The Kaohsiung Protocol he latest , 59th International Congress and Convention Association ( ICCA ) Congress was held as a hybrid event from 1-3 November 2020 , welcoming a record number of attendees .
Although a majority of those delegates were not able to attend in person at Kaohsiung , Taiwan , or the regional hubs , a large number tuned in to a six-week programme of knowledge sharing over the course of the event .
The Congress saw the signing of the Kaohsiung Protocol , a new framework of key trends and strategies designed to help revive the international meetings industry , following the difficulties of the pandemic . It was put together following almost 250 interviews with a variety of clients , suppliers and industry professionals .
The Protocol aims to provide the industry with guidance and knowledge around some key areas : innovative business models , shared risk , digital restructure and hybrid events , and enhanced engagement and value strategies . In this article , CMW will break down some of the key takeaways from the report .
When asked to pick their most important metrics for the success of meetings in the future , clients picked ( in descending order ): Attendee satisfaction ( 74 %); Attendee engagement ( 66 %); Event attendance ( 61 %); Business / event objectives realised ( 54 %) and Stakeholder engagement ( 50 %).
Alongside these Key Performance Indicators ( KPIs ), clients and suppliers were asked to pick which macro trends in the world at large would most affect business in 2021 and beyond . The five trends they singled out as having the largest impact on business were : Acceleration of the digital economy ; Ongoing challenges with vaccination logistics / distribution ; Continuation of global recession ; Exponential increase of remote workers / telecommuters and Acceleration of personal tech adoption ( eg Zoom ).
Embracing digital culture Many of those interviewed seem to be pointing towards a digital future , then , but how can event organisers capitalise on this trend ? The Kaohsiung Protocol makes several suggestions .
It suggests that event organisers should reimagine their physical locations and spaces as global knowledge sharing hubs . They should also create standard processes for digital events , and develop their own digital technology assets where possible . Their own internal culture should have an increasing focus on digital , so as to get all employees on board with the adoption of a digital vision . Some other suggestions include upskilling staff to enhance a team ’ s digital capabilities , or putting an increased focus on digital when hiring .
“ Organisations must embrace a digital innovation culture to be relevant in the future ,” says the Protocol . “ The biggest challenge for many organisations as they develop their strategy for the future is their culture . The only way for any organisation to grow effectively today is for every level of leadership to
What are the most important metrics for the success of meetings in the future ?
Measuring future success Those interviewed were close to unanimous in their belief that hybrid and virtual events would see even greater take up in the future . Forty-five percent of those interviewed said they believed the number of hybrid events would increase greatly in the future , while 42.5 % said it would increase slightly . Meanwhile , 31.3 % of attendees said they thought face-to-face events would decrease greatly in the future , while 51.3 % said they would decrease slightly . |
74 %
66 %
61 %
54 %
50 %
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Attendee engagement
Event attendance
Business / event objectives realised
Stakeholder engagement
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Attendee satisfaction |
14 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 110