hq40
DESCRIPTION
The #40 of HQ EMEATRANSCRIPT
the EMEA Magazine for Association Executives Supported by ESAE, European Society of Association Executives, and UIA, Union of International Associations, Brussels
HEADQUARTERSMeeting Media CompanyMeetings Industry Publishers (Belgium)Afgiftekantoor 2800 Mechelen 1 Bureau de Dépôt 2800 Malines 1Published 6 times a year: February, April, June, September, October & DecemberEdition September 2010 - P3A9029
40
EVER-SURPRISING
MADRID
ESAE & UIA TALK ABOUT STRATEGY
MEETINGTRENDS
2010
E U R O P E , M I D D L E - E A S T, A F R I C A
HQ> M A R C E L ’ S P A G E
From now on, there will be a new subheader on the cover of Headquarters
Magazine: EMEA. With this change we want to involve two important areas -
read: continents - in the distribution of the magazine. The newest development
of the association market is not only occurring in Asia but also in the Gulf States
and Africa.
Europe, the Middle East and Africa, usually abbreviated to EMEA, is a regional
designation used for government, marketing and business purposes and has
primarily been utilized by American companies to point out their areas of
interest. The new action area of Headquarters Magazine in the Middle East
is concentrated in Dubai. Like Washington is the capital of international
association headquarters in the USA, Brussels in Europe and Singapore in
South-East Asia, Dubai has become the association capital for countries
from the Middle East.
There are signifi cant developments happening in the Gulf States that will
undoubtedly have an infl uence on the meetings industry. If the magazine The
Economist is to be believed, the Gulf Region will reign supreme in the interna-
tional air traffi c sector. Six months
ago the world’s highest skyscraper,
the Burj Kalifa in Dubai, was of-
fi cially inaugurated. Hundreds of
journalists attended the celebra-
tion. Only a few miles from there, Al
Maktoum International Airport, the
world’s largest airport, was opened
in July 2010. Similar things are
happening in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Doha International Airport in Qatar will open to the public within 18 months.
Congress capacity is being expanded at the same speed. It is evident that the
association industry will follow these developments with interest.
On the African continent, there is already a well-established player in the
congress world: South Africa. Big plans are ready for the construction of new
convention centres in Namibia, Tanzania and Kenya as well. Where the capital of
the African association headquarters will be is yet to be revealed.
There is an important task waiting for Europe within EMEA: the transfer
of knowledge and expertise in the area of association development and
management. I sincerely hope that the fi ve association industry capitals will
come together and form a union. And if you ask me, this might as well happen
in Brussels.
EMEA, EUROPE, THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
MARCEL A.M. VISSERSEditor in Chief
Europe, the Middle East and Africa, usually abbreviated to EMEA, is a regional designation used for government, marketing and business purposes and has primarily been utilized by American companies to point out their areas of interest. This is the new action area of Headquarters Magazine.
» READ MORE STORIES ON WWW.HEADQUARTERSMAGAZINE.COM
HEADQUARTERS 4
THE (MICRO)SITEThe initiators of the Meetings Forest created
their own (micro)website where the restora-
tion process can be closely monitored. It’s a
non-commercial project. The ultimate aim is
to give Mother Nature everything back, all
that the meetings industry has taken through-
out the years, by traveling by plane, produc-
ing carbon emissions, printing papers, not
recycling as we should have, and so on.
If you go to www.headquartersmagazine.com
you can click on the ‘Meetings Forest’ link on
the far right of your screen. What can you fi nd
there for now?
1. How to donate/to buy a tree?
2. Concept and history
3. Merging with SECC
4. Who got a Meeting Tree
5. How to contact us
We’ve tried to make it easy for you to linkup
with our sustainable project. Donating trees
or whatever you want (a whole grove, ani-
mals and even insects) is now beyond simple:
just follow the steps on our microsite. You
will then appear in the list of the generous
donators who contributed to making the very
fi rst Meetings Forest grow.
HQ> M E E T I N G S F O R E S T
The initiators of the Meetings Forest created their own (micro)website where the restoration process can be closely monitored. It’s a non-commercial project. The ultimate aim is to give Mother Nature everything back.
THE MEETINGS FOREST NOW HAS ITS OWN (MICRO)WEBSITE!
LIST OF DONATIONS
Since we merged with the SECC’s forest
in March 2010, trees were donated after
several events took place. The following
organisations have now become Sponsors
of the Dundreggan Project, as part of a
scheme through which individuals and
associations can fund specially-dedicated
trees and groves through Trees for Life.
+ The Educational Institute
+ Chartered Institute of Housing
In Scotland 2010
+ IOSH 2010
+ Geotex
+ Royal College of General
Practitioners 2010
+ Podium 2012 Event
+ Scottish Patient Safety Programme
+ Learning Session 6
+ FOCUS 2010
+ SQA Meeting
+ The 11th World Congress on Biosensors
+ Prolia Internal Launch Meeting
+ Scottish Enterprise Staff
Conference 2010
+ Skills Development Scotland
+ International Conference
on Posture & Wheeled Mobility
+ The 6th Research Forum of the
European Association for
Palliative Care 2010
+ American Society of Mechanical
Engineers (ASME) Gas Turbine Expo 2010
+ Emergency Planning Conference 2010
IN MARCH 2010, THE FIRST TREES OF OUR MEETINGS FOREST WERE PLANTED, AS PART
OF THE RESTORATION OF ONE OF THE OLDEST FORESTS IN EUROPE. THE GOAL IS, IN
COOPERATION WITH TREES FOR LIFE, THE SCOTTISH EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE
CENTRE (SECC) - AND OF COURSE THE WORLDWIDE MEETINGS INDUSTRY -, TO
REPOPULATE AN ANCIENT FOREST WITH TREES, ANIMALS, PLANTS, FLOWERS AND IN-
SECTS. AND WHO KNOWS, ONE DAY SOMEONE WILL BUILD A TREE HOUSE THERE WHERE
WE CAN MEET. THAT WILL BE THE VERY FIRST FOREST MEETING! TEXT MARCEL A.M. VISSERS
HQ> C O N T E N T S
CONTENTS
MARCEL’S PAGE 3
CONTENTS 5
NEWS 7
AIPC CONGRESS REPORT 10
ASSOCIATION PORTRAIT: EWMA 12
MEETING TRENDS FEATUREINTRODUCTION 14
AN ANALYSIS OF UIA AND ICCA STATISTICS 15
SECOND ANNUAL INCON SURVEY 18
TECHNOLOGY: HYBRID DIALOGUE 20
ESAE: STRATEGY FOR ASSOCIATIONS 22
UIA: STRATEGY: PATHS FORWARD 30
COVER FEATUREEVER-SURPRISING MADRID 32
DESTINATIONS
SCOTLAND: EICC 43
THE NETHERLANDS: NBTC IN GENEVA 45
SINGAPORE: SUNTEC INTERNATIONAL 49
CANADA: QUÉBEC 53
DESTINATION SUPPLEMENT > SOUTH AFRICA
Cover HQ40:
A new, beautiful terminal opened in Madrid in 2006.
Terminal 4 now sets the airport’s capacity to 70 million
passengers. And puts the Spanish capital even more on
the international map.
COLOPHONHQ OR HEADQUARTERS IS A NICHE PUBLICATION FOR EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIA-TIONS HEADQUARTERED IN BRUSSELS AND ALL MAJOR EUROPEAN CITIES DEALING WITH THE ORGANIZATION OF WORLDWIDE CONGRESSES. IT IS PUBLISHED 6 TIMES A YEAR. CIRCULATION IS 5000 COPIES.
SubscriptionsSubscription amounts to 65 EUR (all incl.) in Belgium, 75 EUR (all incl.) in the EU and 95 EUR (all incl.) in the rest of the world.The subscription entails 6 editions of HQ per year including the special edition Meeting Trends, as well as an online access to the website. To subscribe: www.headquartersmagazine.com
Editor in ChiefMarcel A.M.VissersT: +32 (0)3 226 88 [email protected]
Managing DirectorCécile Caiati-KochT: +32 (0)2 761 70 [email protected]
Editorial Offi cerRémi DévéT: +32 (0)2 761 70 54 [email protected]
EditorIgor Hendrickx
Design UPSILON advertising, GentT: +32 (0)9 267 39 [email protected]
PrintCartim - Destelbergen
Supported by ESAE and UIA
Address59, rue René Declercq B - 1150 Brussels (Belgium)T: +32 (0)2 761 70 50 F: +32 (0)2 761 70 51 www.headquartersmagazine.com
Responsible PublisherMeeting Media Company Marcel A.M. Vissers Mechelseplein 23, bus 1B - 2000 Antwerpen (Belgium)
HQ magazine sets great store by sustainable development and therefore chose environment-friendly FSC certifi ed paper which comes from a controlled source. More info: www.fsc.org ® FSC, A.C. FSC-SECR-0045
Cécile Caiati-Koch
Rémi Dévé
DATE:
MONDAY 20/09/201018:00
It will offer you the possibility:+ To meet Canadian destinations, hotels, congress
centres, convention bureaus and other meetings industry partners.
+ To hear about successful corporate and association meetings that took place in Canada.
+ To discover the meeting and incentive possibilities of the Land of the Maple Leaf.
+ To enjoy Canadian specialities.
CANADA WORKSHOP
5342PLACE:
CHALET ROBINSON, BRUSSELS
GENUINELY INTERESTED? REGISTER ON WWW.HEADQUARTERSMAGAZINE.COM > EVENTS
WWW.AUSTRIAN.COMWWW.MESSECONGRESS.ATWWW.VIENNA.CONVENTION.AT
HEADQUARTERS 7
HQ> H E A D Q U A R T E R S N E W S
MUTSCHLECHNER IS 2010 JMIC UNITY AWARD WINNER
Joint Meetings Industry
Council (JMIC) President
Leigh Harry has an-
nounced the winner of the
2010 JMIC Unity Award
as Christian Mutsch-
lechner, Director of the
Vienna Convention Bureau and past President
of both ICCA and the European Federation of
Conference Towns. The Unity Award is made
annually to an individual who represents the
spirit of JMIC, which is an organization devoted
to creating stronger relationships and greater
awareness of the Meetings Industry. The Award
is made each year based on criteria which
evaluate industry leadership and initiative.
www.themeetingsindustry.org
ITB ASIA ANNOUNCES ASSOCIATION DAY
ITB Asia 2010 will hold an Association Day 20-21
October. The specialist day-and-a-half associa-
tion event has been designed for destinations
and travel professionals who want to attract,
and better service, association congresses and
forums. Association Day will showcase best
practices and analyse the latest trends in what
is increasingly seen as a lucrative segment
of the travel industry. Association Day will
host best practice and practical tip sessions
on, ‘What Global Meeting Planners Look For
When Bringing Their Meetings to Asia’, ‘Future
Trends: Asia & The Global Meetings Industry’,
‘How to Improve the Financial Outcomes
of Your Meetings’, ‘Using Your Meetings to
Promote the Growth of Your Association’, ‘In
Conversation with Association CEOs’, and ‘Chal-
lenges and Opportunities for Associations in a
Changing Business Environment’.
www.itb-asia.com/associationsday
SECC UNDERLINES MEDICAL CONFERENCE CREDENTIALSThe Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre
(SECC) is the venue of choice for leading
national and European medical associations
to host four major conferences in 2012 and
2014. The events are set to attract over
5,300 medical professionals to Glasgow. First
will be the Society of Chiropodists & Podia-
trists Annual Professional Conference and
Exhibition in October 2012. The Royal College
of General Practitioners Annual Primary Care
Conference follows suit. In 2014, the SECC
will host 1,500 leading specialists at the Euro-
pean Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
The Infection Prevention Society will meet in
September 2014, with 700 delegates.
www.secc.co.uk
HKCEC HONOURED AS QUALITY BUILDING
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
(HKCEC) was the recipient of the Grand Award
in the non-residential category of Quality Build-
ing Award (QBA) 2010 for its second expansion.
A biennial award, QBA is co-organized by nine
leading professional organisations in Hong
Kong to acknowledge buildings with outstand-
ing quality. Part of the judging criteria was on
customer satisfaction, serviceability and per-
formance outcome. Completed in April 2009,
the second expansion has added almost
20,000 m2 of additional exhibition space
to the Centre.
www.hkcec.com
» SEND YOUR PRESS RELEASES TO [email protected]
REYKJAVÍK CONFERENCE CENTRE OPENING IN MAY 2011The offi cial opening and opening concert by
the Iceland Symphony Orchestra at Harpa,
Reykjavík’s new Concert Hall and Conference
Centre, will take place on 4 May 2011. On 14
May 2011, Harpa will also stage a grand opening
program featuring a diverse range of music
events and many of Iceland’s most prominent
musicians. The main concert hall, the largest of
four in the centre, is capable of accommodating
up to 1,800 people. A spacious entrance hall
is located on both the fi rst and second levels
and is the ideal space for exhibitions, large
banquets, and receptions.
www.harpa.is
Christian Mutschlechner
Reykjavík’s new Concert Hall and Conference Centre
HEADQUARTERS 9
MEET MICHELE SARAN OF THE CTC
Michele Saran was recently
promoted to the position of
Acting Executive Director,
Meetings, Conventions
and Incentive Travel at the
Canadian Tourism Commis-
sion. The mandate of the
group is to position Canada to a global audience
as the premier location for meetings travel. An
incentive travel expert for ten years, Michele
was instrumental in organizing the successful
‘Trailblazers’ annual event. She explains: ‘Canada
is a mighty, very active country whose values can
easily be translated into the meetings industry.
Nowhere else can you fi nd such an array of
meetings possibilities. And with the Winter Olym-
pics, it’s on the map as never before.’
www.meetings.canada.travel
VALENCIA CONFERENCE CENTRE WINS APEX AWARDThe Board of Directors of the International
Association of Congress Centres (AIPC) has
announced the Valencia Conference Centre
as the winner of the 2010 Apex Award for
‘World’s Best Convention Centre’. The AIPC
Apex Award is based on an extensive analysis
of customer input under the auspices of the
Faculty of Science, Politics and Economics
from the University of Brussels, and refl ects
an unbiased picture of centre performance
through the eyes of its customers. The analy-
sis covers a range of areas including such top-
ics as congress facilities, project management,
customer relations, catering and technology.
www.aipc.org
EU VAT RULE CHANGES TO IMPACT MEETINGS BUSINESSESThe EU VAT system is constantly changing,
presenting a major headache for all businesses
- but particularly those that trade cross-border.
2010 saw the introduction of the fi rst of a series
of fundamental changes to the EU VAT rules
that will be brought into effect over the course
of the next fi ve years. While the 2010 changes
impacted almost all businesses, to a greater or
lesser extent, the next change that will come
into force in January 2011 will specifi cally affect
businesses that organise conferences, meetings
and events. More news on that to follow.
LONDON’S FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE (ICC) OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED
Thursday 24th June marked the start of a new
era in business tourism for London. The Mayor
of London, Boris Johnson, offi cially launched
the Capital’s fi rst International Convention Cen-
tre at ExCeL London with ADNEC Chairman, His
Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan.
The new facility encompasses London’s largest
banqueting space ICC Capital Hall, the 5,000
tiered seater, ICC Auditorium, and a conference
suite, ICC Capital Suite, comprising 17 individual
meeting rooms for 50 to 2,500 delegates.
www.excel-london.co.uk
JOINING FORCES IN QUÉBEC CITYThe Québec City Convention Centre is joining
forces with ExpoCité to offer clients turnkey
exhibition and meeting solutions. The 19,000-
sqm exhibition space provides a capacity of up
to 6,500 delegates with an 850-stand exhibition
and of 18,500 delegates without exhibitions.
Both venues now work closely together to offer a
facilitating approach to meetings and exhibitions.
www.convention.qc.ca
WORLD PCO ALLIANCE SPREADS ITS WINGS IN AFRICA, EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS
The World PCO Alliance, launched last year
at IMEX 2009 with seven Asian members, an-
nounced that it recently expanded to comprise
15 Professional Conference Organisers (PCOs)
during IMEX2010 in Frankfurt. This cohesive
group was formed by motivated PCOs to
capitalize on the effi ciency of consolidating
regional conference and event services within
one network and has now spread its wings
to include new members from Africa, Europe
and the Americas. The World PCO Alliance’s
15 members have set out to exchange best
practice, improve service quality and stream-
line operations and sales in order to maximise
outcomes for clients and member PCOs.
www.worldpco.org
2010 MEETINGS INDUSTRY FAIRS WORLDWIDE: MAKE YOUR CHOICE!
CIBTM - Beijing // 31 August - 2 September 2010 // www.cibtm.com
Access 2010 - Hofburg Vienna // 4-5 October 2010 // www.access-austria.at
IT&CMA AND CTW ASIA-PACIFIC - Bangkok // 5-7 October 2010 // www.itcma.com.sg
EIBTM - Barcelona // 30 November - 2 December 2010 // www.eibtm.com» VISIT WWW.HEADQUARTERSMAGAZINE.COM
FOR MORE NEWS
Michelle Saran
NEW CONVENTION CENTRE IN ST. PETERSBURGExpoForum International Convention & Exhibition Centre in St Petersburg is a new venue for
meetings, conventions and events. Upon its opening in 2013, the Centre will be the most modern
and sophisticated convention complex in Russia, and will offer 100,000 m2 of space and be able
to welcome up to 10,000 delegates in total. In three years, the city will become an attractive and
fashionable destination for international congresses. www.expoforum.ru
HQ> H E A D Q U A R T E R S N E W S
WPCOA at IMEX 2010
HEADQUARTERS 10
Liverpool - let’s be honest, not the easiest
destination to get to for a lot of attendees –
organized the whole thing fl awlessly. As genu-
ine hosts for their worldwide peers, Jacquie
Rogers, ACC Liverpool General Manager, and
her staff managed the event with a fl amboy-
ant fl air. A perfect example of English excel-
lence in hosting prestigious conferences.
But what about the congress itself? The
ambitious programme, themed ‘A Multi-
dimensional Look at the Critical Processes
of Growth and Development’, attracted some
150 senior attendees from all over the world.
A variety of speakers presented their ideas
according to their fi eld of expertise: archi-
tecture, fi nance, economy and of course the
meetings industry.
What did we learn? That we are going through
diffi cult times and it is not over yet. Thanks to
some banks, some of us are in deep trouble
and we will see shifts from Europe to other
continents. So far nothing new...
Interesting to notice was that some speakers’
ideas did not always coincide: one said that
China would be playing a leading role soon,
while another argued India or even the USA
would be leading the world for the next 2 to 3
generations and that other BRIC countries may
encounter diffi culties in different fi elds, such
as population growth or politics.
But it was a bit of a pity that the presenta-
tion of the results of an interesting survey
held among AIPC members missed a dynamic
approach: the presentation came down to
reading the results! The subject was highly
appealing but missed depth. We concluded
in the end that a slight majority of congress
centres are still rather optimistic although it
remains clearly a buyers’ market.
The real highlight of the congress was the
presentation the maverick Englishman Will
Hutton who developed a totally new idea for
the meetings industry. A great speaker on top
of that who really brought the audience to life.
He argued that not just tourism should be the
focus of the meetings industry but the know-
ledge industry should be the main fi eld of inter-
est for collaboration (and with that he meant
not just the clinical knowledge, but all kinds of
knowledge). He said: ‘Join forces with clusters
of excellence, like universities, hospitals, etc.,
explore all kinds of knowledge industries in your
area because those people will always meet all
over the world’. As we are entering the know-
ledge era this will only grow in future.
Did I learn something there? Yes I did!
THE GOAL THE ORGANIZERS OF AIPC HAD SET FOR THE 2010 CONGRESS WAS ‘TO BRING
A VERY UNIQUE AND TARGETED PROGRAM FOR SENIOR CENTRE EXECUTIVES’. DID THEY
DELIVER? AND WHAT DID INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS LEARN FROM THIS CONGRESS?
REPORT CÉCILE CAIATI-KOCH
A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE 2010 AIPC CONGRES IN LIVERPOOL
Will Hutton
HQ> A I P C C O N G R E S S
Global Meetings & Events Exhibition Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain
30 November – 2 December 2010www.eibtm.com
Where The World MeetsBest for Business, Education and Networking
Register now at www.eibtm.com/hq
HEADQUARTERS 12
FOUNDED IN 1991, THE EUROPEAN WOUND MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION
(EWMA) AIMS TO PROMOTE THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION AND
RESEARCH INTO NATIVE EPIDEMIOLOGY, PATHOLOGY, DIAGNOSIS,
PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF WOUNDS OF ALL AETIOLOGIES. TERESA
KRAUSMANN, CONGRESS DIRECTOR, EXPLAINS HOW THE ASSOCIATION WORKS, ORGANIZES
MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES AND WHAT CHALLENGES IT’S HAD TO FACE OVER THE YEARS.
HQ: Could you explain
what EWMA is about?
Teresa Krausmann: EWMA is an umbrella
organisation linking 47 wound manage-
ment associations in 35 European countries.
Thereby EWMA currently represents 23,000+
members of multidisciplinary groups inter-
ested in wound management.
An important task for a European association
is to develop and maintain a strong liaison to
national associations in order to keep a good
level of information about national legisla-
tion, organisations and activities. EWMA also
works to reach its objectives by being an
educational resource, organising confer-
ences, contributing to international projects,
actively supporting the implementation of
existing knowledge and providing informa-
tion on all aspects of wound management.
HQ: What kind of challenges has the
association overcome in recent years?
Teresa Krausmann: In recent years EWMA
has grown immensely. The annual EWMA
conferences are attracting an increasing
number of participants and scientifi c ab-
stracts and EWMA has in previous years suc-
cessfully initiated and completed a number
of projects within research and education.
One of the challenges is naturally to keep
track of the objectives in the growth period.
Over the years, we’ve also had to move from
industry sponsorships to industry cooperation,
which implies a focus on the benefi ts for the as-
sociation as well as the industry. Another chal-
lenge has been to integrate continued medical
education within the scope of the conference.
HQ: What kind of events
do you organize?
Teresa Krausmann: EWMA organises its
annual conference in one of the bigger
European cities in May each year. Last May,
we went to Geneva - it was held in coopera-
tion with the Swiss Association for Wound
Care (SAfW), the Swiss German Section
and the Swiss French Section - and the next
EWMA conference will take place in Brussels.
In autumn next year an additional EWMA
Education Seminar (Master Class) will also
take place for the fi rst time.
HQ: How has it evolved
since the fi rst edition?
Teresa Krausmann: The conference has
in the last 10 years grown from 500/700
participants, primarily from the UK, to more
than 2,500 participants from 70 different
countries in Europe and the rest of the world.
HQ> A S S O C I A T I O N P O R T R A I T
THE EUROPEAN WOUND MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (EWMA)
A talk with Teresa Krausmann, Congress Director
EWMA 2010, Geneva
HEADQUARTERS 13
In 2010 the conference offered a total of 604
scientifi c presentations, compared to only
100-150 presentations 10 years ago.
HQ: What is the association’s
decision process concerning the
organization of a conference?
How do you decide where to go?
Teresa Krausmann: The EWMA council and
the EWMA Secretariat evaluates and selects
a number of countries based on scientifi c,
organisational, political and demographic
factors. As a next step, the selected cities
and venues are short-listed and asked to
forward a bid, developed in cooperation with
the EWMA Secretariat.
The cost of the venue, hotels and other
suppliers are naturally important, but EWMA
also pays specifi c attention to what the city
can offer with regards to:
1. Reaching the objectives of the association
- in relation to the actual European agenda
and the agenda of the host country.
2. Establishing good working conditions
based on the collaboration with local
vendors. Partnerships are of paramount
importance!
3. Assistance in negotiating clear, favourable
accommodation agreements.
4. Favourable public transport agreements
(free, if possible).
5. Subventions (if part of the package) and
marketing of the conference in public areas.
HQ: What kind of venues do you need
and what criteria must they satisfy?
Teresa Krausmann: EWMA is always look-
ing for venues with ‘atmosphere’. But as the
conference has grown rapidly in terms of
participants, number of parallel sessions and,
in particular, exhibition space needed, we do
most often end up sacrifi cing ‘atmosphere’ for
functionality. But we are still dreaming of fi nd-
ing the perfect combination of the two aspects.
In today’s world, criteria such as space,
distance to an international airport, number
of hotel rooms, etc., are still important. But
a factor such as ‘sustainability’, offering the
opportunity to have a ‘green meeting’ is
becoming increasingly important. However,
when that is said, one of the most important
success criteria is the cooperation with the
project managers at the venues and other
suppliers, and their willingness to adapt in
hectic situations.
HQ: How would you summarize
new trends in the association
congress world?
Teresa Krausmann: Association conferences
are met with higher demands for an active
exchange and implementation of knowledge.
Certifi ed education and active network-
ing are becoming increasingly important.
Sponsors do no longer just want to be
sponsors. They wish to enter a partnership
with the associations. The focus on ‘return
of investment’ or ‘return of objectives’ for all
stakeholders has led to more professionally
arranged meetings.
Social media and the ‘before and after life’
of the conferences have to be integrated and
we have to learn how to use properly the new
opportunities offered by technology in order
to maintain an active association which will
also be appealing for the next generations.
www.ewma.org
> A S S O C I A T I O N P O R T R A I T
EWMA’S PAST CONFERENCES
Year City/Country Theme
2010 Geneva, Switzerland Get the Timing Right
2009 Helsinki, Finland HELP in Helsinki -Healing, Educating,
Learning and Preventing in wound care
2008 Lisbon, Portugal Wound Management:
Wound Healing - Responsibility and Actions
2007 Glasgow, UK Evidence, Consensus and Driving the Agenda forward
2006 Prague, Czech Republic Innovation, Education, Implementation
2005 Stuttgart, Germany From the Laboratory to the Patient:
Future Organisation and Care of Problem Wounds
2004 Paris, France WUWHS 2004, co-hosted by EWMA
2003 Pisa, Italy Team-work in Wound Care – The Art of Healing
2002 Grenada, Spain Chronic Wounds and Quality of Life
2001 Dublin, Ireland Back to the Future
2000 Stockholm, Sweden Advances in Wound Management
Association conferences are met with higher demands for an active exchange and implementation of knowledge. Certifi ed education and active networking are becoming increasingly important.
HEADQUARTERS 14
HQ> M E E T I N G T R E N D S
WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THE NUMBERS WE GETTo say the meetings industry excels in
diversifi ed research material would be an ex-
aggeration. At best, we can fall back on four
sources, one maybe more valid than another.
UIA is backed by a long scientifi c tradition
(they started a computerized data storage
system in 1983). ICCA collects data based on
member input (the more work is done by the
members, the better the results will be).
Some convention bureaus build up their
own statistics (which means the basis for
comparison is lacking). JMIC, the Joint
Meetings Industry Council, initiated its own
research. A fi rst study, about the economic
impact of the Canadian meetings industry,
was published last year. It was a very good
start, but it’s hard to compare it with other
existing sources.
I have a clear opinion about the value of sta-
tistics: you have to be able to verify and
check
their value in
the long term. That’s
why I still prefer UIA, ICCA and JMIC. But let’s
focus on UIA for now.
UIA IS FISHING IN A BIG PONDWhere does UIA get its data? If you open
the report called International Meetings
Statistics for the year 2009, you can read
that ‘The data in this Report are drawn from
our International Congress Calendar, the
meeting database of UIA. The total number
of meetings in the UIA database in 2009 was
342,500.’ That’s quite a lot.
Let’s assume UIA’s congress department
works very hard to translate this data into
comprehensible numbers. Remarkable for
the stats of 2009 (and also for those of 2007
and 2008) is that new players are seeing the
light of day. Singapore was the number one
meetings hotspot for the fi rst time in 2008.
London has permanently lost its leading
role (for over ten years already), and Paris
is heading the same way,
if they’re not going to start
working on more and better means
of promotion.
Brussels holds the second place in the list. It
is not hard to understand why they imme-
diately sent a press release to tell the world
how successful they have been. Singapore
made it big news when they left everyone
far behind for the second time (618 type A
meetings in Singapore, compared to 388 in
Brussels, 287 in Vienna and 246 in Paris).
Who will ever catch up with them? It will
prove to be a very hard thing to do. And
do you know why? Because Singapore is
working with a ten-year plan and has a much
broader view on the meetings industry than
any other country. It also invests much more
in congress facilities than anyone else. Does
Brussels deserve its second place? Some
insiders are doubtful. The answer to this
question comes from UIA itself.
UIA statistics are a goldmine, though they are
not well known (enough) by the meetings indus-
try people. If I were a member of their research
team - and a decent talker - I would roam the
world to explain these numbers, not only quan-
titatively but also qualitatively, and I would take
a good look at the future. But for now, I’ll stay
with what I do best and be a publisher.
THE VALUE OF STATISTICSEVERY YEAR, DURING THE SUMMERTIME, THE MEETINGS
INDUSTRY GETS SOMEWHAT HEATED BY THE STATISTICS OF
UIA AND ICCA. I THINK THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DIFFER-
ENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO SOURCES IS BY NOW SETTLED.
BUT THIS SAYS NOTHING ABOUT THE
VALUE OF THE PUBLISHED MATE-
RIAL, EVEN TOUGH SOME INSIDERS
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
TEXT MARCEL A.M. VISSERS
HEADQUARTERS 15
> M E E T I N G T R E N D S
This year the ICCA Data researchers
have identifi ed 8,294 events which took
place in 2009, 800 events more than
were identifi ed last year. Partly this
refl ects the strength of the association
meetings market despite the economic
downturn; partly it is thanks to a record
number of ICCA members sending their
calendar information to help identify
new events.
ROTATION AND CONTINENTS47% of the meetings in the ICCA As-
sociation Database rotated worldwide
in 2009, which is a decrease of 3%
points compared to 2008. 30% of the
meetings rotated in Europe, 5.6% in
Asia/Pacifi c, 3.6% in Latin America
and 3.4% in Asia. The most remark-
able relative increase occurred in
Africa’s market share, which grew over
1% point compared to last year. This is
partly due to a project carried out by
ICCA Data to investigate the conti-
nent’s potential.
Even though Europe remained the
most popular region attracting the
highest number of meetings per
region, the percentage of meetings
organised in Europe has dropped
since last year continuing the trend
of decreasing their market share
(from 55.4% to 54.4%). Africa is
no longer the smallest region in
number of meetings organised; since
Africa’s market share increased, whilst
Oceania’s market share dropped.
Latin America gained about 1% point
with a market share of 10.4%. Asia’s
and North America’s market shares
remained relatively stable at respec-
tively 18% and 11%.
COUNTRIES AND CITIESAs has been the case since 2004, USA
and Germany are the number one and
two countries respectively measured
by the number of international meet-
ings organised in 2009. The USA is
widening its gap with Germany with 32
events, compared to the 2008 fi gures.
Spain remains third. Italy jumps from
6th to 4th place with an increase of
54 events compared to 2008, and the
THE ICCA RANKINGS COVER MEETINGS ORGANISED BY INTERNATIONAL
ASSOCIATIONS WHICH TAKE PLACE ON A REGULAR BASIS AND WHICH
ROTATE BETWEEN A MINIMUM OF THREE COUNTRIES, WITH AT LEAST
50 PARTICIPANTS. THE DATA REPRESENTS A ‘SNAPSHOT’ OF QUALIFYING
EVENTS IN THE ICCA ASSOCIATION DATABASE AS SAMPLED ON
11 MAY 2010. ICCA’S ASSOCIATION DATABASE IS DESIGNED AS A SALES AND
MARKETING RESOURCE FOR ITS MEMBERS TO TARGET FUTURE INTERNA-
TIONAL ASSOCIATION MEETINGS, WHICH IS WHY IT DOES NOT INCLUDE
ONE-OFF EVENTS OR THOSE WHICH DO NOT MOVE BETWEEN LOCATIONS.
ICCA - THE ASSOCIATION MEETING MARKET 2009 NUMBER OF MEETINGS PER COUNTRY
Ranking Country # Meetings
1 U.S.A. 595
2 Germany 458
3 Spain 360
4 Italy 350
5 United Kingdom 345
6 France 341
7 Brazil 293
8 Japan 257
9 China-P.R. 245
10 Austria 236
Netherlands 236
12 Switzerland 214
13 Canada 213
14 Sweden 184
15 Republic of Korea 176
16 Australia 169
17 Portugal 168
18 Denmark 151
19 Argentina 145
20 Belgium 130
21 Greece 128
22 Finland 124
23 Norway 120
24 Singapore 119
25 Turkey 118
26 Hungary 112
27 Mexico 107
28 Czech Republic 104
29 Poland 103
Thailand 103
31 Malaysia 96
32 Chinese Taipei 91
India 91
34 South Africa 90
35 Ireland 77
36 Chile 74
37 Colombia 71
38 Hong Kong, China-P.R. 67
39 Russia 48
40 Estonia 46
41 Slovenia 42
Uruguay 42
43 Peru 41
44 Croatia 38
45 United Arab Emirates 37
46 Lithuania 35
47 Romania 33
48 Egypt 32
Iceland 32
50 Indonesia 31
51 Philippines 30
Serbia 30
53 Morocco 28
New Zealand 28
55 Vietnam 27
56 Ecuador 26
57 Malta 25
58 Israel 23
59 Cyprus 21
60 Kenya 19
Slovak Republic 19
62 Latvia 18
63 Macao, China-P.R. 17
64 Panama 16
65 Costa Rica 15
Cuba 15
Nigeria 15
Puerto Rico 15
Venezuela 15
70 Bulgaria 14
Guatemala 14
Luxembourg 14
Tunisia 14
74 Ghana 12
Senegal 12
Uganda 12
77 Paraguay 11
Tanzania 11
79 Monaco 10
80 Bolivia 9
Honduras 9
Qatar 9
83 Ukraine 8
84 Bahrain 7
Dominican Republic 7
Sri Lanka 7
87 Cameroon 6
El Salvador 6Form.Yugosl.Rep.Macedonia
6
Kazakhstan 6
Pakistan 6
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. 6
93 Algeria 5
Barbados 5
Burkina Faso 5
Ivory Coast 5
Lebanon 5
Rwanda 5
Other 128
TOTAL 8,294
This year the ICCA Data researchers have identifi ed 8,294 events which took place in 2009, 800 events more than were identifi ed last year
United Kingdom remains 5th. China-P.R. and Austria (which
shares 10th place with The Netherlands) are newcomers in
the top 10.
HEADQUARTERS 16
For the fi fth year in a row, Vienna is the most popular city with
an increase of 21 meetings over 2008. Barcelona jumped from
3rd to 2nd place and Paris, who shared 1st place with Vienna
last year, is now 3rd. The only newcomer in the top 20 is Ma-
drid, at 13th place. www.iccaworld.com
> M E E T I N G T R E N D S
Ranking City # Meetings
1 Vienna 160
2 Barcelona 135
3 Paris 131
4 Berlin 129
5 Singapore 119
6 Copenhagen 103
7 Stockholm 102
8 Amsterdam 98
9 Lisbon 98
10 Beijing 96
11 Buenos Aires 90
Seoul 90
13 Budapest 87
Madrid 87
15 Prague 86
16 London 83
17 Istanbul 80
18 Sao Paulo 79
19 Bangkok 76
20 Athens 75
21 Brussels 73
22 Kuala Lumpur 72
23 Rome 69
24 Hong Kong 67
25 Taipei 64
26 Rio de Janeiro 62
27 Sydney, NSW 61
28 Shanghai 58
Tokyo 58
30 Montreal, QC 57
Zurich 57
32 Helsinki 56
33 Dublin 51
34 Oslo 50
35 Cape Town 49
36 Edinburgh 46
Munich 46
Vancouver, BC 46
39 Milan 43
40 Santiago de Chile 41
41 Geneva 39
42 Kyoto 37
43 Toronto, ON 36
44 Boston, MA 35
Tallinn 35
46 Lima 34
47 Göteborg 33
Mexico City 33
49 Glasgow 32
Warsaw 32
51 Hamburg 31
Washington, DC 31
53 Cracow 30
Melbourne, VIC 30
Valencia 30
Vilnius 30
57 Montevideo 29
Porto 29
Reykjavik 29
60 Cartagena 28
Jeju 28
New York City, NY 28
63 San Francisco, Ca 27
64 Brisbane, QLD 26
Florence 26
Ljubljana 26
New Delhi 26
68 Belgrade 25
Dresden 25
Dubai 25
Nice 25
Yokohama 25
73 Graz 24
74 Antalya 23
Rotterdam 23
76 Chicago, IL 22
Lyon 22
St. Petersburg 22
79 Basel 21
Bogota 21
Bordeaux 21
Cairo 21
Cologne 21
Manchester 21
85 Miami, FL 20
Trondheim 20
87 Bergen 19
Dubrovnik 19
Moscow 19
Québec City 19
91 Bali 18
Bucharest 18
Frankfurt 18
Hanoi 18
Los Angeles, CA 18
Manila 18
Torino 18
Venice 18
99 Gent 17
Maastricht 17Macao 17Quito 17Riga 17Sevilla 17The Hague 17Other 1,628
TOTAL 8,315
NUMBER OF MEETINGS PER CITY UNION OF INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS (UIA)INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS STATISTICS FOR THE YEAR 2009
FOR THE PAST 61 YEARS, THE UNION OF INTERNATIONAL
ASSOCIATIONS HAS UNDERTAKEN, FOR THE BENEFIT OF
ITS MEMBERS, STATISTICAL STUDIES ON THE PRECEDING
YEAR’S INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS. AS IN PREVIOUS YEARS,
THE REPORT IS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO THE PUBLIC
FOLLOWING A PERIOD OF THREE MONTHS EXCLUSIVE USE
BY UIA ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. THE STATISTICS ARE BASED
ON INFORMATION SYSTEMATICALLY COLLECTED BY THE UIA
CONGRESS DEPARTMENT AND SELECTED ACCORDING TO
STRICT CRITERIA MAINTAINED OVER THE YEARS, THUS
ENABLING MEANINGFUL COMPARISON FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
Meetings taken into consideration include those organized and/
or sponsored by the international organizations which appear
in the Yearbook of International Organizations and in the Inter-
national Congress Calendar, i.e.: the sittings of their principal
organs, congresses, conventions, symposia, regional sessions
grouping several countries, as well as some national meet-
ings with international participation organized by national
branches of international associations.
Not included are purely national meetings as well as those
of an exclusively religious, didactic, political, commercial, or
sporting nature, and corporate and incentive meetings, the
survey of these specifi c markets not being within the scope of
activities of
the UIA.
ADDITIONS TO THIS YEAR’S REPORTThis year, more prominence has been given to presenting data
which, due to the passage of time, can be considered to have
stabilized. The editors emphasize that the number of meetings
for the current reporting year (2009) is expected to be around
80 percent of that extracted from the database fi ve years hence.
HEADQUARTERS 17
> M E E T I N G T R E N D S
Ranking City # of meetingsPercentage of
all meetings
1 Singapore 689 6
2 Brussels 395 3.4
3 Paris 316 2.8
4 Vienna 311 2.7
5 Geneva 183 1.6
6 Berlin 171 1.5
7 Prague 170 1.5
8 Stockholm 159 1.4
9 Seoul 151 1.3
10 Barcelona 148 1.3
11 Tokyo 134 1.2
12 Copenhagen 127 1.1
13 Amsterdam 126 1.1
14 London 125 1.1
15 Lisbon 115 1
16 Budapest 108 0.9
17 Rome 104 0.9
18 New York 95 0.8
19 Maastricht 88 0.8
20 Washington DC 83 0.7
TOP INTERNATIONAL MEETING CITIES IN 2009
Ranking Country # of meetingsPercentage of
all meetings
1 USA 1085 9.4
2 Singapore 689 6
3 France 632 5.5
4 Germany 555 4.8
5 Japan 538 4.7
6 Belgium 470 4.1
7 Netherlands 458 4
8 Austria 421 3.7
9 Italy 391 3.4
10 Spain 365 3.2
11 Korea Rep 347 3
UK 347 3
12 Switzerland 336 2.9
13 Sweden 246 2.1
14 Canada 229 2
15 Australia 227 2
16 Czech Rep 199 1.7
17 Portugal 194 1.7
18 China 173 1.5
19 Finland 166 1.4
20 Denmark 162 1.4
TOP INTERNATIONAL MEETING COUNTRIES IN 2009
Since the 2008 edition of this report (pub-
lished in 2009), the UIA meetings database
has been enriched by connecting it more
closely to its sister database on international
organizations, the source of the Yearbook of
International Organizations. This enhances
the data available across the time scale and
in particular enables historical surveys of
international organization meeting activity
as far back as 1850. It has also affected the
rate of change in data, giving an exceptional
boost to the numbers presented as of the
report for 2008 (published in 2009).
CRITERIAUIA divides meetings in 3 categories : meet-
ings of international organizations, 3-day
other international meetings and 2-day
other international meetings.
Meetings of international organizations are
organized or sponsored by ‘international
organizations’ included in the UIA’s Yearbook
of International Organizations, with at least
50 participants. 3-day other international
meetings are not organized or sponsored by
‘international organizations’ but nonethe-
less of signifi cant international character,
with at least 40% of participants who are
from countries other than the host country,
with at least 5 different nationalities, lasting
at least 3 days, with either a concurrent
exhibition or at least 300 participants.
2-day other international meetings are not
organized or sponsored by ‘international
organizations’ but nonetheless of signifi cant
international character, with at least 40% of
participants who are from countries other
than the host country, with at least 5 differ-
ent nationalities, lasting at least 2 days, with
either a concurrent exhibition or at least
250 participants.
www.uia.org
AUSTRALASIA / PACIFIC
AFRICA
AMERICA (NORTH & SOUTH)
ASIA
EUROPE
54.1%23.1%
15.7%
2,4%4.9%
The worldwide breakdown (market share) for meetings in 2009 by continent is:
Since the 2008 edition of this report (published in 2009), the UIA meetings database has been enriched by connecting it more closely to its sister database on international organizations, the source of the Yearbook of International Organizations
HEADQUARTERS 18
> M E E T I N G T R E N D S
2009 EMERGING TRENDS IN ASSOCIATION BUSINESSAnalysis of the 2009 INCON survey high-
lighted Procurement, Marketing, CSR and
Green Concerns as major emerging trends
in the associations conference market in
2009/2010 (see table 1). Partners were asked
their opinions on these trends and whether
they were in fact key trends this year.
+ PROCUREMENT
Clients are demanding more
value, visibility and control
over any profi t made
An overwhelming majority of partners
(97%) stated that clients are demand-
ing more visibility across all cost
elements in a conference and/or
event. Of the partners ques-
tioned, 83% responded that
clients are also demanding
more transparency across
all cost elements.
A very strong 83% major-
ity of partners stated that
clients are increasingly aware
of the value of their conference and/
or event and now seek to leverage this fully.
An overwhelming 90% majority responded
that they agreed that clients want to know,
limit and control the profi t made by a PCO
on their conference and/or event. And of
the INCON partners questioned, 73% stated
that clients expect to share in any uplift of
profi t experienced by a PCO.
+ MARKETING
PCOs are providing an increasing
amount of marcom services and
digital marcom services are rapidly
on the increase
Marketing trends are moving to change
with market need and client demand. A
majority (83%) of partners agreed that
PCOs are providing an increasing amount
of marcom services in 2010 than previously.
77% disagreed that the use of traditional
marketing services - print collateral creation
etc. - is on the increase. A unanimous 100%
of respondents agreed that social media is
being harnessed to enhance the marketing of
events and conferences.
Increasing importance of CSR/green
concerns and a strong green policy
CSR and green concerns are hot topics. A
majority of 53% of partners answering the
survey stated that they gave preference
to venues, hotels and suppliers that have
detailed environmental policies in place to
reduce waste generation and recycle waste
materials. Green modes of transport for
delegate transfers between hotels and exhi-
bition halls are promoted by a 77% majority
of partners where possible, such as walking
or using public transport. A 67% majority
of partners favour exhibitors who minimise
packing materials and use recyclable or reus-
able products.
An 83% majority of partners agree that a
concerted effort is being made to keep mar-
keting collateral online and avoid printing the
conference abstract books, handouts etc. by
FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, INCON, THE INTERNATIONAL
PARTNERSHIP OF SOME OF THE WORLD’S LEADING CONFERENCE,
MEETING AND EVENT ORGANIZERS, PUBLISHED AN OVERVIEW
OF THE GLOBAL ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE MARKET IN 2010.
THE SURVEY PROVIDES A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT ITS PARTNERS ARE
EXPERIENCING, HOW THEY ARE DEALING WITH IT, AS MUCH AS IT LOOKS
AHEAD PROJECTING HOPEFUL PREDICTIONS FOR 2011. HERE ARE ITS
RESULTS CONCERNING THE NEW TRENDS IN THE ASSOCIATION MARKET.
SECOND ANNUAL INCON SURVEY OF THE GLOBAL ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE MARKET
HEADQUARTERS 19
issuing delegates with USB sticks, CD Roms
or making data accessible online. A majority
of 63% of events organisers recognise that
large scale events do not have to have huge
climate impact and are making efforts to be-
come low carbon or even carbon-neutral. Of
those questioned, 53% of partners now also
give the client the opportunity to support a
charity of their choice.
Surprisingly, a 63% majority disagreed
that the Copenhagen Sustainable Meetings
Protocol from COP15 has signifi cant implica-
tions for the PCO industry. When asked to
elaborate, they responded that they felt the
COP15 guidelines were a fantastic tool to
create and manage major green events and
that they raise awareness and give visibility
to green causes. Several partners however
indicated that implementing COP15 would
prove challenging to the PCO in that it would
have to convince the client of the benefi t of
investing money in the initiatives.
PERCEPTION OF VALUE AND BUDGETING IDENTIFIED AS KEY NEW TRENDS FOR 2010/2011Partners were asked to identify what new
trends they thought would be of key impor-
tance in the 2010/2011 association market.
The survey indicates that the major new
trends in the associations conference market
in 2010/2011 are:
1. Perception of Value (37%)
2. Budgeting (17%)
3. IT & Technology (13%)
4. Procurement and CSR (both 10%)
5. The Impact of Regulations (Pharma Codes)
and Marketing (both 3%)
Health and Safety, Security and a move
away from luxury in destination selection
were surprisingly not cited as key trends (all
gaining null responses) and one other trend
that partners cited as being infl uential was
leveraging conference content.
For the complete survey,
visit www.incon-pco.com
INCON is an international partnership of the world’s leading conference, meeting and event organisers. INCON Partners operate locally, nationally, regionally and globally from 32 countries. INCON Partners operate from 75 destinations in 36 countries employing 2,000 staff, annually organising 6,600 projects, serving 650,000 delegates, procuring 2,850,000 hotel bed nights and managing budgets in excess of half a billion euro.
> M E E T I N G T R E N D S
1 2 3 4 5
What are the top new trends in the association market
for 2009/2010 in rank order?
Procurement
Marketing
CSR
IT & Technologie
Health and Safety
Security
(1 as most important, 5 as least)
60%
30%
20%
10% 60% 10% 20%
20%
20% 20%
30%
30% 30%
50%
20% 40% 20%
30% 20% 20%
10% 10%20%
Analysis of the 2009 INCON survey highlighted Procurement, Marketing, CSR and Green Concerns as major emerging trends in the associations conference market in 2009/2010
IMPACT OF REGULATIONS (PHARMA CODES)
OTHER
CSR
IT&TECHNOLOGY
PROCUREMENT
MARKETING
BUDGETING
PERCEPTION OF VALUE
37%
17%10%
13%
10%
7%
3%
3%
What in your opinion is the top new trend
in the association market for 2010/2011?
HEADQUARTERS 20
> M E E T I N G T R E N D S
HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? I have always expressed my views and experi-
ences online and, by doing so, it seems I have
captured the interest of an audience I never
connected with before in real life but who
wanted to be connected with me virtually.
I then developed in-depth online conversa-
tions with some of them and even got to
meet them for real. It was no chance meeting
of course as it was prepared by online con-
nections on events, interest groups, trippit
travel, Dopplr destination profi les, Four-
square and Gowalla location based tracking
and networking systems.
But what I had never realised is that the qual-
ity and intensity of the trust built up through
our online discussions actually allowed for
both parties to build up a level of trust in real
life almost instantly. By preparing the meet-
ings online with people that are of interest
to you and that you value dialogue with, you
save valuable time.
Simply put, by personally being open to con-
tinuous learning, by reading, researching and
writing (micro)blogs, articles, videos and im-
ages and teaching students about our meeting
industry, it occurred to me that we are in the
midst of the communication [r]evolution.
We are all learning to read, write and speak a
newly developing language: the language of
connectivity, thanks to the developments of
a new technology. We are exploring, discovering
and trying new options. New media allow us
to experiment with geolocation, peer-to-
peer chat, write to a global audience and
comment on topics that are of interest to us
on blogs and microblog posts. Hierarchy is
no longer relevant, insight and interest are.
Traditional communication pyramids are tum-
bling down under the speed and relevance of
online dialogue and conversation.
I would now like to point out the develop-
ments that I’ve found most useful in post
event dialogue for membership-based organi-
sations. I will name, like in my previous HQ
article, 7 randomly selected tools that I use
on a daily basis in my organisation ©TNOC |
The New Objective Collective to stay in touch
effectively.
POSTEROUS - so you know a blog can be
benefi cial to drive traffi c to your organisa-
tion. You’ve written an article from time to
time, but just can’t get into the rhythm of
writing periodically? Just what I felt when I
started. As a matter of fact, Posterous is the
fi rst ever free tool I’ve encountered where
you don’t need to create a user account. Just
send a mail to [email protected] and your
blog has started. Easily confi gurable, good-
looking and used by the pros that do not care
to spend lots of time in crafting a Wordpress,
Bloger or Typepad stylesheet based blog.
WHICH OF THE BELOW HAVE YOU FOUND TO BE TRUE IF YOU
THINK OF THE MEETINGS YOU’VE RECENTLY HAD IN YOUR
CAREER AS AN ASSOCIATIONS PROFESSIONAL? A) ‘TERRIFIC
TO FINALLY MEET YOU IN PERSON!’ B) ‘I JUST DON’T SEEM
THE HAVE THE TIME TO GET MYSELF CONNECTED’ C) ‘HOW DO
YOU MANAGE TO BE SO ACTIVE IN YOUR ONLINE CONTACTS?’
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF YOU ARE STUCK IN CATEGORY B) AND WONDERING WHAT THE
FUSS IS ALL ABOUT, THIS ARTICLE IS FOR YOU. I WILL CITE MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
AND SHARE 7 TOOLS I USE IN MY ORGANISATION THAT HAVE TRANSFORMED THE WAY I
WORK, COMMUNICATE AND FUNCTION IN A CONNECTED HYBRID PLAYING FIELD.
TEXT RUUD JANSSEN ©TNOC - THE NEW OBJECTIVE COLLECTIVE
WHEN WORLDS COLLIDEHow hybrid dialogue can lead to real life connections
Ruud Janssen
POSTEROUSG O O G L E A L E RTS A N D G O O G L E R E A D E R
FOURSQUARE
BEAMME
Ustream Livestream
Watchitoo
HEADQUARTERS 21
GOOGLE ALERTS AND GOOGLE READER -
a place to setup your social fi lters and let
Google readers do the work for you. Type in
the tags and word combinations you want to
monitor and the information is fi ltered for you.
BEAMME, GOWALLA, FOURSQUARE - Let people
know where you are and when you are there.
Make meetings happen and prepare your
encounters when you do have the time. Us-
ing Apps like Gowalla and Foursquare, (any
device will do using a browser or resident
Apps on iPhone) you can be found and you
can fi nd others. Certainly at large events and
tradeshows this can be very useful to meet
up with your hybrid dialogue counterparts.
BeamMe is a location based tool that looks
for links in contacts that could match your
profi le in your direct vicinity based on your
geolocation and Linkedin profi le. Both
Foursquare and Gowalla were succesfully
launched at an interactive Conference, Music
and Film festival in Texas called South by
Southwest (SXSW) and are now growing
quickly globally. They are more pure location
based systems to track and share photos
and details, tips of where you currently are.
Watch out for these technologies and how
your audience uses them. They may just
become as popular as Twitter!
HOOTSUITE - the professional backoffi ce for
any serious new media user. Hootsuite has just
revamped their service in HTML 5 and allows
you to post status updates, tweets to profi les
in just about any social media feed including
Twitter, Facebook (pages, groups and personal
pages), Linkedin. It also allows you to track
specifi c Twitter #hashtags which are used a
group discussion topics or to communicate
to large groups of followers during an event
(for instance #worldcup or #g20) Hootsuite
also has a way of tracking links and providing
statistics through Google Analytics to back-
track who, where and through what channel is
engaging in discussions with you or amplify-
ing your message through their networks.
Hootsuite now also provides ways for teams to
service multiple accounts and have a division
of tasks and responsibilities to service com-
ments and requests for your organisation.
USTREAM, LIVESTREAM AND WATCHITOO
- picture a broadcasting studio right in your
browser. This is now commonly available and
I advise you to experiment in viewing (and
later streaming) your own broadcasts or event
stream in a click of a button. Try it, it’s fasci-
nating and very easy. A number of these solu-
tions allows you to craft bespoke channels for
your organisation and even mix signals from
past video recording, stills and live streams.
TWUBS - Hashtags made useful. Originally
developed for church volunteer communities in
the United States but now modifi ed and adapt-
ed to make hashtags useful for (live) events.
This tool is particularly helpful if you want to
combine existing twitter audiences used to the
semantics of the Twitter Haiku and those who
do not have a clue how Twitter works.
Imagine a twub to be a hub for all the digital di-
alogue around your event all wrapped into one
online place. The multimedia, tweets, photos,
conversations automatically translated into
English, are presented in a bespoke browser
window. Also you can extract a moderated
backchannel from the twub to be presented
on a screen in your breakout area or beside
the main stage. Twubs broadcast screens can
be moderated for speed, content and styled to
refl ect the look and feel of your branding.
SOCIAL MENTION - get a sense of the senti-
ment around your brand, organisation or
congress. What are people saying in their
online communication? Is it positive, nega-
tive or neutral? How many ‘friends’ do you
have and where can you fi nd/reach them? try
it on www.socialmention.com it simple and its
free. No login required!
DIGITAL DASHBOARD - After you start seeing
the benefi ts of crafting a strategy for your
digital footprint, you are ready to develop
messaging and dialogue strategy. Whether
you are developing this competency in house
by trial and error (big time investment) or
by collaborating with a specialised service
provider that knows your industry, make
sure you have your measuring stick ready
to benchmark where you start and how
your footprint grows. TNOC has developed
a customised New Media Dash Board which
integrates the boundless statistics which can
be found into one practical overview. Details
can be found at www.tnoc.ch.
Ruud Janssen is a veteran international conference organiser, marketing coach, award winning e-market-eer, association volunteer leader, Board member on the International Board of Directors of MPI, emerging technologies speaker and entrepreneur at ©TNOC | The New Objective Collective.
> M E E T I N G T R E N D S
GOWALLA HOOTSUITE
TWUBS
S O C I A L M E N T I O N
DIGITAL DASHBOARD
TNOC
HEADQUARTERS 22
Like many association executives, I have
been involved in the organization of scores
of events over the years. Since my associa-
tion has global membership, I have witnessed
fi rsthand a variety of conditions in many
countries where we have held conferences.
When the destination of choice had a profes-
sional and effi ciently operated convention
bureau, it was a pleasure to stage the event,
knowing that we could count on objective
and sound advice. However, when that was
not the case, I have not hesitated to insist
that I would not deal with a bureau that was
not up to the required standard.
This year, my association organized its annu-
al event on home ground in Paris. The Paris
Convention Bureau was very much involved
and instrumental in bringing the conference
to the city. On the occasion of the departure
of Elodie Coudre, who accompanied us in this
venture, from the bureau, I would like to pay
tribute to all convention bureau staff mem-
bers who diligently cooperated to ensure the
success of our events.
The Paris Convention Bureau’s special task
force for associations is a relatively recent
venture. Being based in Paris, I was able to
observe how Elodie strategically developed
this special team by:
+ Listening to the needs of the clients;
+ Convincing the key decision-makers of the
importance of association events for the city;
+ Negotiating with venues to ensure that the
association concerned would receive the
best service possible;
+ Travelling tirelessly to promote Paris and
confi dently presenting the many assets
of this beautiful city;
+ Securing the necessary conditions for
the team to operate professionally
(e.g. appropriate software);
+ Campaigning for almost two years until
stakeholders in the city agreed on a code
of conduct for association events.
Her accomplishments are all the more impres-
sive because they come at the very start of
what, no doubt, is going to be a brilliant career.
Like many other convention bureaus, Paris
now has an ambassador’s programme, thanks
to Elodie. It is precisely this initiative which
drove me to write this column: I and many of
my association colleagues have been named
ambassadors of selected destinations, but
in reality Elodie and people like her are the
true ambassadors of the destination they
represent. I would like to pay tribute to all the
people who promote their cities passionately
while providing sound advice to association
executives like me so that our events are
successful.
www.esae.org
THIS COLUMN WILL BE SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT FROM THE USUAL ONES. INDEED,
IT CONCERNS A RATHER PERSONAL TESTIMONY OF THOSE WHO PROVIDE SERVICES
TO THE ASSOCIATION SECTOR.
TEXT LUC MAENE PRESIDENT OF ESAE AND DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL FERTILIZER ASSOCIATION
ATTRACTING ASSOCIATIONS STRATEGICALLY: THE POWER OF AMBASSADORS
Elodie Coudre
HEADQUARTERS 23
WHY BOTHER WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING?Strategic Planning requires time and re-
sources - two things in short supply in most
associations. Here’s why strategic planning is
worth the trouble:
+ It gives your association the best
chance for a successful future
+ It provides consistent organizational
focus and direction
+ It offers a rational basis for
resource allocation
+ It builds teamwork among Board and staff
A SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIC PLAN IS...+ Results-focused
+ Information-based
+ Written and worked
+ Ongoing and fl exible
+ Driver of operations
+ Measurable
WHY STRATEGIC PLANS FAILWe’ve all seen it: the strategic plan buried in
a desk drawer or collecting dust on the shelf.
Here are four common reasons:
+ Lack of ownership by leaders and / or staff
+ Poor information led to faulty conclusions
+ No meaningful performance measures
+ No connection between the plan and the
real-world activities of the association
KEY DEFINITIONSThere’s a lot of jargon in Strategic Planning.
Experts seem to use the same words to mean
different things. Here is the defi nition the
GinCommGroup uses: a systematic way to de-
fi ne what your association wants to achieve
in the future and how, including:
+ who you will serve
+ mission or goals
+ values
+ benefi ts or services
+ resource allocation
Now let’s have a look at what should be taken
into account when designing a strategy.
Mission - An organization’s reason for exist-
ence. It establishes what the association
does and for whom.
Values - The philosophy or principles
that guide an organization’s behavior
and operations.
Vision - A description of what the organiza-
tion wants to be in the future as it success-
fully fulfi lls its mission.
Goal - The end or desired result toward which
effort is directed. A goal is a general state-
ment of what the organization must achieve
to attain its vision.
Strategy - The general approach that will be
employed to attain a goal.
Stakeholder - Key individuals, groups or
other organizations who are affected by or
can affect the future of your association.
Objective - Specifi c, measurable activities
that help accomplish a goal.
BUT FIRST... PLAN TO PLAN+ Determine who should participate
on the planning team
+ Develop your planning schedule
+ Determine the resources
needed.
ROLE OF FACILITATOR+ Process protector, not content critic
+ Skeptic, not advocate
+ Coach, not referee
+ Enabler, sometimes enforcer
FOLLOWING IS AN OUTLINE OF A TALK PRESENTED BY GINGER NICHOLS, CAE, OF GINCOMMGROUP AND MICHELLE MCKENNA, CAE,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CONSULTING ENGINEERS COUNCIL OF OREGON, ON HOW ASSOCIATIONS CAN STREAMLINE THE
STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS TO OBTAIN THE RESULTS THAT ARE MOST CRITICAL.
STRATEGIC PLANNING:A STREAMLINED APPROACH FOR ASSOCIATIONS
HEADQUARTERS 24
GROUND RULESMost meetings benefi t from clear ground
rules. This is particularly true for strategic
planning sessions. While the ground rules
should be tailored for each group, here are
some general ones we usually use:
+ Be specifi c; defi ne key words
+ Clarify before reacting
+ Share the airtime
+ Stay focused
+ Discuss the “undiscussable”
+ Be honest
+ Honor confi dentiality
PROCESS OVERVIEW
+ Defi ne or re-evaluate your mission,
values, vision
+ Examine the external forces affecting your
industry or profession and the association
+ Conduct a membership needs assessment
+ Review you association’s internal capabilities
+ Develop long-range goals
+ Defi ne specifi c objectives & action plans
+ Evaluate current activities
+ Create annual plan & budget
+ Monitor, evaluate, revise
www.gincomm.com
There’s a lot of jargon in Strategic Planning. Experts seem to use the same words to mean different things. Here is one defi nition: a systematic way to defi ne what your association wants to achieve in the future and how.
THE IMPORTANCE OF STRATEGISING FOR AN ASSOCIATION IS SOMETHING THAT
EVERY ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE AND BOARD IS ACQUAINTED WITH. THE REAL
QUESTION IS: IS SETTING A STRATEGY ENOUGH? TO CUT TO THE CHASE, THE
ANSWER IS NO. A STRATEGY IS ONLY GOOD AS LONG AS IT IS RELEVANT. MORE
OFTEN THAN NOT AN ASSOCIATION ONLY DECIDES TO LOOK AT ITS STRATEGY
WHEN THERE IS A CRISIS. THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT ANY ASSOCIATION
SHOULD ASSESS THE RELEVANCE OF ITS STRATEGY ON A PERIODIC BASIS. THIS
ARTICLE WILL DRAW ON A CASE STUDY TO DEMONSTRATE WHAT AN ASSOCIA-
TION LEADERSHIP NEEDS TO DO TO ASSESS ITS STRATEGY AND TO ADAPT IT SO
THAT IT REMAINS RELEVANT.
TEXT SIADA EL RAMLY, MANAGER, KELLEN EUROPE
IS YOUR ASSOCIATION’S STRATEGY STILL RELEVANT - OR IS IT TIME FOR A REVIEW?
HEADQUARTERS 25
EXTERNAL INFLUENCERS For a strategy to be assessed, the leader-
ship of an association needs to look at the
landscape in which the association operates
and to see whether this has changed. Some
key areas to look at are:
+ The legislative arena: has this changed (in
size, in terms of infl uencers, etc.)?
+ The status of the industry e.g. is it still as
strong as it was when the strategy was
created, has the market consolidated or
splintered into niche areas?
+ Political pressure on the association: has
this intensifi ed, have expectations height-
ened/lowered or remained the same?
INTERNAL INFLUENCERSAs well as the external infl uencers there are
strong internal indicators or infl uencers to
determine whether it is time to work on your
strategy. These can often have a clearer short-
term result for an association if not dealt with
in a timely manner. The association leadership
needs to look at the following factors:
+ Risks of sticking to the strategy as it
should be assessed
+ The membership: has this changed? How?
+ Is there a change of leadership of the as-
sociation foreseen?
SO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?If when assessing the external and internal
infl uencing factors you realize that your
strategy as it stands does no longer fi t into
the changed environment in which it operates
- then it is time for a strategy review.
As an association management company, Kel-
len often supports associations and profession-
al societies in their strategy review. In order to
bring to life what this actually means I would
like to refer to a particular strategy review
that we carried out. So, the next steps after
you have realized your strategy is no longer
relevant is to take action - but what action?
The fi rst part of developing a new strategy is
to assess expectations:
+ of your association
+ of your sector/industry or profession
+ from within your association
+ from external parties
This assessment can be done by polling per-
ceptions, either using personal communica-
tions or possibly online questioning. Depend-
ing on the association you may want to resort
to using both methods. In fact, to refer to the
case study, we actually started out by collect-
ing quantitative data by means of an online
questionnaire to the internal and external
audiences. This was followed by a series of
interviews. Some of which revolved around
the association, the perception thereof and
the day-to-day activities of the association.
Others were focused on an audience of top
level executives to give insight into their long-
term forecasts for the sector.
The next step is to translate the feedback into
a strategy, including your overarching vision,
your mission and then fi nally your objectives.
Naturally, each one of these parts of the strat-
egy plays a particular role in setting the stage
for the association. The vision is the longest
term and highest level statement of them all.
The mission statement narrows this down to
action a shorter term - we usually recommend
an 18-month term and a list of focus areas.
Last but defi nitely not least is the objective
setting. These objectives should be set for a
12-18 month time period and be purely activ-
ity driven. Normally our recommendation is
that a fi ner programming document such as
a blue print for action feeds into these objec-
tives. Referring back to the case study, once
we had the feedback from the information
gathering phase of the strategy review, we
assessed the feedback and then went back
to the association and its steering group to
discuss the next steps. We did this through
two facilitated sessions where we supported
the created of the strategic documents.
At the end of this process we created a report
presenting the fi ndings of the information-
gathering, the conclusions of the discussion
sessions and a set of recommendations on what
needed to be implemented to address all the
expectations and the tools needed to do this.
Once an association has reached this stage of
the review what is left to do is the implemen-
tation of the strategy: this includes fostering
an implementation mindset, making any gov-
ernance or organizational changes that are
needed to accommodate the new strategic
direction, and creating or putting in place the
tools needed to achieve this.
Whereas the strategy review process seems
quite self-evident, it is astounding to see how
few associations take the needed time and
allocate the necessary resources to carry out
this essential part of ensuring their associa-
tion’s success. Especially in this ever-chang-
ing and transforming world and with the
additional fi nancial strain that associations
are facing today, you have to make sure your
association does what is needed to remain
relevant.
Siada El Ramly
The objectives of the strategy should be set for a 12-18 month time period and be purely activity driven. Normally our recommendation is that a fi ner programming document such as a blue print for action feeds into these objectives.
HEADQUARTERS 26
MARKETERS TODAY HAVE A BROAD ARRAY OF OPTIONS TO USE FOR MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT. THESE OPTIONS RANGE FROM CO-
OPERATIVE ARRANGEMENTS WITH FOR-PROFIT COMPANIES TO THE USE OF E-MAIL, SPACE ADVERTISEMENTS, AND TELEMARKETING.
HOWEVER, THE WORKHORSE OF MEMBERSHIP ACQUISITION MARKETING REMAINS DIRECT MAIL SOLICITATIONS. IN FACT, WHEN INTE-
GRATED WITH THE WEB TO PROVIDE THE PROSPECTIVE MEMBER WITH A SOURCE OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WITH AN INSTANT
RESPONSE VEHICLE, DIRECT MAIL HAS BECOME EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE. TEXT TONY ROSSELL
10 TIME-TESTED MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT MAILING TIPS
When taking a look at rapidly growing
associations, there are 10 common prac-
tices that these associations have success-
fully employed and tested over the years
that serve as an excellent guide when it
comes to planning and implementing a
successful direct mail membership
acquisition effort.
Many of these lessons have been learned
at great expense. Others have produced
great profi t. All 10 of them are worth
considering before you start your next
promotion.
1.Begin each and every mailing by think-
ing creatively and asking ‘who might
be interested in joining?’. Then search
out mailing lists that contain these potential
members. Not taking the time to research
and test lists is the single biggest mistake in
direct mail membership recruitment. In any
given mailing the results from one mailing
list to the next can vary by 1,000%. Even if
you primarily mail to an in-house prospect
list, try some direct response rental lists and
compare results. You may be very surprised
at the results. Some of the best outside lists
to test are members of similar associations,
subscribers to industry magazines, and buy-
ers of books related to your association. Tip:
Ask current members what other profes-
sional literature that they read and test these
lists fi rst.
2.Once you have found the best mail-
ing lists, carefully develop a strong
Unique Selling Proposition (USP) to
drive the positioning and copy of your direct
mail promotion. The USP answers the pros-
pect’s question of ‘Why this association?’. The
USP is the big benefi t that your association
can deliver compared to any other group. Tip:
Ask someone who is not familiar with your
organization to read your copy and defi ne the
USP in one sentence. If they can’t, go back to
the drawing board.
3. Develop a special offer to answer your
prospect’s question: ‘Why join now?’.
After many tests, one of the best of-
fers continues to be a limited-time, introduc-
Carefully develop a strong Unique Selling Proposition (USP) to drive the positioning and copy of your direct mail promotion. The USP answers the prospect’s question of ‘Why this association?’
HEADQUARTERS 27
tory dues discount. Ideally, this discount will
bring the dues down to a psychological price
point - a dues amount that ends with an
amount of a 7 or 9. For example, an acquisi-
tion price of €139 will typically generate more
revenue and members than a price of €150.
4. Build your mailing around a meta-
phor - something a prospect will
recognize and know what to do with.
Try using an invitation, survey, certifi cate, or
temporary membership card format. People
process information by putting it into mental
boxes. They make a split-second decision
on whether a piece of mail is important or
not, so you need to get their attention. An
invitation, for example, typically requests a
response and goes in the mental box that
says ‘I need to RSVP’.
5. After you have found your lists
and selected a format, the time
has fi nally come to write. As you
write your direct mail promotion, think of
a conversation between a salesperson and
a prospective member. (Tip: Sometimes it
is helpful to dictate or ‘talk through’ the
fi rst rough draft of the letter on a tape
recorder.) Ask and answer the questions
any prospective member would ask. And
be sure to deal directly with typical sales
objections (e.g. ‘It seems to expensive’ or
‘I’m not sure it will be useful to me’) As
you write, also be sure to include specifi c
proof. Support your USP by answering the
prospect’s question, ‘How do I know I can
believe you?’ with real examples, numbers,
product data, and testimonials.
6. As you create the response piece
in your package, make it as easy
as possible for your prospect who
is ready to buy and says: ‘I don’t want to
wait for snail mail.’ This is where today’s
technology comes into play. Direct mail is a
powerful ‘push’ marketing tool. However, it is
not instant or interactive. Use your mailing
piece to direct prospects to a special section
of the association’s Web page where they can
get more information and where they can
instantly sign up and enjoy immediate ac-
cess to members-only web information. The
integrated use of the web and direct mail is a
powerful tool.
7. Now it is time to produce the mailing.
Make the investment in a computer-
personalized format (i.e., lasering the
name and address on the letter and reply).
In membership recruitment, personaliza-
tion will out pull a ‘Dear Colleague’ letter by
as much as 30% while the cost of produc-
ing the package will typically increase less
than 10%.
8. To offset the increased costs of
personalization, you may be able to
save money on your mailing by re-
moving one or more components from your
promotion. Believe it or not, many associa-
tions have found that including a member-
ship brochure in the mailing can actually
hurt response. A brochure makes your mail-
ing look like a sales effort instead of profes-
sional correspondence with a colleague.
Test a portion of your next mailing without a
brochure and see if returns increase.
9. As you near completion of your
direct mail package, don’t give in to
the desire to put a ‘cute’ phrase or
‘teaser’ on the envelope. With few excep-
tions, a teaser will not increase response for
a membership recruitment piece. Instead,
maintain the personal business correspond-
ence look of the promotion.
10. Finally, before you mail your
promotion, be sure to set up
a system to accurately track
responses. Accurate tracking and analysis
remains one of the most underdeveloped
areas in association marketing. Yet it is the
key to validating all of the work that has
gone into creating a promotion. If computer
personalization is used in the mailing, then
assigning a specifi c key code to be added to
each reply form is simple. A separate code
needs to be used for each list and for each
test segment (i.e.,copy test, offer test). Then,
as responses come back, these codes need
to be recorded. Ideally this is done in the
member record, but if necessary this can
be accomplished by keeping a manual tally
of responding codes. The ultimate goal of
tracking and analysis is to determine what
lists, copy, packages, and offers produce the
best return on investment.
Tony Rossell is senior vice president with Marketing General, Inc., in Alexandria, Virginia. He specializes in developing integrated marketing solutions for associations.
Direct mail is a powerful ‘push’ marketing tool. However, it is not instant or interactive. Use your mailing piece to direct prospects to a special section of the association’s Web page where they can get more information
HEADQUARTERS 28
BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS ARE FACING INCREASED COMPETITION FROM INDIVIDUAL
COMPANIES IN INFLUENCING THE EU POLICYMAKING PROCESS, INDUSTRY BOSSES HEARD
LAST APRIL. THE CHALLENGE FACING INDUSTRY FEDERATIONS IS THAT THEY MUST
ADAPT THEIR WORK TO THE LONG-TERM AGENDA OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION IF
THEY ARE TO INFLUENCE ITS POLICIES, PARTICIPANTS IN THE TENTH ANNUAL
EUROCONFERENCE - HOSTED BY KELLEN EUROPE - WERE TOLD.
TRADE GROUPS FACE ‘PARADIGM SHIFT’ IN EU POLICYMAKING
‘Associations will always be a privileged partner
for the Commission, but we see them as de-
fenders of existing interests,’ said Kurt Vanden-
berghe, head of cabinet for Environment
Commissioner Janez Potocnik, describing a
‘paradigm shift’ in the EU policymaking arena.
COMMISSION ‘WON’T WAIT’ FOR ASSOCIATIONS‘We’re looking for actors who will create the
interests of the future,’ Vandenberghe said.
‘Companies are much more prepared for this
than associations. The Commission will be
ready to proceed with individual companies
that are receptive to its agenda. It won’t wait
for associations.’
His comments were echoed by Ruth Rawling,
vice-president for corporate affairs at Cargill
Europe and a member of the management
board at the European Centre for Public
Affairs (ECPA): ‘The speed of change in
companies is rarely matched by the ability
of interest representation to adapt. It’s up to
members to help associations to change,’ she
said, calling for more refl ection on where Eu-
ropean federations can provide services that
national business associations cannot.
‘Many associations cannot change quickly
enough to provide what their members need,’
the PA boss said, citing this as a reason for
the recent growth of in-house public affairs
within Europe’s major companies.
Rawling criticised some industry federations’
failure to anticipate the growing infl uence of
think-tanks and NGOs in the EU policymaking
arena, and stressed the importance of devel-
oping close links with civil society organisa-
tions rather than focusing exclusively on the
European institutions.
Some business representatives thought
differently. ‘Criticism that associations don’t
react quickly enough is interesting, but aware-
ness of some issues like climate change is
defi nitely growing,’ insisted Philippe de Buck,
director-general of BusinessEurope, which
represents Europe’s biggest businesses.
COMPANIES STRONGER TOGETHER‘Companies are asking for movement because
they want predictability. Their interests will
often converge, but individual fi rms won’t
realise this by themselves, and they won’t
be able to convince the Commission or the
Parliament to act if they work on their own,’
de Buck said, making the case for member-
ship of associations.
Other business leaders questioned whether
it was ethical for the Commission to seek the
advice of companies in drawing up draft leg-
islation. Adrian Harris, secretary-general of
Orgalime, the European Engineering Industry
Association, warned the European Commis-
sion against communicating directly with
fi rms rather than associations: ‘How does the
Commission know whether someone is push-
ing to protect the interests of one particular
company for commercial reasons, rather than
representing the sector as a whole?’
Commissioner Potocnik’s head of cabinet
insisted that the EU executive was aware
of this risk. ‘It’s not like we just take one
company’s opinion and run,’ Vandenberghe
said, but ‘leading companies can have a major
infl uence on agenda-setting’.
The EU institutions are increasingly relying
on impact assessments to make sure new
legislation is effective, said the Commission
offi cial, which is leading to a ‘frantic’ search
for accurate and relevant data within the EU
executive. Indeed, the Commission’s ever-
growing need for reliable information gives
the businesses that provide it ‘a key role in in-
fl uencing EU policy,’ Vandenberghe admitted.
‘We must work with economic operators to
create the markets of the future,’ the Com-
mission offi cial explained, declaring that busi-
ness must be ‘at the forefront’ of creating a
HEADQUARTERS 29
new, innovative Europe. ‘Expect to see more
public-private partnerships,’ he said.
LOBBY REGISTER UNDER FIREMeanwhile, some participants questioned
the usefulness of the voluntary lobby
register launched by the European
Commission in 2008.
‘I’ve never checked whether or not anyone
is in the register before meeting them, but
in my offi ce I’ll give you a card inviting you
to sign up,’ Vandenberghe said. ‘I give more
credibility to organisations if I know who they
actually represent, which means having been
here for a while.’
BusinessEurope’s director-general, mean-
while, questioned the quality of the data
it contains. ‘Some companies are over-
estimating their expenditure [on lobbying the
EU institutions] to show that they are active,
while others are under-estimating it,’ he said.
De Buck urged the European Commission to
clarify what the lobby register and the infor-
mation it contains is actually being used for.
‘Not being invited to events or to take part
in consultations unless you are registered
would have been an idea, but that’s not in the
rules of the game. The instrument as such is
questionable,’ he said.
POSITIONS‘The European policymaking system is
complex, so you’ll always have to struggle
with the differences between interests at
national and EU level. There’ll never be a
clear-cut divide between national and EU-
level interests, because they contradict one
another,’ Philippe de Buck, director-general
of BusinessEurope, told the conference.
‘We need to look at how to simplify lobbying
activities, because decision-makers are over-
whelmed with information. We lobby to produce
policy, not to boost trade. We want a global
climate accord, for example,’ De Buck said.
The business chief called on the European
Commission to work harder with the Euro-
pean Parliament to fi nd compromises before
presenting draft legislation. ‘I’ve never seen a
system that produces as many amendments
as MEPs are producing at the moment,’ he
said, also stressing the continued importance
of national governments: ‘The weak link
these days is often the Council, which strug-
gles to get a unifi ed position quickly.’
Insisting that the European Commission is
‘very much aware’ of the need to provide busi-
ness with long-term predictability in EU policy-
making, Kurt Vandenberghe said ‘if we at the
Commission don’t provide it, then who will?’
‘National electoral cycles are getting shorter
and shorter,’ he said, adding that he expected
to see ‘new activism’ from a European
Parliament that wants change all the time
because MEPs need visibility if they are to
be re-elected. ‘The convergence between
different Commission cabinets and services,
as well as the European Parliament, is getting
better but more needs to be done. Companies
and associations can help the EU institutions
to achieve this coherence,’ the Commission
offi cial explained, adding ‘alliances with the
Commission are important but many actors
like the Council and the Parliament will inter-
vene and change draft legislation’.
‘Trade associations need to become more pro-
fessional in communicating,’ said Ruth Rawl-
ing, vice-president for corporate affairs at
Cargill Europe and a member of the manage-
ment board at the European Centre for Public
Affairs (ECPA). ‘Associations are gearing up
for much more work with the Parliament, but
the Commission is the important long-term
player. It’s essential to make yourself heard
way before the paper hits the desk, because
after that there are too many voices.’
‘Talking to the Commission to make sure that
legislation is right in the fi rst place is critical.
If industry is ahead of the game by following
voluntary guidelines, then very often the leg-
islation will follow those guidelines, because
no-one has time to start again,’ she said.
EurActiv brings together the skills of professionals with experience in EU affairs, journalism, information and communication as well as Internet technology. For its content, EurActiv relies not only on its own editorial team but also on numerous content partner-ships, as well as links to the national press and the EU institutions. This article was provided by EurActiv from euractiv.com/en/pa/trade-groups-face-paradigm-shift-eu-policymaking-news-492036
The challenge facing industry federations is that they must adapt their work to the long-term agenda of the European Commission if they are to infl uence its policies
HEADQUARTERS 30
U I A ı U N I O N O F I N T E R N A T I O N A L A S S O C I A T I O N S
The purpose of an association is for
members to pursue an
agreed aim in which they
all have an interest, but
without making a fi nancial
profi t. The ultimate objective
of a commercial company is
to generate a profi t, by means
of fabricating a product or
supplying a service which
can be sold to customers,
so that the profi t can be
distributed to the partners or
shareholders. Non-profi t or not-for-profi t
associations are thus distinguished from
the commercial sector, and also from
organisations in the public sector, which are
funded by governmental authorities.
An association’s objective is stated in its
foundation statutes or charter. A non-profi t
association must never be a disguise for
a commercial enterprise. The purpose can
be encapsulated in a mission statement,
which may be broadly aspirational - ‘Save
the world’ or ‘develop our industry’ - or
more specifi c - ‘dig 100 wells in the desert’.
The extraordinary range of international
associations is amply demonstrated by the
thousands documented by the Union of
International Associations in its Yearbook.
The next question which
naturally follows is ‘how
do we achieve this?’, and a
response has to be sought in
the form of a future plan or
strategy, by deciding how
the objectives are to be
pursued in practice.
The leader of an association will
certainly have an impression of the capaci-
ties of the staff and impact of the activities
undertaken, but setting aside a specifi c
time for detailed analysis of all the various
aspects
in turn and
noting the results
will be enlightening. Using some of
the techniques of business manage-
ment is a valid approach, tailoring
and adjusting them to the scale of
the association.
Financial limitations will probably prevent
the engagement of commercially oriented
management consultants, but association
managers can learn from books, by trawling
BOTH NON-PROFIT ASSOCIATIONS AND BUSINESSES NEED TO BE
EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE IF THEY ARE TO SUCCEED. ALTHOUGH THE
PRINCIPLES FOR WHICH THEY ARE FORMED DIFFER FUNDAMENTALLY,
THE METHODS BY WHICH THEY FUNCTION HAVE MANY
SIMILAR FEATURES.
TEXT JUDY WICKENS, VOLUNTEER AT THE UIA, RETIRED SECRETARY GENERAL OF T.I.C. (TANB.ORG)
STRATEGY: PATHS FORWARD
HEADQUARTERS 31
the internet, and by attending seminars
and networking sessions in order to select
systems and ideas best suited to their own
situation, which is unique and individual to
their organisation.
A basic analysis of strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats (SWOT) will bring
into focus the methods the association is
using and the personnel available. Enlarging
the analysis to cover political, environmen-
tal or social considerations will probably
prove unnecessary, as these will either have
appeared as initial objectives or be scarcely
relevant to the operation. Assessment of
resources and activities should then open
the door to the elaboration of a plan for
the near future, with an effort to make a
reasonable fi t between the available and the
aspirational, as a gross mismatch will lead
to frustration.
Engaging one or two new members of
staff or fi nding volunteers with particular
qualifi cations, perhaps sending a staff
member for training in a new skill, may be
a practical possibility, whereas doubling the
number of staff is not a realistic proposi-
tion. Planning around currently available
resources is more likely to lead to success
than an ambitious but unrealistic scheme. In
order to increase the potential scope of the
future programme, all means of generating
ideas are valuable, from calm refl ection to
a free-for-all brainstorming session, for the
development of activities which will lead
the association towards its goals. As a plan
emerges, steps which can be taken concur-
rently can be identifi ed and distinguished
from those which have to be constructed in
stages.
It will usually be the responsibility of the
association leader or manager to propose
the draft plan to the board; board members
worth their salt should examine it with open
minds, adjusting and appraising it in the
light of their own experience so that a fi nal
version can receive general approval.
Once all concerned have settled on the
strategic plan, it should be adopted for a
suitable period, such as three years, maybe
fi ve. A twenty-year term is too long, engen-
dering no sense of urgency and leaving too
much opportunity for distraction away from
the main purpose. The plan should then be
reviewed each year, and although it should
be kept in mind it should not become an
obsession. A well-outlined plan should not
be subject to constant modifi cation of its
details: as developments occur, they can be
fi tted into the plan or set aside for consid-
eration during the annual review.
An essential consequence of designing and
following such a programme is that progress
needs to be measured, so it is useful for a
means of assessment and a defi nition of
criteria to be included in the plan ready for
use. Once again the scale should be pro-
portionate to the resources at the disposi-
tion of the organisation: stages which can
be reached with a certain effort are more
likely to stimulate and to be achieved than
overwhelming tasks which only serve to
discourage.
If the aim is to dig wells, the wells can be
counted, but if the avowed goal is to save
the world, how are results to be meas-
ured? If the group’s object is to support an
industry, markers can be set out so that
staff know that progress is being made and
they can set their sights on the next. It is
satisfying to see that events are offering
the required degree of interest to attract
participants or a publication is increasing in
circulation. And what if the goal has been
totally achieved? In this case, the associa-
tion has to make a fi rm, if diffi cult, decision
to disband or to re-constitute with new
objectives.
By their nature, associations usually have
limited resources, so a strategic programme
is a very useful way to move forward and
to recognise effective progress. The plan
should not be totally rigid or become an
obsession, it is meant to be a helpful and
encouraging guide.
www.uia.org
For the past 61 years, the Union of International Associations has undertaken, for the benefi t of its members, statistical studies on the preceding year’s international meetings. An analysis of these 2009 statistics, that were published last June, is available on page 15, as part of our ‘Meeting Trend’ feature.
By their nature, associations usually have limited resources, so a strategic programme is a very useful way to move forward and to recognise effective progress. The plan should not be totally rigid or become an obsession, it is meant to be a helpful and encouraging guide.
HQ> M A D R I D
EVER-SURPRISING MADRID MADRID,
A CITY TO ENJOY! There are many reasons why Madrid is a unique destination for business tourism and international associations. With its wide service and infrastructure network, its exceptional climate and the great variety of cultural and entertainment options the
capital has to offer, Madrid is a city where profes-sionals in the congress sector will fi nd everything necessary to ensure the success of their event.
Aside from hosting major international fairs and be-ing one of the preferred venues by associations and organisations to hold their meetings, Madrid fea-tures unique facilities and equipment. These factors undoubtedly place the Spanish capital amidst the most competitive European capitals in the world.
Amongst its many appeals, Madrid’s facilities include the Municipal Congress Centre, the IFEMA Convention Centre, Madrid Barajas Airport - with capacity for 70m passengers, and a wide range of accommodation which offers an excellent value for money. All of these services are complemented with incomparable cultural heritage, as well as gastronomy, shopping and entertainment.
Madrid City Council is committed to the improvement and growth of these great values thanks to which Madrid is proud to welcome over seven million visitors every year and position itself amongst the top destinations for business tourism. Madrid is not only the perfect place for doing business, but also a city to enjoy while hosting your congress.
Miguel Ángel VillanuevaHead of the Municipal Department or Economic Affairs, Employment and Citizen Participation, Madrid City Council President of the Madrid Convention Bureau
HEADQUARTERS 32
IT’S WEIRD HOW PEOPLE USUALLY DON’T HAVE A
PRE-CONCEIVED IDEA OF MADRID. EVEN IF THEY’VE
NEVER BEEN TO PARIS, LONDON OR BERLIN, THEY KNOW
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THOSE CITIES, THANKS TO WELL-
MANAGED MARKETING CAMPAIGNS OR AN EVENT-FILLED
HISTORY. MADRID IS THE CAPITAL OF SPAIN BUT THE
PERCEPTION THAT PEOPLE HAVE OF IT MAY BE A BIT
BLURRY. WHICH IS NOT REALLY FAIR, CONSIDERING THE
FACT THAT, BETWEEN 2003 AND 2008, THE CITY HAS
DOUBLED THE FIGURES OF TOURISTS VISITING MADRID
(NO OTHER METROPOLIS IN THE WORLD HAS BEEN ABLE
TO DO SO), AND OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS THEY HAVE
BROKEN ALL TIME RECORDS IN VISITORS COMING TO
MADRID (DESPITE BEING A CRISIS YEAR…). I, FOR ONE,
WAS AMAZED BY THE DYNAMISM OF THE CITY AND THE
WIDE ARRAY OF MEETING INFRASTRUCTURES ON DIS-
PLAY. THANKS TO THE EFFORT AND WONDERFUL INITIA-
TIVES OF MADRID CONVENTION BUREAU, MADRID IS ON
THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS MAP AS NEVER BEFORE.
REPORT RÉMI DÉVÉ
Barajas Airport, Terminal
A W O R D F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T
Miguel Ángel Villanueva
At the time of writing this report, the ICCA
stats for 2009 had just been published. If
Madrid was only 22nd in 2008, it had moved
up 9 spots in 2009 to reach the 13th posi-
tion. It indeed seems like more and more
organizations are choosing Madrid as their
event destination. But for the association
planner, the Spanish capital seems really to
have it all: cutting edge facilities, devoted
professionals and a modern infrastructure,
in addition to a booming culture, a thriving
lifestyle, warm people and of course blue
skies all year round!
HISTORY, CULTURE AND CONFERENCESOf course history and culture are every-
where to be found in Madrid. Over 80 mu-
seums and more than 2,000 monuments
- both historical and artistic - contribute to
the city’s richness. It seems like everywhere
I turned there was a beautiful building to
look at or a special venue to visit. Wander-
ing around Madrid is like walking through
painting, sculpture and architecture. Nature
is also very present: maybe one of the
greenest capitals in Europe, Madrid boasts
two green lungs, two huge, green parks
right in the city centre. And don’t get me
started on the nightlife and the enter-
tainment: it’s so vibrant that it’s almost
tangible.
But what is of interest to this report is
that Madrid is a leading city when it comes
to staging trade fairs and conferences.
David Pérez Noack, Deputy Director of
Madrid Convention Bureau, puts it this
way: ‘Thanks to its know-how, expertise and
versatile infrastructure, Madrid delivers
one-of-a-kind experiences. Besides, it offers
everything that delegates can dream about
when coming to an event: service, fun, his-
tory and culture.’
Every year 4,000 conventions and meet-
ings are staged in the city attracting over
700,000 visitors. This capacity will be
increased with the city’s third convention
centre which will add the seating space of
its auditoriums and halls to those in the
> M A D R I D
3 QUESTIONS TO LAURA PENA ALBERDI, DIRECTOR OF THE SPANISH TOURIST OFFICE IN BRUSSELS
HQ: What is so great about Madrid as a congress destination?Laura Pena Alberdi: Madrid offers basically every-thing so that your event is a unique experience to be remembered forever. It has the best infrastructures: two conference centres, soon three, two trade fair venues, and a easily accessible airport with around 200 direct fl ights. Furthermore, Madrid has a range of high quality hotels, which are either very close or have the best connections to convention and exhibition centres. But above all, Madrid has a booming culture, with 135 museums and over 5,000 restaurants, as well as huge possibilities for shopping and entertainment.
HQ: In what way does Madrid differentiate itself from the rest of Spain?
Laura Pena Alberdi: The range and scope of Madrid’s infrastructures, communications and hotels make it unique. Dynamic and modern, it also boasts a cosmo-politan character. Madrid is a city where just to look at the people passing by is entertaining. It is diffi cult to be bored in Madrid, even impossible. Another thing that is unique to Madrid is its surroundings, being the only city in the world that has 6 World heritages sites within an hour drive, Toledo, Segovia just to name two.
HQ: How can you help association planners get the most of Madrid?Laura Pena Alberdi: Together with the MCB we can help with anything they might need. We can provide infor-mation on the city, organize and support inspection visits to show planners what the city offers, facilitate contacts with Madrid Tourist organizations and with the most suitable providers, among other things.
ALL EYES ON MADRID
HEADQUARTERS 33
Thanks to its know-how, expertise and versatile infrastructure, Madrid delivers one-of-kind experiences. Besides, it offers everything that delegates can dream about when coming to an event: service, fun, history and culture.
Juan Carlos I Park
Madrid Metro
HEADQUARTERS 34
Municipal Conference Centre in the Campo
de las Naciones and the Convention Centre
in the Paseo de la Castellana, as well as the
IFEMA Convention Centre and the different
venues that are located around the city and
stage this type of events.
In terms of accessibility, Madrid has noth-
ing to blush about. The city has 3 airports
and Madrid-Barajas Airport is the most
important air hub in Spain and the fourth
in Europe. A new, beautiful terminal opened
in 2006, Terminal 4 (see our cover picture:
doesn’t it say it all?), setting the airport’s
capacity to 70 million passengers. A close 12
kms to the city centre, Madrid-Barajas Air-
port is easy to reach by bus or taxi. But the
best way is to take the Metro and it will only
cost you 2€ coming from downtown (a single
metro ticket for one hour only costs 1€!)! All
in all, public transport is simply excellent,
with brand-new metro lines and stations.
I was personally impressed by the cleanli-
ness and the effi ciency of the whole thing!
VALUE FOR MONEYThat leads us to Madrid offering, indeed,
excellent value for money, especially when
it comes to accommodation. Among the
over 300 hotels there are in Madrid, asso-
ciation visitors will undoubtedly fi nd the
accommodation best suited to their needs,
depending on their budget of course. In
recent years the city has increased the
number of beds by 40% giving special
prominence to designer venues with
personality. What is more, accommodation
in Madrid is cheaper than in Vienna or Co-
penhagen. Going out to restaurants or for
a drink or buying a metro ticket are equally
reasonable if you compare the Spanish
capital to other European capitals.
And if you’re a bit lost at fi rst by the array
of things to see or anxious to organize
your event the best way possible, don’t you
worry. Madrid Convention Bureau is here
to help, as it places itself at the disposal of
association planners to ensure that any sort
of event staged in the city will be carried
out smoothly and effi ciently. How can you
ask for anything more?
> M A D R I D
CONTACT
Madrid Convention Bureau
Tel. +34 91.758.55.28
www.esmadrid.com/mcb
What is more, accommodation in Madrid is cheaper than in Vienna or Copenhagen. Going out to restaurants or for a drink or buying a metro ticket are equally reasonable
MADRID CONGRESS EXPERIENCE
Last June, at the initiative of Madrid Convention Bureau, 15 association executives were invited
to Madrid to discover the wonders of the Spanish capital. A fi rst for the convention bureau and
participants alike, the idea was to show associa-tion planners and decision-makers the extent of the local meetings infrastructure the time of an exclusive journey. Visits to establishments with
large capacities, museums or other renowned institutions were tailor-made according to the
profi le of the association visitor. Other highlights and Spanish fl avours that guests could take a taste of included a visit to Santiago Bernabéu Football Stadium, a private city tour and a dis-
covery of Green Madrid or the famous Art Walk. Needless to say this very fi rst Madrid Congress
Experience was a sheer success.
Plaza Mayor
HEADQUARTERS 35
Part of Madrid Espacios y Congresos, S.A.,
which manages more than 200,000 m2 of
meeting space all over Madrid, this Munici-
pal Conference Centre is all about space,
brightness, and light. Imposing by its size,
amazing by its confi guration, outstanding
by the number of its breakout rooms, it
really stands as the fl agship when choosing
Madrid as a large conference destination.
When I asked Beatriz Liquete Sànchez,
Director of Operations, about the main
asset of the facility, she immediately
answered, without a shadow of a doubt, ‘its
high fl exibility, especially in the exhibition
area’. So for the international associations
in need of large exhibition space, you now
know where to go!
For those who like numbers, it could go
something like this: the Municipal Conference
Centre of Madrid boasts two auditoria - with
1,900 and 900 seats - a multi-purpose space
with an area of 2,200 m2, and 30 meeting
rooms - for 15 to 350 people - as well as large
exhibition areas, restaurant, cafeteria, VIP
zone, press room and car park. No wonder
then that large national and international
events, congresses, conventions, sharehold-
ers’ meetings, television galas, concerts,
professional salons and company meetings,
can all be accommodated there since it’s
very functional and versatile.
And the good news is that, although it’s
located a bit on the outskirts of the city (but
where else can you build a venue like this?),
it’s just fi ve minutes from Barajas Airport
and fully integrated in the fi nancial complex
of Campo de las Naciones, which hosts the
headquarters of important national and
international companies, top quality hotels,
a golf course, a 160 hectare park, a shopping
centre and the complementary services nec-
essary for hosting events of any kind. So in
case you’re a bit tired after a hard day’s work
and don’t have any courage to go downtown,
no need to worry: everything you need is at
walking distance!
One last thing about the Municipal Confer-
ence Centre of Madrid. I was told the teams
working there are used to organizing three
main events annually: Madrid Fusión, Salón
Capital Humano (Human Capital Fair) and
ExpoManagement, huge events requiring ex-
pertise in terms of everything basically. They
also got the NATO summit a few years ago.
This gives you an idea of what the Centre is
capable of. In other words, don’t be shy and
trust them with your conference. They know
what they’re talking about and will ensure it’s
a success.
> M A D R I D
Madrid being the capital of Spain, it is only normal you fi nd more than one congress centre capable of hosting large events of any kind.
CONFERENCE FACILITIES: THE CHOICE IS YOURSMADRID BEING THE CAPITAL OF SPAIN, IT IS ONLY NORMAL YOU FIND MORE THAN ONE CONGRESS CENTRE CAPABLE OF HOSTING
LARGE EVENTS OF ANY KIND. ALL OFFER STATE-OF-THE-ART INFRASTRUCTURES AND SERVICES AND ARE CLEARLY CLIENT-MINDED.
THIS IS ACTUALLY WHAT IMPRESSED ME THE MOST WHEN I TOOK A TOUR OF THOSE VENUES: THE SENSE OF DEDICATION IN GENERAL
SEEMED UNBEATABLE.
1. MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE CENTRE OF MADRID
Also quite impressive by its size, the Feria de
Madrid is located right next to the Municipal
Conference Centre, in the north of the city. In
addition to hosting over 70 fairs every year,
including some of the most important trade
shows in Europe, and ten exhibition halls cov-
ering over 150,000 m2 of exhibition space, it
boasts conference facilities suiting the need of
any demanding association planner. Anything
is possible there: international or national con-
gresses with or without exhibition, from simple
meetings to very special gala dinners.
A favourite among congress organizers on
the IFEMA ground is defi nitely the aptly
named IFEMA Convention Centre, with its sol-
id focus on innovation and service excellence.
Divided into the North Convention Centre, the
South one and the recently inaugurated East
Convention Centre, it offers a wide variety of
rooms for meetings, presentations, conven-
tions, conferences and dining services.
The North Convention Centre has a surface
area of 10,000 m2, in which there is a total of
20 rooms, for groups of 70 to almost 2,000
people. The South Convention Centre boasts
an auditorium with a capacity for 600 people.
Another 19 rooms distributed on three fl oors
complete the offering and host meetings of
up to 192 delegates. The new East Conven-
tion Centre has eleven rooms with capacities
of between 20 and 45 people and a multi-
purpose room with a maximum occupancy
of 668 for larger events. In other terms,
it’s hard to know where to turn: the offer is
almost to varied…
2. IFEMA
3. CITY OF MADRID INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE
Expected to be ready by 2014, the future In-
ternational Convention Centre will be located
in the new fi nancial and business area in the
north of Madrid, spread out over 70,000 m2,
and with a 15,000 m2 exhibition. The project
will provide Madrid with the largest and most
avant-garde convention centre in Spain and
also be an architectural landmark: designed
by architects Tuñón and Mansilla, it will look
like a large rising sun emerging among the
four new skyscrapers on the Paseo de la Cas-
tellana. Located over the former Real Madrid
Sport City, the venue is
indeed named ‘Madrid,
donde no se pone el sol’
(‘Madrid, where
the sun never sets’): a large bright structure
with different fl oors and a circular layout will
be oriented towards the East and the West,
where the sun rises and sets. According to
the designers, it’s a ‘rising sun, halted by the
optimism of knowing that Madrid is a city
that lives, works and has fun at all hours of
the day and night, a city where the sun never
sets.’ Three auditoria will accommodate up to
6,500 pax.
Meeting in a one-of-a-kind brand-new
building: who could ask for more?
HEADQUARTERS 36
All offer state-of-the-art infrastructures and services and are clearly client-minded
HEADQUARTERS 37
HQ: Could you briefly
present Icograda Design Week?
Michal J. Steckiw: Icograda Design Week in
Madrid - Straight to Business 2010 will be a
meeting point for designers, government offi -
cials and company executives. The programme
will cover advances, case studies and actual
experiences about strategy and design, com-
munication, brand and image management.
The week will be the opportunity to learn from
international case studies fostering partner-
ships between design and business, and an
exceptional networking opportunity for inter-
national companies and design professionals
from Spain and across Europe.
HQ: Could you describe the decision
process that led to Madrid being chosen
as your event destination?
Michal J. Steckiw: Madrid was chosen as a
destination based on a project proposal from
DDI - a member organisation of Icograda.
Pedro da Silva Costa, DDI Secretary General,
highlighted all assets of the city and Spain as a
destination for the upcoming Icograda Design
Week. The proposal was accepted by the
Icograda Executive Board with enthusiasm.
HQ: What do you think are Madrid’s
assets as an event destination?
Michal J. Steckiw: Easy! I would list
the following:
+ Well connected with the rest of
Europe - airport, railway connection.
+ Important cultural links with Latin America.
+ Great infrastructure, variety of venues to
choose from: hotels, conference centres,
restaurants, exhibition venues.
+ Large local market both for delegates
promotion and sponsorship.
+ Interesting tourism destination which is
always important in attracting international
delegates.
HQ: How closely have you worked
with Madrid Convention Bureau?
Michal J. Steckiw: Madrid Convention Bu-
reau offered tremendous assistance both at
the planning stage and during the execution
of the event. They were very fl exible with
available support, including information,
promotional materials, on-site assistance
and welcoming our VIP guests. Comparing to
other destination worldwide, we are defi nitely
pleased with the level and standard of sup-
port. They are defi nitely a model role for
other convention bureaus.
HQ: How high are your expectations
concerning the event? And Madrid?
Michal J. Steckiw: We are expecting inter-
est from our international members with
programming for the upcoming design week
and Madrid as a destination. Spain is one of
the world’s most popular tourism destination
and the city of Madrid is its essence. At this
point our major concern are fl ight disruption*,
that have affected both the travel and confer-
ence industry tremendously in the past few
months. I believe, however, that Madrid and
Spain are signifi cant market itself to attract
number of delegates who would be able to join
us. I am confi dent that our delegates will enjoy
both the conference and the numerous attrac-
tions that the city has to offer to its visitors.
www.icogradadesignweekmadrid.org
*Madrid was amongst the few European airports that was not affected by the volcano eruption.
FROM 21ST TO 25TH JUNE 2010 MADRID HOSTED THE ICOGRADA DESIGN WEEK AND
ITS MORE THAN 700 DELEGATES. THE GLOBAL EVENT INCLUDED THE INTERNATIONAL
ICOGRADA CONFERENCE, AS WELL AS THE ASSOCIATION’S REGIONAL MEETING,
ALONGSIDE AN EXHIBITION OF EUROPEAN DESIGN. RIGHT BEFORE THE ACTUAL
EVENT TOOK PLACE, MICHAL J. STECKIW, ICOGRADA PROJECTS MANAGER,
EXPLAINED WHY THEY CHOSE MADRID AS THEIR CONFERENCE DESTINATION.
CASE STUDY ICOGRADA DESIGN WEEK
> M A D R I D
Michal J. Steckiw
> M A D R I D
SPECIAL VENUES: CHIC, HISTORIC OR SPORTYWHAT’S REALLY GOOD ABOUT MADRID IS THAT, BEING THE CAPITAL OF SPAIN, IT’S FILLED WITH HISTORY, CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT,
AND SPORTS. SO WHEN IT COMES TO SPECIAL VENUES, POSSIBILITIES TO HOLD A GALA DINNER IN A VERY PRIVATE CLUB, TO ORGANIZE
A CONFERENCE IN A PRESTIGIOUS SPORTING VENUE OR TO GATHER IN A HISTORICAL MUSEUM ARE ENDLESS. YOU JUST HAVE TO TAKE
YOUR PICK, BUT THE ARRAY OF CHOICE WILL MAKE YOU DIZZY! BELOW ARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS CLEARLY WORTH CONSIDERING.
CASINO DE MADRIDThe Casino de Madrid was established
in 1836 by a group of young romantics,
who were tired of the agitated political
atmosphere of their times and longed for
a tranquil place to meet. Now it has lived
up to the new times and the progress of
society, proudly sustaining the principles
of tolerance, comradeship and harmony
its founders championed. Part of Madrid’s
national heritage, the Casino is a deeply
exclusive venue for very exclusive events.
Its nine versatile rooms can be hired for any
kind of events, and are all more beautiful
than one another. All in all, they can
accommodate up to 1,200 people.
TEATRO CIRCO PRICEMaybe one of the most unusual venues in
Madrid - and the only permanent circus in
Spain I was told -, Teatro Circo Price offers
the most suitable spaces for celebrations
after a hard day’s work. Because it’s circus-
shaped and used to holding all kinds of
events, from concerts to acrobatic shows,
its coliseum has a unique versatility in the
sense it can be used either as a circu-
lar space or as a traditional auditorium.
Depending on your needs, it hosts events
between 1,500 and 2,200 people. And if
you’re looking for something a bit smaller,
the foyers can also be used. In this case,
between 100 and 150 can fi t in.
CIRCULO DE BELLAS ARTESThe Círculo de Bellas Artes (Fine Arts So-
ciety, CBA by its Spanish initials) of Madrid
is a private non-profi t cultural organisation
declared a ‘Centre for Protection of the Fine
Arts and of Public Utility’. Ever since it was
set up in 1880, it has played a major role of
international scope in the fi eld of cultural
creation and diffusion. With one of the most
active cultural programmes in Madrid, it
houses exhibition rooms, two theatres, con-
cert halls, lecture halls, artists’ workshops,
a library, a cafeteria, a shop and even a pri-
vate pool room! It is an emblematic building
whose biggest room accommodates up to
1,200 cocktail style and from its rooftop you
can enjoy some of the best views of Spain’s
capital city. Needless to say it’s the perfect
location for an open-air reception!
MAGIC BOX (MADRID CAJA MÁGICA)A multifunctional sport complex renowned
for holding Madrid Masters, a prestigious
tennis championship, Madrid Magic Box was
designed by famed architect Dominique
Perrault. It’s located in the Manzanares Park,
spread out on 17 hectares of land. The good
news for meeting planners is that the design
and distribution of the space allows the
house of all kind of events, with a highly fl ex-
ible space of 5,000 m2. The most innovative
HEADQUARTERS 38
Teatro Circo Price
Casino de Madrid
feature is the mobile roofi ng which means
the three arenas - for 12,000, 5,000 and
3,000 spectators respectively (and why not
delegates?) - can host simultaneous play
in all weathers. It will host the 2010 MTV
Music Awards in November.
MUSEO DEL PRADO Except if you have lived on another planet
over the last 50 years, you must have
heard of the most famous museum in
Spain, housing, among numerous other
things, masterpieces of Velazquez and
Goya. It offers associations the opportu-
nity to turn their events into fi rst-class
cultural successes. There is indeed a
possibility for you to enjoy the museum’s
many collections in a tailor-made way after
closing time, depending on the number of
participants. In addition, after the visit, you
can offer your guests a cocktail in one of
the outstanding halls. The auditorium is
also available for lectures or conferences.
According to your needs, up to 500 people
are most welcome.
THYSSEN-BORNEMISZA MUSEUMProbably the most famous museum in
Madrid after the Prado, the Thyssen-
Bornemisza Museum, housed in a palace
re-modelled by the architect Rafael Moneo,
was the previously missing element whose
arrival completed the city’s ‘art triangle’
and boasts the most important art collec-
tion in the world. Simply put: name any
painter in history and the museum will
have at least one of his works! So, after
visiting the permanent collection or the
temporary exhibition, working sessions can
be held in the Lecture Hall, small meetings
in the Press Room, receptions in the Mira-
dor (room with a view), cocktail parties in
the garden or large banquets in the Central
Hall. Its maximum capacity is about 800
people. Being a member of the MCB the
museum staff is well prepared and used
to dealing and managing requests coming
from the MICE industry and international
associations sector.
TO EAT AND TO GET ENTERTAINEDTwo quick ideas if, one night, you’re not sure where to go and have dinner at. Alboroque is a recently com-pletely refurbished place, housing several restaurants (and meeting rooms by the way!). Its refi ned cuisine will satisfy the most demanding palates, as the chefs like to talk about ‘gastronomic projects’ when evoking the way they cook. If you’re more into traditional gastronomy, I would strongly suggest Corral de la Moreira, listed in the book ‘1,000 places to see before you die’, edited by Times Magazine. There you can enjoy great food and a fascinating fl amenco show, renowned the world over. Not one of those cheap, touristy things you can fi nd at other places.
When it comes to special venues, possibilities to hold a gala dinner in a very private club, to organize a conference in a prestigious sporting venue are endless in Madrid
HEADQUARTERS 39
Magic Box
Prado MuseumCírculo de Bellas Artes Thyssen Bornemisza Museum
Corral de la Morería fl amenco show
Puerta de Alcala
HEADQUARTERS 40
A FLAVOUR OF MADRID’S HOTELSBECAUSE NOT ALL ASSOCIATIONS HOLD THEIR CONGRESSES IN CONVENTION CENTRES,
A GOOD GLIMPSE OF WHAT MADRID CAN OFFER IN TERMS OF CONFERENCE HOTELS
IS WORTHWHILE. WITH OVER 60,000 HOTEL BEDS IN ALL CATEGORIES - AND MORE TO
COME OF COURSE - THE SPANISH CAPITAL’S ACCOMMODATION RANGE IS IMPRESSIVE,
FROM WORLD-FAMOUS FIVE-STARS TO MODERN BUDGET THREE-STARS. OF COURSE
I COULD NOT SEE ALL OF THEM DURING MY STAY, BUT HERE’S A FINE SELECTION
OF THEM, IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.
AUDITORIUM MADRIDMaybe the ultimate congress hotel, Audito-
rium Madrid is the perfect place for those
wishing to organize residential conferences.
Self-suffi cient, it almost could be called a
‘conference city’ by itself as it’s defi nitely
possible to stay there and not see anything
of Madrid, which is of course not what you
want to do. I was personally impressed by
the size of the whole thing: there seemed
to be meeting rooms everywhere, right, left,
back, front, and, above all, a huge audi-
torium (hence the name of the hotel) sits
about 2,200 people - I think it’s the biggest
auditorium I have ever seen in a hotel in my
short career as a meetings journalist.
AYRE GRAN HOTEL COLÓNCompletely renovated, it’s the hotel I was
lucky enough to say at. Located in the sur-
roundings of the Art Walk, the Retiro Park
and Goya Street, where you can shop until
you drop, it enjoys excellent connections
to the airport, IFEMA and public transport.
What amazed me particularly was its fantas-
tic stained-glass windows and frescos deco-
rating the meeting rooms, which were cre-
ated by Manuel Ortega, whose work can also
be found in La Almudena Cathedral. In terms
of accommodation and meetings space, Ayre
Gran Hotel Colón provides 361 guest rooms
and 18 meeting rooms, my favorite space
being of course the terrace on top of the
building for 250 persons maximum.
EUROSTARS MADRID TOWER With 32 fl oors and an impressive 230-metre
height, the fi ve-star Eurostars Madrid Tower
is located in one of the most dynamic areas
of major economic development in Madrid,
built on the site of the former Real Madrid
sports club. A few steps away from the future
Madrid International Convention Centre, it is
the ideal place for delegates wishing to ‘rise
above’: all the guestrooms are full of natural
light and have spectacular panoramic views
of Madrid! Once you’re inside, it’s actually like
you’ve entered another world, where every-
thing is airy and spacious. And with 29 meet-
ing rooms - the biggest one accommodates
up to 1,300 persons cocktail style -, breakout
sessions are defi nitely not a problem.
HILTON MADRID AIRPORTRecently opened, with an avantgarde design
and the most advanced multimedia technol-
ogy, Hilton Madrid Airport is defi nitely not
the basic personality-less airport hotel. On
the contrary, it boasts many elements that
any design hotels would long for: a strong
Eurostars Madrid Tower - Lobby
NH Eurobuilding
Intercontinental Madrid
Ayre Gran Hotel Colón
Melia Castilla© S
ol M
eliá, S
.A.
identity, great design ideas (all the tables
in the restaurants have different sizes),
wonderful perspectives (the look-through
feel is just amazing) and the comfort of any
fi ve-star palaces. Located just fi ve minutes
from Madrid Barajas Airport and ten minutes
from the IFEMA trade fair venue, it has
284 rooms and suites. And with more than
1,700 m2 of meeting space distributed in 15
fl exible meeting rooms, a lobby, a multifunc-
tional area and a plenary meeting room,
it’s sure to make any residential
conference a success.
INTERCONTINENTAL MADRIDHistorically speaking, Intercontinental Madrid
may be the most impressive hotel in the
Spanish capital. An 18th century palace full of
fi ne marble, golden sculptures and refi ned
friezes, it’s a place that used to be cherished
by people like Zsa Zsa Gabor, Sophia Loren
Gina Lollobrígida, Robert Mitchum and
Gary Cooper. Moreover, politicians like it as
well: when I was there, a high-class politi-
cal meeting was in progress and there were
bodyguards everywhere! Located in the
cultural and business area of one of the most
popular streets in the city, it’s close to the
Prado, Reina Sofi a, and Thyssen-Bornemisza
museums and boasts 302 rooms. All of the
17 meeting rooms of the hotel have natural
daylight. Worth noting: the Albéniz Ballroom
has the highest ceiling in all of Madrid’s
hotels and is very convenient for banquets
or special gala dinners.
MELIÁ CASTILLA Like the Auditorium mentioned above, one
of Meliá Castilla’s main assets is defi nitely
its vast amphitheatre, sitting up to 511
people. But of course Meliá Castilla is more
than just an auditorium: located beside the
Paseo de la Castellana and a stroll from the
Palace of Congresses and Exhibitions or the
Real Madrid’s football Stadium, it offers 915
comfortable rooms, while an Executive Floor
provides the most exclusive accommodation.
If you want to treat yourself with a Royal
Service, Meliá Castilla is the place to be, as
it offers all the advantages of an exclusive
hotel and the services expected of a truly
grand hotel. In addition to the auditorium, 22
function rooms make it possible to organize
any kind of event. I was told it could accom-
modate groups of up to 1,000 persons.
NH EUROBUILDINGLocated in the neuralgic centre of Madrid,
by the Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones
and Paseo de la Castellana, NH Eurobuilding
is surrounded by some of the city’s most
emblematic business buildings, as well as
the Santiago Bernabéu Football Stadium.
Its 430 fully-equipped rooms are decorated
in the NH style, combining innovation, cos-
mopolitan airs, comfort and functionality.
With 24 meeting rooms, from 32 m2 to
578 m2, in addition to a varied technological
and gastronomic offer, it combines func-
tionality and versatility to host conferences,
congresses, and meetings of any kind. And
you can rest assured that the staff there
know the place inside out and what they’re
talking about: most of them have been
working in the hotel for more than 20 years.
Such a low turnover in the accommodation
sector deserves to be mentioned!
SILKEN PUERTA DE AMÉRICADesign, innovation, technology, and luxury
are the keys to discover a unique hotel in the
world, complete with 315 rooms, 16 magnifi -
cent meeting rooms (5 of them are designed
by John Pawson and 5 other warm meeting
rooms by Victorio & Lucchino), restaurants,
bars, a terrace, a gym, an indoor pool, and
a beauty saloon. Each of the hotel’s corners
has their own author’s mark. Opened in
September of 2005, the hotel Silken Puerta
América is located in the Avenida de Améri-
ca, and constitutes one of the most innova-
tive bets in the international hotel scene.
> M A D R I D
HEADQUARTERS 41
NH Eurobuilding Hilton Madrid Airport
Eurostars Madrid Tower
Auditorium Madrid
Ayre Gran Hotel Colón
Silke Suite Presidencial
HEADQUARTERS 43
Take the Pentland Suite - revolving auditoria
that can transform a space of 1,200 seats to
three smaller, fully serviced suites in under
four minutes. It’s an engineering solution as
elegant as it is simple. And with speaker
support, simultaneous interpretation, and
even pyrotechnics all on hand from a produc-
tion team dedicated to their stagecraft, the
EICC is purpose-built to make your event one
to remember.
INVESTING IN EXCELLENCEGuaranteeing the highest quality presenta-
tion requires continuous investment. So far
in 2010 the EICC has already spent £150,000
on new modular aluminium staging and has
introduced HD cameras to its TV resources.
A signifi cant fi gure, certainly, but something
the EICC feels can only benefi t customers in
value, quality and innovation.
The high cost of one-time use stage carpen-
try has been eliminated with the introduc-
tion of modular aluminium staging that can
create an impressive performance or display
space in a fraction of the conventional build-
time. And with modules as compact as 1 sqm
combined with circular staging options, no
design concept is off limits in any part of
the venue. Finally for the fi nishing touch,
staging surfaces can be fi tted with branding
panels featuring client corporate branding,
or coated with a printed fi lm for a high gloss
studio appearance.
THE EICC WOW FACTORTo complement the new modular staging the
EICC has also made further investments in
to its already remarkable projection system.
Upgrading the Barco Encore Controller SC
to the latest High-Defi nition version means
that the EICC can offer its clients the highest
specifi cation in-house video projection capa-
bility of any UK congress venue.
‘Every investment in new kit is signifi cant, but
unless you realise a return for your clients in
terms of successful and sustainable events
then you are missing the point,’ explains Ken-
neth Boak, head of technical production at the
EICC. ‘Great staging and rich images in High
Defi nition will pay back quickly for our clients’.
The EICC’s technical wizardry is tested and
enhanced every year, when the venue hosts
some of the best dance, comedy and musical
performances on during the Edinburgh Festi-
val Fringe. This August the venue welcomed
back the 35th Media Guardian Edinburgh
International Television Festival as well as
dance performances from New York, theatre
from London’s West End and headline
comedy including the Amnesty International,
‘Stand Up for Freedom’ event.
‘Whatever the subject matter, from Antarctica
to Zoology, we can make your event the most
enjoyable ever for you and your audience,’
explains Kenneth.
HQ> E I C C
ANYTIME IS SHOW TIME AT THE EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE
PURPOSE BUILT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION CONFERENCES,
CUTTING-EDGE SHOW STOPPING TECHNOLOGY HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT THE HEART OF
THE EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE (EICC).
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Edinburgh International Conference Centre
The Exchange
Edinburgh EH3 8EE
+44 (0) 131 300 3333
www.eicc.co.uk
EICC
the new staging of the Pentland Auditorium
HEADQUARTERS 45
HQ: Could you briefl y present the World
Congress against the Death Penalty?
Raphaël Chenuil-Hazan: Over the past forty
years, the planet has experienced a marked
progression in favor of abolition with the
percentage of abolitionist countries passing
from 20% to 70% in the world. The trend
has gathered momentum especially during
the last two decades thanks to the emer-
gence and development of a huge interna-
tional abolitionist movement. Since 2001, the
World Congress Against the Death Penalty
organized by Ensemble contre la peine de
mort (ECPM) has established itself as a
major gathering of abolitionists worldwide.
In 2010, 1,500 people participated in the
Geneva congress to develop abolition-
ist strategies for years to come, at local,
national and international levels, but also to
reinforce the universal message: abolishing
the death penalty is an urgent precondition
to a world dedicated to progress and justice.
HQ: Why did you choose
Geneva for your event?
Raphaël Chenuil-Hazan: Geneva hosted
the 4th World Congress Against the Death
Penalty at the invitation of Mrs Calmy-Rey,
Federal Councilor, Head of the Federal
Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland,
under the patronage of the Swiss Confedera-
tion and with the participation of José Luis
Rodriguez Zapatero, President of the Council
of the European Union at the time.
Geneva is the capital city of human rights,
where international governance was born.
We have chosen this destination because our
main goal for this edition was, on one hand,
to develop links between civil society and
intergovernmental organizations (IGO), and,
on the other, to increase political impact on
retentionist states as well as encourage more
states to abolish the death penalty and/or
ratify international treaties. Geneva was the
perfect place to do so.
HQ: What are Geneva’s main
assets as a congress destination?
Raphaël Chenuil-Hazan: Geneva is the ideal
place to organize a big event like ours, in
terms of accommodation, congress infra-
structure (the CICG was perfect!), theaters
and halls for our rich cultural program. For
instance, the opening ceremony took place
in the beautiful Human Rights Room at the
Palais des Nations. I’m sure delegates will
remember that for a long time.
The Geneva Convention Bureau was a very
important partner in the preparation of the
congress : they were instrumental in logistics
and fi nding the right kind of accommoda-
tion. Moerever, the GCB offered us 1,000
brochures, so we could hand them out to the
participants. Last but not least, the team’s ef-
fi ciency and professionalism was a great help
to the congress’ success. Our collaboration
was fl uid, easy and smooth.
HQ> G E N E V A
LASTING THREE DAYS, THE WORLD CONGRESS AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY BRINGS TOGETHER INTERNATIONAL ACTORS OF CIVIL
SOCIETY, POLITICIANS, JURISTS, AND WIDE PUBLIC SUPPORT. THE 4TH ONE TOOK PLACE IN GENEVA LAST FEBRUARY. RAPHAËL
CHENUIL-HAZAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ENSEMBLE CONTRE LA PEINE DE MORT (ECPM), EXPLAINS WHAT IT IS ABOUT.
THE WORLD CONGRESS AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY IN GENEVA
CONTACT
Aline Christen, Project Coordinator
Association Meetings
Geneva Tourism & Conventions
Tel: +41 (0) 22 909 70 64
www.genevaconventionbureau.ch
UN Headquarters
© G
enèv
e Tou
risme
© cicg
Challenging your imagination®C
10 years
For more than ten years the most prestigious companies in the world have relied on our extraordinaryresources: 3 auditoriums (1800, 800, 400 seats), 22 conference rooms, 10 000m² of exhibition space and 3 restaurants. Only a short walk from the hotels and less than 20mins from Nice international airport (with nearly 90 direct-flight connections), the Grimaldi Forum Monaco is the optimal solution tailored to your needs that will surprise you with its excellent value for money. Our commitment:to constantly reinvent ways to contribute to the success of your business events ! www.grimaldiforum.mc
Impressive service quality,state-of-the-art technologies,amazing compact facilities,remarkable eco-friendly solutions,reduced operational costs,all this gathered in one idyllic spot…
Why would anyone choosethe Grimaldi Forum Monaco after all?
HEADQUARTERS 47
®
There are thousands of associations that all
organize congresses somewhere in the world.
The key point is: where will they do this?
This is the permanent concern of Convention
Bureaus who want to be known by the deci-
sion makers of these congresses. The aim is
of course to encourage them to have their
event at a precise location.
For Eric Bakermans, that location is the
Netherlands. He and his team are constantly
searching for the right marketing formulas.
A formula where the NBTC is very strong is
the organization of informal lunches for as-
sociation executives at Dutch ambassadors’
residences abroad. This already happened
quite successfully in Brussels, Paris and
London. Now it was Geneva’s turn, and for
good reasons.
For more than a year, the NBTC has had a
permanent representative in Switzerland
to put Holland on the map as an ideal loca-
tion for the organization of international
congresses. Rosmarijn Fens managed in
putting 30 high-level people around a
well-dressed table at the lake of Geneva in
Coppet, where the residence of the Dutch
Ambassador Boudewijn J. van Eenenaam
is located.
But this time things were different. Rosmarijn
Fens said: ‘In Geneva and Lausanne,
a lot of headquarters of international and
worldwide associations are based. I’ve tried
to visit them all to present the Netherlands
as a possible congress destination. Around 15
association executives agreed to my proposal
of visiting the embassy lunch. During these
meetings we exchanged views and asked
about their expectations, but we left a lot of
room for networking with association col-
leagues too.’
Witness reports are also very important.
That’s why I asked Grégoire Pavillon, EASL
Executive Director (European Association for
the Study of the Liver), to explain the reasons
why he chose the Netherlands as the location
for their next annual meeting in 2013.
He said: ‘Amsterdam has been a destination
that we wanted to add to our “venue col-
lection” for a long time - since our creation
actually. It has a great value in the “wish
list destinations” of our participants and
supporters. Amsterdam - and Holland in
general - is a destination were you’re sure
to fi nd top professional service and detailed
attention to all your needs. The fi rst time you
meet representatives either from the RAI or
the Convention Bureau you immediately feel
a great unity between them, which is really
helpful to achieve your expectations. Worth
mentioning is the fact that Amsterdam can
provide delegates with a free travel card -
defi nitely an important saving in the budget
of our annual meeting which brings up to
8,000 participants! We already had the pleas-
ure to host smaller meetings in Amsterdam in
hotels and we do hope to bring more events
not only to Amsterdam but also to other
parts of Holland.’
HQ> H O L L A N D
BUSINESS IS DONE WITH COMPANIES. WITH ASSOCIATIONS, YOU DON’T DO BUSINESS
BUT YOU BUILD UP RELATIONS. AFTER A WHILE YOU TRY TO COME TO AN EXCHANGE OF
SERVICES THAT LATER - SOMETIMES MUCH LATER - WILL LEAD TO A BIG BUDGET FOR A
DESTINATION. THIS IS THE ATTITUDE THAT ERIC BAKERMANS, NETHERLANDS BOARD OF
TOURISM & CONVENTIONS (NBTC) MARKETING MANAGER, AND HIS EMPLOYEES SHOW
WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS PROMOTION. THIS WAS CLEARLY
DEMONSTRATED AT AN INFORMAL LUNCH FOR SWITZERLAND-BASED ASSOCIATIONS AT
THE DUTCH AMBASSADOR’S RESIDENCE IN COPPET LAST JUNE.
REPORT MARCEL A.M. VISSERS
HOLLAND IN ACTION IN SWITZERLAND
Boudewijn J. van Eenennaam and Erik Bakermans
CONTACT
Rosmarijn Fens - Business Development
International non-corporate Convention Market
Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions
+33 643 19 69 14
www.holland.com / www.nbtc.nl
THE DUTCH DELEGATION IN GENEVA CONSISTED OF:
+ NBTC - Netherlands Board of
Tourism & Conventions
+ Groningen Convention Bureau
+ Hotel Okura Amsterdam
+ The Hague Convention Bureau
+ Amsterdam Tourism & Convention Board
HEADQUARTERS 49
HQ: What does Suntec
International stand for exactly?
Pieter Idenburg: Suntec International
provides a wide ranging portfolio of services
that include sales and marketing representa-
tion, venue management, consultancy serv-
ices, with a key focus on highly customized
solutions to clients. As a pioneer in Asia’s
meetings industry, we are delighted that the
strategy we have put in place some years
back is now coming to fruition with the for-
mation of Suntec International. Many venues
have previously requested our skill in manag-
ing their centres and providing consultancy
services. We are now ready to accomplish
this through Suntec International.
HQ: To what extent has Suntec Singa-
pore been a major player in the meet-
ings industry over the past years?
Pieter Idenburg: Suntec Singapore Interna-
tional Convention and Exhibition Centre has
been a major pillar of Singapore’s meetings
industry since its opening in 1995. To date, it
has hosted more than 15,000 events includ-
ing several iconic events of diverse nature
within its premier exhibition and conven-
tion facility. Having just hosted APEC 2009,
we are now gearing up to host the Youth
Olympic Games 2010 in August. The venue
will host 6 ground sports and will serve as
the proud offi cial convention centre partner.
A versatile and fl exible space spanning
over 100,000 square metres, the venue has
received copious accolades and awards and
has been recognized as one of the leading
convention centres globally.
HQ: We also know you’ve established
some great partnerships so your
infl uence is all the more tangible…
Pieter Idenburg: Suntec Singapore has an
exclusive partnership with Resorts World Sen-
tosa that will have the two properties cross-
sell each other to create real business op-
portunities for both venues while growing the
international meetings business for Singapore
as a whole. There is also an agreement with
MCI, under whose terms Suntec Singapore will
be the preferred partner and venue provider
of MCI Group for conference placement.
HQ: So the future is
defi nitely bright for you…
Pieter Idenburg: Even brighter than ever. In
2009, despite the global economic climate,
we hosted 1,408 events and welcomed
6.7 million visitors to its venue - an increase
of approximately 5% more visitors to its
venue over 2008. 2010 has the hallmarks
of being yet another busy year: many inter-
national associations have already chosen
us for their conference. Just to name a few,
we’re going to host the World Congress of
Biomechanics and the Asia Pacifi c Congress
of Allerology and Clinical Immunology.
www.suntecsingapore.com
www.suntecinternational.com
THE SUNTEC BRAND HAS GONE ABROAD. THE NEWLY-CREATED ‘SUNTEC INTERNATIONAL’
WILL EXPAND THE SUNTEC BRAND AND SERVICES BEYOND SINGAPORE TO THE GLOBAL
PLATFORM. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE MEETINGS INDUSTRY OFFERS
FRANCHISING AND BRAND TRANSFER OPPORTUNITIES. SUNTEC SINGAPORE CEO PIETER
IDENBURG TELLS US MORE SUNTEC INTERNATIONAL AND WHAT HIS VENUE IS REALLY ABOUT.
SUNTEC SINGAPOREA talk with CEO Pieter Idenburg
HQ> S U N T E C S I N G A P O R E
Pieter Idenburg
52
70
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HQ ASIA-PACIFIC - HAP
www.headquartersmagazine.com
m
PROFILEDistribution
+ HAP is an Asian-Pacific magazine+ Circulation: 2,500 copies+ 14 Asian-Pacific countries
ReadershipThe readers of HAP consists of 3 important groups:+ the Asian-Pacific associations
organising congresses in the region: 74%
+ the internationanl associations organizing international congresses: 21%
+ the Asian-Pacifc meetings industry, international agencies (PCO’s, AMC’s, members of IAPCO): 5%
Analysis of the association readership
Professional agencies: the senior level of management of the PCO’s and DMC’s+ Secretaries general: 22%+ Presidents: 36%+ Directors: 25%+ Coordinators: 17%
HEADQUARTERS magazine, The Asia-Pacific Magazine for Association Executives
2010 RATESMagazinePublicity Size Advertisement Advertorial Covers2/1 4,500€ 5,100€ +15% surcharge of 1/1 page publicity1/1 2,950€ 3,992€ 1/2 1,750€ 1,012€
Destination report 4 pages 6 pages 8 pages 12 pages 16 pagesWithin the magazine 7,000€ 8,500€ 10,000€* 13,000€* 16,000€*Loose supplement / / 12,000€ 14,000€ 18,000€*with cover picture of the destination
OnlineSmall banner 300€ /monthLarge banner 500€ /monthPreferred partners 250€ /monthEmailing 2,500€Your logo in the HQ monthly newsletter 550€
Note: Agency commission to be added. Prices do not include VAT.
Info: Contact us for tailor-made proposals at
[email protected] support in the organisation of workshops or special events:
17%
36%25%
22%
74%
5%
21%
Policies are underwritten by Hiscox Underwriting Ltd on behalf of certain syndicates at Lloyd’s (managed by Hiscox Syndicates Ltd). Hiscox Underwriting Ltd and Hiscox Syndicates Ltd are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. 7956 07/10
Event Insurance 0845 213 8440hiscox.co.uk/events/press
Hiscox have been experts at providing specialist event insurance for over thirty years. If your event is affected by unforeseen circumstances, our cancellation cover could protect your financial investment in the event.
WHAT IF NATURE IS PLANNING A
MAJOR EVENT THE SAME DAY AS YOU?
52
70
www.meetings.canada.travel
Hosting the Worlds Great Events
HEADQUARTERS 53
QUÉBEC CITYEuropean charm, history, culture, and
adventure await you in this four-century-old
but ever-so-exciting city! In Québec City you
have the freedom to do and try practically
everything. The city is home to a world-class
tourism infrastructure providing a full range
of visitor amenities and comforts.
Conventions, conferences, seminars,
workshops on every scale are a natural for
Québec City, with its 17,250 room lodging
capacity. Whether you’re looking for a luxury
hotel, a boutique hotel with its own special
character, or a resort hotel right near down-
town, Québec City combines North American
comfort and effi ciency with European charm.
Meeting rooms in the major hotels have con-
vention facilities that can easily host several
hundred participants in comfortable and
welcoming surroundings. And for major events,
the Québec City Convention Center and Expo-
Cité Exhibition Center are just what you need.
Québec City is a thriving business centre
well served by an international airport, rail
links, and an effi cient highway network. Train
and plane connections are very convenient,
with dozens of daily fl ights to and from Jean
Lesage International Airport just 16 km from
downtown.
Québec City is proud of its 400-year his-
tory. The only walled city north of Mexico, it
proudly displays a history where French and
British infl uences mingle and interweave.
From the fortifi cations encircling the Old
City to the Citadel standing guard over the
St. Lawrence, the Martello towers, and the
Parliament Building where Québec’s political
life plays out, the city is home to a myriad of
treasures that will delight history buffs.
Included on UNESCO’s list of world heritage
sites, the historic fortifi ed section of the city
evokes the charm of the old country with
its narrow, winding streets and profusion of
shops, museums, and other attractions.
MONTRÉALMontréal ranked fi rst in North America for
INNOVATIVE, CREATIVE AND CULTURE-DRIVEN, QUÉBEC IS AN IRRESISTIBLE MIX
COMBINING TRADITIONAL CHARM AND SOPHISTICATED VIBES. THE PROVINCE HAS ALSO
BEEN A CROSSROADS FOR TRADE, BUSINESS AND FINANCE OVER THE CENTURIES AND IS
RECOGNISED WORLDWIDE FOR ITS CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
QUÉBEC IS DEFINITELY SPECIAL. NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE PREDOMINANTLY
FRENCH-SPEAKING POPULATION OR ITS STATUS AS THE LARGEST CANADIAN PROVINCE,
BUT ALSO BECAUSE ITS TWO MAIN CITIES HAVE ESTABLISHED A SOLID REPUTATION
AS CONGRESS DESTINATIONS.
HQ> Q U É B E C
QUÉBECA unique combination of old and new
Old Québec
Québec City Convention Centre
©sc
cq
HEADQUARTERS 54
international meetings in 2009, according
to the International Congress and Conven-
tion Association (ICCA), a testament to the
city’s expertise and service, and ability to
accommodate any group size. The Palais
des Congrès (Convention Centre) offers
the latest in technology and services in the
revitalised Quartier international, between
downtown and the Old Port. Other facilities
are within walking distance of hotels that
include American and international chains,
as well as recent boutique-style buildings. Of
the 26,500 room total, 15,000 are downtown
and 4,000 connect directly with the Conven-
tion Centre via the Underground Pedestrian
Network walkways.
No matter where you turn, it seems that this
city’s raison d’être is to celebrate life. The term
‘block party’ takes on a new meaning here, as
thousands converge on traffi c-free streets to
enjoy the colourful summer line-up of perform-
ances. Formula 1 fans get their fi ll of speed
and high-performance engines in June; jazz
lovers keep time to the music of their favourite
artists at the 11-day Jazz Fest, and comedy
buffs can indulge in a full month of gut-busting
good times with the Just for Laugh’s hilarious
line-up. This city is where art meets festival fun
- 24/7. Films, beer, food and sports are also on
the star-studded events calendar.
Montréal has a cosmopolitan reputation
other cities yearn for. Undeniably, its 360
years of history are at the root; the city
has been in turn a French settlement and a
British stronghold. Today, the confl uence of
cultures from around the globe continues
to leave its mark on Montréal’s multifaceted
and spirited character.
For a meeting with the city’s past, stroll the
cobblestone streets of Old Montréal and
admire its architecture; the area is now home
to boutique hotels and award-winning ad-
dresses that bring luxury to new heights. Its
galleries, churches, squares and quiet spaces
make it only one of many fascinating neigh-
bourhoods worth exploring on foot.
> Q U É B E C
CONTACT
+ In North America:
Susan Frei, Director, International
meetings and incentives
Canadian Tourism Commission
Tel +1 703 825 1134
www.meetings.canada.travel
+ In Europe:
Roger Bradley, Axis Travel Marketing Ltd
Tel +44 (0) 208 686 2300
7 GOOD REASONSFOR CHOOSING QUÉBEC
1. Accommodation and fi rst-rate facilities. Québec City and Montréal are the perfect venues for conferences of all sizes. Both cities’ hotel and service network enjoy an enviable reputation worldwide.
2. Authentic charm. The area’s European appeal and North American lifestyle, complete with a storied history, thriving arts scene, and vibrant French-speaking culture, make it truly one of a kind.
3. Easy to get to. The region can be easily accessed by highway, train and air.
4. Nature on your doorstep. Parks, wildlife reserves, and scenic attractions are minutes away, with a host of outdoor activities available all year round.
5. Arts and entertainment. The cultural agenda of Montréal and Québec City are literally action-packed.
6. A once-in-a-lifetime experience. Nowhere else in the world will you experience dazzling colors, vibrant lifestyle, and everything in between!
7. Dining at its fi nest. Often called the gourmet capital of North America, the region is also tops for casual food, not to mention sidewalk cafés, bistros, and wine and cheese!
Just for Laughs FestivalMontréal
Québec City Palais des Congrès de Montréal
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Feel free to bring your next convention to Copenhagen – the capital of sustainable meetings. Feel free to be inspired by Denmark’s wide open spaces –indoors and outdoors.
Denmark – where restrictions don’t apply.
For the rest of Denmark:
+45 3288 9937 [email protected]
For Copenhagen enquiries:
+45 3325 7400 [email protected]
HOUSECome on in, we’ve got plenty of room for all of you
val
44° 03’ 02.47 N12° 34’ 01.06 E
New coordinatesfor success.
www.riminipalacongressi.it