In Graz (Austria), the City Destinations Alliance (CityDNA) hosted its first conference dedicated exclusively to convention bureaux. The CityDNA CVB Expert Meeting brought together 61 participants from 47 destinations across 20 countries. Poland was represented by Małgorzata Kopij (Gdańsk Convention Bureau) and Jarosław Marciuk (Poland Convention Bureau at Polish Tourism Organisation). The event was designed as a two-day, hands-on exchange of experience, featuring presentations, case studies, moderated small-group sessions and formats focused on comparing solutions implemented by CVBs in different parts of Europe.
Day 1: congress ambassador programmes and collaboration that “transfers” solutions
The CityDNA CVB Expert Meeting opened with speeches from representatives of the City Destinations Alliance, the host city, and Jürgen Moors, Chair of the CityDNA CVB Knowledge Group. Barbara Jamison-Woods spoke about the direction and pace of change in the MICE industry, highlighting the growing role of convention bureaux in the economy and the importance of credible, long-term event legacy.
Participants in the first CityDNA CVB Expert Meeting gained not only theoretical knowledge, but above all, practical solutions they can implement after adapting them to local conditions. Our inaugural meeting of convention bureau experts in Graz, Austria, is the result, among other things, of work within the dedicated Knowledge Group. Previously, we organised shorter workshops during IMEX and IBTM, known as ‘CVB Cafés’, but our members needed a more specific and longer event that would allow them to truly explore selected topics in depth. They wanted to spend more time together to share experiences and jointly search for solutions in defined areas of convention bureau activity, said Barbara Jamison-Woods, Head of Europe, Convention Bureau at London & Partners, and President of City Destinations Alliance (CityDNA).
The hosts from Graz Tourist Office were represented by Dieter Hardt-Stremayr (CEO) and Lisa Legat (Head of Graz Convention Bureau), pointing to the character of the city, where innovation meets history, as a strong backdrop for substantive discussions about the future of destinations. Moderation was led by Phil Cross, who set a collaborative pace and encouraged active participation.
Congress Ambassador Programmes: from data to implementation
One of the key blocks on the first day focused on congress ambassador programmes. Louise McQuillan (Visit Belfast) presented insights from CityDNA research, noting that such programmes remain an important tool for strengthening destination credibility, building a narrative and deepening stakeholder engagement.
At the same time, recurring barriers were highlighted, including resources, funding, criteria, and sustaining community activity. Attention was also drawn to growing interest in “junior ambassadors” approaches designed to support the development of future leaders.
The implementation segment showcased a concrete Austrian example: Alexandra Einwaller (Innsbruck, Tyrol) discussed Innsbruck’s newly launched programme, built on a partnership model (Convention Bureau + Congress Messe + universities). From an organisational perspective, the importance of neutral coordination, precise selection of “meeting experts”, and deliberate relationship-building with higher education institutions was emphasised.
The most effective solutions. Topics that resonated most strongly included:
- AI in CVB operational work: moving from “interesting curiosity” to support for everyday processes, including handling RFPs and improving team workflows.
- Legacy and destination impact: still difficult to measure, prompting discussion on evaluation frameworks and communicating outcomes through storytelling, awards and case studies.
- Sustainability: not as a trend, but an implementation challenge (costs, bureaucracy, infrastructure gaps), alongside levers such as subsidies, clear requirements, dedicated roles and partnerships.
- Financing: a recurring theme, highlighting the role of data in stakeholder discussions and in defending strategic choices.
Case Study Showcase: Rotterdam, Helsinki and Ireland on partnerships and event legacy
The afternoon of Day 1 delivered a set of practical examples focused on cooperation and regional approaches to developing MICE destinations:
- Rotterdam Partners (Jurgen Hoekstra): evolving the Make It Happen brand alliance towards long-term, mission-led cooperation with partners, including the port, “team captains” for sectors, and Knowledge Ambassadors connecting academic expertise with the city’s goals.
- Helsinki Partners / Helsinki Convention Bureau (Karoliina Ala-Opas, Antti Lumiainen, Johanna Grönberg): regional collaboration across Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa, built on a shared narrative and joint actions, as well as the planned Legacy Toolkit for measuring long-term outcomes.
- Fáilte Ireland (Grace O’Shea): embedding legacy in a new business events strategy across economic, social and environmental pillars, with the Autism-Europe Congress as an example, where inclusive design solutions (including sensory mapping and accessibility checklists) translated into measurable social value.
The day concluded with the interactive session Lead Market: Sharing Opportunities Across Europe, where CVBs shared qualified leads and compared approaches to potential events, demonstrating that cooperation and smart information exchange can strengthen the entire European meetings ecosystem.
A short Instagram reel from the City Destinations Alliance event in Graz.
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Day 2: data as a strategic capability and modern financing models
Day 2 opened with a clear conclusion: data is no longer a “nice to have”, but a strategic capability. In the session Smart Data for Smarter Decisions, Jens Ihsen (Düsseldorf Convention Bureau), together with Tobias Tegetmeyer and Marion Gösweiner (SeeRIO), discussed the role of analytics (including European benchmarks) in resource planning, forecasting, lead-time analysis, stakeholder communication, and strengthening arguments in discussions about economic impact and investment.
During the workshop Making Sense of Meetings Data, participants compared what they already measure and what they want to measure next.
The most frequently indicated priorities concerned:
- destination benchmarking and market visibility,
- using data in storytelling and marketing to “sell the MICE destination” convincingly,
- improving data consistency (especially in the hotel sector),
- supporting bids, seasonality planning and aligning objectives with stakeholders, including sustainability indicators (e.g. certified venues).
Final case studies: financing, academia partnerships and the use of local ambassadors and experts.
The closing part of the meeting brought further case studies focused on financing, cooperation with universities, and leveraging local ambassadors and experts:
- Vienna (Sophie Albl, Vienna Convention Bureau): the Vienna Meeting Fund as a tool for financial resilience and sustainable growth, a programme with a EUR 12 million budget for 2021–2028 supporting event acquisition through clear criteria and pro-environmental mechanisms.
- Košice (Ivana Kavulič, Visit Košice): building the competitive edge of smaller destinations by mapping intellectual capital (universities, healthcare, industry) and collaborating with Bratislava to win events aligned with local strengths.
- Maastricht (Jurgen Moors, Maastricht Convention Bureau): an evolution towards a regional “triple helix” model (university, government, business), linking business events with economic development goals and monitoring impact in real time.
The meeting concluded with Interactive Walls’ Highlights & Takeaways, which consolidated the most frequently cited tools, tips, and solutions submitted by participants.
The Polish perspective
Participants included Małgorzata Kopij (Gdańsk Convention Bureau), who noted the value of a comparative perspective and higher-than-expected attendance.
“Gdańsk Tourism Organisation has been an active member of the CityDNA Alliance for years. Every event and initiative is valuable to us because it allows us to view the activities, challenges and projects of convention bureaux through the lens of the whole of Europe. Initially, 40 participants were expected at the first CityDNA CVB meeting, so the turnout of more than 60 participants in Graz was a very positive surprise. I’m already looking forward to next year’s CityDNA CVB Expert Meeting, which will take place in Timișoara, Romania,” said Małgorzata Kopij, Gdańsk Convention Bureau Manager.
The second Polish participant was Jaroslaw Marciuk from the Poland Convention Bureau.
- This was my first CityDNA event, and straight away, a meeting dedicated to convention bureau professionals. I value the format because, in addition to presentations and Q&A sessions with experts, we could learn good practices related to congress ambassador programmes, data analysis, event legacy and marketing communication, as well as different models of cooperation with academic, business and institutional partners. The group work was particularly valuable, as it allowed us to exchange experiences and jointly tackle specific challenges. One such workshop was the session devoted to AI in the day-to-day work of convention bureaux, where we shared, among other things, approaches to the Head of AI role, educational projects, the most commonly used tools, and the application of artificial intelligence in analysing RFPs and bids – said Jarosław Marciuk, Chief Marketing Specialist, Poland Convention Bureau at Polish Tourism Organisation.
CityDNA CVB continues in 2027
CityDNA has already announced the next edition: the 2nd CityDNA CVB Expert Meeting will take place on 26–27 January 2027 in Timișoara (Romania).
City Destinations Alliance | CityDNA: a European knowledge-exchange platform for cities
City Destinations Alliance is a European association of tourism organisations, convention bureaux and DMOs, focused on sharing knowledge across cities and urban regions. At the heart of its activity is the development of sustainable, inclusive and responsible tourism.
“What I value most in City Destinations Alliance is collaboration between cities. CityDNA members trust one another, and the knowledge gained during meetings can be applied in many ways, from refining a specific promotional campaign to designing a full multi-year strategy. It is an open community built on strong relationships, so regardless of the challenge you are facing, you will find DMO representatives ready to help you find a solution,” Barbara Jamison-Woods added in closing.
The CityDNA community brings together professionals who learn together, develop tools and publicly support shared goals, building European cities as good places to live, work, meet and host events.
created by: Jarosław Marciuk; photos: Werner Krug
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