Flanders and #Meet4Impact Co-develop a New Event Legacy Plan

Associations are invited to develop legacy projects using this new methodology.

More and more associations are recognizing the critical importance of legacy in their work. They want to create a lasting positive social, cultural, or environmental impacts with their conference or event. Not only in their field of expertise and for their members, but also in the destination and community where the conference takes place.

Flanders, the northern region of Belgium, has been committed to the development of event legacy for several years. The VisitFlanders campaign “Create Tomorrow's Heritage” and supporting “Meet in Flanders Legacy Guide” demonstrate the fundamental principles of legacy, and provides associations with a practical roadmap on how to incorporate this into their planning.

To support associations in further developing this legacy vision, VisitFlanders Convention Bureau is launching a unique initiative by partnering with #Meet4Impact, a Montreal-based NGO who supports organisations worldwide in defining, managing, measuring and communicating the societal impacts of their activities and events

Gemmeke De Jongh, Expert Legacy at VisitFlanders Convention Bureau said, "the creation of legacy has been a spearhead of conference work in Flanders for years. We are firmly convinced that associations play a crucial role in society, and that their conference or event is a powerful tool in this regard. Conferences and events have the potential to be a milestone in the industry, as well as in the lives of hundreds, thousands and even millions of people."

Within this collaboration, VisitFlanders Convention Bureau and #Meet4Impact want to explore how the development of legacy and the measurement of positive impact can be taken to the next level. A new methodology and a measurement framework will be developed by the partners over the next two years, and pilot projects will be launched by a Legacy Team of dedicated experts at the VisitFlanders Convention Bureau. The new methodology will allow each association to develop a concrete legacy pathway that is directly applicable and measurable and receive support in the full implementation of their initiatives.

Geneviève Leclerc, CEO of Meet4Impact said, “Meet4Impact was designed with the vision of transforming the business events industry by generating a movement to create positive societal impact with its actors and their events. The development of a new methodology in cooperation with VisitFlanders Convention Bureau allows us to take this creation to the next level."

Associations worldwide are welcome to contact VisitFlanders Convention Bureau during the development phase of the new methodology.

The development of a legacy pathway is free of charge and included in the services of VisitFlanders Convention Bureau. This way, associations get a unique opportunity to discover how their convention or event can be a catalyst for change for the whole society, and how they can actually realise this legacy.

For more information, go to Meet in Flanders