What will the Business Event of tomorrow look like?

The BEFuture seeks to leverage talent, innovation and technology in support of the transformation of Europe’s MICE tourism sector into a regenerative, resilient and responsible industry. To this end, the project will work to engage the entire MICE ecosystem in the co-design of a new business model of events for Europe. Events that minimise their waste and carbon footprint, that are sustainable, inclusive and with positive and lasting impact. For that, it will set an open innovation space and network that generates ideas and exchanges knowledge for future industry growth.

Using the Sustainable Development Goals framework, the project will identify best practices, and then develop talent, and build innovation capacity among SMEs and industry professionals, organising co-creation workshops and other innovation events that explore technologies, strategies, and trends, and bring together the people and professionals who will shape the future of the industry. Further, to bring forward this new generation of events, BEFuture will roll out an acceleration programme that will support at least 80 innovative projects from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, and a comprehensive communication and awareness-raising campaign, which will take advantage of major industry events such as the IBTM World, IMEX, and Mobile World Congress, amongst other.

Overall, the project will contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of the European MICE tourism sector and turn Europe into a global benchmark of innovation, technology, and sustainability of the events industry. This enticing project is led by the Catalan Tourist Board, in coordination with Visit Flanders, BSOs such as Linkeus, VDVO and B.Link, and knowledge entities such as NHL Stenden – ETFI and the University of Milano-Bicocca. Tipik will be the communication leader. BEFuture holds support from a wide network of ecosystem stakeholders, including Convention Bureaus, BSOs and international industry applications.

• Budget: 4.175.428,9 €
• Duration: 30 months, starting September 2023
• Countries involved: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain
• Coordinator: Catalan Tourist Board

Destination Management Organisations:

• Catalan Tourist Board – Catalunya Convention Bureau
• Visit Flanders Convention Bureau

Business Support Organisations:

• B.Link Barcelona Strategic Projects
• Linkeus (Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur CVB)
• Verband der Veranstaltungsorganisatoren

Universities and Training Organisations:

• NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences (EFTI)
• University Milano Bicocca

Communication Agency:

• Tipik Communication Agency

• Transition pathway for tourism
• Green and digital transitions
• Sustainable development goals

WP1 Dynamizing the European MICE Tourism Ecosyste

• Develop the innovation stakeholder map for the European MICE tourism
• Create and promote an open innovation European MICE tourism ecosystem
• Identify and define new scenarios for the future of business events
• Definition and promotion of the concept of SMART MICE destination for Europe

WP2 Increasing capacity of the European MICE Tourism Value Chain

• Develop state of the art and best practices in sustainability, legacy, digitalisation and innovation
• Provision of training for European MICE tourism value chain
• BEFuture Innovation Forum
• BEFuture innovation hubs
• BEFuture innovators’ marketplace

WP3 Accelerating the transformation of the European MICE Tourism Value Chain

• Design and launch of the Acceleration Programme
• Evaluation of the call and contracting procedure of innovative projects
• Implementation – Roll out of the Acceleration Programme
• Reporting on innovative project’s results
• Showroom of BEFuture innovative projects

WP4: Communication and dissemination

WP5: Project Management and quality