Subvention shifts from a financial tool to a lever for sustainability

Subvention, the financial and in-kind support offered by destinations to associations, is transforming. It’s no longer just about room nights and delegates spend. Today’s stakeholders demand sustainability, social legacy, and measurable impact.

Subvention is at the tipping point in the global congress industry, moving from a bid-tool to an instrument for impact and transformation. This emerges from an international market study led by Conferli in collaboration with the GDS-Movement and #Meet4Impact. The results are based on input from 115 destinations and 55 international associations.

The report shows that the role of subsidies and other contributions by conference destinations is changing fundamentally: it is no longer solely about financial incentives, but about sustainable and social value creation.

New appreciation for in-kind support

Associations nowadays place just as much value on in-kind support as on financial resources. Free venues, services, and collective transportation are considered as important as monetary contributions, challenging the notion that “cash is king.”

Of the associations surveyed, only 13 percent cite economic interests as the primary reason for subvention. A larger group is mainly seeking sustainable legacy (24%), environmental consciousness (21%), and social impact (21%).

Lack of clear guidelines

Notably, 95 percent of associations feel that destinations do not sufficiently communicate how subventions can contribute to sustainability goals or legacy. Both the justification and the measurability of that impact leave something to be desired: most reports still focus primarily on visitor numbers and economic return, while environmental and social effects are hardly measured.

Regional differences and pioneers

The international market shows clear regional differences: North America relies mainly on CVB funding, Asia on government support, and Europe displays the greatest variation, with destinations where subsidy is even rejected politically. Yet increasingly locations are building subsidy models with impact, such as free public transport, hybrid support, or legacy programs for the local community.

Call for transformation

“These findings show that, although the ambition is high, practice is still lagging,” says Nienke van der Malen, founder of Conferli. “Subvention is evolving from a transactional instrument to a transformational instrument, but that requires courage, leadership, and alignment between associations and destinations.”

Full report

The full report 'Subvention as a catalyst for sustainable and impactful transformation in the Business Events Industry' can be downloaded in the whitepaper section of Conferli.