‘Science centres should leverage world events’With few exceptions, major international events that relate to science and technology take place without involving science centres. Science centres have the potential to add real value to these events, which include scientific conferences and expos, international years devoted to different scientific disciplines, as well as international sporting and cultural events. It is the responsibility of science centres and science centre networks to initiate contact with event organizers so as to exploit the opportunities that are created. Examples of how this has been achieved in southern Africa, and elsewhere in the world, are given and evaluated.