The meeting and event industry will unite for Global Meetings Industry Day on April 3, and the most important message about GMID is the power behind face-to-face meetings.
“It's really, really important that we remember the purpose of bringing everyone together is to remind everybody when we meet, we change the world,” said ALHI President and CEO Michael Dominguez. “There is nothing that has ever happened in this world that didn't start with a meeting, a meeting of great minds. Whether it's scientific advancements, whether it's human rights advancements, it has always started with people coming together face to face.”
With that thought in mind, here’s a look at 10 impactful meetings spanning politics, economics, technology, health care and sports in the past year.
119th U.S. Congress Joint Session, Jan. 6, Washington D.C.
The joint session of the 119th Congress to count each state’s electoral votes in the 2024 presidential election, under new laws put in place after the events of Jan. 6, 2021, was orderly. Despite Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss, she presided over the session in a peaceful transfer of power. Each state’s electoral votes were counted without objection and Donald Trump was declared the winner.
G20 Summit, November 2024, Rio de Janeiro
The G20 (Group of Twenty), an international forum of 19 countries and the European Union that represents the world's major economies, convenes in person to discuss and address global economic issues. At their Fall 2024 meeting, representatives emphasized the taxation of billionaires, transition from fossil fuels and solutions to global challenges – focusing on sustainable growth and ending poverty.
World Economic Forum, January, Davos, Switzerland
The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting brought together a diverse group of leaders from business, government, civil society and academia to discuss global issues and shape policy. In January, key topics included rebuilding trust in government, reimagining growth and safeguarding the planet while addressing global challenges such as geopolitical conflicts and instability and energy transition.
United Nations Convention on Climate Change, November 2024, Baku, Azerbaijan
This climate change discussion brought together nearly 200 countries, including government representatives, leaders from various organizations, and climate policy experts. The countries
agreed to a new global climate finance goal, aiming for developed nations to spend at least $300 billion annually by 2035 to support developing countries in their climate action efforts.
United Nations Convention on Biodiversity, October 2024, Cali, Columbia
This conference had a record-breaking attendance of over 23,000 delegates, including heads of state, ministers, and leaders from international organizations, as well as a large number of public visitors. Delegates made it clear they want the contribution of indigenous peoples and local communities towards conservation to be supported across the world.
Meetings That Changed the Course of History
SXSW, March, Austin
South by Southwest’s 2025 innovation expo focused on artificial intelligence’s impact on creativity and human autonomy, the evolving role of social media in brand marketing and the future of TV branding to move beyond traditional ads to focus on cultural engagement.
AI Summit, December 2024, New York City
The AI Summit brought together industry leaders and experts from companies such as Google, Mastercard and AstraZeneca; technology pioneers across healthcare and finance; and venture capitalists to discuss the future of artificial intelligence. The conference focused on real-world AI applications of AI across various sectors and featured discussions on AI integration, government initiatives and the future of work.
Leapfrog Annual Meeting, December 2024, National Harbor, Md.
The nonprofit Leapfrog collects, analyzes and publishes data on the quality of health care in an effort to put patients first and foster better care. The 2024 meeting featured advances in maternity care for people with diabetes and successful strategies used by hospitals and surgery centers to achieve excellence in patient care.
Major League Baseball Winter Meetings, December 2024, Dallas
During the MLB Winter Meetings, team executives hold meetings with other teams and agents throughout the four days. Each team's manager and many general managers will talk to the press or hold a press conference. The meetings usually jump-start the free agent process, and this one did: at the meetings, top free agent Juan Soto chose the New York Mets for 15 years and $765 million, the largest contract in baseball history.
National Football League 2024 Annual Meeting, March 2024, Orlando, Fla.
Ownership groups of all 32 NFL teams meet annually to advance rule changes suggested by both league officials and teams. This meeting led to new kickoff rules designed to limit the number of touchbacks and add more excitement to the play. The hip drop tackle, which led to player injuries, was banned.