Overview

Details

Are large events truly beneficial for a destination? Do they promote sustainable growth, or do they leave behind financial burdens for local governments and taxpayers?
"Game-Changers or Chaos-Makers? The True Impact of Large-Scale Events" invites a critical and balanced exploration of how large-scale events—such as global sporting competitions, world expos, music festivals, political summits, or tech conferences—reshape societies, economies, and environments. 

Learning outcomes:

• Critically assess the socio-economic and environmental impacts of large-scale events on host destinations, with attention to both short-term benefits and long-term consequences.

• Evaluate the role of large events in sustainable development, identifying when they act as catalysts for positive change versus when they burden local communities and governments.

• Develop informed, balanced arguments on whether large-scale events serve as effective tools for destination growth or contribute to financial and social disruption.

Panelists: 

• Randel Bryan, Managing Director, SXSW, London 
• Ms. Roberta Werner, Executive Director, Visit Rio - host of Web Summit Rio​
• Mr. Rich Jee, Head of Marketing, Amazon Web Services, Korea 
• Anais Aite, Head of Strategic Expansion chez Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile , FIA
• Michiel Middendorf, World Forum, NATO meeting - The Hague
• Janet Karemera, CEO, Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB)

Moderator: Miguel Neves, Skift Meetings Forum 

This session is sponsored by AIME.