If the collective industry had a proverbial "swear jar", there is no denying that, following the pandemic, words like "unprecedented", and "pivot" would cost you. Oversaturated as the terms may have been, the relevance remains as we emerge from a transformative series of years that have reshaped the industry landscape. The workforce has changed. Business Events have changed. The role and expectation of the destination organization within the community has changed.  

Identifying local champions and assets that will support the incoming business events and further develop the destination is now an expectation. Just as the roles of our Destination Sales and Services professionals have evolved, so must our professional development offerings that support them in their overall success.  

The Case for Capital  

Staying ahead of industry demands in a world where the only constant is change, can be a challenge. Even more challenging is navigating those waters to the benefit of the local ecosystem and the incoming business events. As brokers of Intellectual Capital, destination organizations are in a unique position to represent both sides of the equation, while also finding themselves in a place where their workforce and the extended workforce of their partners has shifted. The need to onboard, upskill, and reskill is a priority, and providing professional development around intellectual capital will be the difference in the overall value proposition of the destination organization.

Individuals across the organization and at varying professional levels need to have a fundamental understanding of how to articulate their value and how to identify, mobilize, and maximize the local resources to elevate event experiences, foster innovation, and leave a lasting impact on both incoming business events and the community at large. 

At its core, the IC program isn't just another certificate; it's a comprehensive journey that provides Destination Sales and Services professionals with essential knowledge and practical skills. Its focal point? Empowering professionals to harness a destination's infrastructure, economic resources, human connections, cultural assets, and more. This program isn't about theoretical concepts; it's about real-world applications.  

Through this seven-module series, participants will discover how to effectively leverage a community's diverse assets to drive the success of incoming business events while fostering continuous growth within the local ecosystem.  

Though the course provides detailed tactical approaches, it also leans heavily into understanding the current landscape, and more importantly which destinations are leading the way in best practices. One destination case study that is shared in the program, is that of Wonderful Copenhagen. The Copenhagen Legacy Lab was created as a strategic approach that would shift the concept of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) from event spend to long-term value creation for the destination, supported by the destination’s strengths of life sciences, green transition, and Information & Communications Technology. Having an understanding not only of the best practices in this ever-evolving space is valuable, but knowing how to navigate the corresponding shifts in KPIs is invaluable and when mastered by the destination, can lead not only to better bookings, but also to deeper community impacts.  

The IC certificate program is more than just a course; it's a catalyst for change within the Destination Sales and Services sphere. By empowering teams to establish their destinations as knowledge hubs, and foster collaboration and creativity, success throughout the sales and services cycle becomes not just a possibility, but an achievable reality.