JMIC unveils New Leadership, Global Manifesto and Expanded Net Zero Carbon Events Strategy

Dorian Kronenwerth, incoming Director JMIC; Dr Supawan Teerarat, President TCEB; James Rees, President JMIC; Alexander Alles, Executive Director JMIC

The Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) has announced a series of major leadership and strategic developments aimed at strengthening the global business events industry’s role in advocacy, sustainability and long-term economic impact.

Revealed during JMIC’s annual press conference, the announcements mark what the organisation describes as a new phase of industry alignment and global leadership, centred around renewed governance, enhanced advocacy efforts and accelerated implementation of climate action initiatives.

At the core of the announcement is the election of a renewed JMIC Board alongside the appointment of a new Executive Director, positioning the organisation for what it describes as its “next phase of development”.

The newly elected Board includes two internationally recognised industry leaders: Senthil Gopinath of ICCA and Maurits van der Sluis of EMECA. They join existing Board members Chris Skeith from UFI, Flavie de Beuil from CityDNA and Martin Boyle from IAPCO.

JMIC also paid tribute to outgoing treasurer Barbara Weizsäcker for her four years of service during what it described as a crucial phase in the incorporation of the organisation.

In parallel, JMIC confirmed the appointment of Dorian Kronenwerth as its new Executive Director.

Working alongside the Board, Kronenwerth will lead the organisation with a stronger emphasis on industry advocacy, collaboration and positioning business events as strategic drivers of economic growth, innovation and sustainable transformation.

“This moment represents more than a leadership transition. It marks an evolution in how our industry positions itself globally. We are bringing together diverse expertise and stronger alignment across associations to ensure the business events industry is recognised for the value it creates for economies, communities, knowledge exchange and sustainable development,” said James Rees.

As part of its broader strategic agenda, JMIC also confirmed it will publish an updated Global Manifesto for the Business Events Industry in June.

Building on previous editions, the new manifesto will combine policy positioning with evidence-based advocacy tools, supported by industry data, statistics and case studies designed to demonstrate the tangible impact of business events to policymakers worldwide.

According to JMIC, the initiative is intended to strengthen global advocacy efforts and reinforce recognition of business events as critical infrastructure for economic development, innovation, international collaboration and societal progress.

The organisation also highlighted significant progress within the Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE) initiative, underlining the sector’s shift from climate commitments towards measurable implementation.

Among the developments announced were an updated NZCE measurement methodology designed to improve consistency and comparability across event emissions reporting, an external assessment framework for sustainability tools, and a new reporting validation programme aimed at strengthening transparency and accountability among signatories.

JMIC also confirmed ongoing work to integrate NZCE principles into sustainable event standards developed by Events Industry Council, with the aim of reducing fragmentation and simplifying sustainability implementation across the sector.

Additional education and capacity-building initiatives are also being developed to support organisations globally in implementing climate action strategies.

“These developments reinforce NZCE’s role as the industry’s central platform for decarbonisation and demonstrate growing collaboration across regions and stakeholder groups,” the organisation stated.

Reflecting on the broader direction of the industry, Alexander Alles said: “The progress we are announcing today demonstrates that our industry is maturing and seeking clear collaboration. Whether through advocacy, harmonised standards, education, or measurable climate action, our objective remains clear: to create one stronger, more aligned industry voice capable of delivering long-term impact.”
 

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