PROGRAMME
Please Note: The exact timings and content are subject to change.
One Congress. Multiple Worlds. Immeasurable Opportunity.
The 65th ICCA Congress, taking place 8–11 November 2026 in Panama City, Panama, introduces a bold, multi-modal programme that reflects the scale, complexity, and evolving influence of the global meetings and events industry.
This is not a traditional Congress format. It is an integrated platform—bringing multiple perspectives, sectors, and disciplines into one cohesive experience. Associations, destinations, governments, academics, technology leaders, creatives, and investors come together to exchange knowledge, challenge thinking, and shape future directions.
Co-curated with leading cross-sector partners including Skift, UN Tourism, CAF, IEEE, AC Forum, and the House of Beautiful Business, the programme is intentionally designed to foster collaboration, strengthen competitiveness, and unlock new forms of value for the global community.
Set in Panama City — a destination where continents, cultures, and commerce converge — Congress creates a space where industries intersect, ideas evolve, and global conversations move forward with purpose.
Featured Speakers
Future Makers. Industry Shapers.
The 65th ICCA Congress brings together influential voices from across the global meetings ecosystem and beyond.
Expect:
- Leaders shaping policy and economic strategy
- Innovators driving AI and digital transformation
- Sustainability pioneers advancing responsible growth
- Creative voices influencing global narratives
- Association executives leading purposeful change
With perspectives from ICCA’s co-curators, each session is designed to challenge thinking, spark new ideas, and deliver real-world insight.
The Networking Experience
Designed for Meaningful Connection
Networking isn’t an add-on—it’s built into every layer of the Congress.
Expect:
- Curated cross-sector meetups
- Peer-to-peer exchanges
- Themed networking spaces
- ICCAverse community hubs
- Business Exchange opportunities
Connect directly with investors, policymakers, researchers, start-ups, and associations.
Every moment is designed to connect, collaborate, and create opportunity.
Intentional Networking Sessions
Purposeful Connection, Real Outcomes
Intentional Networking Sessions turn connections into meaningful exchanges. Built around shared challenges and goals, they create space for deeper dialogue, collaboration, and practical insight.
These highly interactive, facilitated sessions move beyond traditional networking. Participants actively contribute, challenge ideas, and co-create solutions with peers from across sectors and regions.
The result: conversations that drive action and connections that last.
Collaboration
Building Alliances that Move Markets
Collaboration lies at the heart of global business events success. This pillar explores how associations, governments, destinations, and private-sector partners can work together to create measurable impact.
Competitiveness
Turning Insight into Strategic Advantage
In an era of rapid transformation, competitiveness depends on intelligence, agility, and innovation
Creativity
Designing the Future of Experience
Creativity fuels relevance. It drives audience engagement, shapes brand identity, and strengthens global positioning.
Learning at the 2026 ICCA Congress
Learn it. Test it. Apply it.
Learning at the 2026 ICCA Congress is built for action. More than 60% of the programme is dedicated to experiential, participatory formats that put delegates at the centre of the experience.
This is not passive listening. It is structured engagement that reflects the realities of today's complex, interconnected world — the essence of CrossWorlds.
Content is tailored across the full value chain of destinations, associations and suppliers, ensuring every participant engages with material that is relevant, grounded and directly applicable to their role.
Sessions are designed to encourage collaboration, debate and experimentation. Ideas are not just explored but tested, refined and translated into practical outcomes. Delegates cross perspectives, industries and experiences, gaining insights that stretch well beyond their own context.
Participants leave with more than inspiration. They leave equipped: new capabilities, actionable insights and a broader global perspective ready to apply immediately within their organisations, destinations and communities.
This is learning built for momentum, and designed to last well beyond the Congres
Get in touch
ICCA Events Experience Team: registration@iccaworld.org
ICCA Association Team: associations@iccaworld.org
Alpha Tower, De Entree 57, Amsterdam 1101 BH, The Netherlands
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#ICCACongress26 #CrossWorlds
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