Forty-two senior event leaders from more than 20 countries gathered in Barcelona yesterday to participate in the IBTM World Forum for Advocacy, presented by The Business of Events.

The Forum, which took place at Hotel Miramar Barcelona on the eve of the three-day IBTM World 2025 trade show, saw insightful discussion and a collaborative campaign to achieve global recognition of the events industry’s impacts on job creation, education and innovation.

Event professionals from countries including the UK, USA, Canada, Spain, France, Estonia, Rwanda, Colombia, Austria, and Japan came together to align efforts, share best practices for advocacy and growth, and champion the power of business events in shaping resilient, innovative, and inclusive societies.

Key topics discussed during the Forum included;

• Collectively working together to grow the global events economy through shared storytelling about the impact and outcomes of congresses.
• What strategies are needed to encourage local policymakers and media to support the long-term growth of the events sector.
• How to better advocate for the value of the events sector amongst politicians, influential civil servants, and government departments.

As the Forum closed, The Barcelona Declaration was shared with the group. This communique underlines the value and importance of business events as a strategic driver of economic and social progress.

The Declaration committed to:

• Collective action on building a sustainable, open, fair, and inclusive event economy that serves all societies equitably.
• The continued development and promotion of policies and programs that unlock economic growth at both local and global levels.
• The launch of a coordinated advocacy campaign to demonstrate the value of the worldwide event economy to policymakers, stakeholders, and influencers.

“We’re calling on governments to integrate business events into national development strategies while encouraging leaders to align efforts and share best practices for advocacy and growth. The Barcelona Declaration proves there’s a fantastic appetite for working together to achieve these goals,” said Sherrif Karamat, president and CEO, PCMA.

​The IBTM World Forum for Advocacy, in partnership with The Business of Events, is supported by ICCA, PCMA, IAPCO, Events Industry Council, Joint Meetings Industry Council, City DNA and SANCBE.

IBTM World Exhibition Director, Claudia Hall, said: “The Forum was a fantastic prelude to IBTM World 2025. How we articulate our impact as an industry is vital, and I’d like to thank all the associations and organizations that have supported and participated in this initiative to drive advocacy and action.”