Destination Canada Challenges Association Leaders to Think Beyond the Event

An immersive Walk ’n Talk experience at ASAE 2026 used the “overview effect” to encourage association leaders to reconsider what their events can leave behind, and how destinations can help make that legacy possible.

A conference may last a few days. Its consequences can last for years. That was the proposition Destination Canada brought to the ASAE Annual Meeting last week, inviting association leaders to step outside the convention centre and consider how their events could create lasting benefits for organisations, communities and destinations. Through Explore Fresh Perspectives and Redefine What's Possible, an immersive outdoor Walk ’n Talk experience, the organisation translated findings from its Business Events Legacy & Impact Study into a deliberately different kind of event experience.

Rather than discussing legacy from inside a meeting room, participants were invited to experience the “overview effect” – the change in perspective often associated with seeing Earth from space – while considering how intentionally designed business events can generate measurable economic, social and environmental value long after delegates have gone home.

“Our Business Events Legacy & Impact Study shows that when visionary leaders design their gatherings with intention, business events can generate a powerful legacy of lasting positive impact,” said Virginie De Visscher, Executive Director, Business Events, Destination Canada. “ASAE’s association leaders are central to shaping that legacy, and with Explore Fresh Perspectives and Redefine What's Possible we’re calling on them to lean into fresh perspectives, forge meaningful connections and champion purposeful gatherings, so together, we can turn every event into a catalyst for long-term benefits for organizations and communities.”
 

A different view of the event

The experience featured physician, scientist and Canadian astronaut candidate Dr. Shawna Pandya, whose reflections drew on space exploration to examine leadership, stewardship, collaboration and the value of diverse perspectives.

As delegates walked through a nearby park, the interactive audio journey challenged them to reconsider the assumptions they bring to their work and the potential consequences of their decisions. At one point, participants were asked a simple but far-reaching question: “What future are you helping your community create?”

“Every major advance in human history began because someone dared to shift their perspective, dared to be curious, dared to ask ‘what if’ - all in the name of creating something new,” said Dr. Pandya. “Our differences, expertise and lived experiences may shape who we are, but it's the decisions we make, the actions we take, and the intentional decision to build community that defines the legacy that we leave behind.”

The exercise reflects a broader argument emerging from Destination Canada’s research: that the value of an association meeting need not be confined to attendance, knowledge exchange or economic activity during the event itself.

The Business Events Legacy & Impact Study describes how events can contribute to longer-term outcomes when they are purposefully aligned with a destination’s strengths and community priorities. These can include new research collaborations, changes in policy, talent attraction, investment and greater community resilience, alongside the more immediate economic benefits associated with bringing international delegates together.

That places a different responsibility on both associations and destinations. The question is no longer simply what a destination can provide for an event, but what the event and destination might achieve together.

“What resonated with me the most was the idea that being in space changes your perspective,” said Alex Tyron, Dewey Labs. “I walked away with immediate thoughts about my work and the work we do with associations. How we can think bigger; not just about that one micro step in front of us, but how we get closer to making that big leap that really changes the world.”
 

Making legacy part of the planning conversation

Destination Canada is now taking the concept beyond ASAE 2026. A digital version of Explore Fresh Perspectives and Redefine What's Possible has been created so association leaders and event planners can access the experience from anywhere.

The interactive audio journey is intended as more than a recap of the ASAE activation. It is designed as a practical prompt for organisations to discuss the legacy they want their events to create, define longer-term outcomes and consider new approaches to partnerships with destinations and local communities.

In doing so, Destination Canada is also making a broader case for moving legacy further upstream in the event planning process. If conferences are to contribute to research, policy, talent, investment or community resilience, those ambitions need to influence decisions about an event before the delegates arrive, from destination selection and programme design to partnerships and engagement with local stakeholders.

The digital experience is available here.

Destination Canada is Canada’s national tourism organisation and a Crown corporation wholly owned by the Government of Canada. Working with partners across the country, it promotes Canada internationally, attracts major events and provides research and market intelligence to support destination development. Its Business Events team focuses on international events and associations aligned with Canada’s priority economic sectors, reflecting the organisation’s wider ambition to use business events not only as a tourism driver but as a contributor to Canada’s economic and community development.
 

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