In the U.S., an events industry advocacy reset with a global twist

Management of Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) will move from the U.S. Travel Association to the Events Industry Council (EIC). A mere alignment, or a strategic power play?

Seasoned industry colleagues have a sense of “déjà vu” here. But let’s start at the beginning:

There are two organisations who act as industry umbrella organisations. The US-based EIC calls itself “the global voice of the business events industry” and “the umbrella organisation for the global business events industry.” Its strongest brand recognition (and revenue source) is the recently updated “Certified Meeting Professional” (CMP) credential. Its main advocacy output there has been the Global Significance Study. And there is the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), a Europe-based organisation of international meetings associations, which explicitly positions itself as a platform for strategy, advocacy, and recognition. JMIC is behind initiatives such as the Global Industry Manifesto (advocacy) and the Net Zero Carbon Events work (sustainability - its primary revenue source), and has engaged with the UN and OECD. Essentially, one organisation is known best for education and certifications, the other for advocacy and sustainability. In an ideal world, these two would collaborate well and focus on their respective strengths. Yet, previous attempts to achieve this have failed (how and why is a different story).

Purpose and scale of “Global Meetings Industry Day”

GMID’s mission is to highlight meetings’ role in fueling small businesses, creating jobs, and driving local economies. This powerful and consistent message has anchored U.S. event industry advocacy for years and is championed by the sector’s own U.S. advocacy organisation, the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA). U.S. Travel deserves applause for managing GMID effectively within its mandate “to increase travel to and within the United States.” Yet on the global scale, that U.S.-centric mandate impacted GMID’s international reach. For reference, UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, launched Global Exhibitions Day (GED) in 2016. Focussing on segment advocacy (exhibitions), and with a global mandate backed by its membership, GED’s 10th edition in 2025 was marked by coordinated activity in more than 100 countries and supported by over 75 associations and global organisers.

Date change with a twist

The 2026 “relaunch” moves GMID from April to May 5, aligning it with the PCMA-led Business Events Industry Week (BEIW) in Washington. Launched in 2022 by PCMA and Destinations International (DI), BEIW promised to “unite the global business events industry through a week of community, commerce, content, awards, and advocacy.” In practice, the alignment has remained overwhelmingly U.S.-focused. Alongside PCMA and DI, some associations from the U.S. industry association ecosystem have added programming from two-hour meetings to 1.5-day conferences: IAEE, EIC, ASAE, the NCBPM, and ICCA, the latter one being the only participating organisation not headquartered in the country.

Despite the “global” billing, the structure tilts domestic. As Smart Meetings reported in 2025, parts of the programme were dropped after “light traffic,” with the focus leaning more toward celebration than strategy. For 2026, PCMA has moved the event from its previous April slot into May, and the event website states that participants are “becoming part of a global movement that celebrates our industry’s purpose - bringing people together to make a difference for our businesses, our communities and our audiences. We are all a part of it, and what you do matters.”

Of course, scheduling GMID to overlap with BEIW makes sense, adding a focal point (again for reference, UFI held their recent “European Events Week” in Greece over the GED date – traditionally the first Wednesday in June). EIC will use the slot to release its updated Economic Significance Study. But it is not without a challenge: The new May date places GMID just three weeks/one month ahead of GED (June 3) and the U.S. industry’s Legislative Action Day (May 28), also in DC, run by the ECA. These crowded advocacy touchpoints risk diluting their respective impacts.

Duplication over collaboration - falling back Into a familiar pattern?

There is also a strategic question. By taking on GMID, EIC is doubling down on advocacy, a space JMIC already occupies with earned credibility. I mentioned failed attempts in the past to bring both organisations to collaborate. At IMEX Frankfurt this May, both sides again used a JMIC briefing for a pledge to “talk about collaboration” - see my summary from that announcement here.

Yet with EIC now controlling GMID, there is a risk of another cycle of parallel initiatives instead of a unified front. EIC’s announced intention to evolve GMID “into a channel and platform for year-round advocacy on behalf of the business events industry” certainly points to that, given the offerings already available at JMIC. Seasoned industry colleagues will have a sense of “déjà vu” here.

MY TAKE:

For now, this initially remains a U.S.-centric story, playing out between U.S. Travel, EIC, and PCMA. In challenging times, stabilising and optimising GMID is pragmatic. However, for an initiative that claims global reach, the real test lies in broadening engagement, aligning with organisations with proven advocacy records, and showing that it is relevant for the international events industry, not just fodder for an industry association bubble.