Re-Designing Association - Destination Partnerships
Successfully delivering events and ensuring their long-term value requires close collaboration and strong, trusting partnerships between the associations that own the events and the destinations that host them.
Association and destination leaders are redefining how, why, and where events take place, responding to evolving delegate expectations, shifting business models, and new geopolitical realities. At a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® workshop organized by the Copenhagen Convention Bureau and ESAE in Brussels, association and destination executives explored what aspirational collaboration looks like today and which practices must evolve. They used LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® to define the characteristics of aspirational partnerships between associations and destinations, aiming to deliver successful, sustainable, and impactful congresses. The workshop also identified practical steps needed to achieve these goals amid geopolitical, environmental, and socioeconomic challenges.
Long-term legacy planning emerged as vital, requiring the alignment of economic, social, scientific, and environmental ambitions from the outset. Addressing the tension between destinations' practical goals and associations' mission-driven impact necessitates robust intermediaries to bridge perspectives effectively.
Explore the full report in detail below
CCVB ESAE 2025 Report
Highlights from the workshop
Workshop recap - see how it unfolded
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