The Alliance of Brain Cities (Aarhus, Denmark; Espoo, Finland; Bergen, Norway; Uppsala, Sweden) hosted 20 international associations at a breakfast in Frankfurt during IMEX 2019.  Attendees included representatives from Rehabilitation International, International Water Resources Association and the World Association for Medical Law.

All the delegates expressed strong support for second tier (non-capital cities) for their association events.  Primarily this is due to the perception that their event will be considered more important to the city, deliver a legacy that will be appreciated by the destination and above all else receive a more personal and high quality level of service from destinations and venues.
The importance of transparency was highlighted by several attendees, who need to ensure that their destination partners not only offer value but demonstrate a corruption free, commercially credible offering that sits with their own ethics.

Sustainability that goes beyond the environment was also addressed as many of the attendees feel that social justice and economic stability is just as important as the environment when it comes to delivering a conference that adds value to the wider world.