Modernity and history entwined to welcome European meeting professionals
The best ideas happen when diverse points of view come together. The 2025 European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC) gathered meeting professionals in Istanbul, Turkiye, for three days of education, exploration and networking in a city that blends old and new, East and West, business and pleasure.
The gathering at Istanbul Lutfi Kirdar International Convention & Exhibition Center (ICEC) was the first time the group had met in the city since 2014 and it was a chance for attendees to preview renovations taking place at Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus. The 5-star luxury hotel was the first Hilton built outside the U.S. in 1955 and has long been host to celebrities and business clients. The renovation will include the addition of Turkish baths, a new lobby inspired by Sophia Loren’s sapphire necklace and a Royal Suite.
Also featured was the ultra-luxurious The Peninsula Istanbul fronting the Bosphorus with four landmark buildings, the opulent Yali Ballroom and the highest service standards.
“When everyone comes together as unique individuals, we create beautiful music,” said MPI President and CEO Paul Van Deventer. We break down some of the innovative notes at the conference and the destination below.
Mandatory Sustainability Goals
As the fifth-leading tourism destination in the world, Turkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism sees a comprehensive sustainability strategy as a priority for staying competitive, according to Dr. Elif Balci Fisunoglu, who serves as Turkiye vice general manager of tourism operations and development.
The mandatory phased program includes targets for protecting the environment with green energy and recycling standards. But it also includes protecting cultural heritage, promotion of local traditions and biodiversity protection in addition to promoting local gastronomy, labor force development and human rights standards. Compliance requires continuous improvement and annual compliance checks.
Read More: The Best of 2024 Sustainability Trends
“If we can provide the transformation with the hotels, then we can ask tour operators, restaurants and international partners to do business with sustainable suppliers. This will also elevate the quality of their businesses,” she said.
Megacity Opportunities
As home to one of the original megacities, tourism is a growing part of the economy. In 2024, travelers—including groups and conventions—brought $61.1 billion in revenue and 62.2 million visitors to the country of 85 million people, a 9% increase from 2023. Many took the time to explore outside the gateway metropolis to Cappadocia and Prince Islands.
Read More: MPI Gears Up for EMEC 2025 in Turkiye
The country is a tapestry of seven distinct regions, each offering its own culinary, cultural and even dancing traditions. The conference highlighted a number of forms of traditional dance, including a Sufi whirling dervish, a young woman who demonstrated spinning as a way to elevate the spirit outside the body by raising one arm toward the heavens and pointing one to the ground.
One of the most popular modern traditions that has spread around the globe is Turkish coffee, which dates back to 1540 when Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent made the strong beverage, ground in mortars and brewed in copper ibriks, a staple of the palace.
It is usually enjoyed after a meal and social customs include reading of the dregs of the coffee grounds after the liquid has been consumed.
The variety of local dishes, including a vibrant street food scene capped by “Turkish delights”—pastries and sweets with recipes dating back thousands of years—were featured at the closing Rendezvous celebration.
A Bucket List Destination
Handan Boyce, founder of the Turkish Meeting Professionals Association chapter and now immediate past president is optimistic about the future of Istanbul and Turkey as an incentive and meeting destination. She is an honorary board member of the Turkish Hotelier and Investors Association and founder of Handan Boyce Consulting. “The uniqueness of Turkey, it’s richness of cultural and historic heritage is in demand,” she said. “It’s a bucket list experience.”
Some ancient sites go back 10,000 years to pre-Neolithic settlements. The first organized city in the world, Catalhoyuk in southern Anatolia, dates to between 7,500 and 5,700 BC. “This is something that you cannot find everywhere else,” she explained.
“In a world of AI and the hustle of business life, going back to the roots of civilization can help people remember where we are coming from,” Boyce continued.
A conference in a modern facility such as ICEC with a reception in an antique theater or, in the case of the MPI EMEC Opening Reception in the restored Rixos Shipyard, epitomizes the mix of innovative and historic the city lives every day. “You can only predict the future if you know your past,” she concluded.
Turkiye’s past is a mosaic of Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman influences along with Scots, Irish and Armenians.
For the Love of Cats
In Turkiye, cats are protected by law and welcomed in public places, including some mosques and were even spotted in ICEC convention center. “We love them. They’re part of us, part of our city and they make people’s hearts warmer for a minute,” explained Boyce.
Read More: 6 Pawsome Pet-Friendly Hotels Your Attendees Will Love
Universal Demographic Changes
Feliz Akdede, global vice president of 3D business for HP, shared the challenges all destinations and the meeting planners who produce events there will have to face in the coming years, including changing demographics, an aging population, lower fertility and healthcare pressures. “Gen Alpha, who were born after 2010 and lived through Covid, are more sensitive about diversity and against biases, are digital natives and look for a sense of purpose and flexibility,” she said.
She saw female leadership as perfectly aligned for working with the more collaborative generation entering the workforce. By prioritizing people, giving young employees leadership opportunities and using technology to elevate the human experience, everyone benefits.
“Instead of resisting, walk hand in hand with the change,” she suggested.
