The 63rd Congress of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), a global community and knowledge hub for the international association meetings industry, which opened in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, is discussing key issues related to the industry.
The theme of the 2024 Congress, “Tomorrow Starts Today”, represents ICCA's mission to bring transformative change to the future of the meetings and events industry.
The Congress aims to take attendees on a transformative journey of inclusivity, innovation, and collaboration. Centred on the four content pillars of Technology and Innovation, Sustainability and Environmental Impact, Business Trends and Growth, and Cultural Awareness and Social Impact, the Congress will unfold via these four distinct themes during the four days of the event (till October 23).
The Hub
The ICCA Hub will be the heart of all that is happening within the Congress. The Main Hub serves as the focal point, with four quadrants dedicated to each Content Pillar, designed to reflect their unique identities. The centre stage will deliver inspiring keynotes with a clear line of sight for all delegates. When there is no keynote taking place, each quadrant will have its own stage and speaker(s), creating a dynamic and immersive experience.
Throughout the Congress, everyone will be able to share their insights, ideas, "Aha" moments, and challenges, which will be displayed above the centre stage in real time. This setup fosters dynamic discussions, from roundtable sessions immediately following presentations to spontaneous interactions at catering stations, ensuring that delegates are constantly engaged and can switch sessions if they find something more interesting in another quadrant.
Association Villages
ICCA, through its association community, educates and brings together all stakeholders involved in association meetings, furthering the professionalisation and standardisation of association meetings across all sectors and across the world. By bringing this framework to the region for the first time, local association communities are benefiting from global expertise and connections, and ICCA’s global community can better understand local associations.
The Global Association Village is a place for destinations to showcase how they have created Association Hubs. In the Association Village, participating associations can educate others on ICCA as a knowledge hub and how Association Hubs are valuable for their host locations and the associations that participate.
The Association Hubs and the Association Village is a place to share valuable knowledge and information about sustainability and legacy initiatives. It’s a knowledge hub and a place to exchange best practices and ideas surrounding sustainability and legacy.
With a line-up of more than 70 speakers and dozens of sessions designed to inspire, educate, and inform, as well as festive social gatherings that will dazzle all in attendance, the Congress aims to achieve its key obejctives.
Congress attendees can discover the power of global networking and industry insights. This event is a unique chance to connect with top professionals in the meetings industry, learn from experts, and explore the latest trends. Shape key discussions on current industry trends.
Working closely with local hosts — the Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau (ADCEB) and the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi — the organisers have planned a Congress full of vibrancy, state-of-the-art spectacle, fun and festive social gatherings, and thought-provoking content designed to shape, inspire, and influence the way we think about international meetings and events.
"The 63rd ICCA Congress is an outstanding opportunity for everyone in the meetings and events community to converge on an incredible city to learn, grow, and innovate,” said Senthil Gopinath, CEO of ICCA.
"Last year, the introduction of Sharing Hubs allowed us to put member needs at the forefront of our programme. This year, we've taken this knowledge and used it to transform the way we instruct, communicate, and connect. I'm so excited about all our team and partners are working on, and I can't wait to see all of you in Abu Dhabi — a hub of possibility, an example of what is achievable when ideas, energy, and passion combine.”
Bahrain Minister at Congress
Bahrain's Tourism Minister Fatima bint Jaffar Al Sairafi, participating as a keynote speaker at the Congress, emphasised the conference’s significance as a platform for exchanging ideas and enhancing international cooperation in this field.
Speakign at the session titled "Business Trends and Growth," she highlighted Bahrain’s ongoing efforts to establish itself as a leading global tourism destination. As part of its 2022-2026 tourism strategy, Bahrain aims to boost the sector’s contribution to GDP and attract a diverse range of visitors, focusing on exhibitions and conventions.
Abu Dhabi is a fast-rising destination for global events. The city of Abu Dhabi has pledged to highlight the ICCA Congress as a significant contributor to Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030, which aims to build an open, efficient, effective and globally integrated business environment and adopt a disciplined fiscal policy. - TradeArabia News Service
