UNICEO® − the United Networks of International Corporate Event Organisers − will be organising its next International Congress 2025 in a few days' time in Abu Dhabi. The congress under the slogan ‘Elevate yourself, your teams, your events’ will allow marketing, communications and events decision-makers from leading international corporations and associations to discuss the latest trends, strategies and challenges in these areas of activity.
We asked the organisation's CEO, Laurent Fuchs, how the 2025 conference will address the critical role of live communications, experiential marketing and hybrid experiences in today's corporate event strategies.
1) How is the status of the meetings and events industry as we speak, from a communication and marketing perspective?
First of all, from a corporate perspective, meetings and events can be managed by different departments – marketing, communication, human resources – depending on the organisation’s strategic structure. Each company or association has its own unique vision for driving sales, marketing products, or engaging employees, which leads to diverse event strategies. Since events are at the heart of human connection in business, the situation refl ects the complexity and evolution of our world, with stark contrasts in engagement techniques, technology adoption, and event formats. Within our portfolio of members, we see varying approaches: some teams are overwhelmed by internal requests for live events, while others have scaled back signifi cantly post-COVID, moving to hybrid or fully digital formats. Despite these diff erences, the common thread that unites us is the fundamental human need to connect. The variations in demand across sectors or regions are not divisions, but refl ections of local needs, each bringing its own energy and challenges to the table.
2) What are the most up-to-date trends in customer engagement? What are currently the umbrella topics in the MICE industry that PCOs and individual event planners cannot ignore?
Trends are always the signals of what people value. If today there are many trends regarding places or tech tools, engagement is the key for event success and agencies know this well. A long time ago, you could ask your delegates to be passive and entertain them with a good speaker. This is not possible today; you need to immerse them into an experience. Moreover, and especially after the pandemic, people are in search for a meaning. So, the engagement experience needs to be connected with a strong message that give them a true reason to be there and to accept the message you are communicating. Among the umbrella topics with a strong meaning, we find sustainability, diversity, or the integration of technology not as a tool, but as a means to ‘elevate’ human connection. Every event designer today needs to understand that to remain relevant, the focus is on creating sustainable, purposeful, human-centric experiences.
3) What were the most obvious criteria and benefits that led you to Abu Dhabi for the next UNICEOS congress?
When we went there with some of our Advisory Board Members, we were truly amazed. The UAE capital is a city that bridges cultures, ideas, and possibilities. It offers not only world-class infrastructure for events but a sense of purpose – a commitment to the future, built on a remarkable journey from humble beginnings to a thriving cultural and economic hub. Their values and forward-looking vision aligns perfectly with ours and therefore made it an ideal destination for our 2025 congress.
4) What is the likelihood of holding a 100% live event today without neglecting the optimisation and advantages of the hybrid world?
In today’s world, live events are more than just physical gatherings – they are emotional experiences, enhanced by both in-person and virtual touchpoints. For most of our members, technology has transformed how we interact without replacing the magic of face-to-face engagement. To them, virtual platforms and tech tools are enablers, extending the reach of events, improving measurement, communication, and engagement, and often reducing workload.
For some, technology is seen as the ultimate panacea of solutions, particularly for cost savings, as online events eliminate travel, accommodation, and catering expenses; for others, it is just a tool. This is an ongoing and neverending debate. But the real question is: can we fully capture the richness of human experience without being live and in-person? Neuroscience tells us it is not possible. That is why hybrid events – an evolution of a format that actually already existed – have gained traction. They offer a balance, though they come with higher costs and resource demands.
5) How did you design this congress? What pace did your marcom leaders and strategists set to meet your different sectors?
Together with Debora Piovesan, UNICEO Head of Events and 45 Congress Advisory Committee Members, we have done our best to create ‘The Congress everyone dreams of attending’. We are talking about a space where the heartbeat of the sector can be felt by participants. The objective was to listen to our members’ deepest needs focused on human connection, innovation, and meaningful engagement. These are the pillars of many events, but what makes the difference at the UNICEO Congress is the fact that the participants are involved in creating ideas. Peer-sharing is not a side effect – it is the driving force. Every attendee is a contributor, shaping the experience in real-time and redefining what is possible in corporate communication and events. Ultimately, this is what live experiences are meant to be. They are not just about content delivery – they are about co-creation, connection, and shared purpose. The event becomes more than just a meeting; it becomes a catalyst for change.
6) Finally, what are your main projects for the near future?
Our Community of Practice was founded on a simple yet powerful idea: bringing together peers who share a passion for corporate and association marketing and communication, and who oversee event strategy, believing in the irreplaceable value of in-person meetings and live communication. That is why we organise numerous events for members in cities like Paris, London, Frankfurt, Rome, Geneva, Budapest, and more, along with national Forums. At present, I have to say our busy agenda and limited means (we are a small association) are mainly focused on the 2025 congress that promises to be an unforgettable event.
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