Re-imagination man
AS ICCA , LIKE THE INDUSTRY AT LARGE , FACES PERHAPS ITS GREATEST TIME OF CHALLENGE , CMW HAD A PRE-CONGRESS CATCH UP WITH THE ASSOCIATION ’ S PRESIDENT JAMES REES , WHO HAS BEEN NOT ONLY CHARTING A VARIETY OF ROADS TO KAOHSIUNG FOR THE 59TH CONGRESS , BUT OUTLINING PLANS TO DIGITAL INFINITY AND BEYOND !
hat were the lessons of last year ’ s ICCA Congress and how did that shape the plans for
2020 ? We realised very early on that this congress could not be business as usual , however there would be elements of every congress that members would want to see continue if possible – networking connections , the Copenhagen Lecture and the Best Marketing Award as prime examples – so we needed to be brave and move to a hybrid model that would give us the best chance to incorporate all of these vital components .
The main lesson from 2019 was a wish for our education to bring in more input from outside our industry and , with the Covid situation shaping our working lives at present , we have designed the programme to include an array of amazing speakers who will share insights on how non-event industry leaders see the future of events and event design , digitisation and the effects of the global economic outlook .
What has ICCA done to support its members over these difficult months ? There seems to have been good co-operation for example within the G3 Alliance . ICCA reacted swiftly to embrace a digital approach and implemented a series of virtual knowledgedevelopment sessions , conducted across all regions and sectors , with the objective of providing real-time case studies of how members were adapting to the pandemic crisis , to help understand best practices and share ‘ live ’ knowledge among the ICCA community .
ICCA has been offering support to members through publications , virtual events , the Covid page on our website , and through campaigns such as ‘ We stand together while we are far part ’ and ‘ We miss face to face ’.
Additionally , having signed the memorandum of understanding with the G3 in 2019 , we began to see tangible results , with joint initiatives driving advocacy and the publication of a series of reports designed to help members of the three associations prepare for re-opening the industry at the earliest opportunity .
What are the members ’ pain points in this crisis and how do you see the different regions of the world coping ? The greatest challenge has been the variance in government recognition of our industry across regions . Germany has shown in Europe that a long-term advocacy programme has meant government recognises the need for the industry to re-open quickly , but of course responsibly , and we have seen this in the successful staging of a number of exhibitions in the Messen . I believe advocacy needs to be tailored on a regional level , however , as we emerge from the crisis . In all regions we will need to re-double our work and remind governments that the industry many of them turned to when the crisis began is also such a great driver of economic and societal development .
What have been the main questions from members during this time ? The key questions have focused on technology and where members can learn about technological engagement in hosting their meetings . We have rapidly learned about Zoom and Teams for day-to-day business , but what other advanced platforms are out there that can be used to organise Virtual / Hybrid meetings ?
Members are also wanting to learn from other regions of the ICCA community and other sectors to know what are the best practices applied globally , what transformation is taking place among the association meetings and how associations are planning their future events . This is where ICCA has been able to facilitate discussions .
The road to Kaohsiung , may not be so well trodden physically this year , but you have some quality content lined up under the theme , ‘ Re-imagining the future of global events ’, right ? ICCA ’ s first-ever hybrid Congress required education and content that will innovative and future-thinking , in a format that we have never operated before . As such , the Congress itself is the ‘ re-imagining ’, taking the form of a live case-study of how events can be managed in the future and we will share the learnings post-event .
Tell us about the regional hubs . How were they chosen and what kind of attendance numbers are you predicting for each ? The regional hubs were selected
18 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 109