Case Study Program
JMIC undertook a multi-year initiative to identify and capture a series of case studies to illustrate the kinds of broader “output” values associated with meetings, conventions and exhibitions – things like the economic, business, professional, academic and community benefits that such events create.
This program formally completed in 2018 with the release of a final report and recommendations from the contracted research group at the UTS Business Event Legacies in collaboration with a global Academic Panel assembled to support the program.
A selection of these case studies are profiled below. However, we continue to accept and post subsequent examples as a way of broadening awareness of these incremental values in addition to the more traditional tourism-related economic impact measures still used today.
In sharing your experiences will not only be helping generate important documentation that will benefit the industry as a whole but getting important profile for both your own organization and those whose events are profiled. As described in the materials below, in order to qualify for inclusion in the study, the identified output (or legacy) values may be of any type but must have been (or are about to be) actually measured by the organizer and/or their partners in event delivery.
Attached here are the original documents prepared to guide submission, which are still valid today. These include:
- The program overview, which explains what the program is and why we are doing it;
- A detailed description of how to participate;
- An application form for submission of a proposal to UTS to include a specific event;
- The International Advisory Board for the Case Study Program;
- The Guide to Developing Case Studies, and;
- The simplified Case Study Application form.
As per the above, the event you nominate may have already taken place or yet to take place; in either case UTS will be able to supply assistance in terms of how outputs can best be measured in ways that will enable the event to qualify for consideration.
The application form is simple and clear, with the idea that any applicant can easily supply the information that will enable UTS to see how they can be of assistance. If there are any questions of detail, these will be answered quickly by UTS based on their own experiences in calculating these kinds of event benefits.
The results of this program will benefit the meetings industry in terms of being able to demonstrate the broader values of what we do as an industry – so let’s get started and start illustrating the value we bring to both the global economy and our own communities!
You can review the latest progress of the Case Study program and learn about industry success stories on
The Iceberg , our industry partner providing a communications platform for advancement of the industry value proposition.
Case Studies
Business Events Legacies: JMIC Case Study Project Report
This project collected, analysed and synthesised the findings of nine case studies to deliver a verdict on the broader contributions that conferences, congresses, trade shows, convention centres and bureaux deliver to destinations, communities, industries and economies.
UTS Business School | May 2019
11th CHINA-LAC Business Summit 2018, Punta del Este – Uruguay
The CHINA-LAC Business Summit is an annual event organized by the Chinese Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT for its acronym in English), with the cooperation of the InterAmerican Development Bank (IADB). It is the most important annual event for businesspeople, entrepreneurs, and governments of China, Latin America, and the Caribbean, with regard to the exchange of business and investment prospects.
ICC SYDNEY Feeding Your Performance Program: Evaluation On Year One
This is the second Case Study of the ICC Sydney’s “Feeding Your Performance” program. This case study builds upon the Feeding Your Performance Case Study (Foley, Edwards, Harrison & Hergesell, 2017) which documented the collaborative benefits and effects of the sustainable and inclusive practices adopted by ICC Sydney, as part of its FYP program. It evaluates the first year of the “Feeding Your Performance” program. The case study presents the impacts of the program for the Calendar year 2017 and should be read as a companion piece to first Case Study.
Knowledge Sharing and Organisational Development Through the 2017 Euroheartcare Conference by the Jönköping University and Destination Jönköping
The EuroHeartCare conference is one of the most important platforms for driving research publications, exchange of ideas, and forming and deepening collaborations within the field of cardiovascular nursing in Europe. It aims to support healthcare professionals in delivering the best care possible to patients with cardiovascular disease. The 2017 edition was hosted by Jönköping University in Sweden.
The study on EuroHeartCare 2017 identifies and showcases the process of knowledge sharing at a conference and in the early period thereafter. It shows how professional expertise is transferred amongst the delegates and from them to the organizations they represent with the result of individual competence enhancement and potential improvements for both the organizations and their operational outcome.
International Research Conferences: The Academic Impact by Aalborg University and Wonderful Copenhagen
The study explores the benefits and barriers for individual researchers and universities when hosting research conferences. The study has been commissioned by the Danish Council for Research and Innovation Policy – an advisory body to the Danish Minister of Higher Education and Science. Thereby the study situates the hosting of research conferences as a potential tool for enhancing the national science system.
London Tech Week by London & Partners
London Tech Week is Europe’s largest festival of live tech events taking place across London and representing the entire technology ecosystem. Since its launch in 2014, the festival has been celebrating London’s booming, diverse and vibrant tech scene.
London & Partners, the Mayor of London’s official promotional agency and one of London Tech Week’s founding partners, outlines the many benefits of the festival for the city:
- Destination benefits: the festival showcases the vibrant and innovating tech sector in London. It helps build London’s reputation in tech across the globe and positions the city as the tech capital of Europe.
- Economic, business and professional benefits: the event fosters foreign direct investment into London as tech companies, participating in London Tech Week events, set up or expand in London and therefore new jobs are created and economic benefits are generated for the city.
Zoom-in on the first-ever Swiss Fintech Corner setup at Sibos 2016 in Geneva
The Geneva Convention Bureau has adopted a policy that underlines the promotion of Geneva not only as a destination but most importantly as a center of economic, knowledge and innovation excellence by marketing MI events in relation with the local key clusters of industry.
As a result, a dynamic of virtues feedback loop between Geneva’s economic or knowledge environment and the industrial sector involved in an event is established.
On the one hand, the local sector cluster industry of Geneva (knowledge, R&D, innovation, etc.) spreads its excellence to the international audience participating in an event while on the other hand, the industry sector of the events provides benefits to Geneva’s knowledge and research & development, and adds valued skills. This was the case of Swiss Fintech Corner during the Sibos Conference (Swift International Banking Operations Seminar) conference in 2016.
ICC Sydney: Feeding Your Performance
Many international convention centres use sophisticated methods to measure the economic impact of business events in their host cities. Others recognise the importance of food in customer experience and promote programs like paddock to plate or food miles.
ICC Sydney marries these two concepts together and takes them to a new level by measuring the wider impacts of its operation on the regional areas that its supply chain reaches.
The University of Technology Sydney tracks ICC Sydney’s supply chain beyond city boundaries, overnight stays, restaurant tabs and in-venue purchases.
ICC Sydney’s recognition of farmers and their communities has the potential to influence job growth, build social capital in regional areas, and contributes to key objectives of the NSW Government to grow businesses in these areas. ICC Sydney’s marketing efforts have the potential to further regional development by attracting tourism to the region.
The Sustainability of the business events industry in Malaysia: Leveraging inter-organisational collaboration for the 55th ICCA congress
Growth of the business event sector is part of Malaysia’s strategy to achieve status as a developed nation by 2020. This case study presents the contribution made by the 55th ICCA Congress towards developing the business events sector in Malaysia. The congress engaged political leaders and the local community to raise awareness of the needs and potential of the sector, initiated education opportunities that developed talent, enhanced Malaysia’s marketing activities globally, and contributed to conservation initiatives. Relationships of trust have been established among industry stakeholders in Malaysia and beyond, which has resulted in supportive networks and improved inter-organisational collaboration. These networks are key to the growth and sustainability of the industry. This case study has shown that while events alone have a short lifespan, their legacies can be leveraged far into the future for the benefit of communities, industries and economies.
Conferences: Catalysts for Thriving Economies
This research by Business Events Sydney (BESydney) demonstrates that business events offer delegates unrestricted exposure to innovative ideas and opportunities to develop new knowledge and skills.
Part of the Beyond Tourism Benefits series, the new study by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) – Conferences: catalysts for thriving economies – provides further evidence showing that these face-to-face networking opportunities can spark global collaboration, which in turn can lead to global talent transfer, new business opportunities and collaborations, and opening further doors to international trade and investment.
This case study is the culmination of 10 years’ of research. Throughout this period, a range of research methods have been used to uncover new insights. Results from this study revealed that business events mobilise interactions and collaborations that form the foundation of innovation, economic development and societal change—all catalysts for a thriving economy and a prosperous community.
Case Stories
A Rooftop Agricultural Legacy by Palais des Congrès de Montréal
San Diego Exemplifies Community Values Generated by AIPC Member Centres
Flanders Meeting and Convention Center Antwerp: A Room with a Zoo Pays Off for Both Sides
Borneo Convention Centre Kuching Training Creates New Transferable Skills