THE
P C O A Dynamic Asia Pacific
“It’s hard to ignore the seemingly endless energy and activity being generated in the Asia-Pacific meetings world. In IAPCO we are witnessing that very same energy as our relationships within the region go from strength to strength” commented Jan Tonkin when she took over the IAPCO Presidency on 1 April this year. At IMEX’s recent Gala Dinner Yoshihito Takahashi from Congress Corporation, Japan, won the IAPCO 2015 Innovation Award. An IAPCO Bespoke EDGE Seminar takes place in Suzhou, China, in July and EDGE Seminars are scheduled for Seoul in November this year and Kuala Lumpur in September next year. These follow on from the EDGE Jan Tonkin, President IAPCO. seminar held in Auckland which received outstanding reviews. IAPCO has been proud to partner with MEHK for four years and, more recently, with Melbourne. The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) has become a Convention Centre partner and will host the 2017 Council Meeting in their venue. This list is capped by the selection of Tokyo as the location for IAPCO’s 2018 Annual Meeting & General Assembly. Jan was delighted when IAPCO Council member, Kayo Nomura, offered to lead the portfolio of IAPCO in Asia. “Exciting times”, added Jan, “so much is happening in this part of the world and it will certainly continue as our membership, currently 20% in the region, and profile increase”.
NEWS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL CONGRESS ORGANISERS
Issue No. 75
IAPCO’s great business pyramid – economic impact revealed
IAPCO’s annual survey of its members for 2015, its 9th annual survey to date, makes for heartening, if perhaps unsurprising, reading. With the recession hopefully finally consigned to history and an economic turnaround in full swing, IAPCO members had a busy year in 2015, organising an average of 113 events per member – a grand total of 8591 meetings. This included a 7% rise in the number of corporate meetings compared with the previous year. However, while there was a 10.6% increase in the number of meeting participants handled by IAPCO members, with more than 3.165 million attendees registered in 2015, the average number of participants attending each event fell
IAPCO awards winners at IMEX IT Director of Congress Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, was the proud winner of the 2015 Innovation Award, supported by IMEX, which was presented during the IMEX Gala evening.
Three award winners were announced by IAPCO at IMEX 2016: its 2015 Innovation Award, its Regional Client Award and its International Supplier Award.
The submissions for the Yoshihito’s innovation was 2015 Innovation Award an app that streamlined were impressive, and the process of participant highlighted the fantastic attendance for lunch semicalibre of the candidates, nars. The app ensured that who were clearly focused Yoshihito Takahashi there were none of the dreaded queues on generating creative and efficient and that delegates could check availideas to bring added value to their ability for seminars in real time – and it clients. Yoshihito Takahashi, Congress
EVENTS’ CALENDAR Year
Month
Date
Event
Location
2016
June
15 – 16
The Meetings Show
London, UK
15 – 17
IBTM America
Nashville, TN, USA
26 – 29
PCMA Education Conference
St. Louis, MO, USA
July
4–6
IAPCO Bespoke EDGE Seminar Suzhou, China
Aug
13 – 16
ASAE Annual Meeting & Expo
Salt Lake City, UT, USA
14 – 16
HCEA Annual Meeting
Savannah, GA, USA
27 – 31
ECM Summer School
Zagreb, Croatia
7–8
CIBTM
Beijing, China
27 – 29
IT&CMA
Bangkok, Thailand
13 – 16
IAPCO Council Meetings
Washington DC, USA
Sept Oct
Nov
2017
18 – 20
IMEX America
Las Vegas, NV, USA
19 – 21
UTB Asia
Singapore
3–4
Uia Round Table Europe
Monaco
12 – 16
55th ICCA Congress
Kuching, Malaysia
17 – 19
IAPCO EDGE Seoul
Seoul, Korea Barcelona, Spain
Nov/Dec
29 – 01
IBTM World
Dec
5–6
IAPCO Bespoke EDGE Seminar St. Petersburg, Russia
Jan
8–9
PCMA Convening Leaders
Austin, TX, USA
19 – 21
IAPCO EDGE Athens
Athens, Greece
Feb
7–9
IBTM Arabia
Abu Dhabi, UAE
8–9
Convene
Vilnius, Lithuania
16 – 19
IAPCO Annual Meeting
Dubai, UAE
21 – 22
AIME
Melbourne, Australia
22 – 24
ACE OF MICE Exhibition
Istanbul, Turkey
5–7
ASAE Great Ideas Conference
Orlando, FL, USA
8–9
COCAL
Punta del Este, Uruguay
11 – 14
IAPCO Council Meetings
Gothenburg, Sweden
16 – 18
IMEX Frankfurt
Frankfurt, Germany
July
3–7
IAPCO Bespoke EDGE Seminar Sri Lanka
Sept
13 – 16
IAPCO Council
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
18 – 20
IAPCO EDGE Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
March May
info@iapco.org
Q2 2016
had the added bonus of being a completely paperless solution. “I am very happy that my innovation was evaluated in this way by IAPCO, which sets the standards for our industry”, said Yoshihito, “this is a great honour and will stimulate me to strive even harder to come up with more beneficial technology in the future for our constantly evolving industry.”
The runners-up for the 2015 Innovation Award were Martin Rasmussen, of Copernicus Meetings, and Gaia Santoro, of AIM Group International. Both deserve a special mention for their innovative concepts: Martin was nominated for PICO, which stands for ‘Presenting Interactive Content’, while Gaia created an event within an event using social media.
Annalisa Poncha with Patrizia Buongiorno, AIM Group.
The PCMA Column from 400 to 368. There are a number of potential explanations for this, including greater specialisation of meetings, meetings attracted more targeted and relevant audiences, and participants only attending those events that truly benefit their professions. In contrast with the lower number of participants per event, there was a staggering 27.2% increase in the average exhibition space per event – with IAPCO members managing more than 804 000m² of space in total in 2015. This potentially reflects the returning confidence in the industry meetings marketplace. One big but expected change compared with 2014 was the fall in the number of room-nights managed by IAPCO members, from 3.817 million to 2.429 million in 2015. This may lead one to question whether room blocks are a thing of the past. On a more positive note, employment among IAPCO members is rapidly returning to its pre-2012 level – in 2015 there were 5429 staff employed by IAPCO members, an increase of 3.92% over 2014. Overall, the economic impact to local economies of all this activity was enormous, at an estimated €5.12 billion. To put IAPCO members’ impact into perspective, that would be enough to build the Great Pyramid of Egypt at today’s prices – and to buy 3 Dreamliners to take everyone there to see it being built! along with the respective CVBs – even at the bid stage. “We recognise the strong collaboration that ESOT has with IAPCO,” AIM Group stated, “and believe that we share the same vision: fostering education, expanding the network, and facilitating exchange with innovation.”
Finally, the IAPCO 2015 IAPCO was pleased to present its 2015 International Supplier Award was Regional Client Award to the presented to Société d’Exploitation de European Society for Organ l’Acropolis de Nice in recognition of Transplantation (ESOT), which had their long-term partnership and great been nominated for the award by co-operative relationship with the AIM Group International. In AIM Group’s nomination they explained how ESOT were instrumental in creating an advanced and innovative meeting concept, producing a conference that was digitalised, interactive and green. The meeting maximised the attendees’ engagement and connectivity, which, as AIM Group highlighted, are concepts that Eric Abramson, Directeur du Développement Associatif (left) and are fundamental to the future Bernard Carre, Directeur Général (right), of the Société de l’Acropolis de Nice, with Dan Rivlin, Kenes of international meetings – and d’Exploitation (centre). thus ones to which IAPCO IAPCO member that nominated them, subscribes. Kenes Group, of Switzerland. Kenes’ AIM Group also recognised that ESOT has close relationships with IAPCO members, and always involves them in the organisation of its conferences,
Inter nal dis tribution please for ward to:
citation highlighted how the venue has always supported its aims of striving to achieve global accreditation and acknowledgment of PCOs, and noted
Global planners share their tips and insights By David McMillin, PCMA Staff Writer Did you know that gift-giving in certain Asian countries is customary? Or that in Europe you should be prepared for potential tap water charges? Here are some insightful lessons that were shared by meeting industry professionals during PCMA’s Global Hub Open Mic Session:
1. Contract management – when in doubt, ask questions. Planners highlighted that in Europe, for example, every negotiated outcome should appear in the final, written contract in order to ensure expectations are met. This is because, in some European contexts, handshake agreements are more meaningful.
2. Doing business – it’s all in your approach. In Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East sometimes planners must forgo establishing surface relationships and invest in cultivating an atmosphere of trust… and there is a time commitment required to build trust.
3. Communication – you don’t need to be fluent in the local language, just flexible. In Australia, communication is more conversational, while in Asia it is more formal – you also need to adjust working hours to accommodate business discussions in these regions.
4. Cultural perceptions – keep an open mind. While security must be considered when deciding on a location, perceptions of the safety of some destinations aren’t as factual as we may initially believe. With extra effort and research, planners can open doors to an endless selection of possible destinations.
5. Cultural training – a worthwhile investment. We live in a highly globalised world that is shrinking by the second. Working to expand cultural awareness for both professional and personal reasons makes good business sense. that Kenes, as a PCO, always received the venue’s co-operation and support, enabling them to raise their standards and to enhance the recognition of the professional with international clients. “You undertake research work concerning all the problems confronting professional organisers of international meetings,” Kenes acknowledged, “and thus seek and promote relevant solutions.”
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THE
PCO
International Association of Professional Congress Organisers
A SNAPSHOT OF A VERY BUSY IMEX!
IAPCO frie n networkin ds, partners and co g at the G stand. et Togeth lleagues er on the IAPCO
Presentation of IAPCO Regional Client Award to a delighted ESOT (European Society for Organ Transplantation) received by Annalisa Ponchia.
Network in (Hong K g at the hoste o d partners ng) – the first IA dinner of MEH K hip, and PCO co rporate now in its fourt h year. rtner hosted rporate pa cellent co vention Another ex anks Hamburg Con – th breakfast Bureau.
Dubai Business Eve nts, a long-standin corporate partner g of breakfast for IAPCO IAPCO – hosting a members.
iscuss the in Pittet d t e and Ala Karen Bolinger a n ra G c Nicky M nsion with h – MCEC and e xt e EC new MC sted lunc te partnership ourne ho ra the Melb ed a joint corpo rm MCVB fo . O with IAPC
ther d for ano t renewe n . e u m a e re re u ip ag tion B Partnersh amburg Conven H year with
Mark Olman, Gyro A.S., Norw ay, chats with Alice Au, Director of Sales, Business Events Toronto, at their corporate partnership lunch for IAPCO members.
h, inburg ng Ed r, So far; li fi ro ur ea ar p t of yo – So n emin CM S t & Dublin ity from tha E / O IAPC w, Belfas te your c o Glasg differentia how to our. b neigh
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The spe a Miche kers at the IA lle P [Washin Crowley [PC CO/PCMA S em M and M gton DC], Nic A], Elliot Ferg inar – a o u in the U thias Posch [I la McGrane son AP [IAPCO S? Goin ] g Inbo CO] – Wanti ng to w und. ork
Meetin g many!] s on the IAPC O – Semina discussing th stand [one of r with o e ur hosts Suzhou Besp oke ED from C GE hina.
Alain Pittet prese nting at the IAPCO /ADMEI seminar on Addin g the Right Partners Value to your Meeting with .
OFFICERS
ard to tion Aw n at Innova tio O ra C o P f the IA ongress Corp Kaoru tation o Presen Takahasi of C presented by is o re rd on h Yoshihit Gala Dinner, the Awa X the IME ho collected w Shibuta behalf.
IAPCO Council President: Jan Tonkin, The Conference Company Vice-President: Mathias Posch, International Conference Services
info@iapco.org
Treasurer: Peder Andersen, DIS Congress Service Members: Keith Burton, African Agenda
Jean Evans, MCI Dublin Nicola McGrane, Conference Partners Kayo Nomura, Congress Corporation Alain Pittet, Congrex Switzerland
Co-opted: Chair, Training Academy: André Vietor, Barceló Congresos Co-opted: Host, 2017 Annual Meeting: Medhat Nassar, Meeting Minds Experts
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THE
PCO
International Association of Professional Congress Organisers
MEMBERS’ NEWS
Company expansions trigger office moves It is said that moving house or apartment is one of the most stressful things in life. Well, moving office can prove to be equally nerve-racking – if not more so – but the end results are worth it, as International Conference Services and DEKON can testify!
space… will it fit in the elevator or up the stairs? Oops… “There were so many things to think about, but it was worth all of the time and effort that we put into it,” the team concluded. “We are so happy with the end result – we now have so many functional and creative spaces to work in that will allow us to focus on our mantra to ‘Inspire, Create, Succeed’.” DEKON Group also recently moved its Istanbul headquarters to a larger, newly renovated office space in order to accommodate the company’s expansion. Having started as solely a PCO business 25 years ago, DEKON has grown into a group of companies offering AMC, DMC, incentive and protocol event services, as well as creative design services through its sister company MILK Creative. Over the past 10 years, DEKON has taken on an average of 4 or 5 new employees each year in order to manage this growth as well as its expanding range of products and services.
International Conference Services, Suite 300, 1201 West Pender Street, Vancouver, BC, V6E 2V2. www.icsevents.com International Conference Services relocated its headquarters on 1 March this year in order to accommodate its rapid growth and future expansion plans. Its new office space in West Pender Street, Vancouver, provides the capacity for increased client support, sales, operational services and leadership functions across the company – with the move perfectly timed for the company’s 40th anniversary celebrations later this year. However, as the team explains, the move wasn’t an easy process, with more than a few things to think about, such as: what theme do you want throughout the office? are the contractors on the same page as you? will everything be done in time for the office-warming party?! Oh, and about that beautiful wooden laptop bar that you purchased for the new
“It is high time to provide the support and transfer the knowledge we have accumulated over the past 50 years, to start-up events and very intricate events on sub-specialities,” said Dan Rivlin,
DEKON Group, Sultan Selim Mah. Eski Büyükdere Cad. Hümeyra Sok. No.12, 34415 Seyrantepe - Kagˇ ıthane, Istanbul, Turkey. www.dekongroup.com
CEO of Kenes Group. “The aim of Kenes M+ is to make our expertise and resources available to such associations and assist them in meeting their targets, goals and objectives. The initiative will be led by Sadik Caglar, VP Special Projects, and his very professional team.” Kenes M+ will leverage Kenes Group’s experience and resources, reducing financial risks and helping associations with the vision of streamlining their efforts and their congresses. “We are excited to lead this new initiative, as we see the specific needs of associations taking their Sadik Caglar first steps with new events or those refreshing existing ones,” said Sadik Caglar. “With Kenes M+ we aim to open up opportunities to these medical and scientific associations through our expertise.”
Powerful gathering in Doha IAPCO PCO: MCI Group, UAE MCI UAE will be managing the 12th GCC–CIGRE International Conference and 21st Exhibition for Electrical Equipment, known as the GCC Power 2016 Conference and Exhibition, which is being held in Doha, Qatar, on 8-10 November this year. The event, which is expected to
attract approximately 600 attendees from across the region and the opening ceremony of which will be attended by the Prime Minister of Qatar, will give participants the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in the electricity and energy industry, as well as provide exhibitors with access to opportunities for lucrative deals.
This document is printed on FSC mix recycled Cocoon paper
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IAPCO PCO: ICOM, Egypt IAPCO member ICOM, a leading conference and event management service provider in Egypt, continually seeks to achieve the highest level of professional and ethical behaviour in the meetings industry – and in order to do so, it recently partnered with an international consultancy company to further develop its winning strategy and to make the organisation an even better place to work. ICOM’s new strategy and employee structure is aimed at ensuring that the company adheres to the very highest standards when developing and managing world-class events, and enables employees to combine creative strategies and analytical approaches to provide innovative solutions and ideas to ICOM’s partners and customers. Alongside its new strategy, ICOM has also developed new services that focus on key issues for clients and emerging opportunities for growth.
New head of AIM Group Portugal Madalena Miranda has become the new head of AIM Group Portugal, taking over from Susanna Tocca, who co-founded the office and had served as Managing Director since 1997; she leaves to take a role in her family wine business. Madalena joined AIM Group International in August 2015 as Country Manager, and her new responsibilities will include a focus on strategies to extend and grow the Group’s core business in corporate events and as a PCO.
New arrivals at Conference Partners Jaime Bennett has joined Conference Partners as International Sales & Marketing Director, with responsibility for driving sales across all four of Conference Partners’ offices in Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh and Manchester. An energetic strategic thinker with an eye on the bigger picture, Jaime is looking forward to working with her colleagues in motivating international associations to host their future conferences in the city most suited to their needs.
Kenes M+ a new service Direct digital IAPCO PCO: Kenes Group Associations are constantly evolving to meet the needs of their medical and scientific fields, frequently leading to the formation of new associations as well as the creation of events dedicated to specific specialities. These new associations and events will benefit from working with a strong partner that provides them with a platform through which to grow their communities and to expand their knowledge. Kenes Group has launched a new service tailored to the needs of these associations and dedicated to supporting small- and medium-sized events. Known as Kenes M+, the service will provide fresh entrepreneurial spirit and agility and will act as a platform to support growth in educational events, providing dynamic solutions in a costefficient manner.
New Strategy to meet World-Class Standards
delivery to doctors
IAPCO PCO: CPO HANSER, Germany CPO HANSER SERVICE is offering a range of new digital services to its medical association clients thanks to a strategic partnership with one of the leading international online platforms for doctors. “We want to use doctors’ online portals worldwide to further promote our conferences to the respective target groups,” explained Hermann Hanser, Managing Director of CPO HANSER SERVICE. “Our clients – associations, sponsors and exhibitors – are continually looking for new ways to approach potential delegates and to stay in touch with them after an event; with these new systems we have the option to send targeted conference invites to more than 260 000 doctors in 93 different fields – these are the figures for Germany alone – and to inform them about an event.”
Chris Martin has also joined Conference Partners’ Manchester office as International Business Development Manager. Chris previously worked for Hamerville Media Group, where he held the position of Events Manager, with responsibility for business development, increasing attendance and ensuring the success of launch events in multiple sectors and locations throughout the UK.
AMC and Core PCO expansion
IAPCO PCO: CAP Partner, Denmark CAP Partner, the Copenhagen-based PCO and AMC, has increased its number of AMC clients to nine following the signing of an AMC and PCO contract with the International Lymphoedema Framework (ILF). The ILF, which runs a conference attracting 450 participants, was established in 2009 and has around 100 individual members plus partnerships with national frameworks, other related organisations, and industry. In addition, CAP Partner has increased the number of its core congress clients from 16 to 18, with the addition of the conference of the European Council of Enterostomal Therapists, which is expected to attract 1200 participants and a 2000 m² exhibition to Berlin in 2017, and the WundDACH Kongress, which is taking place in St Gallen in 2017 and is anticipated to host 900 participants and a 750 m² exhibition – plenty to keep CAP Partner’s 25 staff members busy!
Managing home growth with home-grown talent
The new partnership, in addition to enabling CPO to support their clients in the invitation process in a much more targeted way, is also offering exhibitors and sponsors new channels through which they can get in touch with their target audiences. “Conferences remain one of the most important platforms for doctors to stay up-to-date and to exchange information,” said Hanser. “The doctors’ portal allows congress organisers to offer the knowledge provided at a conference to even more doctors.”.
IAPCO Headquarters
The PCO
Sarah Storie-Pugh, Executive Director Olivia Galun, Secretariat Email: info@iapco.org
Published by: IAPCO Editor: Sarah Storie-Pugh
Mondial Congress & Events has reviewed its organisational structure and added a new level of management to help respond to new opportunities and challenges for the business. Barbara Skrott has been appointed as Director of National Projects, responsible for business from Austria, while Florian Fehringer is the new Director of International Projects, handling business from abroad. Both Barbara and Florian have been with Mondial since they first entered the meetings industry, and have each led congress projects covering approximately 10000 participants. These management changes were instigated by the steady continuous growth that Mondial has enjoyed in the 50 years since its inception, growth that has recently accelerated; in the past 7 years alone, Mondial has doubled its staff numbers, and the proportion of its total turnover arising from international business has risen from almost zero to 50%. Now, in 2016, 30 team members manage a client base that is continuing to grow larger, and becoming increasingly international and more demanding.
Whilst every care is taken in the preparation and publishing of The PCO, the views expressed are not necessarily those of IAPCO or its members, or of the Editor, and no responsibility can be taken for articles, errors or comment.
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EXPERTS IN DYNAMIC BESPOKE EDGE Suzhou, China 4 - 6 July 2016 Four Points by Sheraton Hotel Suzhou The Experts: • Jan Tonkin • Mathias Posch • Sarah Storie-Pugh
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Programme Highlights:
• Promoting a Destination & Bidding to Win • Creating the Project Plan – the Framework • Promotion of a Congress, Electronic Marketing • Financial Planning & Budget Constructions • Sponsorship & Exhibitions • Programme Management & meeting Architecture • Responding to RfPs for International Associations • Venue, On-site & Risk Management http://iapcoeducation.org/event/bespoke-suzhou/ Hosted by: Suzhou MICE & Travel Promotion Centre
www iapcoedgeseoul org www.iapcoedgeseoul.org
17-19 November 2016 JW Marriott Seoul, Korea
BESPOKE EDGE St. Petersburg 5 - 6 December 2016 The experts: • PatriziaSemprebene Buongiorno • Sarah Storie-Pugh Hosted by St. Petersburg Convention Bureau
BESPOKE EDGE Sri Lanka
3 - 7 July 2017 The experts: • André Vietor • Mathias Posch • Sarah Storie-Pugh • Patrick Delaney, SoolNua Hosted by Sri Lanka Professional Conference and Exhibition Organisers (SLAPCO)
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IAPCO EDGE SEMINARS www.iapcoeducation.org
The EDGE seminar’s inaugural visit to Whistler, British Columbia – host of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games – delivered an engaging and educational experience to all that attended. Co-hosted by International Conference Services Ltd., Tourism Whistler and Tourism Vancouver, EDGE Whistler’s open-floor setup at the Whistler Conference Centre, simultaneous “break out” presentations, and fine catering hosted by a great community of sponsors created an interactive and extravagant experience for the delegates. “Engagement with the participants is an essential ingredient of our EDGE programme… Our numbers are kept deliberately small so that everyone is involved,” explained Mathias Posch, President of ICS Vancouver. “With international participation from 10 countries, the mix and involvement was fantastic.” Notable presentations included The Changing Ro Mathias Posch, in which delegates discussed the
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C GLOBAL EDUCATION Let’s share, learn and d evolve together @ IAPCO EDGE Seoul
Meet the FA ACULLTY
ng on the E EDG GE Future?
Registration Fee €85 50 (incl. meals and tour)
Education Vaalue €… …inestimable
Mathias Posch CEO @ ICS Canada VP @ IAPCO
Roslyn McLeod
Managing Director @Arinex Co-Chair @ INCON Group
Ori Lahav
Associate VP @ Kenes
Hyungju Park Special Guest Sp S eaker Chairman @ SEOU UL ICM 2014 Orrganiser
Education Programme on Management
Sponsor
KEY FACTS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
EDGE Seoul, Korea
17 - 19 November 2016 JW Marriott Seoul www.iapcoedgeseoul.org The experts: • Mathias Posch • Roslyn McLeod • Ori Lahav • Hyungju Park
EDGE Athens, Greece
17 - 19 January 2017 Athens Intercontinental www.edgeathens2017.org The experts: • André Vietor • Nicola McGrane • Keith Burton
OU CAN’T GET DGE SEMINAR...
EDGE Kaula Lumpur, Malaysia 18 - 20 September 2017 KLCC (Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre) www.iapcoeducation.org/event/edge-kl/
... and are new to the industry, purchase the PCO Essentials Introductory Pack, part of the recently launched web-EDGE offering from IAPCO.
er Delivers from Top to Bottom
The Whistler Faculty.
ole of the PCO by e do’s and dont’s
for PCOs adapting to an ever-changing landscape; and Dealing with Client Expectations by immediate past-president of IAPCO Michel Neijmann which sparked a lively debate among the participants. “One of the best education seminars that specifically addresses the international association industry,” commented Michael Drake, Director of Sales, Meetings & Conventions at Tourism Vancouver. Additional topics included Strategic Marketing by IAPCO President Jan Tonkin, and Content is King: Good Programme Management by Claire Smith, Vice President, Sales & Marketing of the Vancouver Convention Centre. The pinnacle of the conference took place at the peak of Blackcomb Mountain where delegates enjoyed lunch and an energizing presentation on “the power of play” by Roger Haskett, CEO of Engagement Unlimited. Delegates returned to Whistler Village via the PEAK 2 PEAK
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Gondola, the world’s longest and highest cable car spanning 1.88 miles and reaching 1430 feet. “Relevant, robust, reliable and refreshing” is how Managing Director of Ikhono Communications in Riding the Gondola, top to bottom. South Africa, Zodwa Msimang described the conference. “I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish,” said Jaime Bennett, Sales & Marketing Director of Conference Partners Ltd., Ireland.” “IAPCO EDGE Whistler was truly a meeting of minds, energy & people. I feel optimistic and invigorated about working in the event industry,” said Annie Wong, Conference Manager at International Conference Services Ltd. The next EDGE seminar will take place in Seoul Korea from November 17-19, 2016; followed by Athens, Greece from January 17-19, 2017.
IAPCO EDGE SEMINARS www.iapcoeducation.org
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EVENT NEWS Bravery for “Firies” – RFSA Award IAPCO PCO: Arinex, Australia Meeting & Events Australia (MEA) has selected the Rural Fire Service Association (RFSA) Conference 2015 as the winner of its Meeting of the Year award. The RFSA conference, which is a biennial 3-day event that is always held in a rural venue, attracted more than 500 participants. For the accompanying exhibition, Arinex, the appointed PCO, was required to build temporary infrastructures complemented by an outdoor exhibition space hosting fire appliances, live water bombing exercises, prototype demonstrations and a helicopter. “A successful 2015 conference was imperative for the association as we wanted to maintain the momentum and quality of the event for our delegates,” said Bernard Cox, the RFSA’s Chief Executive Officer. “Fitting the conference into a rural town presents a range of challenges – and the solutions added to the atmosphere of the conference at this sell-out event.”
of the Brussels office of AIM Group International. “We adopted an informative approach, publishing bulletins on the website. We also made direct calls to speakers and participants, and opened a direct line of communication with airline companies and with the city of Brussels. Speakers from many European countries and from the European Commission were scheduled to attend DIGICARE – and all showed up. Everybody was proud to be in Brussels, despite some flight delays and longer procedures at the airport.”
2-in-1 challenge in Athens IAPCO PCO: C-In, Czech Republic The restricted-access International BFM Study Group (I-BFM SG) meeting and the open Childhood Leukaemia Symposium (CLS), provided C-In as the PCO responsible for organising a 2-in-1 conference with a unique set of challenges that took place in Athens in April. The I-BFM SG meeting is dedicated to promoting both research and clinical care for children and adolescents with leukaemia and lymphoma. The CLS is an open forum for paediatric haematologists and oncologists from around the world. Since 2004, the biennial CLS has been organised in tandem with I-BFM SG meetings. Between them, these two forums cover all the key aspects regarding the diagnosis, treatment and research of childhood leukaemias and lymphomas. The composition of the scientific programme for attendees depends on whether they have access to the I-BFM SG and/or CLS parts of the conference. Participation in the I-BFM SG meeting is by invitation only, whereas the CLS has a standard congress structure, offering a broader variety of oral and poster sessions, with registration open to all. These different approaches require adjustments in the systems for registration and abstract submission.
Roslyn McLeod, Arinex Managing Director, said, “We are humbled to contribute to the volunteer ‘firies’ of New South Wales and gain much pleasure in giving back to them by making their event outstanding.” Roslyn and her family benefitted from their bravery when the local fire team saved their farmhouse and provided much needed relief as the fires took out 22 houses in their neighbourhood that year.
DIGICARE Forum shows solidarity with Brussels IAPCO PCO: AIM Group International, Belgium The first DIGICARE Forum took place on 12 April in Brussels, providing a new type of conference focused on the digital side of healthcare in Europe. The forum was created and developed by AIM Consulting, the new consultancy arm of AIM Group International, in partnership with vanGoGh, the Group’s multichannel communication agency. Despite the recent terrorist attacks, AIM Group International decided not to postpone the meeting as a sign of solidarity with the city, and a contingency plan was put in place to ensure the safety of all the speakers and delegates. “We did not want to cancel the meeting – we worked hard to prepare DIGICARE, creating the content of a new educational platform and putting all the stakeholders together. Digital healthcare in Europe is developing quickly – the consumer is empowered by the digital environment and there is space for improvement to enhance this multichannel communication,” said Stefano Remiddi, AIM Consulting Business Director, who went on to explain how the AIM Group International team had reacted to the terrorist incidents. “After the attacks in Brussels, we needed to decide whether or not to postpone or cancel the meeting, but we thought that now, more than ever, we needed to continue to meet face-to-face, to create direct interaction and discussion, as these are the pillars of our future development. As conference organisers we have to protect the business value of meetings especially in difficult times.” “We monitored the situation continuously after the airport attacks, and we continued to communicate with the speakers and the participants, providing them with ongoing updates,” said Jan van den Broeck, Manager
Thanks to C-In’s successful management of this complex programme, the official extension of the Core PCO partnership between the I-BFM SG and C-In was announced last year.
Europe-building in the ‘Europe Building’ IAPCO PCO: MCI Group, Netherlands The Netherlands is currently holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first half of 2016, and at the heart of its presidency is the ‘Europe Building’, situated in the historic naval dockyard area of Amsterdam, which has been created especially for this purpose. The building, which will host more than 17500 delegates for 135 meetings focussing on the topics of innovation, growth and jobs during the Netherlands presidency, is a unique temporary, mobile structure with an eye-catching entrance façade designed by DUS architects. The entrance consists of 3D-printed elements made of bio-plastic that can be fully recycled after the Netherlands presidency is over. MCI Amsterdam is assisting the Dutch Ministry of Education, Europe Building. Culture and Science with its 12 official meetings during the Netherlands EU Presidency. During the ministry’s meetings, a number of keynote speakers and invited guests have presented and contributed to proceedings, including key industry figures such as Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix, and Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, as well as high-level politicians in the field of education.
Sakura and “Love Junx” IAPCO PCO: Congress Corporation, Japan
It was not only Japan’s fabulous cherry blossoms that graced the 13th International Congress of Human Genetics, held from April 3-7 at the Kyoto International Conference Center, the congress was also honored by the presence of Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado, along with world-renowned scientists involved in genomic medicine. This was the first time that the ICHG congress had been held in Asia, and the organisers were thrilled at the turnout, surpassing the forecasted 2000 participants, resulting in a record high for the ICHG of 3100. Over half came from overseas, from 70 countries and regions, which broke another record for the most number of countries represented. During the preparation period of almost three years, the Japanese organising committee and Congress Corporation focused on the promotion of the conference, utilizing the motif
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of “Sakura” – cherry blossoms. Pre-meeting promotion including giveaways at related events all featured the blossoms, planting in the minds of potential participants that “When you think of ICHG, think of cherry blossoms!” and the allure of Kyoto in springtime. Participants thus arrived in the ancient capital, to the sight of real live cherry trees in glorious full bloom all around the venue and Kyoto. The hit of the entire congress was the performance by the popular Japanese dance troupe, “Love Junx” whose members are all children with Down’s syndrome. These children are artistically extremely talented, and audiences throughout Japan and overseas have been inspired by the power and the high level ability of the rhythmical dance performances. Moreover the children’s deep sensitivity and passion touches the audience / viewer on many levels. “Love Junx” today has more than 700 members. Their performance, their energy and outgoing-ness makes everyone want to get out there and join in on the
dance stage! “Love Junx” goes far beyond just an enjoyable performance; they simultaneously raise awareness and understanding, do away with prejudice and act as a positive force to change the way society perceives genetic syndromes. The success of an academic conference such as this lies of course in part in the high level scientific content and, yes, if we may, profit. Yet, what makes an international conference really great are aspects such as experiencing the beauty of nature firsthand, interaction with patients’ organisations and the initiatives of the local community, and the mutual fun and excitement of special artists like “Love Junx.” ICHG2016 was truly a memorable
occasion of international exchange for both the children and the meeting participants. Congress Corporation was honoured to play a supporting role.
IAPCO Council President: Jan Tonkin, The Conference Company Vice-President: Mathias Posch, International Conference Services
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Treasurer: Peder Andersen, DIS Congress Service Members: Keith Burton, African Agenda
Jean Evans, MCI Dublin Nicola McGrane, Conference Partners Kayo Nomura, Congress Corporation Alain Pittet, Congrex Switzerland
Co-opted: Chair, Training Academy: André Vietor, Barceló Congresos Co-opted: Host, 2017 Annual Meeting: Medhat Nassar, Meeting Minds Experts
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DESTINATION FOCUS
High-speed LiFi internet coming to Dubai Dubai is to roll out high speed LiFi this year where internet will flow through the city’s streetlights.
providing government services that are easily accessible, quick and efficient using smart devices.
In March 2014, His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced a project to transform Dubai into a ‘Smart City’ with the aim of Dubai becoming one of the most connected and sustainable cities in the world.
And to continue this technological drive, Dubai will be the first city in the world to get the Li-Fi service, being transmitted through the city’s streetlights. Each of these high-end design lamps would cost around $1000. The first phase, planned for Dubai smart city, will be rolled out by the end of this year. Light Fidelity, or Li-Fi for short, has real world download speeds of multiple gigabytes per second. In laboratory settings, the speed is even more impressive, hitting a whopping 224GB per second. While Wi-Fi transmits data using radio waves, LiFi transmits data through LED light bulbs. With visible light, LiFi is able to transmit information at seriously high speeds.
With Expo 2020 as the platform for unveiling this vision, this new integrated high-tech approach aims to use the latest advances in technology to create a model for
The latest crop of smartphones are LiFi enabled, and can connect through the use of their camera sensors. Older models and non-LiFi enabled products will have to use a dongle until LiFi connectivity comes pre-equipped in devices. The LiFi industry is estimated to be worth around Dhs300 billion by 2021. Smart Cities are defined along the following dimensions: Smart Governance, Smart Economy, Smart People, Smart Environment, Smart Mobility and Smart Living. Lifi is definitely part of Smart Living.
MADINAT JUMEIRAH
Madinat Jumeirah, the Arabian Resort of Dubai, will offer the largest hotel event space in the UAE with the completion of the Fort Island expansion. Set over 1750 square meters, the space has tripled in size and is set to host
major events for up to 1400 people. Fort Island is connected to the resort by four bridges plus access by the traditional wooden abra boats when staying in one of Madinat Jumeirah’s three hotels.
INTERNATIONAL LEADERS MAKE HAMBURG THEIR PORT OF CALL Within the coming 18 months Hamburg will host two major meetings of global relevance. On 8-9 December 2016, Germany’s second city will be visited by 57 Foreign Ministers convening for the annual Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Given the motto of the German OSCE Chairmanship in 2016 “Renew Dialogue, Rebuild Trust,
Restore Security” Hamburg can be considered an ideal choice. Looking back on hundreds of years of international trade, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg has long served Germany and Northern Europe as gateway to the world, fostering such key values as openness and tolerance. Today it is a place where leaders in business, politics and science like to meet and key decisions are made.
Hamburg connects Meeting place for global players and bright minds
Phone +49 (0)40 / 300 51 610 info@hamburg-convention.com www.hamburg-convention.com Photo: www.mediaserver.hamburg.de / C. O. Bruch
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From your arrival at the airport to the hotel, event venues and attractions around town, Hong Kong Rewards are giving away the best-ever offers, discounts and privileges to event delegates. That is what turns a
successful event into a truly memorable one! These premium privileges runs until 31 March 2017. Find out more at www.mehongkong.com or email Helen.chan@hktb.com for one-stop professional support on your upcoming events to Hong Kong.
Explore Toronto, Canada’s Downtown
Toronto – the Financial Centre of Canada and an international air travel hub to North America with 1100+ flights daily via 66 airlines. It is also the Centre of Medical Excellence with nine teaching hospitals affiliated to the University of Toronto in the heart of downtown. Excite your senses to the sights, sounds and taste of a multicultural city with creativity and unlimited possibilities! Count on Business Events Toronto, Canada’s #1 CVB in client services, to provide ideas to inspire your attendees. We share your passion for success and will ensure your conference exceeds your expectations.
“Hamburg connects people by tradition. We offer professional networks and a world class meeting infrastructure to ensure top standards of quality and safety,” says Thorsten Kausch, managing director of the Hamburg Convention Bureau (HCB). Earlier this year Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that Hamburg is to host the G20 summit 2017. “I believe that this is well suited to Hamburg’s cosmopolitanism,” Merkel added when disclosing the location for the meeting of the heads of state and governments from the most important industrialised countries and emerging economies. The summit will be held some time during summer 2017 with the exact date still to be determined. Besides world leaders and their delegations the event will accommodate participants from other international organisations as well as thousands of media representatives. Altogether, a fine opportunity for Hamburg to display its many strengths in hosting the world.
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Sarah Storie-Pugh, Executive Director Olivia Galun, Secretariat Email: info@iapco.org
Published by: IAPCO Editor: Sarah Storie-Pugh
WELCOME TO MELBOURNE Bid for a USD$350,000 events package at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre during the 2016 PCMA Citywide Auction of Melbourne.
Melbourne is Australia’s most creative, exciting and intellectual city. It’s as renowned for world-class dining and culture as it is for research, education, innovation and knowledge. The 2016 PCMA Citywide Auction of Melbourne gives you the opportunity to bid for USD$350,000 worth of meeting room and exhibition space at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Located in the heart of the city, MCEC has a range of creative and functional spaces, cutting edge technology, award winning food and highly skilled staff. Bidding will start at USD$125,000 or you can buy now for USD$150,000. But don’t forget, you only have until November 30 then it’s going, going, gone! To find out more, please visit cometomelbourne.com or pcma.org/citywide-auction.
Whilst every care is taken in the preparation and publishing of The PCO, the views expressed are not necessarily those of IAPCO or its members, or of the Editor, and no responsibility can be taken for articles, errors or comment.
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CASE STUDIES Taipei gets on its bike for Velo-city Global 2016
IAPCO PCO: GIS Group, Taiwan
The challenge To tailor an international event to local interests.
Cycling parade.
routine part of the local culture, and so it was important to make Velo-city Global 2016 and its principles appear as relevant as possible to the citizens of Taipei, in order to attract plenty of local interest.
Thinking about a good strategy for WCP 2013
IAPCO PCO: AFEA Travel & Congress, Greece
The challenge To emphasize Athens as the birthplace of philosophy. The World of Congress of Philosophy (WCP) serves as an important international forum for philosophical research and a meeting place for philosophical collaborators. The 23rd Congress, which was held in Athens in 2013, provided an excellent opportunity for friends of philosophy and thinkers from around the world to meet, present and discuss their ideas with a unique academic audience. In organising WCP 2013 the challenge – the socalled ‘Socratic challenge’ in this case – was to identify, design and implement a strategy to highlight Athens as the
WCP opening ceremony.
birthplace of philosophy, and to offer attendees a ‘live’ experience to illustrate how Plato, Socrates and Aristotle used to wander, create and teach in the city’s ancient sites. This strategy was used not only to attract participants but also to offer them a unique, unforgettable on-site experience.
ANZET 2015: a live case study IAPCO PCO: The Conference Company, New Zealand
The challenge To improve patient outcomes by delivering leading-edge conference education. The mission of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) is to further the development of education, training, research and practice in cardiovascular medicine and surgery in Australasia, and as part of its work it organises its well-established Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM), which is regularly attended by 1800 delegates. In addition, it has developed the Australia and New Zealand Endovascular Therapies Meeting (ANZET) to provide a congress covering speciality topics, instead of
Beyond Congress Management
Associations are more than their congress, and IAPCO PCOs are more than congress organisers. Delivering innumerable quality congresses has given IAPCO members invaluable insights in the business needs of their clients and has allowed them to become trusted advisors who can contribute to the success of an organisation beyond their congress. IAPCO’s philosophy is entirely based on quality, and its members actively share best-practice and develop educational programmes and guidelines which enable them to perform at the highest levels in any area of expertise related to organisational excellence. To illustrate this, IAPCO regularly publishes success stories of members who have helped their clients to be successful not just by organising their congress, but by achieving overarching business objectives.
The Wake-Up Bus Project European Sleep Research Society 3–15 October 2013, Brussels, BE
Organised by IAPCO Member: Congrex Switzerland sible in different European countries, The challenge giving the national sleep research To raise awareness of sleepiness as a societies a panel for individual awaremain cause for road accidents. ness campaigns. Through a promotion The European Sleep Research Society campaign via social media and the (ESRS) and its partners in the ESRS network, Congrex was able to Assembly of National Sleep Societies support the society in reaching nearly (ANSS) organised a Europe-wide sleep 20000 survey respondents. study, to quantify and present the danThe outcomes gers of driving while tired. The aim of The Wake-Up Bus left Oporto on the two societies was also to raise the 3 October 2013 and reached ten awareness among the general public of countries in twelve days prior to its the importance of sleepiness as one of the main causes of road accidents. The challenge addressed to Congrex Switzerland – as Core PCO of ESRS since 2010 – consisted in developing different ideas on how to get as many survey respondents as possible and on how to reach as many people as possible in a maximum number of countries.
final destination at the EU Parliament in Brussels. During the same time, an additional seven countries off the route hosted additional awareness campaigns. Through the journey, Congrex Switzerland provided backend support handling press requests, organising security clearances, locating the bus as it crossed boarders, and sharing its journey through social media. The results of the study were delivered in Brussels and published shortly thereafter. The goal to increase awareness was achieved, the study results were covered by mainstream media in several countries / languages and sleep researchers continue to contact the society asking about the Wake-Up Bus Project. A recap of the outcome of this project was presented to the European health care professionals during the successful Congress of the European Sleep Research Society in 2014 in Tallinn, Estonia.
The solution Congrex Switzerland supported the society serving as a command centre throughout the whole project. They were able to unify the work of the ESRS and ANSS beginning by standardising the survey across 19 countries and cumulating in the organisation of the presentation through the office of EU Parliamentarian Paulo Rangel. The Wake-Up Bus project was created to reach as big a general audience as pos-
Ensuring the safety of IEEE Meeting
IAPCO PCO: Arinex Pty Ltd, Australia
The challenge To overcome adversity in the face of terrorism. the more general issues discussed in the interventional stream of the ASM. ANZET is logistically demanding, the 2-day programme incorporating 8 ‘live cases’ in which interventional procedures are broadcast live to the meeting from catheterisation laboratories around the world.
Bangkok, Thailand, was selected as the destination for the IEEE 802 Wireless Interim Meeting in 2015, with the Centara Grand & Convention Centre acting as the venue. The meeting, which typically attracts 300-350 attendees from 21 countries, attending 14 concurrent sessions across 5 days, took place on 13-18 September. This was only 3 weeks after the Bangkok explosions in August 2015, which occurred only 500 metres from the meeting venue. There were several concerns regarding the impact of these bombings on the meeting, namely:
the bombings • Will continue and are we putting the attendees at risk? Will companies restrict the attendees’ travel to Bangkok? Will the US government issue a ‘no travel’ advice for Bangkok? How many attendees may cancel due to the incident? Arinex, addressing these issues, ensured a secure and successful meeting.
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READ MORE: Review extended case studies at the IAPCO website: www.iapco.org/publications/casestudies/
Tunnelling Ahead Mission Thika IAPCO PCO: MCI Group, UAE MCI Dubai has been appointed as the PCO for the ITA-AITES World Tunnel Congress (WTC) 2018, beating considerable competition to organise this prestigious meeting, which is the world’s largest tunnelling event. WTC 2018 will take place at the World Trade Centre in Dubai on 20-26 April under the leadership of the Society of Engineers – UAE and its UAE Tunnelling Chapter; the theme of the meeting will be ‘The role of tunnels in building future sustainable cities’.
IAPCO PCO: INTERPLAN, Germany INTERPLAN has teamed up with the Lions Club in Weissenburg, Germany, to support a project known as ‘Mission Thika’ in Juja, Kenya, in which the Dominican Order run orphanages and a centre for the elderly, invalids and those in need of company. Beneficiaries of the mission include orphans with AIDS and child soldiers displaced from the conflict in Darfur. Another aspect of the mission’s work is to run the TATI job training centre, a huge boost for a region in which 70% of
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their shipment and distribution to this worthy cause.
young people do not have an apprenticeship. When congresses finish, there are lots of materials such as pencils, writing blocks, bags and t-shirts, etc, left over, which noone wants or needs; however, INTERPLAN and the Lions Club do know of some grateful recipients – at Mission Thika. The Lions Club takes INTERPLAN’s left-over materials and organises
INTERPLAN’s principles include those of corporate social responsibility, promoting sustainability and looking after society and the environment, and the relationship with the Lions Club provides one example of how it is implementing these principles. INTERPLAN gets involved!
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Taipei was the host city for Velo-city Global 2016, which took place on 27 February to 1 March, becoming the first Asian city to host an event in the Velo-city series. Velo-city, which was started by the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) in 1980, is the world’s premier cycling forum and aims to promote cycling as a mode of transport. In line with this vision, Taipei sought to promote cycling as a sustainable way for its citizens to get around, and to highlight its achievements in promoting cycling through the event. However, cycling was not a
Continuing the series of case studies from leading PCOs around the world