Articles | IAPCO: The International Association of Professional Congress Organisers

2019

Jan Tonkin is the Managing Director of The Conference Company. She will be speaking on the topic of PCOs at the upcoming UIA Associations Round Table Asia-Pacific in Pattaya, Thailand taking place 19 & 20 September 2019.

With Millennials entering the market and baby boomers exiting, it is more and more crucial for scientific associations to involve young physicians and facilitate an easy handover. Associations have to think about younger generations increasingly and to take action in a way that will deliver value to them. Association congresses are, for example, a great time to promote it.

Did you know that every piece of plastic with which you have ever had contact is still on our planet? Take a moment, and really absorb that fact...every piece of plastic that you have ever used: food packaging, childhood toys, stationery, water bottles....so many water bottles!! Those items are still here in one form or another, most probably as tiny microplastics in our oceans.

Do associations exist for the same reasons as they did 20 years ago? Are their members looking for the same benefits?

Do we need to spend more on technology to achieve growth? With so many digital tools in play - from the web and social media, to mobile apps, chat bots, and wearable tech - it is easy to lose focus on the real benefit such tools provide, making the term 'going digital' in itself a distraction rather than a solution.

Associations are now driven to rethink their mission, purpose, values, and the means and speed with which they interact with their members, partners and benefactors. These organisations are compelled to find new ways to be sustainable and resilient in a world where everything is fast, and nothing is ever unique. Words Gergana Tzvetova

ICS director of associations Christoph Raudonat says flexible, authentic leadership will drive business success and engage members.

Most organisations have a business model. Beyond its strategic framework, the business model must answer fundamental questions such as how is the organisation creating value, to whom, and if the value created is aligned with the organisation's mission and vision. Is this traditional model still viable?

Legacy is cemented in relationships. The way we learn from each other, relate to different experiences and viewpoints and interchange our philosophies, form the basis of humanity. Our position in the world becomes defined by our association to others, to our ancestors, our present circle and our imagined future selves. These connections, and their power to shape who we are, leave a significant indent in our life's course - in our legacies.

Successful event design is based on critical elements of sound business practice. Effective and disciplined approaches to managing an event do not necessarily involve following trends blindly. Without understanding the core goals and objectives defined at the commencement of the event planning process and agreed to by all key event stakeholders, no matter how inviting a particular trend or fad is, the event success may not be realised.

2018

In today's fast-changing economic environment, prime challenges faced by Asian associations are no different from their regional and international peers. Most associations are concerned with their ability to continue to meet members' needs in a meaningful way, and to ensure their own financial stability and sustainabiltiy through tough times. The way forward is to explore building an open community of professional participation.

Most medical associations exist to advance the body of knowledge in their field. Surveys and feedback from members of different organisations confirm that education and development is a key motivator to become a part of a professional society.

Over the last decade the world has experienced major political, economic and cultural upheavals. And these upheavals have had significant socio-economic impact. The way businesses operate today is very different to what it used to be a decade back.Since the global economic crash in 2007-2008, disruption has been the main stay for businesses. A number of industries have not recovered and, if anything, they have changed the way they do business today. This has had a direct impact on the meetings industry.

It all starts with values Faced with a shrinking pool of funds and increased competition, associations have understood the importance of rationalization and have been slowly but surely becoming more and more business-like. The use of managerial tools, techniques and modes of thinking is no longer the exception in the world of associations. Author: Jwana Ribeiro da Silva, Team Member of Association Management Division, K.I.T. Group.

Making room for the younger generation Author: Sissi Lygnou, AFEA Travel & Congress Service

With often limited budgets, associations struggle to recruit specialised talent For many years, the profession of the association executive was perceived as standing in the shadow of the corporate world. Associations, still today, are often regarded as the scaled-down version of the more nimble and ever-changing private sector.

A tiny island at the epicenter of the European global migration crisis served as training ground for a small medical event making a big impact.

Seek inspiration outside of the Events Industry to remain Cutting Edge Featured in HQ Magazine. Author: Andrew Dergousoff, Chief Technology Officer and Partner, International Conference Services Ltd.

Mathias Posch, President of International Conference Services Ltd, was elected IAPCO President at the largest-ever IAPCO Annual General Assembly in Tokyo in February and takes over from outgoing President Jan Tonkin for a two-year term. His presidency, and his commitment to focus on the Latin American PCO sector, ties in with the recent signing of a collaboration partnership agreement between IAPCO and the Rio Convention & Visitors Bureau.

A well-known personality can pull in a crowd, but a humble storyteller can add purpose and credibility to your event.

High quality education + networking x cultural understanding = a memorable IAPCO gathering

Today we hear about Asian powerhouses emerging everywhere. Businesses are being bought and consolidation and rebranding takes places. Even Asian brands emerge more often, HuaWai and Mi are now household brands, MG cars re-emerged being a Chinese owned brand, back from the past. It would seem that Asia is slowly taking its fair share on the global market. But in comparison to this, we see very few societies emerge.

What's in it for your Association? Forget about Belgian Beer: Why Brussels is a top hub for Associations Main changes in 2018 and opportunities for International Associations

Innovation in Knowledge Exchange - Hackathons - co-creating the future. Feature article in The PCO, by IAPCO Member MCI Brazil

As individuals, we are craving to be part of a wider community. Some want to lead, some want to be led but we all thrive in an environment where there is a sense of belonging, in a place where we can share our knowledge and form positive, lasting relationships.

The Annual Meeting of the International Association of Professional Congress Organizers in Tokyo last February was the occasion for Boardroom to gain deeper insights into what PCOs in general could offer associations. In order for you to understand in turn, we asked four of them, all located in four different corners of the world, the following questions: 1 ) What is, according to you, the added value for an association to work with a PCO? 2) What are the latest trends you have experienced regarding association conferences/meetings? 3) What does it mean to you and to your clients to be IAPCO certified? Here are their answers.

Expanding global outreach is more than just a ‘tick’ on the map, it is the responsibility of all to make this their future goal.