Business events have always been powerful. Now there’s proof. Destination Canada reveals the Legacy & Impact Study Final Report. 

Business events do far more than generate short-term economic activity. They can influence policy, attract investment, strengthen sectors, and elevate a destination’s global position. 

Destination Canada’s Legacy & Impact Study provides the most comprehensive evidence to date of how these outcomes are created, along with a clear model for designing impact intentionally. 

Over the past three years, the study analyzed 15 global events hosted across Canada to uncover what truly creates lasting economic, social, and environmental impact. 

The findings are clear: Impact is not accidental. It is intentionally designed, supported, and sustained over time. 

Below you’ll find the study’s five key insights, which you can use to move your next event from a temporary gathering to a powerful driver of long-term change. 

The Full Potential of Events 

Business events create unique opportunities for collaboration, learning, and resilience. As a result, their benefits expand far beyond economic advantages to the host city. 

The Legacy & Impact Study tracked event outcomes across eight interconnected areas: from intellectual, social, human, and cultural outcomes to impacts on funding, policy, infrastructure, and the environment.  

The findings show that business events are powerful tools for achieving long-term objectives—delivering enduring value across sectors, communities, and destinations.  

Example: The 2023 International Conference on Isotopes in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, helped accelerate new isotope production and strengthen global supply chains for cancer treatment. 

Impact as a Chain Reaction 

The evolution of an event from a one-time gathering into a driver for change doesn’t happen all at once. It unfolds as a chain reaction. The Legacy & Impact Study shows each outcome builds on the last, creating momentum across five levels: individuals, organizations, communities, sectors, and destinations. 

For an event to achieve a lasting legacy, its impact must progress through each level sequentially. This model provides a practical way for business event decision makers to understand how early outcomes translate into long-term impact—and how to strengthen impact over time. 

The Foundations of Legacy 

For an event to complete the chain reaction, impact must be embedded from the outset. That requires a deliberate approach that carries through event design, delivery, and the months and years that follow. 

The Legacy & Impact Study shows that events delivering extraordinary impact consistently demonstrate three foundations: 

• Intentional Design 
  Starting with clear, long-term objectives and legacy goals 
• Strategic Collaborations 
  Purposeful, cross-sector and coordinated partnerships 
• Sustained Stewardship 
  Dedicated follow-up over months and years 

Example: The 2022 Insects to Feed the World Conference in Québec City, Québec, started with a strategic action plan as a roadmap to track, measure, and share achievements. 

Impact Accelerators 

The Legacy & Impact Study identified 18 accelerators that expand and deepen impact across systems and sectors. These accelerators offer practical levers that planners and decision makers can use to strengthen outcomes and maximize the long-term value of their events. 

They come in two forms: 

• Success Factors 
  Supportive circumstances that pre-exist or coincide with the event 
• Legacy Drivers 
  Operational levers intentionally integrated into event planning 

When applied effectively, these accelerators strengthen outcomes across multiple areas—ensuring events deliver lasting value. 

The Power of Inclusion 

Inclusion shapes the legitimacy and quality of event outcomes. The Legacy & Impact Study highlights how decision makers are increasingly embedding inclusive values into event planning, content, and community engagement. 

This goes beyond representation: It’s about creating role models, developing future leaders, and building global communities. Designing for inclusion ensures diverse perspectives shape event outcomes, leading to more widely shared and lasting benefits. 

Example: The 2024 One Young World Summit in Montréal, Québec, amplified Indigenous voices through dedicated programming, strengthening representation and global dialogue. 

Why Legacy Matters for Your Next Event 

Studying legacy is only the first step. The real opportunity lies in applying these insights to deliver greater value from every event. 

For sector associations, business events can be powerful platforms for advancing priorities, including accelerating knowledge exchange, influencing policy direction, and strengthening global networks. 

When designed intentionally, events become catalysts for progress—supporting members, elevating sector visibility, and driving long-term change across the industry. 

What’s Next? 

The Legacy & Impact Study showed business events are powerful drivers of long-term change and set out a model for engineering impact intentionally. 

As a next step, Destination Canada will build on the study’s findings to develop a practical action plan for meeting planners, governments and destinations.  

Together, these tools will support the business events industry in designing gatherings that create a meaningful legacy and far-reaching impact—across Canada and around the world. 

To read the complete Legacy & Impact Study Final Report and case studies, visit the Destination Canada website. 

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