Members’ headlines

IAPCO Member: Arinex pty limited

eTechSuite, technology partner of Australian events management company Arinex, has launched eMeeting, a multi-functional platform that seamlessly delivers virtual and hybrid events.

The virtual events platform, born from an increasing demand for online meetings due to the inability to meet face-to-face in 2020, has been refined following years of research and industry experience.

Creators eTechSuite, as an extension of Arinex, have been servicing the conference and events industry for more than 15 years. While digital streaming technology is not new, it has become essential in connecting people globally and delivering virtual and hybrid events.

IAPCO PCO: Congrès Inc, Japan

The 9th (MICE) Innovation Study Meeting, held physically for the first time on 18 March, introduced exciting innovations for the Meetings Industry.

Congrès Inc. and the Institute of Creative Industries & Culture (ICIC; Headquarters: Chiyoda City, Tokyo) serve jointly as the Secretariat for the “MICE Innovation Society” established in July 2020, with the objective of taking on the challenges of the transformations occurring in meetings & events industry. The study meetings provide a forum for identifying issues in the industry and demonstrations of concrete solutions through new technologies and seeds for developing new business, based on collaboration between diverse fields and industries. An example of a creative solution: avatarin Inc. introduced its remotely operable robot “newme” and reported on the outcomes of field operation tests on a new style of meeting/ event that anyone from anywhere in the world can attend, nicknamed “avatar MICE.”

Two IAPCO members have been shortlisted in various categories for the 11th edition of the Global Eventex Awards: Kenes Group and AIM Group International. Selected from 561 entries from 37 countries around the world, the winners were announced on 10 May, too late to make this issue, but regardless of the final outcome, many congratulations to reaching the shortlist – we hope you made it!

IAPCO Member: Ega worldwide congresses & events

Ega worldwide congresses & events is happy to announce that the World Sleep Society has decided to hold its first face-toface congress after the COVID-19 pandemic from 11-16 March 2022 at the Nuvola Convention Centre in the Eternal City Rome and have contracted them as their DMC service provider.

The International Congress of the World Sleep Society is the most important meeting of Sleep Research Scientists worldwide. In Vancouver, Canada, the last in-person congress 2019, over 4000 participants enjoyed a vast scientific programme with 12 keynotes, 89 symposia, 17 courses, 10 panel discussions and 192 oral abstract presentations. The 2022 edition will be hosted by the Italian Association of Sleep Medicine (AIMS) with the goal of showcasing the national society with an in-person meeting to the global sleep medicine and research audience.

IAPCO Member: MECI, Korea

Bannie Kim, President & CEO of MECI, has been appointed as the President of KOVWA (Korea Venture Business Women’s Association), effective 25 February 2021.

As president, Ms Kim has heralded in, with challenge and innovation, a new era of mutual growth of women-led ventures. She has redefined areas of capacity development to aid KOVWA members and pertinent partakers by launching the Global Women’s Venture Innovation Centre and introducing innovative start-up and scale-up programmes. In the next two years of her presidency, she is strongly committed to exerting maximum effort in building a platform where women-led ventures can scale-up and getting mobilised for networking around the globe.

KOWVA looks forward to exploring business opportunities and networking with ventures in IAPCO member countries.

Submitted by Shaun Pierce, President, Strategic Events, Meetings & Incentives, MCI

Life is a series of precedents If you allow something to happen once and don't correct or at least discuss the situation then that precedent is then set and is much more difficult to change/correct in the future.

IAPCO Members: African Agenda, South Africa, and K.I.T. Group, Germany

A distinct advantage of IAPCO membership is the ability to collaborate globally – no better example of this than the recent award to an African Agenda/K.I.T. Group joint venture, the management the XVIII World Congress of Neurosurgery - WFNS2023. The congress, to be held in Cape Town, will see these two IAPCO colleagues pooling their respective skills, knowledge, capacity and networks to deliver the event. To further enhance the collaboration, the prior version of the same congress, to be hosted in Bogota is being managed by another IAPCO colleague, BCO Congresos, who were able to share their specific knowledge and experience at the time of African Agenda and K.I.T.’s joint submission.

IAPCO Member: ICOM Group, Egypt

At ICOM Group, we have extensive experience producing Virtual & Hybrid Events that give our audience a branded, multisensory, immersive experience. With advancements in 3D imaging and virtual reality, the virtual event experience can be so much more than watching a web-hosted PowerPoint presentation. We use top-of-line tools to give our guests an experience that looks and feels just like a live event.

We recently organised the 13th Annual Conference of Neuropsychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, at the Hilton Green Plaza Hotel, Alexandria, Egypt, from 24-26 February. During this Hybrid Event, our team of experts utilised the previews of Hilton Green Plaza Hotel on the 3D platform in order to provide a real and interactive experience to our virtual viewers so that they could have many of the same options to participate and engage as the physical attendees.

We frequently rely on our business associates to help and support us in various business activities.

The Kenes Spain team behind the 42nd National Congress of the Spanish Society of Immunology (SEI 2021) took one of the compulsory celebratory pictures after the very successful event was over.

IAPCO Member: AFEA S.A. Travel & Congress Services, Greece

For the AFEA PCO division, 2021 is all about hybrid events - an exciting opportunity to innovate and pave a new path forward for our events and clients.

This year, more than ever before, the key to upscale the delegates’ experience is by providing them with flexibility and “allowing” them to choose their journey through personalised options.

The AFEA team will combine the best elements of live and digital experiences, while safely reintroducing the irreplaceable value of in-person aspect that attendees all around the world are seeking. AFEA team is ready to welcome all attendees in the exciting, sensible and eco-friendly format of hybrid events, while offering all necessary safety measures.

A favourite quote from Sissi Lignou, AFEA

The 1st Virtual Annual Meeting of AFEA was one to remember, filled with emotion, joy, anticipation and hope for a safe return back to f2f connections and live meetings! We cannot wait to meet again!

IAPCO Member: AIM Group International

How has scientific communication to the public, patients and their families changed in times of COVID-19? How can a scientific topic be proposed in an easily understandable way to a non-expert public? How do you manage to make communication about a disease appealing?

Gas Communication, a communications agency specialising in press office, media relations and awareness campaigns on health issues and part of AIM Group, is facing these challenges every day, and is currently launching new integrated awareness campaigns focusing on videos and social media.

Just this March, some projects that will be launched or developed can represent an example of effective solutions:

• “Beyond spasticity” - To increase the awareness about spasticity following a cerebral stroke; • “Beware of those two: heart and brain” - A.L.I.Ce. Italia Odv (Association for the Fight against Cerebral Stroke) would like to launch a new awareness campaign on stroke and atrial fibrillation.

The first digital edition of the annual congress of ophthalmologist surgeons (AICCER), 19-21 March, was scheduled and personalised following members' preferences and recorded a great success.