A SEAT AT THE TABLE
Conference News chats with new ABPCO chairs , Emma Duffy and Sarah Byrne , about the association ’ s goals and the role of live events
BPCO welcomed new chairs Emma Duffy and Sarah Byrne last month . Conference News sat down with them for an exclusive chat about their aspirations for the association as well as thoughts and opinions on the current state of the association market in the UK and beyond .
Conference News ( CN ): Why did you decide to become chair ?
Emma Duffy ( ED ): ABPCO has supported me in various roles since 2013 and I felt I had capacity to be able to offer something back . It is a safe space and offers opportunities to engage with other event professionals and industry partners and I wanted to use my expertise to support new members going forward , whilst delivering for our current membership . I also want to bust some of the myths about what PCOs do .
Sarah Byrne
Sarah Byrne ( SB ): Having experienced many challenges in my 20 + years of running events , I recognise the importance of having somewhere to go for guidance and support .
ABPCO has offered this to me personally and professionally on many occasions . With access to like-minded individuals , it has provided a fantastic opportunity to learn from others as well as share knowledge and best practice .
CN : What are your key strategic goals for your time in the role ?
ED / SB : Key goals include :
• Membership growth - 200 PCO in-house members by 2027
• Organisational growth - £ 200k in revenues by 2027
• Increase segmentation - to
Emma Duffy
strengthen value proposition and attract early careers
• Amplify external voice and be the voice of PCOs – raising the profile of PCOs and the impact they have
CN : Looking beyond ABPCO – what is the lay of the land in the association sector ? ED : I hate to mention the C word but Covid-19 has changed the landscape for the industry and we are still working out what our new normal looks like . There is also more consideration being given to sustainability and DEI , both areas have an impact on how and what we plan to deliver .
The virtual world we inhabited for the past two years has made justifying travel and accommodation to attend events in person even more important , so we www . conference-news . co . uk