From 16 to 18 June, destination leaders, sustainability practitioners, association representatives, policymakers, and changemakers from around the world will gather in Szczecin, Poland, to workshop some of tourism and events’ most “wicked” problems.

The programme is structured around participatory workshops, systems dialogue, peer exchange, and applied learning, replacing passive attendance with active contribution and shared accountability.

Szczecin, host city to GDS-Forum and Impact Day 2026, is a water‑based metropolis that integrates natural and developed aspects. Here, “more” is increasingly about “less”: less waste, less excess, less stress, and more local thinking and conscious choices. With that in mind, we’re pleased to introduce “Szczecin Stories”, a series of video reels produced by Szczecin Convention Bureau to position the city through people rather than slogans. It sheds light on the destination’s transformative, co-creative, and regenerative journey. The first episode, which will be released soon, takes place in a setting where the old meets the new, a location that brings culture, art, residents, and visitors together in a modern, ecological hub.

Keep an eye on the GDS-Movement LinkedIn posts for more!

GDS-Movement Destinations and clients, non-clients, and NGOS and associations alike can enjoy significant savings by registering for GDS-Forum and Impact Day 2026 before 10 April.

GDS-Forum and Impact Day 2026 embeds sustainability at the core of its design and delivery. In collaboration with host destinations and strategic partners, each edition sets ambitious sustainability objectives and KPIs aligned with local infrastructure, policies, and goals.

We prioritise sustainability across all aspects of the event, focusing on four key pillars: Climate Action, Circular Economy, Social Responsibility, and Legacy & Impact. We measure emissions using carbon measurement tools and address unavoidable emissions through certified, high-quality carbon offsetting projects. We use the TRACE platform to assess and track our CO₂ emissions.

Explore the GDS-Movement Difference

This interactive in-person session offers destinations a valuable opportunity to connect directly with the GDS-Index Team during the 2026 benchmarking assessment cycle. The session will spotlight key criteria and emerging questions from the ongoing assessments, providing shared clarification on critical themes and practical insights to support the next steps. We aim to create space for open dialogue, peer exchange, and collective learning – helping destinations move confidently into the update phase.

Explore the Programme

“The Future is Now” is a collaborative, participant-led session facilitated by Polish cities. It embodies the “Better Together” theme with case studies from the National and local cities’ convention bureaus, including Gdańsk, Kraków, and Wrocław. These examples demonstrate how destinations are translating neuro-inclusion, accessibility, and well-being from shared intent into practical, scalable action.

Combining short inputs from cities with a hands-on laboratory, participants will explore the iterative journey and pinpoint where collaboration most improves engagement, experience, and event performance.

Association participants from Impact Day are invited to join GDS-Forum delegates in a shared learning space where destinations, NGOs, and organisers work side-by-side to break silos and co-create participant-centred events that deliver greater value for people and place.

Explore the Programme

Join us to harness our collective intelligence. The GDS-Awards Ceremony is a highlight of GDS-Forum and Impact Day 2026. It shines a light on those boldly redefining what success looks like in tourism and events across the world.

This year, GDS-Movement, its partners, destinations, and the host community come together in a celebration to acknowledge the winners of the Innovation, Impact, and (new! nominations-based!) Changemaker awards. The prestigious gathering honours the winners’ remarkable achievements and the winners, in addition to being named and showcased during the GDS-Awards ceremony, are featured in dedicated media releases and are invited to present their winning initiatives at a GDS-Movement Feeling the Pulse webinar.

Remember, you can nominate or apply here till 17 April!

Impact Day 2026 is shaping up to be a genuinely well-rounded meeting point for anyone curious about how business events can create real impact – whether you’re just starting to explore it or already working on it day-to-day.

The idea this year is to move beyond just talking about impact and get into what it actually looks like in practice, bringing together destinations, associations, and industry partners who are all approaching it from different angles.

The day itself is built to shift from listening to doing. It starts with real examples from Szczecin and some honest conversations around youth engagement and impact-driven funding, then moves into smaller, more hands-on sessions. During the sessions you can work through ideas from shaping a youth initiative, rethinking sponsorship, or looking at how events can support local industry development.

You can come to learn, to share what you’ve tried (and where it didn’t quite land), or just to get a better sense of where this whole “event impact” space is heading.

Explore the force behind Impact Day, #MEET4IMPACT