THE MISSION
The Incredible Impacts Programme celebrates the value of international association meetings to go beyond tourism and create a powerful platform to advocate their positive societal impact.
The programme shines a global spotlight on the innovative thinking and creativity in the meetings industry and showcases those who demonstrate the impact and legacy we can make. It’s not just about rewarding associations as examples of excellence, but inspiring others to incorporate their own legacy initiatives into future events.
Every year we are inspired by the legacy-making, often life-changing work by associations in the Incredible Impacts Programme, and we look forward to shining a light on associations who are helping to shape tomorrow’s world.
Incredible Impacts Awards
Celebrating the Lasting Impacts of Association Meetings
2024 Incredible Impacts Award and Seed Fund Grant Winners
ICCA and BestCities Global Alliance are thrilled to announce the recipients of the $20,000 USD Incredible Impacts Grant and the $5,000 USD Seed Fund Grant:
European Academy of Childhood Disability (EACD) - recipient of the Incredible Impacts Grant 2024
International Cartilage Regeneration and Joint Preservation Society (ICRS) - recipient of the Seed Fund Grant 2024
The three finalists advanced to the anticipated Incredible Impacts session, held on 22 October 2024 at the ICCA Congress in Abu Dhabi, where they presented their submissions. Delegates from ICCA voted for the most impactful project. The results were tallied, and in tandem with the judgement of the expert panel, the winner was announced during the closing session of the ICCA Congress on 23 October 2024.
"We aspire to shine a spotlight on the absolute best, elevating the stakes to a 'winner takes all' scenario because the stories these associations share, and the enduring legacies they forge, truly deserve a dedicated moment in the limelight,” says Senthil Gopinath, CEO of ICCA.
“We are delighted to unveil the finalists of the Incredible Impacts Programme, an initiative that not only celebrates associations showcasing innovative thinking but also serves as an inspiration for others to integrate legacy initiatives into their future events," says Loren Christie, Managing Director of BestCities Global Alliance. "Additionally, we take great pride in extending our support to associations who have an interest in implementing legacy programs.”
Incredible Impacts Grant
USD $20,000
To recognise and celebrate the proven impact at one of their meetings by an international association.
INCREDIBLE IMPACTS
Seed Fund GRANT
USD $5,000
INCREDIBLE IMPACTS
Seed Fund GRANT
USD $5,000
To further support associations in their early stages of formalising their legacy initiatives.
The biggest shift in the global meetings market over the last decade has been the mindset change from ‘part of tourism’ to ‘economic and societal impact’.
It’s now broadly accepted that even though meeting delegates are one of the most valuable tourism sectors in terms of their direct spend in a destination, the biggest value from international association meetings comes from the vast quantities of knowledge that are created and shared, the inward investment and business connections that are stimulated, and the societal, healthcare and economic challenges that are addressed and solved.
Incredible Impacts was designed to celebrate some of the best examples of projects that showcase the wider impact of these meetings, and more importantly, to encourage greater awareness and new projects.
– Senthil Gopinath, CEO, ICCAAt BestCities, we’ve always believed that the ‘beyond tourism’ impact of international association meetings is far more valuable than just delegates through the door.
It’s not just about rewarding associations that are showcasing examples of excellence – it’s also inspiring others to incorporate their own legacy initiatives into future events.”
– Loren Christie, Managing Director, BestCities Global Alliance