Autism-Europe Congress 2025 Wins ICCA and BestCities' 2026 Incredible Impacts Main Grant

The Dublin-hosted congress, which placed autistic voices at the centre of its planning and delivery, has received international recognition for demonstrating how association meetings can advance inclusion, influence employment practices and create lasting societal impact.

The Autism-Europe Congress 2025, held in Dublin, has been named the winner of the 2026 Incredible Impacts Programme (IIP) Main Grant, presented by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and BestCities Global Alliance. Announced at the 2026 ICCA Congress in Panama City, the award recognises the congress's contribution to advancing inclusion, autism advocacy and employment opportunities for autistic people through international business events.

The distinction comes with a US$20,000 grant to help further develop the initiative, which brought together the expertise of Autism-Europe, Ireland's autism charity AsIAm, Keynote PCO, Fáilte Ireland and the Royal Dublin Society. Their collaboration established a replicable model for making international meetings more accessible, while demonstrating how a congress can become a platform for meaningful change beyond its immediate participants.

For AsIAm, the recognition is particularly significant given the ambition that informed the event from its inception.

“Winning the ICCA BestCities Incredible Impact Main Grant Award is a tremendous honour and a powerful recognition of what can be achieved when purpose, partnership and lived experience come together. The Autism-Europe Congress 2025 was never solely about delivering a successful event. It was about creating a lasting legacy for Autistic people in Ireland and across Europe. Through our collaboration with Fáilte Ireland and the commitment of many valued partners, we helped break down barriers, drive meaningful action and demonstrate what true inclusion can look like in practice. We are immensely proud of what has been achieved together and excited about the positive impact this legacy will continue to create in the years ahead,” said Fiona Ferris, Deputy CEO and Head of Training at AsIAm.
 

From inclusive event design to lasting change

The Autism-Europe Congress 2025 brought almost 2,000 delegates to Dublin, placing the lived experiences and expertise of autistic people at the heart of its scientific programme, organisational approach and wider engagement with the host destination.

As explored in Headquarters' recent Dublin destination report, the congress was conceived against a broader ambition to position the Irish capital as the world's first autism-friendly capital city. Its significance therefore extended beyond the delivery of an accessible international meeting. It offered an opportunity to test practical approaches to inclusion, connect different sectors of the local community and demonstrate how business events can contribute to wider societal objectives.

A dedicated accessibility and inclusivity team, including representatives with lived experience, worked alongside the PCO, venue and partners to introduce measures addressing different sensory and communication needs. These included pre-event sensory walkthroughs, visual guides, explanatory videos, a quiet registration option, dedicated quiet rooms and mobile sensory spaces. Delegates were also encouraged to use a 'flappause', waving their hands instead of clapping, to reduce sensory overload.

Crucially, inclusion was not treated as an operational consideration confined to the delegate experience. AsIAm became the first autistic-led organisation to host the congress, while autistic individuals were represented across the scientific committee, speaker line-up, staff and volunteer teams.

The congress also helped advance three identified impact pathways: inclusive event design, employment and public awareness. Post-event surveys indicated that 73% of delegates felt pre-event information had reduced uncertainty, while 71% said organisers had taken sensory differences into consideration.

Beyond the conference itself, the initiative contributed to wider conversations about inclusive employment and workforce development. One of its notable milestones was the launch of the Inclusive Employment Roadmap by IBEC, Ireland's largest business representative group, complementing an employment advocacy pathway designed to advance opportunities for autistic individuals.

These outcomes also reinforced Dublin's wider destination ambitions, demonstrating how an international association meeting can connect tourism, public policy, business and community organisations around a shared purpose.
 

READ ALSO | When Events Create Ripples: An Autism Congress Shaping an Autism-Friendly City
 

From left to right: Christine Roche, Fáilte Ireland; Julia Swanson, Melbourne Convention Bureau; Fiona Ferris, AsIAm; Loren Christie, BestCities Global Alliance; Dermot Ryan, ICCA; Sam Johnston, Dublin Convention Bureau.

Recognising the wider impact of international meetings

The Autism-Europe Congress 2025 was selected from three finalists shortlisted by an international judging panel from 24 submissions. The other finalists were the International Social Housing Festival (ISHF) 2025 and WindEurope Annual Event 2025. Each presented its initiative at the ICCA Congress in Panama City, with delegates voting to determine the Main Grant recipient.

“The Incredible Impacts Award celebrates what our industry can achieve when we look beyond the meeting itself and focus on the difference we can make in the world. Autism-Europe 2025 demonstrates how international association meetings can drive meaningful, lasting change by bringing people together around a shared purpose and turning ideas into action. Their work is a powerful reminder that the true legacy of a meeting lies in what changes because we came together. I congratulate them on this well-deserved recognition and the example they set for our global community,” said Dr Senthil Gopinath, ICCA CEO.

Now in its tenth year, the Incredible Impacts Programme recognises international associations that use business events as catalysts for social, economic and environmental progress. It awards two grants annually: a US$20,000 Main Grant to help expand established initiatives and a US$5,000 Seed Fund Grant to support emerging projects. The International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA) received the 2026 Seed Fund Grant in August.

The programme's tenth anniversary has also been marked by the publication of a joint impact report by ICCA and BestCities, featuring case studies from previous grant recipients and examining how international meetings have contributed to addressing real-world challenges and improving lives in communities worldwide.

“We’re proud to recognise the Autism-Europe Congress 2025 for demonstrating how international meetings can translate advocacy into real action. Over the past decade, the Incredible Impacts Programme has shown what’s possible when associations approach their events with purpose. This year’s finalists carry that ambition forward, demonstrating how international meetings can drive progress on some of the most pressing challenges facing communities today,” said Loren Christie, Managing Director of BestCities Global Alliance.

The recognition of the Autism-Europe Congress 2025 adds another chapter to a project whose ambition was never limited to the days of the event itself. It also reinforces a broader message for association organisers and destinations: the impact of a meeting can be measured not only in the knowledge exchanged or the delegates brought together, but also in the barriers it helps remove and the changes it leaves behind.
 

How did the Autism-Europe Congress turn inclusion into a destination-wide ambition for Dublin? Our special report explores the partnerships, practical measures and long-term legacy behind a congress designed to make a difference beyond the meeting itself. Read the full report here!
 

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