For the past six years, MeetDenmark has been researching, testing, and developing a legacy in Denmark. And now, the Danish Business Events Association presents a report that gathers a significant amount of knowledge in one overall report, which hopefully can inspire and assist both associations, destinations, and event planners.
The research started as a survey of international best practices, and in that process, MeetDenmark made an analysis of four case studies in Denmark. This led to the development of concrete models, processes, and tools that MeetDenmark had the opportunity to test at nine additional international congresses. Now, the findings have just been released in a report titled: Powering Meeting Legacies – New Insights for Associations & Host Communities.
“The knowledge that our report captures can be a help for both associations and destinations looking to work with legacy. In a world with a rising focus on sustainability, the value of a congress for both the association, the delegates and the destination should be bigger than the costs. That is why Legacy is becoming an ever more important part of planning an event. We hope that this report can help those who want to take the next step. And we are happy to help and share, so please reach out to MeetDenmark or our member destinations,” says the chairman of MeetDenmark, Pia Lange Christensen.
“Our work to attract congresses to Denmark is important for companies within Danish business tourism. But it is just as important to create lasting value for society and for the visiting associations and delegates that choose Denmark,” says Pia Lange Christensen.
Legacy can be a win-win
The report describes a wide range of learnings from the six years of research and testing. One of the learnings is that a legacy program can be a natural extension of the association’s overall vision and mission to create value for the members and at the same time address needs at the host destination. In large part, it is about creating a dynamic engagement and collaboration between associations and local companies, universities, and public organizations in the destination, that have common purposes.
Another insight is that there is a significant connection between successful legacy and systematic, intentional, and robust collaboration. To facilitate this nexus of intersecting advantages associations can benefit from choosing a destination that has models, processes, and tools for their work with legacy.
For MeetDenmark, legacy is about creating a larger, broader, and lasting positive impact from the many international congresses that visit Denmark – both for the international scientific associations, the delegates, and the Danish congress destinations.
Read the full report here.
