Conference & Meetings World Issue 119 | Page 9

ICCA

Moving beyond business as usual

ICCA CEO SENTHIL GOPINATH SAYS THE GLOBAL MEETINGS INDUSTRY IS TRANSFORMING AS A META INDUSTRY

T he sentiment as we wrap up the first half of 2022 is “ We ’ re back ”. International business travel is returning to pre-pandemic levels and long-awaited reunions with business partners and colleagues are finally happening .

I was fortunate to have attended the 20th IMEX in Frankfurt , where the industry ’ s excitement was palpable . ICCA also held its plenary in Frankfurt to announce its key 2022 activities and hear feedback from members . Record attendance and super engagement by the community was clearly evident at the plenary titled ‘ ICCA Global Conversations – What ’ s the new order of the industry ’.
Our global community is enthusiastic about our future outlook . As we meet face-to-face , we are able to more easily share our concerns and co-create new strategies . ICCA is facilitating many more opportunities for meeting and learning together across Europe including the Future of healthcare meetings , a joint ICCA and AC Forum event , 6-8 July in Cannes , and business workshops in Bordeaux , Stavanger , and Lausanne .
Additionally , ICCA will have a booth and host member-exclusive events at IMEX America , IBTM Barcelona , and IBTM Americas . Early Bird registration is also open for the 61st ICCA Congress in Kraków , Poland , 6-9 November . The congress will be the first to bring our global community to one location since 2019 and we are planning a truly unmissable programme .
One of the most important aspects of all of ICCA ’ s events is the opportunity to build new partnerships . This is an ideal moment for meeting suppliers to present associations with innovative and future-forward ways of doing business .
A recent ICCA survey of international associations found that forming effective partnerships with meeting suppliers was very important to more than half of the respondents .
Associations also prioritised suppliers that could support their sustainability strategies . Another positive finding was that 62 % of respondents have already been able to meet again in-person . Additionally , 41 % of the associations said they are planning their largest meeting in 2022 with an in-person format ; up from only 14 % in 2021 .
On the other hand , fully virtual events are declining , from 56 % in 2021 to 12 % in 2022 . Associations continue to emphasise a need for flexible contract terms with their business partners .
ICCA is further supporting meeting suppliers with the new ICCASkills global accreditation programme . Our first classes for Certified International Convention Specialists ( CICS ) and Certified International Convention
Above : Senthil Gopinath
“ Virtual events are declining , from 56 % in 2021 to 12 % in 2022 .”
Executives ( CICE ) begin in July and August .
ICCASkills meets an industry demand for comprehensive professional development that benefits all sectors , regions , and career levels . It offers high-quality courses in understanding markets and trends , bidding , venues , PCOs , destination management and marketing and measuring ROI , sustainability and crisis management . Crucially , learners will gain best practices and standards that are applicable to any region in the world and developed specifically for post-pandemic business events .
Coming back together after such a long time of isolation certainly feels like a return to normal . However , we must remember that our future success will require us to move beyond business as usual . ICCA encourages the industry to take advantage of the education and networking opportunities that will help us build a stronger industry for tomorrow with new strategies and business models .
We must not forget some of the most important aspects where our industry can contribute , such as sustainability , legacy and global socio economic development . Such contributions will make our industry a meta industry .
ISSUE 119 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 9