Two new members have joined the Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe – Malta and Wales. They joined on 1 January.
The two additions take the alliance’s membership to 30 national convention bureaux, with the announcement made in Dublin during the group’s first annual meeting of the year.
The alliance has also created a new Alliance Coordination Office to support joint projects across member organisations. The office is intended to improve coordination, speed up decision-making, and reduce duplication of work, particularly as the group expands and runs more shared initiatives.
SANCBE co-chairs Matthias Schultze and Eric Bakermans confirmed the changes during the meeting. “Welcoming Malta and Wales is a significant step in strengthening our Alliance as a truly pan-European network,” they said.
“At a time when collaboration and shared purpose across Europe matter more than ever, this expansion reinforces our collective ability to actively shape the future of the European meetings and events sector on a global stage.”
The alliance said growth in membership has increased the need for a dedicated coordination function, rather than relying on informal collaboration between national bureaux, especially when delivering projects involving multiple countries.
Europe still the world’s largest business events market
Europe remains the world’s largest business events market by volume. IPK World Travel Monitor data shows Europe accounts for around 47% of global MICE-related business travel.
SANCBE said this scale makes coordination between European convention bureaux increasingly important, particularly when engaging with international organisers, policymakers, and global industry partners.
The alliance is also preparing the fourth Global Forum of National Convention Bureaux. The forum will take place on 18 May 2026, one day before IMEX Frankfurt.
Founded in 2014, SANCBE is a network of national destination marketing organisations rather than city or regional bureaux.