Associations will be flocking to Dubai this December for the annual Bestcities Global Forum – the flagship event of the Bestcities Global Alliance.
The Alliance is a strategic union between 11 meeting destinations, including Berlin, Bogotá, Cape Town, Copenhagen, Dubai, Edinburgh, Houston, Melbourne, Singapore, Tokyo and Vancouver.
Hosted in partnership with Dubai Business Events (DBE) and Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), the four-day event has already attracted the likes of the World Autism Organisation, Alzheimer’s Association, International Astronautical Federation and World Environmental Education Congress.
Topics to be covered range from long-term legacy development to strategic partnerships with destinations.
This year’s speakers include Hazel Jackson, CEO of Biz Group; Tommy Weir, professor of Hult International Business School; Oliver Martin, stakeholder engagement strategist specialising in destination development; Philip Davies, president of strategic brand consultancy EMEA Siegel + Gale and Sherrif Karamat, COO for PCMA.
“The Global Forum will focus on advancing the purpose of meetings, beyond delegate numbers to long-term legacy development,” says Jonas Wilstrup, Bestcities Board chair and convention director of Wonderful Copenhagen Convention Bureau.
“We will be exploring how global associations can create genuine partnerships with destinations, improving the event's benefit to the host community and strengthen the success of the organisation moving forward.
“This is the biggest event in the Bestcities’ annual calendar and an exclusive opportunity for association delegates to learn and work with one another, beside the Forum’s experts. It brings them together with 11 of the world’s best convention bureaus, enabling delegates to gain an in-depth and a bespoke understanding of each city’s unique, high quality offering, guaranteed by the Bestcities Alliance standard.”
Steen Jakobsen, director of DBE says: “Dubai Business Events is delighted to be hosting the BestCities Global Forum. As a destination, Dubai is the ideal backdrop for an event that promotes innovation and legacy development, both crucial elements to associations’ future success and growth.
“In recent years Dubai Business Events has worked closely with a number of international association meetings to help develop long-term legacies, both for the emirate and the organisation. With legacy also a core element of World Expo2020 Dubai, the Forum will be the ideal opportunity for delegates to gain a greater insight into the Expo team’s legacy planning ahead of this prestigious global event.”
The Forum is taking place December 4-8 at JW Marriott Marquis Hotel, Dubai (main picture).
