[Glasgow, Scotland] – Host City 2025, the leading international meeting for major event hosts, owners and organisers, took place in Glasgow on 1-3 December with the support of Global Presenting Partners and Hosts: Glasgow Life and EventScotland.
The 12th edition of the annual conference welcomed rights holders, city officials, organising committees and global brands to explore the theme “Getting on with the Business of Events.”
Across three days, delegates examined how major events can evolve to deliver more meaningful impact – from sustainable operations and new hosting models to technological change, job security and community benefit.
Key Takeaways
- Collaboration between host cities, organising committees and rights holders should replace outdated demand-led models.
- Event restructuring that prioritises meaningful impact can reduce operating costs by using existing infrastructure.
- Sustainability and community-focused social impact must sit at the heart of host city strategies.
- Knowledge-sharing and operational-readiness programmes can improve job security across the events workforce.
- Shifting socio-political landscapes in the Middle East are enabling greater progress.
- AI can support organisers but should not replace human interaction or live experience.
Evolving host–client relationships
A shift toward genuine collaboration was a clear theme.
Kay Morrison, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life, said: “We’ve learned that a proactive integrated partnership approach is absolutely key, not only to staging successful events but also to creating the environment and conditions needed for long-term economic, social and environmental impact.”
Darren Hall, Director of Games and Assurance at Commonwealth Sport, said: “The day of the dictator to a city or country who wishes to host an event, are gone… it’s now called the host collaboration agreement.”
James King, CEO of AEG Presents UK and European Festivals, noted: “We're the guests who are coming in and we want to be invited back… that helps us deliver a shared outcome framework.”
Dominic McKay, CEO, SEC and Chair of European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), stressed the importance of executing events with athletes and supporters in mind. “If you do that, they’ll leave happy and want to come back and experience the city and the culture.”
John David, President and CEO of the Sports Events & Tourism Association, added: “It's a completely different customer experience and you need to nail it, and you need to know your audience.”
Driving change in event delivery
Speakers repeatedly emphasised that meaningful change is essential – whether through budget-conscious delivery or deeper community engagement.
Max Cobb, Secretary General of the International Biathlon Union, highlighted the success of the Loop One Festival in Munich’s Olympiapark, which brought a traditionally cross-country sport into the heart of the city. “You really have to have a vision and a strong stomach. And yes, people are going to tell you you're crazy, but you have to keep going.”
Jakob Kjeldgaard Fuglsang, Manager of Copenhagen Legacy Lab at Wonderful Copenhagen, highlighted the importance of strategy. “Do we want to host stand up paddle to attract more water sport tourists? Do we want gaming events to help bring companies to our city? What is it we want to achieve?”
Rob Stull, President of the UIPM, highlighted modern pentathlon’s transformation. “When I competed, it was five days; now in LA it’s a 90-minute format… It's all about capturing the imaginations and people's attention.”
Harvey Goldsmith CBE, Promoter, Artiste Management Productions Ltd said the public opinion is far stronger than some organisers realise in event delivery: “The most important thing is take the view of the audience of what their experience is going to be and then follow the pathway through because the event takes care of itself.”
With just over 200 days until the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, organisers highlighted the radically different approach shaped by new structures at Commonwealth Sport and Glasgow 2026.
Phil Batty OBE, CEO of Glasgow 2026, said setting the bar high is essential. “There are very few things that are actually impossible… You do need a level of courage and a level of just sheer relentless ambition to make something brilliant.”
Chief Operating Officer Jade Gallagher added, “Without thinking differently for this iteration, there would be no Commonwealth Games… It’s a balance and we challenge ourselves every day.”
Growth markets: women’s sport, the US and the Middle East
Sarah Massey, Managing Director of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 gave a keynote interview highlighting the factors that led to the tournament’s runaway success. “We started out with a really, really bold ambition,” she said. “The stats are incredible; they surpass all expectations of our KPIs and metrics, and that's just down to a huge number of people that works on the event and the organisations that came together.”
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the nation’s 250th anniversary approaching – alongside LA28 and the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games – the United States is preparing for an unprecedented period of sport and celebration.
Lynn Young, Commissioner of the US Semiquincentennial Commission said "There will be a lot of activities going on… we’ll have plenty of opportunities."
Brett Gosper, Head of Europe & Asia NFL, and former CEO of World Rugby, highlighted why international sports were attracted to US. “The draw, whether it be for rugby or football, is you take a bigger slice of by far the biggest sports market in the world."
The conference also explored the Middle East’s rapid development as a hosting region, from Saudi Arabia’s 2034 FIFA World Cup to Iraq’s Expo 2029 Garden.
Basim K. Ibrahim, Sport Sector Director at the Ministry of Investment, Saudi Arabia, said:
“We went from zero to 100 in almost seven to eight years… What really matters for us is the social and community impact.”
Sustainability and legacy
Discussions highlighted cost-effective sustainability and the need to retain talent in an industry often reliant on freelance expertise.
Rob Dickson, Director of Industry and Events at VisitScotland, said: “Events are much more than moments in time. They are catalysts for positive change, they drive our sustainable growth and they shape our destination rooted in the purpose to be a better, economic and socially vibrant country.”
John Langford, Executive Vice President of Venues International of AEG stressed the importance of using major names to drive change. “The most powerful influencer in the artists. If Billie Eilish says this entire event is going to be vegan and focused on sustainability, it’s the easiest way to get it into fans’ heads.”
Bonnie May, CEO of Global Infusion Group, added: “We now put vegetarian and vegan options at the top of the menu and it changes those habits.”
Chris Thompson, CEO of You.Smart.Thing. said gamifying sustainability can change people’s behaviour. “Convenience is a massive influencer. If we feel something is inconvenient, we’re turned off. Incentives are key.”
Bev Ward, COO of UK Events Limited highlighted the importance of skills legacies. “When it's just one-off events, what strategies should you still implement to retain critical skills and knowledge between those events and how does it benefit future hosts? That is the key thing that we're trying to challenge.”
Culture and authenticity
Speakers also stressed that culture remains central to the emotional impact of events.
Professor Gayle McPherson, Director of the Research Centre for Culture, Sports and Events at UWS, said: “The cross-over between culture and sport has existed for centuries… and what we learn is a mutual understanding and respect for each other.”
Rebecca Edser, Head of EventScotland, added: “Cultural events play a hugely influential role in stimulating connection, creativity, and identity. They create opportunities for communities to come together to share experiences and traditions, and are intrinsically linked with an authentic sense of place.”
Host City Award Winners
The second annual Host City Awards were presented at Glasgow City Chambers, recognising excellence across global event delivery.
- Best Event Engagement & Fan Growth: Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025
- Excellence in Infrastructure & Delivery: GL Events for Paris 2024
- Most Sustainable Event: Sport Event Denmark for the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship
- Outstanding Economic Impact: Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) for the Phuket Vegetarian Festival
Notable guests included Scotland’s Minister for Business and Employment, Richard Lochhead, and Olympic silver medallists and two-time world curling champions Bruce Mouat, Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan Jr.
Notes to Editors
About Host City
Host City is the event and media brand that connects the owners, hosts and organisers of major events.
Through its conference, exhibition, awards and online publishing platforms, Host City shares best practice within the international community of international sports, business and cultural events.
Host City events are renowned for the highest level of speakers, content and networking.
About Glasgow Life
Glasgow Life is a charity working for the benefit of the people of Glasgow. We believe everyone deserves a great Glasgow life and we find innovative ways to make this happen across the city’s diverse communities.
Our programmes, experiences and events range from grassroots community activities to large-scale cultural, artistic and sporting events which present Glasgow on an international stage.
Our work is designed to promote inclusion, happiness and health, as well as support the city’s visitor economy, in order to enhance Glasgow’s mental, physical and economic wellbeing.
About EventScotland
EventScotland, part of VisitScotland - the national tourism and events organisation for Scotland, works to make the destination the perfect stage for events by securing and supporting an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events.
It provides funding opportunities and access to resources and information to develop the industry. By raising Scotland’s profile as a leading events destination, we hope to attract more visitors to our shores.
It supports the delivery of Scotland’s National Events Strategy 2024-2035 which aims to build on the events industry’s many achievements to date.
The strategy refresh has been shaped by, Scottish Government, VisitScotland’s Industry and Events Directorate, Scotland’s Events Industry Advisory Group (EIAG), Local Authorities, COSLA, Trade Union representatives, and those who responded to the consultation process.
Find out more about Scotland's National Events Strategy 2024-2035.
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