IBTM World Forum for Advocacy Puts Storytelling at the Centre of Policy Ambitions

The fourth edition of the Barcelona forum, taking place on 16 November, will bring together policymakers, destination leaders and business events executives to strengthen the industry’s case for greater economic and social recognition.

The business events industry has spent years making the case for its contribution to destinations, economies and communities. The challenge now is to turn that evidence into a more persuasive narrative capable of influencing public policy. This will be the focus of the 2026 IBTM World Forum for Advocacy, which returns to Barcelona on 16 November, on the eve of IBTM World.

Bringing together government ministers, city and destination leaders, international association executives and senior figures from event agencies, the forum will examine how the industry can communicate its value more effectively and translate advocacy into policy outcomes.

Now in its fourth year, the event is produced in partnership with The Business of Events, a think tank and advocacy network focused on the business events economy. The programme will explore two central themes: how business events can shape policy and how the industry can tell a more compelling story about its economic and social contribution.

From evidence to influence

The emphasis on storytelling reflects a wider challenge for business events advocacy. Demonstrating the economic impact of meetings and congresses is important, but translating that evidence into a narrative that resonates with policymakers requires a clear account of the wider benefits generated by the sector.

The forum will bring together people responsible for shaping policy with those who commission and deliver international events, creating an opportunity to connect political priorities with the industry's experience and expertise.

Among the organisations expected to be represented are PCMA, IAPCO, Meet England, ICCA, ICC Wales, Copenhagen Convention Bureau and Fáilte Ireland. The gathering is designed to encourage dialogue between stakeholders who do not always share the same perspectives or priorities, while identifying opportunities for collective action.

Award-winning BBC News presenter Lucy Grey will host the forum. Philip Collins, journalist, political commentator and former speechwriter to British Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair, will lead the session on telling a more compelling story.

IBTM World Exhibition Director Claudia Hall will open the event, arguing that the industry needs to strengthen the way it communicates its achievements if it is to secure meaningful policy change.

The programme's focus is therefore not simply on reiterating the importance of business events, but on how the sector can frame its contribution in ways that connect with the priorities of governments and destinations.

Building on the Barcelona Declaration

The 2026 edition follows the 2025 forum, which brought together event leaders from more than 20 countries, including the UK, the United States, Canada, Spain, France, Estonia, Rwanda, Colombia, Austria and Japan.

That gathering produced the Barcelona Declaration, a communiqué underlining the value of business events as a strategic driver of economic and social progress. The declaration provided a shared statement of intent; the next challenge for the industry is to sustain that momentum and strengthen the link between advocacy messages and decision-making.

The forthcoming forum offers another opportunity to bring international stakeholders together around that objective. Its success will ultimately depend on whether the conversations generate clearer priorities, stronger alliances and practical ways to communicate the sector's contribution beyond its own professional community.

Senior leaders gather in Barcelona

The forum will take place at Hotel Arts Barcelona on 16 November, ahead of IBTM World. It will be followed by IBTM Eve, the Senior Leaders Reception, giving participants an opportunity to continue discussions and develop connections in a less formal setting.

The event is supported by several international organisations, including ICCA, PCMA, the Joint Meetings Industry Council and The Iceberg.

By placing storytelling at the heart of its 2026 programme, the IBTM World Forum for Advocacy is addressing a fundamental question for the business events sector: how can an industry that generates economic activity, brings communities together and supports knowledge exchange make that contribution more visible to the people who shape public policy?

The Barcelona meeting will provide a platform to explore the answer. The longer-term test will be whether a more coherent industry narrative can help turn recognition into decisions that support the sector's future.
 

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