The PCO 77 (Q1 2017)

THE

P C O MISSION TO MARS

NEWS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL CONGRESS ORGANISERS

Issue No. 77

It was an eye-catching headline on the programme of IAPCO’s recent annual conference w hich took place in Dubai.

I’m sure many members were curious about how space exploration might possibly be relevant. But as Sarah Amiri, Deputy Project Manager and Science Lead of the Emirates Mission to Mars (Hope), took to the stage and be gan to describe the project, w e were Jan Tonkin, IAPCO President. fascinated. Not just b y the tight timeframe (the Mars orbiter in place and making significant discoveries by 2021) but also b y the goals of building a sustainable UAE outer space e xploration programme, making impactful contributions to the global space science community and being of great value to humanity.

Hearing about such audacious goals will, I’m sure, ha ve reminded us just ho w important it is to ha ve those stretch

challenges and how galvanising teams to work on them can produce incredible results.

Another revelation for me w as how young the team of scientists is, including Sarah, and it reinforced the need to foster education and encourage e xploring. While we don’t quite have Mars in our sights, we are right to be as committed as we are in IAPCO to delivering great education offerings through our EDGE programmes and creating opportunities for learning and sharing know-how.

Going for Gold Basel wins the bid to host the 50th IAPCO Annual Meeting and General Assembly announced in Dubai at this year’s gathering of IAPCO members.

The Swiss bid w as organised by

IAPCO members Congrex Switzerland & MCI Group with suppor t from the Government of the Canton Basel-Stadt, the Swiss Con vention & Incentive Bureau, the Basel Tourism & Con vention Bureau, the Cong ress Center Basel and last but not least the Municipality of Montreux and Montreux Riviera for the Council Meeting prior to the Annual Meeting.

“The Government of the Canton Basel-Stadt is delighted that IAPCO has decided to hold its 50th

Annual Meeting and GeneralAssembly in 2019 in Basel and cong ratulates all supporting parties involved in the successful bid” sa ys Councillor Christoph Brutschin.

Alain Pittet, Managing Director of Congrex Switzerland, adds: “I am proud that we have been elected host of the IAPCO Annual Meeting in 2019. Together with our par tners and supporters we will sho wcase Basel and Switzerland as an ideal event destination to the w orld’s leading Professional Conference Organisers.”

The Golden Anniversary AM&GA, to be organised by IAPCO member Congrex Switzerland, will take place from 14-17 February 2019 at the Basel Convention Centre, also par tners of IAPCO.

LEADING THE FUTURE

5 Trends worth watching In a w orld that is jam-pack ed with information, PCMA’s Convene’s five on-staff writers and editors look back over 2016 and ask the question What’s one meeting trend w e’ll be keeping an e ye on during 2017?

ROBOTS AND OTHER NEXT-GEN TOOLS

Michelle Russell, Editor in Chief I expect that high-tech e vents themselves will help transition the rest of the events space into using next-gen tools.

How can hosting events that showcase the latest technologies not rub off on convention centers? How can business event organizers in high-tech sectors not incorporate bleeding-edge tools in their own event design and session rooms — which then seep into other kinds of events not directly associated with technology?

MEETINGS WILL MATTER MORE THAN EVER

Chris Durso, Executive Editor After a long and unsettling year, I hope that meetings, conferences, and other business events help remind people of the common humanity and innate decency they share with almost everyone else across the country and around the world.

Professional Congress Organisers from across the globe came together in Dubai for the 2017 IAPCOAnnual Meeting and General Assembly.

Hosted by Dubai-based IAPCO member company Meeting Minds Experts, and supported by Dubai Business Events (DBE), 115 participants from over 30 countries took part in the landmark event which took place from February 16-19, at Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights.

Dubai is the first city in the GCC region to host the IAPCO Meeting and General Assembly, now in its 48th year. The successful event was themed around ‘Leading the Future, Creating Opportunities’, and over the course of three days, industry leading lights took to the stage to discuss both the oppor tunities and the challenges facing the modern conference and convention industry.

Issam Kazim, Chief Ex ecutive Officer of Dubai Cor poration for Tourism and Commerce Mark eting (DCTCM), said: “We are extremely honoured for the opportunity to host an event of such a calibre and welcome members of IAPCO to the city w e fondly call home. This further strengthens Dubai’s profile as a premier inter national business event destination and highlights the Emirate’s diversified offering – comprising global connectivity, state-of-the-art facilities, first-class infrastructure, and great hospitality – to key stakeholders who shape the business events industry. As our reputation of being a dynamic host city for business events grows, we anticipate further growth in the number of visitors to the Emirate in line with Dubai’s Tourism Vision for 2020 and the UAE Vision 2021.”

Sharp EDGE Education

Visit IAPCO on Booth No. G306

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Q1 2017

Inter nal dis tribution please for ward to:

‘FLIPPED LEARNING’ WILL FEEL LESS LIKE HOMEWORK

Barbara Palmer, Senior Editor & Director of Digital Content Flipped learning upends traditional teaching by providing lecture material via video and using class-time for hands-on learning. And according to Campus Technology’s 2016 Teaching With Technology Survey, 55 percent of higher-education faculty now use flipped learning in all or some of their classes. That means an ever-accelerating number of meeting par ticipants will be primed for both video and participatory learning, not to mention impatient with meetings that don’ t make the most of face-to-face time.

THE INTERNET OF THINGS TOUCHES ALMOST EVERYTHING

Corin Hirsch, Associate Editor There are roughl y 12 billion IoT connected devices in the w orld, from Fitbits to kitchen appliances. With the cost of sensors falling and screaming-fast 5G technology on the horizon, IoT will spike exponentially in the next year or two — especially at meetings, as RFID name tags and beacons become more affordable and accessible.

COFFEE GOES CRAFT

David McMillin, Contributing Convene Editor and PCMA Writer Research from the Specialty F ood Association predicts a 35-percent surge in consumer coffee sales from 2015 to 2020. That growth isn’t simply because they’re buying more cof fee; it’s because they’re buying more expensive offerings. Expect to see more organizations make room for pop-up cof fee stations from local roasters in the new year.

IAPCO/PCMA Seminar

IAPCO Seminar

Collaborate or Die – successful models for event collaboration

Collaborate 360 – Motivating stakeholders for a winning solution

Tuesday 16 May 08.50 – 09.50 Co-opetition – many organisations are engaging in collaboration with their competition to survive and succeed. This session will focus on different approaches – both successes and failures. Speakers will share medical meeting case studies of corporate, association and PCO partner collaborations and highlight their results and outcomes.

Participants will leave this session with new ideas for collaboration and tips of how to overcome the co-opetition challenges.

Speakers / Moderator: Michelle Crowley, Senior Director, Global Development & Partnerships, PCMA (PCMA) Martin Jensen, Head of Global Congress & Event Management, Lundbeck A/S (IPCAA) Mathias Posch, President, International Conference Services Ltd (IAPCO)

Wednesday 17 May 08.50 – 09.50 Who are you missing? – educate all your stakeholders to understand the benefits of working together and coming up with fresh concepts.

Have you overlooked an opportunity by always using the same old approach because it is easier? Case Study examples will be presented.

Panellists / Moderator: Sissi Lignou, Manager Congress & Events, AFEA S.A. (IAPCO) Ori Lahav, Associate VP Marketing, Kenes Group (IAPCO) Camilla Nyman, CEO Göteborg & Co Angeline van den Breoecke, Director of Sales & Marketing, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre

www.iapco.org

The Meeting Minds Experts team Welcome to Dubai

Leading the Future, Creating Opportunities

Michelle Crowley, PCMA, on Disrupters Welcome – Jan Tonkin and Issam Kazim Desert falconry display Mahir Julfar, DWTC and Issam Kazim, DCTCM

Host and President off to the desert

Welcome Reception, viewing the Dubai Fountain by the Burj Khalifa

Arriving at the Madinat Jumeirah for dinner In-depth discussions

Recording the proceedings

Steen Jakobsen, Dubai Business Tourism The Legacy Pitch – 5 partner destinations compete

The year of the Rooster Asia members gather in Dubai

The Great Debate – Compete or Collaborate

Knowledge Transfer – Emma Aru donates book written by her daughter to Dubai CSR Legacy

Experiencing the desert

THE

PCO

International Association of Professional Congress Organisers

IAPCO elects new Council It happened in Dubai The IAPCO Annual Meeting & General Assembly was officially opened on F riday 17 F ebruary by Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Cor poration for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), and Jan Tonkin, IAPCO President, follo wed by the IAPCO Awards Ceremony, Driving Excellence in the industry.

Sessions over the course of the Meeting co vered a broad range of topics including prospecti ve industry disruptors, presented by PCMA’s Michelle Crowley; Dubai Expo 2020 with Marjan F araidooni, Vice President of the Expo 2020 Legacy; and Understanding the Client of the Future.

The Debate: Compete or Collaborate provided an interesting twist on the normal debating practices. Each of the six panellists had to argue their case first from one side of the spectrum and then from the other. And that was before the floor were invited to contribute!

The jury is still out, but Collaborate definitely had an edge on Compete.

The Destination Partners of IAPCO, of which there are five, presented their o wn Legacy Session. Split into twelve teams, with a given destination (one of the five) and an international association of note, delegates had to research and create a possible legacy for their association. Thirty minutes of instant teamwork, followed by a two-minute presentation was all the time allowed but this did not prevent the results from being innovative, amusing, educational and indeed plausible. The Long Walk from Mexico to Toronto won the day.

On the final day, a special seminar entitled ‘How is the Meetings Industry Shaping Up in the Middle East?’ brought together a high-profile panel including Mahir Julfar, VP Commercial – Dubai World Trade Centre, Mubarak Al Shamsi, Director Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau, and Steen Jakobsen, Director Dubai Business Events & City Operations. The session considered how Dubai and Abu Dhabi balance competition with collaboration in ter ms of their respecti ve business events products.

IAPCO business sessions also took place, highlighting the achievements of the Association over the past year and looking to the future. Not all the plans put forward were agreed, but an overriding request from the participants was to “keep the quality level”. This was agreed and will be a focus for the council during 2017.

At the Annual Meeting and General Assembly, IAPCO elected a ne w Council for the forthcoming year. Jan Tonkin remains in post as IAPCO President, with Mathias P osch and Peder Andersen also remaining in post as Vice-President and Treasurer, respectively. Other Council members who remain in post are K eith Burton and Alain Pittet, while Kayo Nomura was re-elected; Ori Laha v and Nicolette van Erven were newly elected to Council.

Speaking at the General Assembly, Jan Tonkin welcomed the ne w Council members and said a hear tfelt ‘thank you’ to those w ho were leaving. Jean Evans, Nicola McGrane and André Vietor all departed from the Council… but all ag reed to remain v ery active within IAPCO! There was special recognition for André, having spent 18 years on Council, including two years as President and six years as Chair of the Training Academy.

IAPCO 2017 also ga ve plenty of oppor tunities for networking, as w ell as treating guests to Arabia’s famous hospitality with a deser t Bedouin experience and other social occasions with a local flavour.

Commenting on the Meeting, Jan Tonkin, said: “This year’s Annual Meeting and General Assembly offered a unique platform to discuss the all-impor tant quality standards we strive to achieve globally, and to network with other like-minded partners in an environment that is more than collegial. Attendees were made privy to best practice in addition to witnessing outstanding presentations from e xperts who stimulated each to think differently.”

From left to right: Mathias Posch, Jan Tonkin, Alain Pittet, Nicolette van Erven, Keith Burton, Peder Andersen, Kayo Nomura, Ori Lahav.

DIVERSE LEGACIES books,beds and basketball Each year, at the Annual Meeting, IAPCO embarks on a le gacy programme, as proposed by the Host of the Meeting, in this case Meeting Minds Experts.

For 2017, The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, was the proposed recipient. The UAE had announced 2016 as the “UAE Reading

Year” and declared 2017 as the “Year of Giving” as part of its quest for a sustained development that is based on innovation and knowledge. Such initiatives are also intended to trigger a behavioural change in all segments of the UAE community. IAPCO’s legacy was to provide a shelf of books in the library of the Emirates Academy of

Hospitality Management, with a view to not only fostering today’s youth but also future generations. Delegates were invited to bring a book which had made a material dif ference to their li ves and/or careers and to include a note inside the cover explaining why it had such an effect on them.

youth community so that they learn the harvest cycle and how to sustain the gardens.

Whilst IAPCO has suppor ted the hospital in Bubanza, a pro vince of Burundi, the IAPCO project “To Brighten the Life of a Child” was to

In addition to the above Library, there was an added legacy bonus in the form of Global Giving Initiative Buy1GIVE1 (BIG1). By par tnering with BIZ Group to deliver the IAPCO Conference, three months’ worth of learning to 33 special needs children in South Africa has been provided for.

But what of previous legacies? Where are they today?

construct the IAPCO Bask et Ball Court. This has been some years in the making due to political upheavals, but the court is now under construction and due for completion later this year. Not only will it pro vide a much needed physiotherapy resource, it will help equip the children with key life skills: to ha ve better health, to e xperience teamwork, to lear n the value of discipline, to discover respect, to build self-confidence, to lear n to win and to lose, and to know that a dream can become a reality!

The original task in the Samora Machel Township in Cape Town was to build and plant three wicking garden beds which would be w ater-efficient and create a self-sustaining garden for the community. Six w ere built, and since IAPCO’s kick star ter event one year ago, nine more drought resistant gardens have been built in the Township. The amount of food produced now feeds 132 people every day, with sufficient produce to suppor t a soup kitchen in the community . And the continuum, funds from members’ contributions this y ear will pro vide seeds and propagators for the local

OFFICERS

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

Ori Lahav, Kenes Group Kayo Nomura, Congress Corporation Alain Pittet, Congrex Switzerland Nicolette van Erven, Congress by design

Host 2018 Annual Meeting & General Assembly: Kayo Nomura, Congress Corporation

www.iapco.org

DRIVING EX

JAN TONKIN ON EDUCATION

It has been heartening to see the initiatives being taken by convention bureaux and other industry bodies to promote debate about best practice, provide training programmes (both face to face and online) and run mentoring programmes for their young professionals. While all of these initiatives need to continue, it is critical that appealing and clear career paths are created within the industry.

These need to be underpinned by ready access to tertiary qualifications full of topical, relevant learning which in turn are highly valued by employers.

Typically learning in the conference and events world has been ‘on the job’. While this is certainly important, it can be limited in smaller companies to the knowledge that exists within the team whereas participating in training programmes taps into a wider pool of expertise, particularly exploring the merits of new trends and discussing the pros and cons of systems and technology tools.

While short courses on specific topics have an

important place in an overall training programme, I see the immersion style programmes generating the most tangible changes in thinking and approach to conferences. I firmly believe that education underpins professional standing. Being equipped with a relevant qualification is the starting point and from then on it is about life-long learning. For our industry that means tapping into a variety of learning opportunities including those outside our own world.

Courses in marketing, communication, presentation skills and the psychology of adult learning spring to

mind. Collaboration across the various segments of the meetings industry is equally rewarding. IAPCO’s EDGE seminars have been attracting not only PCOs/meeting planners but also convention bureaux and venue/hotel personnel. Evaluations have shown on each occasion that it has been the conversations amongst all three parties and the shared learning that have been particularly beneficial.

Jan Tonkin, IAPCO President

GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN – A CITY MADE FOR MEETINGS!

Situated just by the sea with a fabulous archipelago in the heart of Scandinavia.

International airport easily accessible from around the world.

Eco-certified hotel rooms, venues, restaurants and entertainment within walking distance.

Europe’s largest fully integrated hotel and congress facility.

City centered – all under one roof: - 41,000 m² exhibition space - 1,200 hotel rooms - 60 meeting rooms

Welcome to the most sustainable meeting destination in the world! goteborg.com/en/convention-bureau

www.iapcoeducation.org

MICE Philosophers given the Edge in Athens Fifty meetings professionals from 18 countries, with an average age of just 36 years and an average of 6.7 years’ experience of organizing conferences, converged on Athens on 17–19 January this year to participate in the IAPCO Edge seminar. The attendees were invited to follow in the footsteps of the ancient Greek philosophers and join the seminar for a unique learning experience focusing on conference management and the changing landscape of our industry. With the number of attendees strictly limited, opportunities for learning and networking were maximised, as was the opportunity for interaction with the faculty and industry experts.

The event was a joint initiative of AFEA, ERA, and ERASMUS, Greece’s three IAPCO members who, although being competitors in normal business life nevertheless, joined forces to contribute to IAPCO’s educational activities. Through this initiative, the companies demonstrated both their team spirit and the potential of the Greek capital as a destination for conferences, showcasing their knowledge and experience of the city of Athens to their audience of meeting professionals from around the world.

During the seminar, delegates learned specific conference management skills, and gained a

solid understanding of the meetings environment and the roles of the various players. They also obtained an advanced understanding of how industry collaborates and operates, with expert speakers covering a wide range of critical subjects of importance to the conference market.

Delegates were invited to post their key learnings on the socalled ‘Tree of Knowledge’ that was set up at the seminar. These included: ‘Go out of your comfort zones and step into your fears’; ‘Kill multitasking’; ‘You never lose a Bid, it’s just another opportunity to win’; and ‘People will never forget how you made them feel’.

What would you hang on your Tree of Knowledge?

AWARDS Driving Excellence

throughout the Meetings Industry IAPCO celebrated the winners of its 2016 Driving Excellence Awards in style during its General Assembly in Dubai in February, recognising both winners and nominees.

The city of Vancouver, Canada, won the Driving Excellence Collaboration Award, in recognition of the outstanding partnership created in the city by the winning PCO, city, and convention centre organisations – International Conference Services (ICS), Tourism Vancouver, and the Vancouver Convention Centre. The award, nominated by ICS, supported

by IBTM Events, was presented during the Meetings Leadership Summit at IBTM World.

Vicky Rosin of EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) won IAPCO’s Driving Excellence International Client Award, nominated by IAPCO member Sarah Fitzpatrick of Conference Partners. Vicky received the award in recognition of her enthusiasm for driving and delivering the vision and ambition of the ESOF congress, and for inspiring others.

ESOF showcased Manchester as a world-leading ‘City of Science’ thanks to Vicky’s efforts working in partnership with all the key stakeholders in the city, utilising individual talents, and pushing boundaries to deliver an exceptional educational conference.

ESTENSIS GmBH was announced as the winner of the Driving Excellence Recognition Award, based on the company’s consistent high quality of service as an IT provider for presentation technologies at congresses. ESTENSIS was nominated by CPO HANSER SERVICE, with whom they have worked for more than 15 years.

They were commended for being a 100% reliable partner who offers a personal and unique service, and leaves nothing to chance.

Furthermore, they were nominated as an inspiring example for other companies in the field, for providing valuable consultancy in all fields of conference technology, and for maintaining the highest standards, offering state-of-the-art, novel and innovative presentation technologies.

Finally, the three shortlisted finalists for the Driving Excellence Innovation Award were celebrated, with video presentations from each being shown at the General Assembly and voted for by attendees. The nominees for this award, which was created to acknowledge the most creative and high-achieving young member of staff at an IAPCO member company, included Elizabeth Winter of African Agenda, for ‘The Standing Discussion’, Susan Kilcoyn of Conference Partners, for ‘Connect16’, and Ziv Izackov of Kenes Group, for ESPID 2016 Technological Innovation. The ultimate winner of the Award, which is supported by IMEX, will be announced during IMEX 2017 at the gala evening.

info@iapcoeducation.org

XCELLENCE

www.iapcoedgekl.org Date: 18-20 September 2017 Venue: Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre Level: Intermediate Host Organisers: • AOS Conventions & Events • Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS) CMP points: applied for Registration fees: Registration Category

International

Malaysian

IAPCO Members

Non-Member

MACEODS/MyCEB Members

Non-Member

Early Bird (Until 31 Jul 2017)

€860.00

€940.00

MYR4050.00

MYR4450.00

Late & Onsite ( After 1 Aug 2017)

€910.00

€995.00

MYR4300.00

MYR4700.00

Meeting Professionals are invited to take part in a unique learning experience that is focused on a well-r ounded look at conference management and the changing landscape of the MICE industry. In order to maximize learning outcomes and networking opportunities, this seminar is strictly limited in size and allows for maximum interaction with faculty and industry experts. If you ar e serious about your career in the meetings industry, you should not miss this rare opportunity.

IAPCO EDGE 2017 will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre is located in the heart of the Kuala Lumpur City Centre and nestled between the awe-inspiring PETRONAS Twin Towers and a beautiful 50-acre landscaped recreational KLCC park, home to various species of flora and fauna.

AM

PROGRAMME Monday 18 Sept – Day 1 SETTING THE SCENE Introduction by host, Opening and Welcome, IAPCO, Introduction to the seminar content

PM

Icebreaker – Introduction to association meetings / trends and the new face of meetings

Tuesday 19 Sept – Day 2 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT It’s more than budgeting • Managing costs and budgeting • Changing revenue sources and income generation • Compliance and how to manage it • Crowd-sourced funding Open Forum on Finance

Networking break EXPERT BIDDING MANAGEMENT More than the Bid document Content is King • Winning Tactics • Dynamics of Programme • Site inspections Management • How clients make decisions • Meeting Architecture • Lobbying to maximise votes • Crisis prevention • Risk control Open Forum on Bidding

A is for ASIA and April Two highly successful seminars have just taken place in April in Asia: a Bespoke EDGE Seminar in Suzhou, China; and an EDGE Seminar, in Taipei, Taiwan. Both attracting a high level audience, it is tantamount to the thirst for knowledge within Asia that backto-back seminars can be held within the region.

The MICE Suzhou seminar was the second in the series, providing education at an intermediate level; over 75% of the participants were attendees at the first seminar last year, thus endorsing the IAPCO product. Said Mathias Posch, “having been on the faculty for both

seminars in Suzhou, it was fantastic to see how much learning from the first seminar had already been put into practice; and a pleasure to renew our friendship with colleagues. We hope to see many of them at a third seminar, at the advanced level, but the planning of this has yet to be discussed!”.

EDGE Taipei, was hosted by IAPCO Member, General Innovation Service Co. Ltd (GIS Group), attended by local PCOs, CVBs, convention centres and DMCs. The success of the seminar was in part due to the support of Taiwan Convention & Exhibition Association, Grand Hyatt Taipei,

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Wednesday 20 Sept – Day 3 TARGETED MARKETING For the advanced publicist • Beyond the email blast • Being innovative enough • The current and the new digital age FINAL ROUND-UP • Client Expectations • General Summary • Certificate Ceremony Closing Lunch

Bureau of Foreign Trade and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of China (Taiwan). “It is so encouraging when a member takes the initiative to host an EDGE Seminar.

Their belief in education, to the extent of hosting training for not only their local meetings industry but their competitors as well, says so much for the professionalism and enthusiasm of our members”, commented Jan Tonkin, “GIS did a fantastic job, and I applaud them.”

Jan Tonkin, President IAPCO; Founder & Managing Director, The Conference Company, Auckland, New Zealand Jan Tonkin has more than 25 years’ experience managing conferences, exhibitions and awar ds programmes in Britain and New Zealand, and is r ecognised as one of Australasia’s most r eputable PCOs. She is a fr equent speaker at IAPCO EDGE and Bespoke Seminars.

Mathias Posch, Vice President IAPCO; President & Partner of International Conference Services, Canada Mathias Posch r epresents IAPCO on the Convention Industry Council and leads the IAPCO Ambassador Programme. He was a Faculty Member of the IAPCO Wolfsberg Annual Seminar including the Meetings MasterClass and has pr esented at many EDGE and Bespoke Seminars.

Sarah Markey-Hamm; Chief Executive Officer, ICMS Pty, Australia Sarah has mor e than 20 years of r elated industry experience. She has been Chair of ICCA Australian N ational Committee including positions on the ICCA Meetings Advisory Group, a board member of Business Events Council of Australia (BECA), an active IAPCO member and a past Pr esident of the Meeting Events Australia (MEA) Victorian Chapter.

Do you believe in Coincidences?

We are delighted to announce that AFEA won the 2017 free year’s membership subscription sponsored by IAPCO partner MEHK. This is the fourth time that Hong Kong have provided this support and, with AFEA winning this year’s random raffle, all three Team Athens companies have been a winning recipient! But it is

just a coincidence as the raffle is computer drawn. “Wow!” said Sissi Lignou of AFEA, “This is indeed an amazing coincidence, but it shows the positive vibes of Greek PCOs!!”

Thanks Hong Kong

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THE

PCO

International Association of Professional Congress Organisers

Unique, refined and philharmonic

DESTINATION FOCUS UNPACK THE EXQUISITE HAMBURG Hong Kong A destination to pleasantly surprise even the most experienced planners

“With its unique blend of East-meets-West DNA and exhilarating contrast of modern and heritage offerings, Hong Kong is an amazing destination where delegates can enjoy the learnings both professionally and culturally, hotels and venues were fantastic and the enthusiasm of the industry professionals was great!” Deidre Quinn, MCI Group based in Ireland.

Meetings and Exhibitions Hong Kong (MEHK) hosted its IAPCO study mission on 7–10 December, with a fruitful itinerary that covered site inspections of the city’s world-class infrastructure, meeting facilities and hotels, plus business matching with local trades. In addition, a forum was held with Dr. Philip Li, President of International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis, representing the field of international medical conventions many of which are held in Hong Kong.

Before embarking on knowledge exchanges and site inspections, IAPCO members kicked off with Happy Wednesday at Hong Kong Jockey Club. One of the star offers of the 2017/2018 hospitality programme tailored for MICE g roups, ‘Hong K ong Rewards!’, treats MICE delegates to free admission, food and beer, live music, carnivals, and, last but not least, horse racing in style at the heart of the city!

PCOs also got to experience some of the best of Hong Kong, from one of the world’s steepest trams to view the breathtaking sky-high venues at The Peak, to helicopter and seaside sampan rides, taking in the beauty of the cosmopolitan city from many angles.

VIBRANT, SMART AND OPEN-MINDED – UNPACK HAMBURG! There is so much more packed into Hamburg than you might think. Discover the diverse opportunities of one of Europe’s most exciting meetings destinations.

Did you know that Hamburg harbours a magnificent waterfront as well as a rich musical landscape? Time to f ind out! In f act Germany’s second largest metropolis is packed with hidden gems. The Hamburg Convention Bureau has therefore filled a virtual suitcase with treasures of the city. Every month another one is unpack ed along with special tips and topics.

The latest in this series of highlights is Hamburg’s new landmark: the Elbphilharmonie.

Designed to look lik e a rolling w ave to reflect Hamburg’s maritime character , this stunning piece of architecture is sparking huge excitement with locals and visitors alik e. Its inaugural ceremony in January was attended by thousands of guests and watched by vast media audiences around the world. The music of the opening concert was transformed into colours and shapes in real time and projected onto the building’s façade – an image that even hit the screen on New York’s Times Square.

While the Elbphilharmonie can add an exquisite touch to the cultural programme of meetings and conventions it also has some truly unique spaces on offer, including a spectacular plaza and three performance halls. The building also houses restaurant and hotel facilities for top-notch dining and lodging.

Rising above the River Elbe, at the crossroads between UNESCO World Heritage Site Speicherstadt and the newly built HafenCity, the Elbphilharmonie has become symbolic of Hamburg’s forward-looking spirit. Discover a place that takes pride in reinventing itself and your decision for Hamburg will turn out to be a fine move!

Dubai hosts major Oil and Gas Conference

CANADA’S DOWNTOWN

The Society of Petroleum Engineers’ (SPE) Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition (ATCE) has been held in the Middle East for the first time, with Dubai hosting the event for only the third edition outside North America in its 92 year history.

Held at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the event saw senior UAE government officials, over 7500 oil and gas professionals representing 91 countries, and numerous industry leaders convene to cultivate relationships, share best practices and fully embrace the conference’s heritage of excellence.

IS THE PERFECT BACKDROP FOR YOUR NEXT INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS

Dubai Business Events, in partnership with DWTC, Emirates Airlines, Dubai-based hotels and other industry stakeholders, was instrumental in bringing the world-renowned business event to Dubai.

Nathan Meehan, SPE President for 2016, said: “Dubai’s convenient location ensured that we exceeded the number of expected attendees. The state-of-the-art facilities at the Dubai World Trade Centre provided a central platform for knowledge-sharing with massive space for technology exchange and plenty of opportunities for people to lear n about companies, innovations, latest technology, and meeting friends.”

Steen Jakobsen, Director of Dubai Business Ev ents, added: “Dubai was proud to host this y ear’s ATCE. It was a pleasure to work with the team at SPE to ensure the event met every expectation. Not only does the annual e vent provide a crucial platform for knowledge sharing among oil and gas professionals, but it also had a positive economic impact on the city. With over 7500 attendees, it was estimated that the event generated AED118 million (over $30 million) in revenue for the city.”

Contact: Alice Au aau@TORCVB.COM

This document is printed on FSC mix recycled Cocoon paper

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IAPCO Headquarters

The PCO

Sarah Storie-Pugh, Executive Director Olivia Galun, Secretariat Email: info@iapco.org

Published by: IAPCO Editor: Sarah Storie-Pugh

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.

www.iapco.org

THE

PCO

International Association of Professional Congress Organisers

MEMBERS’ NEWS

AMBU success story Hopscotch Congrès is enjo ying substantial success with its Association Management Business Unit (AMBU).

Launched 18 months ago under the leadership of Valéry Lienard, it is already partnering with seven associations, providing a full association management service to help steer the partner associations through a difficult economic landscape. “Medical and scientific associations needed to f ind their way in order to sur vive recent economic circumstances,” said Olivier Cassedanne, General Director of Hopscotch Congrès. “There is a danger that associations could disappear unless they do everything they can to keep contact with their subscribers

INTERPLAN’s fresh new look

throughout the y ear, via ne wsletters, websites with useful content, g rants, internships, scientific data, and recommendations, etc. – in other w ords, by providing more than just a mailing or two around their annual e vent. We therefore launched our dedicated AMBU in September 2015 in order to assist them.”

A Multi-Lingual Plan Some 1000 attendees took part, on 20 December 2016 in Tokyo, in the “Multi-lingual & ICT (Infor mation & Communication Technology) Forum”, managed b y Congress Corporation.

Recognising early on the need for the removal of language barriers the Council, comprising 62 organisations from both public and private Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo, at the exhibition. geared for go vernment as w ell as sectors, is accelerating efforts to build a private organisations that are currently, multilingual environment in preparaor plan to tackle, providing services in tion for the Games. multiple languages.

Accompanied by an exhibition attended by Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo, the w hole event was hosted by the Council on Multilingual Correspondence, under the auspices of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, in preparation for the 2020 Olympic & Paralympic Games.

The exhibition featured demonstrations of advanced tools, in par ticular machine translation apps a vailable for tourism f acilities, restaurants, hospitals, etc. to communicate with visitors in a v ariety of languages,

Here in Japan, 2020 will be the f irst time to tackle the challenge of serving so many athletes and visitors with such a diverse array of languages, both verbally and through technolo gy on digital devices.

Congress Corporation is continuing to look ahead to Tokyo 2020 and is pursuing the challenges associated with sports-related events. Among these, it will be co-hosting the Stadia & Arena meeting again this year.

on Kenes IAPCO Collaboration Award – Rosa Garriga Mora holds Kenes’s finalist award at Camp Nou

CSR Giving Tuesday – Kenes’s CSR Team gather 1.8 tons of mandarines for a good cause

Kenes at PCMA CL – Four go to PCMA Convening Leaders in Austin, Texas – the last evening

OFFICERS

Interplan has launched its fresh ne w look with a new logo and website that went online at the end of last y ear.

The new design gi ves INTERPLAN a modern look that sho wcases its unique features, its use of high quality technology, and its user -friendliness.

Having developed considerably over the past few years, INTERPLAN has progressed from being a cong ress organisation with a focus on medicine and science in the Ger man-speaking community to becoming a prestigious PCO that is active throughout Europe and doing business in a multitude of specialist f ields. The new logo and website reflect these e xciting developments. www.interplan.de

Growing the Team Conference Partners has announced two new appointments, reflecting the continued growth of the compan y.

Brenda Young has joined as International Associations Research Manager, and the Inter national Markets team has been expanded with the arrival of Ally Smith.

BEST CONFERENCE AGENCY

Conference Partners has won the award for Best Conference b y an Agency Conference Organiser in the 2016 ABPCO Excellence Awards. Jenny Marchmont, Account Manager, and Sarah Fitzpatrick, General Manager , received the award, which was given in recognition of the compan y’s successful delivery of ESOF 2016, the EuroScience Open F orum held in Manchester.

G7: Contract awarded

In the Italian year of the G7 Presidency, the G7 contract has been warded to the temporary grouping of companies headed by Ega Cong resses&Events for the “tur nkey” organisation of the Summit of Heads of State and Government, Taormina 26-27 May. EGA Congresses&Events heads a temporary grouping of companies

Expansion in Asia Pacific

Kenes Group has announced four new offices in the Asia Pacific region. Agreements have been signed with local companies, which have now joined the Kenes Group, and these partner companies will extend the services of Kenes locally, as well as adding their expertise in local languages and cultures.

Jason Ng, Managing Director, Kenes Asia, Kenes Group.

Brenda Young.

Ally Smith.

GLOBAL BUSINESS New Zealand’s biggest and most internationally connected con vention and event organiser, The Conference Company (TCC), on 14 F ebruary, opened its f irst dedicated of f-shore office in the hear t of Sydney’s CBD. TCC has been operating in Australia since 2008 and establishing a physical presence in Sydney, with its infrastructural advantages, will open up more Australian, Asia-Pacific and other international opportunities, driving global business.

Managing director and president of IAPCO Jan Tonkin says the Castlereagh St office, headed by Asia Pacific manager Stephen Nob le, was a significant investment for the company. “Face-time with clients and our industry partners is critical to the success of our business, so investing in Sydney bricks and mortar was a logical next step as we continue to develop our international connections,” Tonkin says.

Brian Yin Hong Bo, Country Manager, China Destination China.

EJ Fieldhouse, Country Manager South Korea, Kim’s Travel.

Wilbert Novero, Country Manager Philippines, Global Link MP.

Daily Challenges faced by Children CPO HANSER SERVICE has been organising the biennial Congress of the German Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (DGKJP) since 2007, consistently attracting more than 1500 participants. This year the meeting was held in Ulm, in southern Germany, and featured special symposia for pupils and teachers from local high schools as part of the programme.

In their da y-to-day lives, students and teachers have to deal with many situations and problems, and often feel ‘left alone’ with these conflicts.

The DGKJP cong ress helped them address their issues by providing support and suggesting solutions. The symposia provided the opportunity for students to discuss topics such as self-har ming and cyber-mobbing with expert psychiatrists, while teachers received specialist training in the subjects of ‘inclusion’ (with particular reference to refugees) and autism. As part of the meeting, the students were also asked to prepare their own contributions, which could include presentations, plays, or whatever they wanted to choose. All performances were rewarded with contributions of €100 for their class kitty.

CPO organises many congresses in the f ield of psychiatr y, and prides itself on contributing and providing support to various foundations that care for children with mental health illnesses.

New Brand, New Name

Kenes expands their presence in Latin America Kenes - the Dream Team gather in Vegas during IMEX America

The Kenes Team after successful IGCS – a great event!

including Studio 80 Group (a company) specialised in designing and building architectural works for communication activities) and Volume (a leading company in the f ield of technological audio, video and lights installations).

Kenes’s Madrid Office Season’s Greetings following successful end-year meetings

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

Ori Lahav, Kenes Group Kayo Nomura, Congress Corporation Alain Pittet, Congrex Switzerland Nicolette van Erven, Congress by design

Host 2018 Annual Meeting & General Assembly: Kayo Nomura, Congress Corporation

www.iapco.org

THE

PCO

International Association of Professional Congress Organisers

CASE STUDY Continuing the series of case studies from leading PCOs around the world

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 into 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.

professional team of fering strategic consultancy to suppor t SITO to f ind the right solutions.

This professional responsibility changed EGA’s original role from that of simple PCO for the annual SIT O congresses, to a 360° advisor, when SITO decided to tak e on the mission to directl y promote the culture of organ donation, creating FIPTO – the Italian Foundation for the Promotion of Or gan Transplants.

IAPCO 2016 ANNUAL SURVEY

FIPTO was born in April 2016 as a no-profit institution, with the mission of implementing communication projects and cultural initiatives. FIPTO works strategically in tandem with SITO (which it represents). EGA is responsible for the Foundation management as well as for the communication campaign.

SITO–Società Italiana Trapianti d’Organo (Italian Society for Organ Transplants)

Strategic Consulting as a new objective for PCO Association Management Powered by IAPCO Member: EGA, Professional Congress Organisers

The challenge To pilot medical-scientific associations towards the future The Italian Society for Or gan Transplants (SITO) has been acti ve in Ital y since 1966 promoting a knowledge of, and the performance of, organ transplants, and has recentl y celebrated the 40th edition of its Annual Conference bringing to the attention of the scientific community, the Italian institutions and the public opinion, the levels of excellence in Organ Transplantation that our country has reached as witnessed b y Italy’s presence amongst the f irst and most acti ve in the international field.

The Association’s activities were underlined with the approval of Law number 644 on the 2nd December 1975, the f irst time Ital y defined with state legislation, the criteria for cerebral death, to the bir th of the National Transplantation Centre, and through the continuing improvement of transplant techniques, including greater training resources, scientific research and an e ver growing dissemination of knowledge and results.

SITO has witnessed a continuing and positive escalation within its field, but the number of organs donated in Italy is still far too low both in terms of percentages and absolute data. A culture of organ donation has not developed at the same pace as the practice of or gan

transplantation and this is a photo graph that the Association could not ignore.

What can be done to promote a culture for organ donation? Ho w can this mission be included in the strate gic objectives already undertaken by the Association? What activities should be implemented? Ho w can the y be financed?

These are the principal questions that the Association’s Board has been debating as a result of w hich they invited EGA, (already responsible for the association’s management), to help them, and the Association’s Presidency, trace, research and develop concrete answers and solutions.

The solution In 2015 EGA for med a highl y specialized

From left to right: Ariella Neustadt (EGA), Pr ofessor Franco Citterio (FIPT O President), Valentina Lancella (EGA), Cristina Aru (EGA), Professor Umberto Cillo (SITO President), during the first FIPTO Board meeting at EGA headquarters.

The outcome FIPTO was officially presented to the w orld during the 40th SIT O National Cong ress, outlining its f irst innovational element: an ongoing relationship with all forms of media referring to transplants and or gan donation.

Online channels w ere identified through which to reach a possible larger audience and to raise awareness in the general pub lic and through the medical f ield. As a result of this strategy, over 400 articles in the general and online press, in-depth interviews and space in important national radio and tele vision programmes, and activities on Social Networks, have been achieved, thanks especially to the SITO-FIPTO tandem suppor ted by EGA. Other innovative communication and promotional activities are being created and will be undertaken in order to attract and maintain the attention of both the general pub lic and all national institutions.

Even if there is still a long w ay to go, the National Report on Transplantations 2016 gives good ne ws about the national attitude towards organ donations.

This result will certainly be improved in the future thanks to FIPTO’s communication campaign.

First FIPTO Board Meeting at EGA headquarters.

EVENTS’ CALENDAR

Year

Month

Date

Event

Location

Year

Month

Date

Event

Location

2017

May

11 – 14

IAPCO Council & Task Force Meetings

Gothenburg, Sweden

2018

Jan

07 – 10

PCMA Convening Leaders

Nashville, USA

16 – 18

IMEX Frankfurt

Frankfurt, Germany

June

11 – 14

PCMA Education Conference

New York, USA

15 – 17

IAPCO EDGE Florence

Florence, Italy

Feb

04 – 07

IAPCO Council Meetings

Osaka, Japan

13 – 15

The Meetings Show

London, UK

07 – 10

IAPCO Annual Meeting & General Assembly Tokyo, Japan

14 – 16

IBTM America

Florida, USA

06 – 08

IBTM Arabia

Abu Dhabi, UAE

July

28

Get Global

Sydney, Australia

14 – 15

Convene

Vilnius, Lithuania

Aug

12 – 15

ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition

Toronto, Canada

20 – 21

AIME

Melbourne, Australia

26 – 30

ECM Summer School

Dresden, Germany

Sept

01 – 03

CIBTM

Beijing, China

06 – 07

IBTM Latin America

Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico

13 – 16

IAPCO Council & Task Force Meetings

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

18 – 20

IAPCO EDGE Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Oct

Nov

23 – 25

ACE OF MICE Exhibition

Istanbul, Turkey

Mar

07 – 09

COCAL

Paraguay

11 – 13

ASAE Great Ideas Conference

Colorado Springs, USA

May

10 – 13

IAPCO Council & Task Force Meetings

Bologna, Italy

15 – 17

IMEX Frankfurt

Frankfurt, Germany

26 – 28

IT&CMA

Bangkok, Thailand

Oct

16 – 18

IMEX America

Las Vegas, USA

10 – 12

IMEX America

Las Vegas, USA

Nov

11 – 14

57th ICCA Congress

Dubai, UAE

17 – 18

Connect 17

Dublin, Ireland

27 – 29

IBTM World

Barcelona, Spain

11 – 13

IAPCO Council Meetings

Montreux, Switzerland

14 – 17

IAPCO Annual Meeting & General Assembly Basel, Switzerland

15 – 27

ITB Asia

Singapore

10

UIA Round Table Europe

Belgium, Brussels

12 – 15

56th ICCA Congress

Prague, Czech Republic

28 – 30

IBTM World

Barcelona, Spain

info@iapco.org

2019

Feb

www.iapco.org

This document is printed on FSC mix recycled Cocoon paper

READ MORE: Review extended case studies at the IAPCO website: www.iapco.org/publications/casestudies/