©Maurice Li Its central argument is that economic impact remains important, but it is no longer sufficient. For associations, destinations and congress organisers, the more strategic question is how a meeting can shape a sector, influence policy, develop talent, strengthen communities and support long-term competitiveness.“For decades, we’ve measured what’s easy: delegate numbers, hotel nights, economic impact,” said Virginie De Visscher, Executive Director, Business Events at Destination Canada. “These metrics do matter, but they don’t reflect the full potential of business events.”
A framework for what happens after the event
The study organises legacy around five areas: the full potential of events, impact as a chain reaction, the foundations of legacy, impact accelerators and the power of inclusion. It also expands measurement across eight forms of capital: social, intellectual, policy, financial, human, cultural, natural and built.
Destination Canada developed the research with #MEET4IMPACT and GainingEdge, bringing together impact methodology, destination strategy and academic input to test how business events create measurable long-term value. Geneviève Leclerc, CEO and Co-Founder of #MEET4IMPACT, acted as the study’s chief research designer and described the work as “the largest ever study that has been done in the industry.”
Its methodology went beyond attendee feedback, using interviews with destination stakeholders, exhibitors, sector partners and community actors, as well as documentary review and longitudinal tracking. “Most impact studies done in the industry so far relied on attendee survey data,” Leclerc said. “We went way beyond the attendee survey data.”The most valuable outcomes are often not visible during the closing session. A new research contact can become a funded collaboration. A policy conversation can become a government programme. A local expert showcased on stage can gain international visibility. The study’s language for this is a chain reaction. “We’ve actually been able to map how some outcomes that happen at the individual stage at the event actually create cascades,” Leclerc explained.
Legacy starts before the bid is won
One of the most practical findings is that impact is not primarily determined by the size of the congress, nor even by the sector it serves. The differentiator is whether legacy is planned, delivered and stewarded.
In interview, De Visscher said the research revealed clear distinctions between events that had structured legacy planning and those that did not. “What happens if there is no impact plan from the beginning? The ones that did not have a legacy plan… there is some, but it’s way less strong or structured. And even the ones who have a legacy plan, then if they’re not sustained as you go forward, the results are less than what they could have been.”Mission-driven organisations may assume their congresses naturally generate benefit because their communities are committed to science, health, engineering, education or social progress. The study suggests that purpose needs a mechanism. “No matter the sector, no matter the size of the event, it was all in how it was planned, and how it was designed, and then how it was followed up,” De Visscher said.
The accelerators behind stronger outcomes
Destination Canada identifies 18 impact accelerators. Some are conditions already present around an event, such as government participation, DMO involvement, pre-event activity and external collaboration. Others are deliberate design choices, including knowledge transfer, capacity building, sector innovation, legacy frameworks, DEI initiatives, local expertise, sustainable practices, community engagement and advocacy.
Leclerc was especially direct on the role of destinations: “DMO involvement entails more than just accompanying the bid to contract, but actual stewardship from the destination to create relationships between the event owner and its local stakeholders is also a sure factor of success.”
That shifts the DMO role from sales partner to convenor. For associations, it also means the host destination should not only be assessed on accessibility, venues and price, but on its capacity to connect the congress with government, academia, industry and community groups. De Visscher said simply: “You can’t do a legacy plan without involving your local stakeholders.”
Case studies now in the public domain
The released case studies show how varied legacy can be. The 11th International Conference on Isotopes, held in Saskatoon in 2023, is linked to strengthening isotope supply chains, accelerating innovation in cancer treatment and deepening international collaboration in nuclear science.
The 2022 Insects to Feed the World Conference in Québec City began with a strategic action plan to track, measure and share achievements, connecting the meeting to sustainable food systems and agribusiness innovation. De Visscher described it as an example that sought to “add insects to the agribusiness sector.”
The 2024 One Young World Summit in Montréal demonstrates inclusion as an engine of legitimacy. Indigenous youth programming and Indigenous voices were embedded across the summit, not treated as ceremonial additions. The study argues that inclusion strengthens social licence, role modelling, leadership development and the quality of outcomes.
Other examples referenced include climate change in Edmonton, liquefied natural gas in Vancouver and a nurses congress in Montréal. More case studies are expected to broaden the evidence base.
Funding as a lever for behaviour change
The study is already influencing Canada’s business events strategy. Destination Canada’s renewed International Convention Attraction Fund brings CAD 15 million over three years, with the event cap reduced from CAD 1 million to CAD 250,000 to support a broader range of meetings and destinations.
Legacy planning is encouraged through the funding model, but not imposed. “We’re trying to not force or mandate, we’re trying to encourage and inspire,” De Visscher said. “We’re going to create almost like a toolkit with the framework, and then some training programme for our Team Canada partners.”Destination Canada wants the framework to be used by others, including international industry bodies developing broader impact measurement tools. “We don’t want to own it,” De Visscher said. “We hope that others will use it and build on it.”
Canada’s wider positioning
The legacy agenda sits alongside Canada’s sector-led approach to business events. The United States remains its strongest market, but Canada is also targeting international associations aligned with national priorities. Digital industries are increasingly framed around AI, clean tech has returned to the agenda, and tourism has been added as a priority sector. Innovate Canada will take place in Québec City in September, focused on digital industries and applied technology.
Sustainability remains embedded in this strategy. Destination Canada has also supported the launch of the Sustainable Event Goals, developed with partners including PCMA, the Events Industry Council, Kenes Group and Amex GBT Meetings & Events.
“Our values, what we stand for in Canada, the openness and the diversity of the country, the inclusivity, our sustainability values, but most importantly, our safety… that resonates with international associations right now,” De Visscher said.
For associations, the lesson is not that every event must promise systemic transformation. A legacy plan can be simple. The consequences need not be.