ElC launches initiative to build and support the future business events workforce
Pathways turns EIC (Events Industry Council) research into action, connecting career awareness, professional development, work readiness, community and mentorship across the career lifecycle
EIC announced Pathways at IMEX America yesterday, a connected workforce initiative designed to help people discover careers in the global business events industry, develop skills, advance professionally, build community and ultimately lead and give back to the sector.
Pathways represents a tangible next step in EIC’s Vision 2030 commitment to advocacy and workforce development, bringing together a growing portfolio of programs, resources and partnerships under one connected strategy.
The initiative responds directly to EIC’s research and the broader body of knowledge developed across the business events industry. The 2026 Global Economic Significance of Business Events Study demonstrates the enormous scale of the sector, with business events supporting 24.2 million jobs worldwide, attracting 1.65 billion participants, generating US$1.3 trillion in direct spending and supporting US$1.8 trillion in total GDP.
At the same time, the EIC Futures Landscape Study 2025 identified Talent and Workforce Development as one of the most important forces shaping the future of business events, with 75% of respondents saying it is very or extremely important to the industry’s future.
The study also points to a rapidly changing skills environment. Referenced global workforce research found that 46% of workers believe their skills will become obsolete in the next few years, while another 46% said they would likely leave their employer if opportunities to upskill were unavailable.
“Research should do more than help us understand the current state. It should give us the confidence to determine what comes next,” said Amy Calvert, President and CEO of the Events Industry Council. “The Economic Significance Study, together with the collective body of research developed across our industry, demonstrates the extraordinary scale and impact of our workforce, while the EIC Futures Landscape Study 2025 helps us anticipate the forces shaping its future. Pathways is about turning those insights into action, together with our members and partners, and making it easier for people to see and navigate opportunities throughout their careers.”
Pathways is organized around four stages of the professional journey: Discover, Develop, Advance and Lead.
At the Discover stage, EIC is working with members and industry partners to introduce students and emerging professionals to the breadth of careers available across business events. This includes the APEX Future Workforce initiative, which brings high school students into major industry gatherings to experience the sector firsthand, meet professionals and gain greater awareness of career possibilities.
The Develop stage connects professionals with practical resources to support continuous learning and more intentional career development. These include the Pathways newsletter and the Reflective Practice Exercise (RPE), designed to help professionals assess their experience, recognize transferable capabilities, identify development opportunities and consider what comes next in their careers.
Pathways also includes a new generation of interactive APEX Accepted Practices, developed in collaboration with Snapsight, an EIC partner. The partnership is transforming established industry resources into more interactive and accessible tools, with multilingual functionality designed to expand their reach to professionals around the world.
“Knowledge only creates value when people can access it, understand it and put it to work,” said Vamshi Velmajala, CEO and Co-founder of Snapsight. “Our work with EIC is about using technology to make the industry’s collective knowledge more accessible, interactive and relevant to professionals wherever they are in the world. Pathways is a powerful example of how technology can support the human learning, judgment and connection that move careers, and our industry, forward.”
The Advance stage creates clearer connections between professional development, work readiness and recognized industry credentials. This includes the previously announced CMP Work Readiness Certificate, providing an earlier entry point into the CMP ecosystem and an opportunity for individuals to demonstrate foundational industry knowledge as they build experience and continue their professional development.
The initiative builds on EIC’s continued investment in the Certified Meeting Professional program. The updated CMP International Standards and CMP exam were developed through a multi-year process involving more than 1,000 volunteer subject matter experts, helping ensure the credential reflects the competencies and skills required in today’s evolving global business events environment.
Pathways also recognizes the importance of developing capabilities aligned with the issues shaping the future of the industry, including sustainability and social impact. Through programs such as EIC’s Sustainable Event Professional Certificate (SEPC), professionals can build practical knowledge and skills to help integrate sustainable practices into their organizations and events.
Finally, the Lead stage recognizes that workforce development continues throughout a career. EIC is evolving its volunteer leadership approach to create expanded opportunities for ambassadors and mentors, enabling experienced professionals to share expertise, mentor emerging talent, participate in reverse mentoring and remain actively engaged in strengthening the profession and its community.
“Building the workforce our industry needs cannot be the responsibility of any one organization,” said EIC Board Chair and President of the Incentive Research Foundation Stephanie Harris. “It requires a collective effort across employers, educators, associations, partners and individual professionals. Pathways gives us a stronger framework for connecting that work and helping people see a future for themselves in this industry.”
Incoming EIC Board Chair and CEO of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals Jason Dunn added: “Our industry has an extraordinary depth of experience and leadership. Creating stronger connections between those who have built careers in business events and those just beginning theirs is essential. Through mentorship, knowledge sharing and greater opportunities to engage, we can strengthen both individual career journeys and the profession as a whole.”
Pathways also reflects the interconnected challenges identified through the EIC Futures Landscape Study 2025. Technology, including AI, was rated very or extremely important to the future of the industry by 68% of respondents, while 69% said the same of well-being. Together with changing demographics and workplace expectations, these findings reinforce the need to look beyond recruitment alone and focus on skills development, retention, connection and long-term career sustainability.
“Pathways is not one program,” Amy said. “It connects the work already happening across EIC and our global community while helping us identify where we can be more united and impactful. From the first moment someone discovers our industry to the point when they are mentoring and leading others, our goal is to provide clearer pathways to learn, grow, connect, contribute and thrive.”
EIC will continue to expand Pathways in collaboration with its members, partners, employers, educators and volunteer leaders.
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