A record-breaking 2,033 attendees from 27 countries and territories convened in Chicago at McCormick Place for Destinations International’s Annual Convention July 9-11, and it couldn’t come at a more critical time as destination professionals from around the world actively tackle challenges brought upon by geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty and more.
Speaking to a room of the attendees, which included a whopping 593 first-timers, Destinations International (DI) President and CEO Don Welsh addressed this head-on in his opening remarks.
“These are clearly some unsettled times we are living in. Unfortunately, these political issues, technology, AI and economic uncertainty have become a part of our daily lives,” he said. “Take this time while you’re here for your personal growth. We all need a little help right now. Lean on one another.”
Indeed, the Annual Convention agenda was built to purposely engage and energize destination professionals to work through these pressing global issues together. Session topics ranged from roundtables about how to lead through uncertainty and responding to societal issues to how to build inclusive environments and successful global event case studies.
With Chicago as its backdrop—a city, as its DMO Choose Chicago describes, “where hard work meets hope”—attendees brought its host’s spirit of grit and innovation to meaningful discussions in and out of the meeting rooms.
Here are some of the key takeaways from this year’s convention, and what it means for meeting planners as they continue to partner with destinations for events.
Destination Transparency Builds Trust With Meeting Planners
In an increasingly complex environment, transparency between destinations and meeting planners is more important than ever. This often starts with destination organizations during the site selection process.
In April, DI released a study with Future Partners that dove into this topic to help destination organizations better understand how reputation, public sentiment and societal issues influence meeting and event planners in their decision making. The Annual Convention’s session, “Reputation in Focus: Responding to Societal Issues to Support Destination Success,” dug deeper into the results.
Issues influencing site selection include gun violence, geopolitical tensions, severe weather, homelessness and others. Planners want destinations to be upfront about challenges in their cities/regions—and if/how these challenges will affect their events.
“Meeting planners want a destination to give them the honest truth,” said Myha Gallagher, VP of research for Future Partners. “Transparency builds trust.”
Many destinations may be dealing with a perception issue, too, but for planners and stakeholders who haven’t traveled to a place, perception can be reality. That’s where advocacy comes into play.
“I hear people say, ‘I miss the days when we were just marketing our destination. I don’t want to be a politician or advocate,’” said Adam Weissenborn, VP of advocacy and research for DI. But, he said, brands are taking hits and it’s a core function of destination organizations to now empower planners to sell their destination to their stakeholders by working within their community to improve their reputation and providing planners with opportunities to see an authentic side of their home.
Community Buy-In Is More Important Than Ever
It’s becoming increasingly clear that destination organizations aren’t marketing to potential visitors. They are now stewards of their brand within their own homes.
During the convention, DI and MMGY NextFactor released the 2025 DestinationNEXT Futures Study, a comprehensive research initiative that’s conducted every two years and funded by the DI Foundation that provides insights on the state of destination organizations. This year’s study found that KPIs are increasingly focused on social impact, including resident sentiment and community benefit, among others. Long-term funding stability hinges on resident and business support, as destinations have to sell locals on events and leisure business in order to thrive.
This community buy-in strategy was on display during a session where tourism leaders from Stockholm Business Region, Visit Colorado Springs and Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. showcased how they built mega events in their destinations, emphasizing that getting locals on board was key to their success.
Responsible Travel Is Paramount
From sustainability to corporate social responsibility (CSR), responsible tourism continues to be a hot topic among destination professionals. In this spirit, DI provided two CSR activities for attendees to participate in ahead of the convention: meal prepping with Fight2Feed, a grassroots nonprofit at McCormick Place dedicated to reducing food insecurity through rescue, preparation and distribution efforts; and a workshop with Sweet Beginnings, North Lawndale Employment Network’s urban beekeeping and honey-based product enterprise, which provides transitional employment to justice-impacted individuals and creates pathways to long-term economic stability.
During these two activities, attendees not only participated but learned about the operations behind both organizations and were tasked with thinking about how they could apply such programs in their home destinations.
Sessions throughout the convention continued the conversations about responsible tourism. Explore Edmonton and Meet Minneapolis shared how they are working to build equitable relationships with Indigenous communities to co-create tourism strategies that are respectful, authentic and led by Indigenous voices. Fáilte Ireland, winner of the 2025 Destination Organization Award for Global Impact, shared how the organization has addressed rural inequity, workforce development and climate resilience.
AI Is Changing the Travel Game
It’s hard to avoid the topic of AI at any major industry event nowadays, and the same was true at DI’s Annual Convention. PCMA President and CEO Sherrif Karamat presented an update on Destinaitor, a new SaaS platform co-developed by PCMA and dFakto—and released at Convening Leaders this year—that leverages generative AI to transform how events professionals search for and evaluate destinations and venues. The tool is powered by exclusive, PCMA-validated industry data.
Todd Brook, CEO and founder of AI company Unchained, led a session about key AI developments and how they can apply to the work performed by destination organizations. And the 2025 DestinationNEXT Futures Study named generative AI’s impact on the tourism industry a key finding in its report, driven by digital natives and a need for personalized content.
[Related: Cvent Integrates New AI Tool CventIQ Across Its Platform]
More Announcements From Destinations International
DI itself had a number of key announcements to share with attendees, including:
- Portland, Oregon, was named as the location for the 2026 Annual Convention, taking place July 21-23.
- DI and TravelAbility launched an updated and expanded Accessibility Playbook, an end-to-end toolkit to help destinations advance accessibility for travelers of all abilities. Significantly enhanced features include technology and service provider recommendations; actionable strategies; and an accompanying AI companion to help destinations move from awareness to implementation in serving travelers with disabilities and the aging population.
- DI announced a two-year strategic partnership with The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA), the only national organization dedicated to advancing cultural heritage tourism in Native Nations and communities across the U.S. “AIANTA’s partnership with Destinations International marks a pivotal moment for Indigenous tourism," said Sherry L. Rupert, CEO of AIANTA. "This collaboration will undoubtedly elevate Indigenous perspectives within the global tourism industry. Through this collaboration, we look forward to sharing knowledge, building stronger relationships and creating tools that support respectful engagement with Indigenous communities across the United States."
- Board chair announcements: As it does each year, DI announced its association Board of Directors and foundation Board of Trustees for 2025-2026. Leslie Bruce, president and CEO, Banff & Lake Louise Tourism Bureau, assumed the role of chair of DI. Martha J. Sheridan, president and CEO, Meet Boston, assumed the role of chair of the DI Foundation. As a past chair of DI, Sheridan is the first woman to serve in both capacities. In a time of particularly high tensions between the U.S. and Canada, it is notable to see both countries represented in the 2025-2026 leadership. (See the complete list of the Association Board and Foundation Board.)
