The Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) announced at a press conference at IMEX Frankfurt a renewed JMIC Board and a new executive director.
The newly elected Board welcomes Dr Senthil Gopinath of ICCA and Maurits van der Sluis of EMECA into its ranks. They will be supporting their existing Board colleagues: Chris Skeith from UFI, Flavie de Beueil from CityDNA and Martin Boyle from IAPCO.
The Board thanked outgoing treasurer, Barbara Weizsäcker, secretary general of EMECA, for four years of service during the crucial phase of incorporation of JMIC.
Dorian Kronenwerth becomes the new executive director.
James Rees, president of JMIC, commented: “This moment represents more than a leadership transition. It marks an evolution in how our industry positions itself globally. We are bringing together diverse expertise and stronger alignment across associations to ensure the business events industry is recognised for the value it creates for economies, communities, knowledge exchange and sustainable development.”
JMIC also confirmed that it will release its updated Global Manifesto for the Business Events Industry in June.
The new manifesto will combine strategic policy positioning with strengthened evidence-based advocacy. It will be complemented by industry data, statistics, and storytelling case studies designed to demonstrate the tangible contribution of business events to policymakers who are the prime targeted audience of the manifesto.
The approach aims to provide a stronger narrative framework for advocacy and reinforce recognition of business events as critical infrastructure for economic development, innovation, international collaboration, and societal outcomes.
JMIC further highlighted progress across the Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE) initiative.
Key developments announced included:
- Updated NZCE Measurement Methodology designed to provide greater clarity, improved usability and stronger comparability of event emissions measurement across different event types and stakeholder groups.
- External Tool Assessment evaluating sustainability tools for their NZCE alignment.
- Reporting Validation Programme supporting greater transparency and confidence in how signatories communicate progress and climate action outcomes.
- Embedding NZCE into Sustainable Event Standards by EIC, reducing fragmentation and simplifying sustainability for business events stakeholders.
- Education and Capacity Building to support organisations globally in implementing climate action strategies, with support from.
Alexander Alles, executive director of JMIC until May 2026, said: “The progress we are announcing today demonstrates that our industry is maturing and seeking clear collaboration.” He added that the objective were clear: “To create one stronger, more aligned industry voice capable of delivering long-term impact.”
JMIC is dedicated to promoting the value of the meetings, conventions, and exhibitions industry through advocacy, research, and collaboration. www.themeetingsindustry.org
