Bringing together the people who shape policy with those responsible for commissioning and delivering some of the world’s most impactful events, the IBTM World Forum for Advocacy has unveiled the central theme for its 2026 edition, exploring how business events can tell a more persuasive story about the value they deliver to economies, communities and societies – and change policy as a result.
Uniting government ministers, city and destination leaders, global association executives and senior figures from major international event agencies under one roof, the Forum offers a rare opportunity to influence the industry’s advocacy agenda, build powerful alliances and turn conversation into action. Among those attending this year will be senior representatives from PCMA, IAPCO, Meet England, ICCA, ICC Wales, Copenhagen Convention Bureau, and Failte Ireland.
Now in its fourth year, the Forum is produced in partnership with leading Think Tank and Advocacy Network for the business events economy, The Business of Events, and will be hosted by award-winning BBC News presenter, Lucy Grey. Sessions will take a deep dive into ‘How business events can shape policy’ and ‘Telling a more compelling story’, with the latter being led by Philip Collins, a journalist, leading political commentator and former speechwriter to British Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair.
This year’s event, taking place on the eve of IBTM World on November 16, builds on the success of the 2025 edition where event leaders from over 20 countries, including the UK, USA, Canada, Spain, France, Estonia, Rwanda, Colombia, Austria, and Japan, delivered The Barcelona Declaration, a communiqué underlining the value and importance of business events as a strategic driver of economic and social progress.
It will be held at the iconic Hotel Arts, Barcelona, Europe’s only artistic urban resort, and will be followed by IBTM Eve – the Senior Leaders Reception – giving guests a chance to continue talks informally and strengthen connections made throughout the day.
Opening the 2026 Forum for Advocacy will be IBTM World’s Exhibition Director, Claudia Hall, who said: “A must-attend for any senior event leader passionate about being at the forefront of our industry’s biggest conversations, the Forum for Advocacy puts all the right people in the room to turn challenges into collective action. It is the place where voices and ideas proactively shape outcomes and where our collective power enables us to chart a stronger, more empowered future for our industry. We know we have a great story, but if we’re going to successfully translate that into positive policy change for our industry, then we need to get better at telling it. That’s exactly what this year’s Forum is designed to do, and I can’t wait to see how Lucy and Philip’s knowledge and experience will help us shape and progress that narrative.”
The IBTM World Forum for Advocacy is supported by several leading global event organisations, including ICCA, PCMA, Joint Meetings Industry Council and The Iceberg.
To find out more, please visit: https://www.ibtmworld.com/en-gb/show-agenda/forum-for-advocacy.html.