FIEXPO 2026 Places Latin America and the Caribbean at the Centre of the Meetings Agenda
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2nd Jul, 2026
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FIEXPO returned to Costa Rica from 8 to 11 June for the second year of its three-year cycle, placing San José at the centre of a Latin American and Caribbean reading of the global meetings industry. Under the theme Connect to Evolve, the event brought business generation into the same frame as public policy, education, artificial intelligence, inclusion and sustainability.
The event gathered participants from more than 80 destinations and 700 exhibitors, generating 12,625 business meetings and more than US$655 million (approx. €605 million) in projected opportunities. Around that commercial platform, FIEXPO 2026 treated meetings as tools for governance, professional development, accessibility, sustainable operations and long-term destination strategy.
Business events now sit closer to global policy because they bring research, sector agendas, investment conversations and institutional networks into host destinations. FIEXPO used that argument to place Latin America and the Caribbean inside the global meetings debate, with regional priorities shaped by governance, infrastructure, sustainability and professional capacity.
Dr Senthil Gopinath, Chief Executive Officer of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), gave the opening academic programme a clear institutional context. He referred to ICCA’s engagement with the United Nations, UN Tourism, the European Union, the World Economic Forum and the International Organization for Standardization.
UN Tourism’s estimate that business events account for 25% of global tourism gave FIEXPO a policy argument with weight. The case becomes stronger when destinations connect congresses to local priorities, from health and mobility to education, energy and technology.
Arnaldo Nardone, Chairman and Director of FIEXPO Exhibitions Group and Past President of ICCA, moderated an opening panel that tested how destinations can move from promotion to strategy. The discussion brought together Diana Rodríguez, representing the Cartagena Convention Centre by Grupo Heroica, Christoph Tessmar, Director of the Barcelona Convention Bureau, Dennis Speet, Managing Director of the Amsterdam Convention Bureau, and Michael Blackman, Managing Director of Integrated Systems Events.
Risk management, legacy, agentic artificial intelligence and technology adoption were treated as destination strategy, not separate operational concerns. A competitive destination needs buyer research that reaches beyond hotel capacity, with clear knowledge of local clusters, academic institutions, ambassadors and projects that can strengthen a bid.
Strong bids require buyer research beyond hotel capacity, clear knowledge of local clusters, academic institutions and ambassadors, and a shared line between government, industry and meeting professionals. Technology adds discipline: teams need to test artificial intelligence tools, use data well and apply both to event design.
The Latin American Destinations Forum turned destination strategy into a regional exercise. Moderated by Juan José García, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at BCO Congresos, and developed with Santiago González, Chief Executive Officer of MICE Consulting, the session brought together Martin Boyle, Chief Executive Officer of the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO), Eduardo Chaillo, Global General Manager for Latin America at Maritz, Annette Gregg, Chief Executive Officer of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), Tessmar and Speet.
Governance, competitiveness, market intelligence, data and sustainability were treated as shared regional priorities. The San José Declaration gives the forum a concrete editorial outcome: a reference point for Latin American and Caribbean destinations working to strengthen their bids with evidence, policy continuity and clearer sector priorities.
Certification and learning sessions from ICCA, IAPCO, SITE, the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and Meeting Professionals International (MPI) brought international standards, sector-specific tools and peer learning closer to Latin American and Caribbean professionals.
The FIEXPO and IAPCO Emerging Leaders Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean, together with the Jorge Castex Scholarship, will support up to 15 emerging professionals from professional congress organisers and destination management companies through education, mentoring and international exposure, creating a clearer route from participation to responsibility.
FIEXPO Connecting Minds, led by Borja Castelar, former Director for LinkedIn Latin America and now an international B2B sales and leadership expert, brought that skills agenda into the artificial intelligence debate. New tools can support data analysis, audience engagement, personalisation and event design. Their value depends on professionals able to ask better questions, interpret context and make decisions with judgement.
The first Inclusive Legacy Lab, developed with PCMA, Let’s Meet Panamá and Costa Rica’s Accessible Tourism Network, placed accessibility inside event design, staff training and emergency planning.
Read our coverage of Let’s Meet Panamá and its approach to accessibility, social innovation and event legacy.
The Women’s Forum, moderated by Carolina Adano, Director and Co-founder of FIEXPO, addressed visibility, confidence and leadership with Ana Delisante from Uruguay. A later panel with Silvana Gomes, Strategic Alliances and Incentives Coordinator at Embratur, Bianka Expósito, Deputy Director General of the Guatemalan Tourism Institute, Denisse Maf Cubbin, Executive Director of the Lima Convention Bureau, and Juliana López, President and Chief Executive Officer of Grupo Heroica, connected women’s presence in the sector with access to senior roles and strategic influence.
By linking environmental responsibility with accessibility, community participation and legacy, FIEXPO 2026 gave the Latin American and Caribbean agenda a practical test in San José.
Technology also entered the delegate experience through interactive projection mapping during the welcome cocktail and a drone show during the gala dinner, developed in partnership with RLA Event Technologies.
The next edition will be a chance to see how meeting planners, destinations and venues have applied this year’s learnings, from stronger bids and more intentional operations to clearer criteria for choosing regional partners.
Costa Rica as Host Destination: Sustainability, Community and Event Design
Costa Rica’s second FIEXPO year connected national sustainability policy with event practice. During a hosted-buyer lunch sponsored by Grupo Heroica, Álvaro Rojas, General Manager of the Costa Rica Convention Center, presented a technical guide on 10 trends for sustainable and responsible corporate events in 2026.The framework covered waste traceability, menu design, wellbeing gastronomy, mobility, supplier alignment, visible social impact and post-event reporting. Its value sits in the discipline behind those choices: measuring impact, reducing waste, aligning suppliers and reporting results.The MICE Forest initiative, led by the Costa Rican Tourism Board, gives organisers a route to connect meetings with ecosystem restoration and carbon reduction.Local artisans brought the social side of legacy into the event itself. Through Artesanías con Identidad and the Tico Treasures e-commerce platform, certified crafts from 17 artisan collectives and around 300 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises can reach visitors, buyers and event designers during and after their time in Costa Rica.Their presence at FIEXPO turned the trade floor into a point of contact between local makers and the companies designing Costa Rican tourism and event experiences.
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