeles and the Real Madrid stadium. Up to 1.5 million people are expected to attend, with an economic impact projected to exceed €100 million.
Cities Forum and Global Mobility Call, 9–11 June
Madrid will host two major urban innovation events back to back. The Cities Forum 2026 brings together 51 Spanish and Latin American cities around innovation as a driver of urban transformation, while the Global Mobility Call gathers companies, public administrations, and industry leaders shaping the future of mobility at European and global level.
Sports Summit Madrid 2026, 17–18 June
Madrid will host the Sports Summit Madrid 2026, an international gathering of professionals, institutions, and young talent exploring sport as a driver of innovation, economic development, and social transformation.
National Urology Congress and ENCALS 2026
The IFEMA Municipal Conference Centre will welcome two major medical congresses this month, with 1,500 delegates expected for the National Urology Congress and 1,200 for the Meeting of the European Network for the Cure of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ENCALS 2026). The ENCALS congress includes a legacy programme co-designed with the Madrid Convention Bureau, featuring a blood donation campaign and a series of public film screenings and debates raising awareness of ALS, in line with SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being. Organisers have also committed to reducing their environmental footprint using the MCB’s digital sustainability platform PLUS.
LGTBIQA+ Pride Festival, from 25 June
Madrid’s LGTBIQA+ Pride Festival, the largest in Europe, gets underway from 25 June with a programme of cultural activities centred on the Chueca neighbourhood, culminating in the grand parade on 4 July. The festival also hosts the Madrid Summit, a forum for debate on human rights.
Madrid Convention Bureau Promotional Activities
June is a busy month on the road for the Madrid Convention Bureau, with appearances at the BestCities and ICCA Association Insight Circuit in Washington DC, the Events Club Life Sciences in Düsseldorf, the GDS-Forum and Impact Day in Szczecin, and The Meetings Show in London, among others. The month closes with the Madrid Agency Forum Europe from 28 June to 1 July, welcoming around twenty agency representatives from Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom for an experiential programme designed around the theme of engaging all five senses.
Melbourne
Melbourne Convention Bureau at IMEX Frankfurt
The Melbourne Convention Bureau attended IMEX Frankfurt, where over 4,000 international buyers were planning events well into the 2030s. MCB joined fellow BestCities Global Alliance partners to share global insights, best practice, and host client events, and reaffirmed Melbourne’s pride as a founding member of the Alliance ahead of the 2027 Global Forum in Cape Town.
Inclusion as a Core Design Principle
MCB Chief Executive Julia Swanson joined a panel at IMEX Frankfurt alongside representatives from Washington DC and Berlin, exploring inclusion as a core design principle in international meetings. Julia drew on Melbourne’s recent hosting of Women Deliver, which attracted delegates from 189 countries, to share practical insights on what inclusive event design looks like in practice.
Indonesian Incentive Famil
MCB partnered with Qantas to host a five-day familiarisation trip for Indonesian incentive and corporate buyers, giving clients a firsthand experience of Melbourne and Victoria. The programme combined city highlights, including Melbourne’s dining scene, laneway culture, and street art, with regional experiences across the Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, and Ballarat, showcasing the diversity of what Victoria has to offer within just one to two hours of the CBD.
Washington, DC
Destination DC Unveils “Meetings Capitalized”
At IMEX Frankfurt, Destination DC introduced “Meetings Capitalized,” a refreshed meetings model that positions Washington DC as an immersive learning environment for events and conventions. Built on research identifying experiential design as a top priority for planners, the approach reframes the city itself as part of the meeting curriculum, connecting attendees with the institutions, experts, and ideas shaping global conversations.
Read more about the concept on the Destination DC press page.
Investing in DC’s Future Hospitality Workforce
NEXTDC, alongside the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington and the Washington Area Concierge Association, awarded $35,000 in scholarships and honorariums to 29 local students and alumni pursuing careers in hospitality, tourism, and related fields. Since 2015, NEXTDC has distributed more than $250,000 in scholarships to students connected to DC’s Career and Technical Education academies.
Full details are available on the Destination DC press page.
Washington DC Celebrates Record Tourism Impact
At its annual Travel Rally at Lincoln Theatre, Destination DC marked significant milestones for 2025: 27.2 million visitors, a record $11.9 billion in visitor spending, $2.4 billion in tax revenue, and 114,000 local jobs supported.
Read the full figures on the Destination DC press page.
Tokyo
OMAE 2026, 7–12 June
Tokyo is hosting the 45th International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering (OMAE 2026) at the Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba, bringing together over 1,200 researchers, engineers, and industry professionals from more than 30 countries. This is the fourth consecutive edition of OMAE to take place in a BestCities destination, following previous editions in Vancouver, Singapore, and Melbourne.
Find out more on the OMAE 2026 conference website.
Tokyo Matches Best-Ever ICCA City Ranking
Tokyo has matched its best-ever result in the ICCA City Rankings 2025, rising to 10th globally. The city also ranked 2nd worldwide in the technology category, reflecting its growing strength as a leading destination for knowledge-driven international meetings.
Haneda Airport Tops 2026 SKYTRAX World Airport Awards
Tokyo’s Haneda Airport has once again claimed multiple top honours at the 2026 SKYTRAX World Airport Awards, including World’s Cleanest Airport for the eleventh consecutive year and World’s Best Airport for Passengers with Restricted Mobility for the eighth straight year. It also ranked as the World’s Best Domestic Airport and the World’s Best Airport in the 80+ million passengers category.
Read the full story on the Business Events Tokyo website.
Berlin
New Leadership for visitBerlin
visitBerlin has appointed Dr Jürgen Amann as Managing Director of Destination Marketing and Commercial, effective 1 June. He succeeds Burkhard Kieker, who has led visitBerlin since 2009. Dr Amann joins from KölnTourismus GmbH, where he served as Managing Director since 2020, and brings extensive experience in destination management and city marketing across Germany. Together with Managing Director Sabine Wendt, he will lead the next phase of Berlin’s development as a leading destination for tourism, meetings, and events, with a focus on digitalisation, commercial growth, and international positioning.
Read the full announcement on the visitBerlin press page.
Berlin in June: A Strong Month for International Business Events
June brings a varied line-up of major international events to Berlin. GITEX AI Europe, which has previously been hosted by BestCities partner destinations Dubai and Singapore, arrives in Berlin this month, reinforcing the city’s position within a global innovation network for AI, digital transformation, and entrepreneurship. ILA Berlin brings the global aerospace industry together around aviation, space, defence, and sustainability, while SuperReturn International draws leading private markets professionals to the city.
Browse the full Berlin congress and exhibition calendar for more.
Guadalajara
International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), 21–29 May
Guadalajara welcomed global experts in engineering and infrastructure for the International Commission on Large Dams congress, further cementing the city’s credentials as a destination for high-level technical and scientific gatherings.
Major Events at Expo Guadalajara
Expo Guadalajara, one of the largest convention centres in Latin America, hosted two major international gatherings in quick succession. The International Open Championship of the FIRST LEGO League (27–30 May) brought together young innovators from around the world, positioning Guadalajara as a hub for STEM education and youth-focused global competition. Shortly after, the Mexico Conference by IFPA connected leaders across the fresh produce supply chain, from fruit and vegetables to the floral industry, in one of Mexico’s most important agribusiness events.
Looking Ahead
With two Michelin stars recently awarded to local restaurants Alcalde and Xokol, and the city gearing up to host FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, Guadalajara is building momentum across gastronomy, sport, and business events as it heads into an exciting period ahead.
Cape Town
Cape Town to Host the 2027 BestCities Global Forum
Cape Town is the proud host destination for the 2027 BestCities Global Forum, taking place 21–24 January 2027 and marking the event’s 10th anniversary. International association leaders will gather under the theme “Connected by Purpose: Global Perspectives, Shared Values” for a programme focused on collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the future of global business events.
Find out more and register your interest on the BestCities Global Forum 2027 website.
Cape Town Retains Top Spot in Africa in ICCA Rankings
Cape Town has once again been named Africa’s leading destination for international association meetings in the ICCA GlobeWatch 2025 Business Analytics Report, hosting 55 qualifying meetings in 2024. Stellenbosch also continued its upward trajectory, ranking 10th on the continent after hosting 10 international association meetings during the year.
Cape Town International Airport Expansion Begins
Construction has commenced on the expansion of Cape Town International Airport, beginning with upgrades to the Domestic Arrivals Terminal as part of a broader development that includes a new runway, expanded terminals, and enhanced security systems. The project responds to growing demand, with over 10 million travellers recorded in 2024, and marks an important step forward in accessibility and capacity for international delegates and business events visitors.
Houston
Houston Hotel Market Posts Record-Breaking Q1
Houston’s hotel sector opened the year on a strong note, with Q1 performance setting new benchmarks for the city.
The numbers point to sustained demand across both business and leisure segments, as detailed in Houston First’s Q1 hotel market report.
Direct Flights Between Houston and Rome Officially Launch
A new nonstop route now links Houston directly with Rome, opening up easier access for European delegates travelling to events in the city.
Full details on the service are available in the announcement of the new Houston–Rome direct flights.
World Cup 2026: Houston in the Spotlight
With Houston preparing to host six matches this summer, the city has launched a tracker monitoring travel and visitor trends in the lead-up to the tournament.
Houston also features among the five cities profiled as central to the 2026 tournament, with infrastructure and visitor readiness under the microscope. Follow the latest data through the Houston World Cup travel tracker and read the full piece on the host cities at the heart of World Cup 2026.
Avenida South Garage Demolition Clears Path for $2 Billion Convention Center Expansion
Demolition of the Avenida South Garage marks the next phase of Houston’s $2 billion convention centre expansion.
The project is part of a wider wave of district-level investment covered in TSNN’s report on convention centre districts on the rise.
Dubai
Dubai at IMEX Frankfurt 2026, 19–21 May
Dubai Business Events, the city’s official convention bureau and part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, led the city’s presence at IMEX Frankfurt alongside 20 co-exhibiting stakeholders from across its business events ecosystem.
The destination also retained the top ICCA global ranking for highest attendee numbers per association conference in 2025, the number one position in the Middle East for total association conferences hosted, and the leading spot among Cvent’s Top 25 Meeting Destinations in the Middle East and Africa.
Further detail is available in the Dubai Business Events IMEX Frankfurt announcement.
DXB Maintains Global Connectivity as UAE Airspace Restrictions Ease
Operational continuity through a challenging period reinforces confidence in Dubai’s airport resilience and its ability to keep global flows of travellers and trade moving.
Since the situation began on 28 February and intensified through March, Dubai’s airports remained operational despite constraints, supporting the safe movement of 6 million guests, more than 32,000 aircraft movements, and 213,000 tonnes of essential cargo as of 30 April.
For organisers planning international congresses, the continuity of operations through this period offers practical reassurance about the resilience of Dubai’s aviation network, as set out in the DXB operational update.
About the author
Marlieke Kemp-Janssen
Marlieke Kemp-Janssen has over 10 years of experience in the international hotel industry, specialising in digital marketing, eCommerce, and communications. She has held leadership roles in luxury-branded hotels, where she developed and executed successful online strategies. Now based in Kuala Lumpur, Marlieke is the online marketing project manager for BestCities Global Alliance. She manages the alliance’s LinkedIn presence, website content, and monthly round-ups, along with other digital projects that support global engagement and visibility.