From 9 to 12 November 2025, the ICCA Congress 2025 in Porto, Portugal, convened senior executives, association leaders, and event-industry stakeholders from around the globe under the banner “Charting The Course”. Hosted by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), the congress set out to explore how the business events sector can evolve in an era marked by rapid change and technological disruption.
In Porto’s historic Alfândega Congress Centre and other iconic venues, delegates immersed themselves in a rich programme organised across key thematic tracks: Impact & Sustainability, Future Leadership & Resilience, Purposeful Business Models & Start-ups, Innovation & Technology, and The Creative Edge.
A standout moment occurred during the inaugural live session of the ICCA Best Marketing Award 2025, with finalists presenting on the main stage before delegates. The award, under the theme “Marketing that Moves You: Inspiring Influence, Creating Impact”, invited entries that go beyond standard promotion to create meaningful narrative and engagement. The finalists – including destinations from Copenhagen, Sydney and beyond – exemplified how storytelling, data and creativity are converging in the sector. The winner’s announcement at the closing awards ceremony underscored ICCA’s commitment to celebrating excellence and innovation in marketing for the association-meetings field.
Parallel to the keynote and track sessions were interactive elements: business intelligence co-opetition challenges, first-time attendee sessions, guided walks, and curated social events. At the closing session, ICCA’s team announced that the next congress will take place in Panama City, Panama, from November 8 to 11, 2026.
The ICCA Congress demonstrated that future success will depend on creativity, resilience, and purposeful business models.
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