April may bring showers, but it also brings a plethora of ways to both celebrate the events industry and demonstrate its economic power.

April is the month to celebrate the meetings and events industry, with plenty of opportunities to spread the word about the power of business meetings. Kicking off with a bang, Business Events Industry Week (BEIW) is taking place April 8–11 in Washington, D.C. BEIW, first held in 2022, is a weeklong series of events and workshops taking place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and other venues around the city.

Produced by the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) in partnership with Destination DC, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and the National Coalition Of Black Meeting Planners (NCBMP), BEIW is your opportunity to “engage in the art of partnership, tackle your grandest challenges, and seize unprecedented opportunities with the same fervor that has propelled society’s greatest achievements,” according to PCMA.

Among the topics up for discussion during BEIW are convention sales, societal transformation, the future of association meetings, work-life balance and women’s leadership. Those seeking DI’s Certified Destination Management Executive Credential (CDME) can take related courses, including Destination Economic Development and Human Resources and Culture Transformation. DI also will host its Convention Sales and Service Summit, a “cross-functional gathering of sales and services professionals dedicated to helping clients plan and execute successful meetings and events.”

On April 9, PCMA is holding its invitation-only PCMA Global Leadership Conference at the JW Marriott Washington, DC. ICCA also will host a half-day program to explore the future landscape of association meetings and their role in societal transformation. The National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP) also will hold a session called, “Reclaiming My Time: A Practical Conversation on Toxic Corporate Culture and its Effects on Black Professional’s Work + Life Balance,” featuring Sharinda Williams-Simmons, chief creative officer at The PTO Nomad.

On April 10, the BEIW lineup includes Showcase, where planners can network with industry partners through immersive booth experiences. The PCMA Foundation also is holding a Fashion Show fundraiser that evening, and the IAEE 2024 Women’s Leadership Forum also will kick off its own event with a networking reception, followed by a full day of programming for the Forum. BEIW caps off the week with the black-tie Visionary Awards event to showcase exceptional individuals in the events industry and the contributions they’ve made to their organizations.

GMID Takes the World Stage

If you can’t make it to D.C. for BEIW (or even if you can), check out Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID), scheduled to be held April 11. GMID is an international day of advocacy showcasing the undeniable value that business meetings, trade shows, incentive travel, exhibitions, conferences and conventions bring to people, businesses and communities. GMID 2023 resulted in 45 million impressions worldwide on social media and 70 events held in 35 countries (check out this Recap Deck for some of the 2023 highlights).

Among the key messages for this year’s GMID:

• In 2023, there was $119 billion in meeting and event related travel spending in the U.S.—directly supporting nearly 600,000 American jobs

• Meetings drive education, knowledge and communal understanding on critical subjects—advancing fields that are crucial to our societal well-being.

• The benefits of meetings range from the tangible to intangible—benefiting local economies and businesses while simultaneously fueling individual growth, long-lasting connections and mutual respect.

One of the many GMID events being planned is Meeting Professionals International (MPI)’s 12-hour virtual  program featuring industry leaders speaking on an array of topics that will rotate hourly. IMEX CEO Carina Bauer, NCBMO CEO Jason Dunn and Encore Senior Vice President Amanda Armstrong are among the industry leaders scheduled to speak.

Mark Your Calendars for Global Exhibitions Day

While April contains some of the biggest events, June is no slouch, either. Coming June 5 is Global Exhibitions Day, an initiative launched back in 2016 by UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. This year’s theme is “exhibitions are catalysts to sustainable futures.”