Ahead of the official opening of IMEX Frankfurt, CityDNA hosted its CVB Café, bringing together 45 Convention Bureau professionals from across Europe. They discussed topics including artificial intelligence, sustainability, destination competitiveness, funding challenges and the evolving role of Convention Bureaux. The alliance also participated in the IMEX Place Leaders Forum, where representatives joined international destination leaders to examine the contribution of business events to place development, governance, reputation and economic competitiveness. In addition, CityDNA took part in the board meeting of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), contributing to discussions on the future priorities of the global meetings industry.

CityDNA Marks 40th Edition of Summer School Programme

A central focus of the week was the 40th edition of the CityDNA Summer School, one of the longest-running educational programmes for early-career professionals in the meetings industry. Since its launch in 1987, the programme has supported more than 2,200 participants through professional training, networking opportunities and international knowledge exchange. During IMEX Frankfurt, CityDNA organised a dedicated presentation and anniversary networking event to mark four decades of the programme and promote the 2026 Summer School, which will take place in Dijon from 24 to 28 August. The celebrations concluded with the presentation of the inaugural CityDNA Summer School Award during the IMEX Gala Dinner. The awards recognised Pier Paolo Mariotti and Dennis Speet for their long-standing contributions to the programme through leadership, mentoring and knowledge sharing.