The PCO - 78 - Q2 2017 by IAPCO

THE

NEWS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL CONGRESS ORGANISERS

P C O Collaboration comes

Issue No. 78

in different forms Posing the question ‘compete or collaborate?’ to IAPCO members attending our Annual Conference in Dubai generated lively debate, not only between the panellists on stage but also amongst the audience. With collaboration a recurrent theme in discussions about the future of the global meetings world, the arguments for both sides were revealing. They swung from ‘when you collaborate Jan Tonkin, IAPCO President. that’s when magic happens’ to ‘when you compete you know you can deliver what you promise’ and back again. There were those who proposed that ‘it all depends on the context’ but, by the end of the debate, it was apparent that collaboration was the favoured approach.

Wanting to know whether others agreed with that approach we explored the subject of collaboration further at IMEX. Teaming up with PCMA and IPCAA as part of a new threeway education and networking initiative, we called on the observations of Martin Jensen (Lundbeck), Mathias Posch (ICS) and Roberta Kravitz, Executive Director, International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. Michelle Crowley (PCMA) encouraged the speakers to give their frank views about the realities of collaboration. The consensus seemed to be that collaboration only works when there is a clear benefit to both parties and they both want to contribute their strengths but they need to check in regularly with one another to ensure that continues to be the case.

Q2 2017

The PCMA Column

Inter nal dis tribution please for ward to:

Interview by Michelle Russel, Editor in Chief, Convene

In our second seminar at IMEX all three speakers – Ori Lahav (Kenes), Camilla Nyman (Göteborg & Co) and Angeline van den Breoecke, (Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre) enthusiastically embraced collaboration confirming the adage that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. Examples included a PCO tapping into a bureau’s advice in an unfamiliar destination, creating an event with many stakeholders to deliver an amazing legacy and delivering training within the meetings industry to fill a skills shortage. Regardless of the format of the collaboration, what makes for a great partnership is much aligned. It revolves around trust, clear communication, having responsibilities well-defined and a commitment by all involved to contribute to producing something better than they could working solo. When it comes to accessing a new market or needing a team on the ground in unfamiliar territory, that is the perfect time for an IAPCO member to call on another in that country to explore the chance to team up. Both have know-how and skills to bring to the project and, if my own experience is anything to go by, everyone certainly learns from one another. We also see collaboration making its presence felt in conference programmes as the lines between presentations and conversations become blurred. Fledging conferences are known to emerge from such environments which is hugely encouraging. So, while we may have been brought up to compete, it seems that collaboration, or perhaps more aptly described as co-opetition, is valuable in the meetings world.

‘A Terrific Right-Brain Business’ The PCMA European Influencers Summit will gather approximately 40 European business events leaders in Monte Carlo, Monaco, June 25–27, to address the future of the events industry. Summit presenter and European technology expert Inma Martinez will help put the audience in a future-focused frame of mind — a world, as she described it, in which artificial intelligence and robots are commonplace and a focus on rightbrain skills will be increasingly important. “When I speak with HR managers at major global banks, or the Deloittes of this world,” Martinez told Convene, “they ask, ‘What’s going to happen to the human capital in the workforce?’ I’m telling them, ‘You need to retrain workers to be right-brain people and do tasks that the machines will be

completely unable to do.’ This is the talk of the town right now: The link between artificial intelligence and human capital, and how you will combine both of them and how you will hire people for different skills. It’s not about because they went to a top Ivy League university. It’s a new society of skills and abstract values and knowledge.” Where do live events fit it? Martinez believes that “conferences are the business of humans and are very abstract things. One goes to a conference to acquire knowledge, but mostly to meet other people who can ignite ideas,” she said. “It’s a terrific right-brain business, which makes me really happy for you. It’s a business for the future.” To read more of Michelle’s interview with Inma Martinez, go to: www.pcmaconvene.org/design/howartificial-intelligence-will-elevatehuman-interaction/.

Council Meeting gets the Gothenburg effect Gothenburg underlined its importance to the meetings and conference industry when the IAPCO Council Meeting took place in one of its main meetings venues. Known as Gothia Towers, the venue features 1200 hotel rooms, restaurants, a spa as well as a range of places for delegates to

meet, and as such made the perfect destination in the run-up to IMEX Frankfurt and an appropriate place to look at the future of the Association “We were really impressed by the welcome that Gothenburg gave us,” says Sarah Storie-Pugh, IAPCO Executive Director, who liaised with them

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

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before and during the IAPCO Council Meeting. “It’s a huge relief for any organisation or association to be able to approach a partner with a series of needs and to know that they will be met and that your expectations will be exceeded. Gothenburg and Gothia Towers represented that perfect location

and venue. From the rooms we used to the excellent social events, the attention to detail shone through everywhere. Friendly, hospitable, professional, innovative and creative are just a few words to describe what we experienced and what anyone bringing an event to Gothenburg would receive.”

African Agenda Driving Excellence Innovation Elizabeth Winter of African Agenda was the celebrated winner of the IAPCO Driving Excellence Innovation Award 2016, as announced at the IMEX Gala Evening in Frankfurt. African Agenda’s award winning innovation was a “standing discussion”, a session which took participants out of their comfort zones and brought them

together to share ideas in a lively, structured discussion. The connection of improved cognition and physical movement to strengthen learning, improve memory retrieval, and enhance motivation and moral was an added bonus. Elizabeth stated that ‘Being innovative does not necessarily imply being an

IAPCO infographic goes around the world for #GMID17

Can one picture tell a whole story? That just might be the case, at least if the reception that the most recent IAPCO infographic received on social media is anything to go by. Designed to publicise good news for IAPCO members on Global Meetings Industry Day, the IAPCO Infographic highlighted the fact that employment figures have recovered to an all-time high after the financial crash of 2008, with 5761 full time staff members, compared to 5429 in 2015. Launched under the The Conference Partners International team, winners of the GMID17 hashtag #GMID17, the photoshoot.

inventor, we suggest it implies assessing a situation, a need, an audience, and crafting a concept in order to shape a solution. This is an example of that.’ The IAPCO Innovation Award, in its third year, attracted excellent quality and varied submissions. Three finalists each created a video describing their innovation, presented to the audience of the IAPCO Annual Meeting in Dubai for the final vote. The results were very close and both runners-up deserve recognition for their innovative concepts: Susan Kilcoyn, Conference Partners International for Connect16; and Ziv Izackov, Kenes Group, for a technological innovation for ESPID 2016. IAPCO twitter feed received over 16000 impressions in the first 24 hours. And in the meantime, 20 companies around the world took part in putting their faces to the statistics, using #weareIAPCO and #GMID17 to show the world what their employees looked like. From New Zealand to South Africa, across Europe and into Canada, a host of companies used Twitter to share their photos and, in so doing, publicised both IAPCO and what they do to the wider world.

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MEMBERS’ NEWS

The Future of Membership: Simulator in Action! A Transformation?

Can current membership schemes continue given the challenges associations are facing today? IAPCO PCO: KENES Group, Switzerland Professional associations have long been successful in delivering great benefits to their members and stakeholders and in many cases substantially contributing to their cause; but many working with associations are asking if this can continue given the challenges associations are facing today. All organisations nowadays are being reshaped by powerful socio-economic trends and those which are not able to adapt to these trends may not be able to survive. Membership has long been used as the “health check” for professional associations, with an increase in enrolments and a strong renewal rate hailed as the vital signs of a healthy society. Somewhat disturbingly, recent surveys indicate that over 50% of associations report they are not experiencing any growth in membership, with 24% indicating they are seeing a decrease. The new Kenes White Paper aims to outline the key trends facing professional associations today, in particular in regard to membership. It draws on research, industry insight, and the experience of Kenes Associations Worldwide (KAW), which is based on the management of membership for a number of medical and scientific societies. The White Paper does not intend to provide solutions, instead it provides information to aid discussion and decision making to ensure societies and associations can successfully adapt to this ever changing environment. White Paper: http://kenes-group.com/future-membership/

on Erasmus

Group site inspection reaching the rooftop of the central Electra Metropolis hotel in Athens

IAPCO PCO: ICOM for Organization, Marketing and Research, Egypt For the first time in Egypt, the simulator is in Action. ICOM took the lead to improve and develop new training methods for healthcare professionals and provide a risk-free learning environment.

ICOM formulated two successful events, each based on the simulator whereby the professors gave junior physicians their experience in stenting different cases. This gave each junior physician the opportunity to work as hands-on, on his own, in an environment similar to that of real life and to learn the tips and tricks of making detailed procedures without risking a patient’s life. The modules of the simulator provide a range of patient cases with distinguished anatomies and scenarios, facilitating knowledge-based and procedural-skills training for this procedure. It sets a new standard for medical education and the learning objectives are designed to fulfil both technical and cognitive skills acquisition for cardiologists and all members of the procedure team.

20-day lead time! IAPCO PCO: MCI India (Delhi) The 16th edition of International Myeloma Workshop (IMW) was organised in New Delhi, India from 1-4 March 2017 with an objective to discuss basic, pre-clinical and clinical aspects in the biology and treatment of multiple myeloma, with over 1000 delegates from across the globe in attendance. With what must surely be one of the shortest leadtimes, just 20 days, MCI India was successful in creating and delivering an immersive “India

Experience” to all 1300 delegates, 75% of whom were on their maiden trip to India. The culmination of the “India Experience” was the closing, silver plated, gala dinner with a smorgasbord of cultural and artistic performances from across India and a carefully and discerningly chosen Indian cuisine that left an indelible taste of the “India Experience” all attendees would like to preserve for posterity.

on International Conference Services, Canada, 40th Anniversary Party 2017 project plan designed and created by the kids of Erasmus’ staff at the New Year’s party

Franziska Kaltenegger, former President and owner of ICS, enjoying the cocktail reception at the ICS Vancouver office

Tsiknopempti celebrations in the office of Erasmus, part of the official carnival celebrations in Greece

Helmets on for the site inspection of the Makedonia Palace hotel (under renovation) in Thessaloniki

OFFICERS

ICS America Manager, Jennifer Brock, at the Vancouver Club

Mathias Posch, President of ICS, addressing the dinner party guests at the Vancouver Club

Gregg Vane, Chair, Local Organising Committee, for COSPAR 2018 and Dr. Sarwal, from the International Cancer Control Congress Association, at the Vancouver Club

Recognising the importance of the Ambassador IAPCO PCO: GUARANT International, Czech Republic Dr. Libor Prˇeucˇil (CIIRC – The Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics of the Czech Technical University in Prague) has been appointed the role of the Czech Ambassador (local host) for his part in securing a major win for Prague 2021. This very important technological meeting, the IEEE/IROS Conference, which focuses on Intelligent Robots and Systems, is one of the most prestigious global gatherings in the field of robotics. The conference exposes the latest trends and innovations in robotics and intelligent systems. More than 3000 participants are expected to attend along with a massive exhibition on the latest robotics technologies.

Prague’s success was greatly due to the reputation of the Czech client, Dr. Prˇeucˇil, however, GUARANT International and the client had worked hard together on the idea of bringing this event to the city for over a year. The challenging preparations included creating a bid, finding and getting support for the candidacy, and also the support of the final selection. At the end of this marathon-like process, Prague was invited to Deajon, South Korea, to face London in the final round. Other contributing factors to the win were the country’s open visa policy, safety and security – and not forgetting the inspirational beauty of Prague.

Awards, presented the Candidacy of the Year 2016 award to Dr. Prˇeucˇil for

getting this prestigious conference to Prague in 2021. Congratulations!

In further recognition of the part played by the event’s ambassador, the Prague Convention Bureau in April 2017, during their Ambassador

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

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

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DRIVING EXCELLENCE ICEBREAKER IS A REGISTER NOW FOR WINNER IN TAIPEI EDGE KL Meeting Professionals are invited to take part in a unique learning experience that is focused on a well-rounded 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 are serious about your career in the meetings industry, you should not miss this rare opportunity.

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 PROGRAMME

Monday 18 Sept – Day 1

Taipei’s first IAPCO EDGE Seminar took place, 17-19 April, attracting around 50 delegates from PCO companies, MICE hotels and associations. Said Jason Yeh, CEO of seminar host, GIS Group, “this is an amazing opportunity for us to learn more about the meetings industry on all aspects”. Whilst a number of topics were presented, the focus was on engagement to enable delegates to be fully interactive and to participate in a fun and thought provoking way. The event kicked-off with an Icebreaker challenging the delegates’ creativity with a local cultural touch. Delegates were asked to create a plate arrangement, from traditional snacks, that represented Taiwan. Without exception, everyone truly thought out of the box The winning team won the adding a number of Taiwanese icebreaker by presenting the elements to their plates including diversity of Taiwan with the signature Taipei 101, the Ghost traditional snacks. Festival and traditional Red Tortoise Cake. Jan Tonkin, a member of the faculty team and a judge for the Icebreaker, Mr. Bran Chiu from Taiwan External Trade Development had a hard time deciding the winner. “Every team did such a Council presented their plate wonderful job and we have learned so much about Taiwan in of traditional Red Tortoise Cake. just 30 minutes”, she said. The session on Finance and Sponsorship provided group exercises with specific challenges to solve, delivering not only useful practical content but also hands-on information for the delegates. “Being an association, I had no idea how much the PCO needs to manage; now I have a much better picture on how the financial planning of a meeting works,” said Dr. Wen-Chan Tsai, Taiwan Rheumatology Association. The seminar ended with Negotiation and Client Management as the last session, ranked as the most relevant topic by all dele- Delegates were divided into different teams for fruitful gates. After a role-play activity discussions and group work. among the teams, the faculty shared their insights and experience on negotiation. Case studies provided practical guidance and skills management for the delegates enabling them to think how to apply such learnings to different situations in reality. “I think group discussions and team play is a good way to learn more about other delegates and their thinking,” commented Karen Chu from Regent Taipei who appreciated the interactive arrangements throughout the seminar. The average overall satisfaction with the seminar was 92% with positive feedback from all sectors of the industry who were present. Now there is just one question left to be answered, “When will the second IAPCO EDGE seminar take place in Taipei?”

SETTING THE SCENE Introduction by host, Opening and Welcome, IAPCO, Introduction to the seminar content Icebreaker – Introduction to association meetings / trends and the new face of meetings

Tuesday 19 Sept – Day 2

Wednesday 20 Sept – Day 3

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT It’s more than budgeting • Sponsorship • Finance Part 1

MARKETING For the advanced publicist • Beyond the email blast Working Groups

• Finance Part 2 • Risk Management

Networking break EXPERT BIDDING MEETING DESIGN More than the Bid document Content is King • Winning Tactics • Programme Management • Site Inspections • Meeting Formats • Client decision-making Working Groups Working Groups

FINAL ROUND-UP • Client Expectations • General Summary • Certificate Ceremony Closing Lunch

Delegates taking a selfie with the faculty after the seminar.

This document is printed on FSC mix recycled Cocoon paper

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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.

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DESTINATION FOCUS Dubai reinforces support UNPACK LEISURELY for Associations with new HAMBURG! Best bet for the conference season on Basel Conference In the midst of the conference season Hamburg offers delegates great ways to unwind after a long day. There is no better time than now to discover the cool venues on the waterfront of Germany’s second largest metropolis.

Dubai will this year host a major new event dedicated to professional associations and trade bodies, with backing from the city’s tourism and trade bodies, as well as its largest convention centre. Set to take place 11–12 December 2017 at Dubai World Trade Centre, the Dubai Association Conference will welcome professionals from regional and international associations, government representatives, university faculties and students as well as other professionals with an interest in developing associations. The event is being organised by the Dubai Association Centre – a joint initiative of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in collaboration with the Dubai Department of

Tourism and Commerce Marketing and Dubai World Trade Centre. “We are confident that the Dubai Association Conference will greatly support our efforts in welcoming more associations to Dubai, offering an opportunity to experience first-hand the emirate’s innovative and cuttingedge knowledge and expertise that is available for each to tap into,” says Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing. The event is being organised in association with IAPCO, PCMA, ASAE, ICCA, The Global Association Hubs Partnership and MCI. To register or to find out more: www.dubaiassociationconference.com

GREAT T MIN NDS LIVE HERE MELBOURNE AUSTR RALIA

Whether you want to just watch the sunset, host a dinner or throw a party for a big crowd – Hamburg is a fantastic place for a leisurely night out. Along the shore of the River Elbe a huge array of beach clubs, bars and restaurants welcome both individual guests and groups of all sizes. For more of a maritime experience VIBRANT, SMART you can go on an AND OPEN-MINDED evening cruise or stay ashore and enjoy the – UNPACK HAMBURG! atmosphere of an eleThere is so much more packed into Hamburg than you gant freighter aboard might think. Discover the diverse opportunities of one of Europe’s most exciting meetings destinations. the “Cap San Diego”. Formerly used as a classic cargo ship it has been permanently anchored right opposite the harbour at the heart of town where it offers a beautiful location for all kinds of events. Just do as the locals do and relax with a beer at the railing while watching the ships go by. A taste you can always rely on, given that Hamburg boasts a long brewing tradition. Visit unpackhamburg.com to find out more about the city’s leisure options and hidden treasures.

Convention Centre Partner 2017

Building designed by Herzog & de Meuron © MCH Messe Basel

The luminous foyer forms the heart of the Congress Center Basel © MCH Messe Basel

HK SET TO WOW EVEN THE MOST EXPERIENCED

Hong Kong offers a slew of dazzling products and offerings, and new ones are popping up everywhere in the city, bringing excitement that will certainly wow even those experienced travelers. New products and offerings waiting to be discovered: Hong Kong Disneyland: The Iron Man Experience, which recently opened at Hong Kong Disneyland, is the first Disney theme park featuring the Marvel-themed ride. Disney Explorers Lodge: Hong Kong Disneyland’s newest resort opened its doors on 30 April 2017. The new Disney Explorers Lodge will be a visual feast with four themed gardens, three restaurants, and an outdoor pool that overlooks the South China Sea. Ocean Park Hong Kong Chill Out @ The South offers a unique alfresco wining and dining experience. Ocean Park Marriott Hotel, the theme park’s first-ever hotel with 471 rooms, to be opened in 2018. Water Park, Hong Kong’s first allweather water world, targeted to make a splash in 2018.

Congress Center’s link to the modern hall complex © MCH Messe Basel

• •

Come and mee et in Melbourne, Australia’s knowledge w capital. A city of great minds and a place where the world’s brightest thinkers gather to inspirre, innovate and deliver real change. Let Melbourne Convention Bureau help you deliver e an outstanding business event and powerful event legacy.

• • •

Basel is the biggest and most important exhibition site in Switzerland and one of the key locations in Europe

Kerry Hotel Hong Kong houses a 1756-square-metre pillar-less grand ballroom with a capacity for 1000 people in a banquet setting. It opened on 28 April 2017 and is one of the city’s largest ballrooms. And why the 28th? It is a good date to open for business, as it literally means “easy to prosper” in Cantonese phonetically.

For more inform mation, contact MCB representa e tive Fiona Chappell on +44 20 7836 7766

Looking for more fresh ideas for your next MICE event? Send your enquiry to helen.chan@hktb.com team and learn about the city’s latest products and offerings!

www.visitdubai.com

www.melbournecb.com.au

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The Montreal auditorium combines modernity, functionality and comfort

Contact: Letizia Elia Letizia.elia@congress.ch www.congress.ch / www.mch-group.com

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on IMEX

a very successful show It’s all about the Flow! Ori Lahav and Mathias Posch support IAPCO member OIC Group at their press conference launching EDGE Florence for January 2018

Once again, IMEX Frankfurt proved to be a busy, friendly and packed show. With meetings scheduled for all available slots, added to which were an unprecedented number of non-scheduled requests for meetings and information, the show definitely met the Association’s RoI. Seminars provided education on many levels and in different formats, stimulating discussion and debate. The requests for membership from PCOs wishing to prove their levels of excellence endorsed IAPCO’s standing as the Association representing quality standards for professional congress organisers.

Kayo Nomura, Congress Corporation, has opportunities to promote next IAPCO Annual Meeting in Tokyo, February 2018

CANADA’S DOWNTOWN IS THE PERFECT BACKDROP FOR YOUR NEXT INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS

One-to-one meetings on future EDGE education, on cementing CVB relationships, on enhancing partnership collaborations all endorsed the continual need for f2f opportunities. Networking was the key component and this was achieved in abundance, from EduMonday, the Association Day Evening, chatting on the show flow to the numerous social functions available each evening. Meeting about Meetings is what it’s all about!

Its prizes galore at the Toronto Breakfast, hosted by Alice Au, International Congress Business Events Toronto, with Christoph Raudonat, International Conferences Services, taking the top spot of 6 days holiday in Toronto

Karen Bollinger, Melbourne CVB, and Anne Jamieson, MCEC, give update on Centre expansion due to open 1 July 2018, plus insight into future business meetings, including venue design for the next generation. Jan Tonkin thanks Melbourne for their continued valued partnership

AMC provides insights into General Data Protection Reform (GDPR) which comes into effect May 2018. Danger ahead, we are warned, you need to do something now

Collaboration 360 – packed seminar for IAPCO Collaboration seminar – presenting 3 case studies of very different forms of collaboration: Angeline van de Broecke, KLCC, Ori Lahav, Kenes, and Camilla Nyman, Gothenburg, with (cl) Sissi Lignou, AFEA, the skilful moderator

Ben Hainsworth, Executive Director, K.I.T. Group, delivers an IAPCO Sharp EDGE Seminar to MEHK audience “Can a Regional Association Go Global?” – yes it can, demonstrating case studies to prove it

Alain Pittet, IAPCO Council member, winner of a trip to Dubai at destination partner dinner, with Steen Jakobsen and Holly Marshal from Dubai Business Events, hosts of evening function, after signing new partnership agreement

Get Together on the IAPCO stand, a great oppportunity to Meet Up with friends, colleagues, partners – the IAPCO family

Destinations support IAPCO at IMEX IAPCO Destination Partners took advantage of IMEX to renew their collaborative agreements with IAPCO. Re-signing, the five destinations committed to partnership agreements of between 18 months and 3 years, creating long-lasting relationships that work well for all concerned.

Contact: Alice Au aau@TORCVB.COM

www.seetorontonow.com

www.emirates.com

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These partnerships are designed to introduce IAPCO members to the benefits, facilities, services and expertise of the destinations; partners get to host targeted fam trips and advisory boards, to attend the IAPCO Annual Meeting (closed to all other industry sectors) and to have one-toone meetings with members of their choice. This is all in addition to extensive marketing and promotion. “We value the partnership with IAPCO; IAPCO is a family and, having had this relationship now for a number of years, we feel very much a part of that family”, said Alice Au of Business Events Toronto. “We had the privilege of hosting the Annual Meeting in Dubai earlier this year” added Steen

www.jumeirah.com

Andrea Weidinger, Head of Division Conventions, Hamburg CVB, and Jan Tonkin sign the renewal of the Hamburg/IAPCO partnership.

Partner hosted activities for IAPCO members at IMEX included breakfasts (Toronto and Hamburg), a lunch (Melbourne), a dinner (Dubai) and a lunchtime seminar (Hong Kong), all extremely well attended, some oversubscribed. Jan Tonkin with Kenneth Wong, GM of MICE HKTB, renewing MEHK’s three year corporate partnership agreement with IAPCO.

Jakobsen of Dubai Business Events, “which attracted the largest attendance outside of Europe of any IAPCO AM. We were extremely pleased with the outcome”.

www.klccconventioncentre.com

“This is a win-win situation” commented Fiona Chappell of Melbourne CVB, “we get to meet IAPCO members f2f, get to know them and to network in a very individual way; and they get expert destination know-how which allows them to select the right destination for the right client”.

www.goteborg.com/en/

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MEMBERS’ NEWS

PARTICIPANTS Dubai Nutrition Conference DOUBLE IN FLORENCE IAPCO PCO: MCI United Arab Emirates (Dubai) The goal of the United Arab Emirates is to increase the happiness quotient of the people living in the country. Following the same motto, that healthy living and a healthy environment together make happy people, Dubai Health Authority organised the Dubai Nutrition Conference, with the support of MCI Dubai. This 2nd edition of the Conference was designed to promote a healthy lifestyle and the sustainable use of materials in order to reduce, reuse and recycle the waste generated in addition to using eco-friendly material wherever possible.

IAPCO PCO: PLS Educational, Italy

The conference attended by over 625 dietitians, nutritionists, food scientists, physicians, and academicians from the MENA region, helped to achieve the objective of promoting Clinical Nutrition therapy by bringing together government entities, professional institutions, societies and associations that represent important and niche practices in the field of nutrition care. The conference has seen a growth of 14% in the last two years.

The ESSM Update A new approach to attract more (and younger) participants and members One of the photo submissions.

Following the success of the SIMPAR (Study in Multidisciplinary Pain Research), Congress in Florence, PLS have signed a long term agreement for the management of the event. SIMPAR 2017 was a record edition with more than 1200 participants as compared with 550 in Rome the previous year. 43 countries were represented, with 136 different sessions and workshops, and 162 speakers and chairs.

And the secret of the success: a great social media team was involved with the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram official accounts of the event exploding with activity! Science is made of connections, exchange of ideas and mutual stimulation; to make the connection from SIMPAR 2017 to SIMPAR 2018, the submitter of the most reflective picture of the Congress will be awarded with a free registration.

IAPCO PCO: CPO HANSER SERVICE, Germany register as congress participants and/or Sexual Medicine is an area of science to become an association member. To which is usually seen in the departachieve this goal, the ESSM estabments of urology and andrology but, in lished educational programmes such as fact, is a very interdisciplinary field the ESSM School, taking place every where knowledge about sexual mediyear for 10 days, and the ESSM cine is also important for scientists in Masterclass, among others. the fields of endocrinology, family medicine, gynecology, internal mediAt this years’ congress, which took cine, psychiatry, surgery, oncology and place in Nice, France, attracting psychology. approximately 1500 delegates, a new Since 2002, CPO HANSER SERVICE has been organising the Congress of the European Society of Sexual Medicine (ESSM), a major goal of which is education with an additional purpose to attract young scientists to

on Kenes: the team celebrates PURIM The jolly festival of Purim is celebrated every year on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar (late winter/early spring). There is a spirit of liveliness and fun that is unparalleled on the Jewish calendar. It is customary for children (and adults if they so desire) to dress up in costumes. Kenes’s Tel Aviv office was no exception as they enjoyed the day of celebrations. There is also a serious side. There are many CSR activities around Purim which Kenes totally embrace, such as making packages and donating them to a local hospital. The focus is on giving back to the community, which constitutes the spirit of these celebrations.

format was offered to young doctors: a special package at a reduced price to gain basic expertise in sexual medicine and to participate at the congress, called the “ESSM Update”. More than a hundred new delegates registered.

Exciting times Arinex turn up the Volume!

IAPCO PCO: TFI Group, United Kingdom Award-winning international PCO, TFI Group, has announced that Kumarakuru Kumar, its Financial Controller with support from Lodestar Events, has led a management buyout (MBO) of the business from the family of its founder, the late Peter Franks.

Commenting on plans for the business, Kumar said: “We expect to continue with our current business strategy, with further organic growth anticipated. Our team continues to build a strong pipeline of association opportunities with major organisations trusting TFI Group to manage their flagship international conference and domestic event programmes that are critical to them. We are also currently exploring a number of potential growth opportunities and the MBO allows us to look forward and control our own destiny.” TFI Group will continue to operate from its current head office in London SW1 with Lodestar Events bringing their considerable creative and production expertise to expand TFI’s full-service approach. Two new team members; Nick Goodhew and Aman Duggal have joined the Group.

Nick Goodhew, Project Manager.

Aman Duggal, Partnerships’ Manager.

IAPCO PCO: Arinex pty ltd, Australia Team members from Arinex recently took a break from the hustle and bustle of their desks to meet in Melbourne for a unique professional development opportunity and celebration of their company achievements. Over 2.5 days, with representatives from five interstate offices, the Arinex team were immersed in intense self-discovery, professional learning and cross-functional collaboration at the Crown Promenade in Melbourne. The in-house program ‘Turn Up The

Burundi IAPCO’s project in support of the Bubanza Hospital in Burundi is nearly finished, with the completion of the basketball court, the construction of which is ably supported by the children and staff of the hospital.

OFFICERS

Thank you – we are working for the basketball court.

Volume’ (TUTV) provided dedicated time to address the challenges faced in today’s modern age of conference management and to explore the best ways for companies to manage risks, foreseen or otherwise. Arinex COO, Tamara Kavalec, led the dynamic exchange and said “the risk in running a dramatically different interactive event delivered above and beyond our expectations”. Through a collaboration of key industry partners a highlight of the workshop was for the Arinex team to gain a bird’s eye view of the complexities their partners face from their own business perspectives. This open exchange of ideas provided an informative, rewarding and fulfilling company initiative, setting Arinex up to attract new opportunities to Australia beyond 2020. Tapping into their talent and passion, to architect and deliver inspiring experiences, the team is full of energy and excitement to generate a new wave of extraordinary events.

And the history of Purim: it commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from Haman’s plot “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day,” as recorded in the Megillah (book of Esther). On the 13th of Adar, the Jews mobilized and killed many of their enemies. On the 14th of Adar, they rested and celebrated. Purim means “lots” in ancient Persian. The holiday was thus named since Haman had thrown lots to determine when he would carry out his plot.

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

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

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PCO Landslide Research & Risk Reduction Meet AIMY! the AIM Group Mascot THE

International Association of Professional Congress Organisers

IAPCO PCO: Cankarjev dom, Slovenia At the time of the growing impacts of climate change and the increasing prevalence of natural disasters, the

Prof. Dr. Matjaž Mikoš, Dean of the Faculty of civil and geodetic engineering, University of Ljubljana, and the Director of the UNESCO Chair to reduce the risk of aquatic events.

question arises as to how to reduce the effects of the various forms of mudslides on society. Risk management systems are no longer just a national concern, they must engage all levels: individuals, institutions and the local community. The 4th World Landslide Forum, 29 May – 2 June, on Landslide Research and Risk Reduction for Advancing the Culture of Living with Natural Hazards, took place at the CD Congress Centre Ljubljana, jointly organised by the International Consortium on Landslides (Kyoto, Japan), the International Programme on Landslides (IPL), the University of Ljubljana and the Geological Survey of Slovenia and was held under the

honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Mr Borut Pahor.

The main challenge of the WLF4 is the global promotion of understanding and reducing landslide disaster risk and implementing sustainable development goals by taking into account the sweeping climate change and devastating natural disasters. Scientists, engineers, and researchers/ policy makers working in the area of landslide technology, landslide disaster investigation and landslide remediation were encouraged to share their work with the global community by submitting papers and presenting their work at the WLF4.

Okinawa look to the skies! Expanding the AIM Group International Team.

IAPCO PCO: Congress Corporation, Japan Contributor: Yuta Kato, IAPCO education alumni, who played a major role in the on-site operation for this event, contributed to this article from this event and was extremely keen Chengdu, in China’s Sichuan province, Okinawa recently hosted Routes Asia to maximize the potential of this Routes Asia’s 2012 host, which went 2017 and as a result anticipate a growth Routes Asia meeting. Timing is opporfrom 84 air routes prior to the conferin their airline business. tune with the inauguration of the ence to 98 post-conference, including Congress Corporation, headquartered second runway at Naha Airport, new gateways by British Airways and in Tokyo, was involved in the operation Okinawa’s gateway, as well looking Qatar Airways. This can truly be called of the Routes Asia 2017 Conference towards the much anticipated 2020 a legacy. held March 18-22 in Okinawa. Tokyo Olympic & Paralympic Games. Okinawa is well positioned to benefit “Routes” is the leading trade show and

Global Reach

IAPCO PCO: AIM Group International Author: Monice Freire, AIM Group Lisbon

To maximize a legacy however requires excellent organisation. Following the successful bid in which they played a major part, Congress Corporation managed the Routes Asia 2017 business sessions, seminars, exhibition and tour programmes, as well as planning and operating the social programme. And it was not all easy flying! Challenging parts of the event operation included the intricate setting up of the business discussion meetings in a temporary tent located outdoors, as well as converting a gymnasium into a beautiful dinner venue, complete with choreography that featured smoke, lasers and fireworks!

B-to-B conference dedicated to the global aviation industry. Attendees comprise professionals from airlines, airport companies and tourism/convention organisations, who gather to network and hold business discussions regarding air route development. “Routes Asia” draws some 1000 participants from over 100 airlines and 300 airport management companies. How does Okinawa benefit from Routes and receive a lasting legacy? Senior Routes decision-makers from airlines and key tourism development stakeholders attend the Routes business meetings, making this a valuable opportunity to enhance the visibility of the host destination. Destinations who have hosted Routes meetings in the past have benefited thereafter by increases both in the number of airlines serving the destination as well as cities served. A typical past example is

Okinawa is also looking to the future with IAPCO whereby members will have the opportunity to visit the city on a FAM trip being offered as part of the IAPCO AM&GA in Tokyo in February 2018.

Can’t wait to be on stage! IAPCO PCO: Mondial Congress & Events, Austria support of Core-PCO Mondial The Festspielhaus Bregenz is one of Congress & Events, tested this facility Europe’s major stages – quite literally. earlier this year at their traditional Not only does it attract large interScientific Evening, held as part of the national crowds each year to its Annual Spring Meeting. And what renowned theatre and opera performhappened? Some especially athletic ances, the venue’s stage itself is large delegates simply could not wait to get enough to accommodate a whole on stage and, without further ado, networking gathering! climbed or jumped the stage forgoing The Austrian Society of Hematology the more traditional steps available. and Clinical Oncology, with the

on Barceló Congresos These strategies will be implemented fully in some of the major recent wins of AIM Group which include the IFC’s Global Debt Mobilisation Conference (Madrid), the International Bar Association (Rome) and, further afield, the Reproductive Health Supply Coalition in 2017 in Dakar. Working with children with risk of social exclusion, organising fun games and educating on hygiene, ethics and nutrition

Good team spirit at our Annual Convention!!!

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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

André and Juan José conducting a strategy meeting for IAOMS during ICOMS 2017. Great hospitality by our destination partner MEHK!

CSR activity donating 18 recycled laptops and printers to a school for underprivileged children

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THE

PCO

International Association of Professional Congress Organisers

CASE STUDY

No. 19

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.

Mills could be the one. Heather lost her left leg below the knee in a motorcycle accident. She also crushed her pelvis, punctured her lung and split her head open. Ever since, she has been acting as an advocate for trauma survivors; even initiating the development of prosthetic limbs for athletes and inspiring millions with her charity work for people with disabilities. In her lecture “Overcoming Adversity and Living with a Disability” Heather Mills connected her own experience as a patient with her insight into prosthetics, expressing her gratitude to the surgeons who saved her life.

Getting to know... Conference Partners International

In addition, Heather insisted that her honorarium be donated to the Diakoniewerk Schladming, an Austrian institution dedicated to caring for people with disabilities and the elderly. Donation boxes were placed on site and all congress participants invited to make a contribution.

CPI has 76 members of staff spread across 4 offices, which are located in Belfast, Manchester and Edinburgh with the headquarters based in Dublin.

European Congress of Trauma and Emergency Surgery

IAPCO talks to Nicola McGrane, Managing Director, to find out more. When was the company founded and what industry changes have you seen? The company was originally founded almost 20 years ago in 1998, with the aim of bringing international conferences to Ireland, understandably there have been some considerable changes both within the industry in Ireland and on a larger global scale in that time. Here in Ireland many companies within the industry suffered a hit during the recession, and were forced to change their business model and approach as a result. Personally, I believe when something negative happens it gives us an opportunity to create change, which is the reason I diversified into the UK market and corporate/incentive sector.

24-26 April 2016, Vienna, Austria PCO: Mondial Congress & Events, Vienna

The challenge To include the ‘voice of the patient’ in a medical congress programme It is no exaggeration to say that trauma and emergency surgeons all over the world are saving lives on a daily basis. Any surgeon can speak of a job well done when a patient leaves his or her care in good health and is never seen again. After all, this usually means that the patient has fully recovered from trauma and injury. The fact that trauma and emergency surgeons are mainly needed in extreme situations understandably leads to a certain thematic bias in the programmes of their congresses. How can we stop the bleeding faster? How can bones mend cleaner? When can surgery be replaced by medication? These sober topics are all highly relevant and will continue to save more lives in the future. However, sometimes, seeing the other side can be of great benefit to the surgeon too. This was the train of thought of the European Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery (ESTES), who expressed the wish to have the voice of the patient represented at their 2016 congress in Vienna. While the patient’s well-being has ever been the top priority of the profession, the patient’s perspective was to be added as food for thought, as an incentive to reflect on one’s skills

The outcome

in relation to one’s patient. The challenge therefore was to give the patient a voice while still maintaining the technical and medical focus of the meeting as a whole.

The solution When we speak of inspirational moments at conferences, chances are that these will be experienced during keynote lectures. Keynote lectures often kick-start a congress with an opportunity to think outside the box and open the mind to what is to come in the programme that follows. The ECTES therefore decided that the patient’s voice was to be represented in a keynote lecture. As a high-profile speaker, entrepreneur, author, competitive skier and former model Heather

Heather Mills’ well-received keynote lecture left participants with a fresh perspective, which they could take with them to the more heavily scientific portion of the congress. Donation boxes placed at the venue served to remind delegates of the patient’s perspective and encouraged them to make a small financial contribution to their rehabilitation, which inevitably follows after the immediate experience of acute physical trauma has passed.

How do you manage the wellbeing of your team? Our people are what have made Conference Partners International as strong and as successful as it is today. For this reason, their wellbeing is of the upmost importance to me. In a stressful industry, it is vital that we take this into consideration if we wish to achieve the most from our team members. There are several initiatives that we have implemented over the years such as healthy eating with the delivery of fruit platters, two days off post conference allowing our operations team to recover, business book clubs, social days out, bring your dog to work day, early home on pay day and company team training which takes place throughout the year.

Diakoniewerk Schladming, the organisation that benefited from the donations, is a popular Austrian ski resort where Heather Mills – a successful para-athlete – frequently trains. Skiing is extremely popular but claims numerous victims each year with most of the fatalities due to traumatic injuries. By choosing a charitable association based in a winter sports region, it is to be hoped that proceeds will directly benefit the victims of skiing accidents. Heather Mills herself is a powerful voice in the skiing community and can act as a role model for many skiers worldwide. Thus, surgeons not only contribute to the treatment, but also make an active contribution to the long-term improvement of health and safety in sports – and what sport could represent the meeting’s host country better than skiing?

Why/ how do you value being an IAPCO member? We are proud to be an IAPCO accredited member and consider it an honour to be acknowledged among our peers. But the true value for me being a member of IAPCO is shared learning of experiences amongst friends and colleagues. The sense of belonging to a group of like-minded individuals is very powerful. This is what makes me return year on year. Quality education is what IAPCO stands for and is also something that we value within the business. In fact, we have introduced an incentive programme rewarding top performers with access to IAPCO seminars. Do you have a business tip you could share with us? If I was to give one tip in business it would be “Put people at the centre of your strategy”. Try to find people who are better than you when you are employing. Figure out what you are not good at and find people who are.

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

Read the interview in full at www.iapco.org/news

EVENTS’ CALENDAR Month

Date

Event

Location

Year

2017

July

Get Global

Sydney, Australia

2018

Aug

12 – 15

ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition

26 – 30 Sept

Oct

Nov

2018

Jan

Feb

Month

Date

Event

07 – 10

IAPCO Annual Meeting & General Assembly Tokyo, Japan

Toronto, Canada

06 – 08

IBTM Arabia

Abu Dhabi, UAE

ECM Summer School

Dresden, Germany

14 – 15

Convene

Vilnius, Lithuania

01 – 03

CIBTM

Beijing, China

20 – 21

AIME

Melbourne, Australia

06 – 07

IBTM Latin America

Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico Mar

Location

23 – 25

ACE OF MICE Exhibition

Istanbul, Turkey

07 – 09

COCAL

Paraguay

13 – 16

IAPCO Council & Task Force Meetings

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

18 – 20

IAPCO EDGE Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

11 – 13

ASAE Great Ideas Conference

Colorado Springs, USA

26 – 28

IT&CMA

Bangkok, Thailand

20 – 22

IT&CM China

Shanghai, China

10 – 12

IMEX America

Las Vegas, USA

May

10 – 13

IAPCO Council & Task Force Meetings

Bologna, Italy

17 – 18

Connect 17

Dublin, Ireland

15 – 17

IMEX Frankfurt

Frankfurt, Germany

Oct

16 – 18

IMEX America

Las Vegas, USA

Nov

11 – 14

57th ICCA Congress

Dubai, UAE

27 – 29

IBTM World

Barcelona, Spain

Jan

17 – 19

IAPCO EDGE The Hague

The Hague, The Netherlands

Feb

11 – 13

IAPCO Council Meetings

Montreux, Switzerland

14 – 17

IAPCO Annual Meeting & General Assembly Basel, Switzerland

TBC

IAPCO EDGE Munich

15 – 27

ITB Asia

Singapore

UIA Round Table Europe

Belgium, Brussels

12 – 15

56th ICCA Congress

Prague, Czech Republic

28 – 30

IBTM World

Barcelona, Spain

07 – 10

PCMA Convening Leaders

Nashville, USA

15 – 17

IAPCO EDGE Florence

Florence, Italy

04 – 06

IAPCO Council Meetings

Osaka, Japan

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2019

2020

Jan

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Munich, Germany

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Year