The Pan-European Magazine for Association Executives Supported by ESAE, European Society of Association Executives, and UIA, Union of International Associations, Brussels

HEADQUARTERSMeeting Media CompanyMeetings Industry Publishers (Belgium)Afgiftekantoor 2800 Mechelen 1 Bureau de Dépôt 2800 Malines 1Published 6 times a year: February, April, June, September, October & DecemberEdition June 2009 - P3A9029

33

© J

ean-

Noë

l Leb

lanc

- B

onte

mps

be behereyou

A city of nuance and emotions, Lyon brings out the best in you naturally. Here, creativity and talent shine as one. Listen to your heart, discover yourself, follow your instinct. Your life will take on new intensity in Lyon.

TOURISM AND CONVENTIONS

HQ> M A R C E L ’ S P A G E

For our editorial offi ce the publication

of our annual AIPC issue is always

an exciting time. We always change

from writers into diggers. We dig

for the deeper meaning of a perfect

convention centre, we explore how a

conference room of the future should

look like and in which environment a

conference or congress could thrive

the best. Without actually realizing

it, while I was digging, I got lost in a

Swedish story I wrote a few years ago.

One of my particularly special jour-

nalistic experiences was a meeting

with Ejnar Söder in 2005. He’s Swed-

ish, enthusiastic, energetic and full of

inspiration. He has been in the hotel

and conference business fi eld for

more than 60 years now and he is still

engaged every day in searching for

the best accommodation and meeting

formulas. About 5 years ago - at an

age that would be deep into retire-

ment for everyone else - he bought

up the former IBM conference centre

and transformed the building into a

youthful, dynamic meeting place with

hotel accommodation: Nordic Blue

Hotel on the Island of Lindingo in

Stockholm.

He told me: ‘In creating this hotel,

I realized my fi rst dream: designing a

conference room for the future. For

years now, I have seen people meeting

in the same room arrangement and

in the same passive manner. In 2004

I created the conference room for the

future: a magnifi cent view, everything

in one room, no formal table arrange-

ment - instead, high stools at high

bar tables, with comfortable seats

in the middle. At any given moment,

everybody can see everyone else.

Imaginary break-out rooms are set

up on two walls. In this one room,

everything happens in the greatest

freedom: eating, meeting, exchanging

thoughts, working in groups, and so

on. This atmosphere is maintained for

the entire day in order to achieve one

single goal: to make meetings more

interactive, instructive, and interest-

ing for everyone… and in one of my

new-to-open meeting rooms, I want to

fulfi ll my ultimate dream: a conference

room with chairs on wheels, low tables,

and lots of lights. Everyone will be able

to ride around and choose their right

place at any moment of the meeting.

Interactivity at an all-time high!’

I think that’s great! I haven’t seen

his conference room with chairs on

wheels yet but I recommend anyone

who’s nearby to take a look and then

you’ll say: old meeting formulas have

had their day!

CREATING THE MEETING ROOM FOR THE FUTURE

MARCEL A.M. VISSERSEditor in Chief

» READ MORE OF MARCEL’S STORIES ON HIS BLOG: MARCELSBLOG.HQMAGAZINE.EU!

The White Conference Room in the Nordic Light Hotel in Stockholm. Jan Söder, its designer, explains: ‘We have created a meeting place with untold possibilities. We have created a kind of meeting place that we ourselves felt was lacking. A meeting place that is constantly changing in colours: breakfast, lunch, presentations, meeting, dinner, bar and club.. meeting in white, club-bing in rose…’

eeeeeelllllllllllllllllllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiLLLLLiiiiiiiiiLiLiLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL eeeeeeeeeeeeeeelellllleellllleeeeeeeeelllleelllllllllllleeeellllllllleellll eeeeelellelleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiili llllllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL llLLLLLillllllL llllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiLLLLLLLLLLLiiiiiLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLiiiiii eeeeLilleiiiiiLillllllllllllllllllLLLLLLLiLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLiiii eeeeeeeellllllLLLLLLL lllleeeeeleleiiiiilleiiii eeeeelleLLL eeeilleeeeeLLLL eeeeeeeeeilLLLL eeeeeeeeeLLLLLLLLL eeLLLLLLL lllllllllllllllleeeLLLLLLillLL liiliiillllllLLLLLLLLLiLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLiii llllllllllLL lliiiiiiiiLL llLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL lllliiilliii llllllllllllllllLiiLililLille

mmmAmAmAmmAAAAAAAAAAAmAAAAAAAAAAmAmAmAmAmAAAAAAAAAAAm

LLLLLLLLLLondondnondonondonondonondonondondondondondondondonondonondon

PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP ssssssiisisisiisrrrirraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarraarrrraaaaaaaaaaa sssssisisisssisisrr ssssssiiiisisisisririririraaaaaarrrrrrirrrrrrrrrarararaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa sssssaaaa ssssssrisaarisrrrrrrrrrrrrriririiaaarararariiiaaaaaaa ssssa ssssssssiaaa iisssssaaaaaa iiiiissssssiirirrirrisssiiiirr saaarrrarrrrrriiiririririsssssaaaarrrrrrraaaaaa sssssssaaaaaa isiisiiisrisrrrrrrraaaa iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaris 60' 60' 60' 60'60' 60' 60' 60'

80' 80' 80' 80' 80' 80' 80 80' 80' 80' 80'

sssssssssssssssssssssssssssmmsmsssmmsmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmsmsmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssmmssmssssmmmsssmmmsmsmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmsmmmmmssssssssssmssmsttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr amammdamdamdamdamdddddddddddddamadaadddddddddddddddddddddaaddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddam

BrusselsBBrusselsBBBBrusselsBBrusselsBBrusselBBrusselsB lBrusselsBrusselsBrusselsBrusselsBrusserusselsBrusselsBrusselrusselBrusselsBrussels 34' 34' 34' 34'34'34 34' 34'

2h402h402h402h402h402h402h40mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

HQ> C O N T E N T S

CONTENTS

MARCEL’S PAGE 3

CONTENTS 5

NEWS 6

AMSTERDAM 10

AIPC MEMBERS SPEAK 11

STAR ALLIANCE 12

ASSOCIATION PORTRAIT: IWTO 14

AIPC SPECIAL ON CONVENTION CENTRES

CONGRESS PEARLS: GEMS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD 16

VERBATIM: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE CONGRESS PEARLS 19

THE FUTURE OF CONVENTION CENTRES 23

ESAE: ASSOCIATIONS AND GOVERNANCE 26

UIA: LAW OF THE LAND 34

DESTINATIONS

BRISBANE 36

MAASTRICHT 42

FLANDERS 44

DESTINATION SUPPLEMENTS > PARIS

> QUÉBEC

Cover HQ33:© Larry Oltmanns & Vx3

Larry Oltmanns, of Vx3 Architects, was “interested to see what would happen if the notion of the ‘ideal congress

centre’ could somehow be expressed as a range of ideas

rather than as a singular vision for one specifi c place”.

COLOPHONHQ OR HEADQUARTERS IS A NICHE PUBLICATION FOR EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIA-TIONS HEADQUARTERED IN BRUSSELS AND ALL MAJOR EUROPEAN CITIES DEALING WITH THE ORGANIZATION OF WORLDWIDE CONGRESSES. IT IS PUBLISHED 6 TIMES A YEAR. CIRCULATION IS 5000 COPIES.

SubscriptionsSubscription amounts to 65 EUR (all incl.) in Belgium, 75 EUR (all incl.) in the EU and 95 EUR (all incl.) in the rest of the world.The subscription entails 6 editions of HQ per year including the special edition Meeting Trends, as well as an online access to the website. Online subscription for digital magazines is 50 EUR. To subscribe: www.HQmagazine.eu

Editor in ChiefMarcel A.M.VissersT: +32 (0)3 226 88 81marcel@meetingmedia.eu

Managing DirectorCécile Caiati-KochT: +32 (0)2 761 70 52cecile@meetingmedia.eu

Editorial Offi cerRémi DévéT: +32 (0)2 761 70 54 remi@meetingmedia.eu

EditorSteven Kins

Design UPSILON advertising, GentT: +32 (0)9 267 39 40info@upsilonadvertising.be

PrintCartim - Destelbergen

Supported by ESAE and UIA

Address20, rue Paul Wemaere B - 1150 Brussels (Belgium)T: +32 (0)2 761 70 50 F: +32 (0)2 761 70 51 www.hqmagazine.eu

Responsible PublisherMeeting Media Company Marcel A.M. Vissers Mechelseplein 23, bus 1B - 2000 Antwerpen (Belgium)www.meetingmedia.eu

HQ magazine sets great store by sustainable development and therefore chose environment-friendly FSC certifi ed paper which comes from a controlled source. More info: www.fsc.org ® FSC, A.C. FSC-SECR-0045

Cécile Caiati-Koch

Rémi Dévé

STAY TUNED FOR HQ34 - SEPTEMBER 2009

➔ MEETING TRENDS: our much-anticipated comprehensive research on the latest developments in the meetings industry

➔ AUSTRALIA: an emerging destination for international associations - why you defi nitely should go there

➔ MONACO: green as ever

➔ TWO DESTINATION SUPPLEMENTS: Amsterdam, the loving city / Montréal, the host city par excellence

… AND DON’T FORGET TO JOIN ONE OF OUR TWO GROUPS ON

➔ HQmagazine.eu Ambassador Club for associations

➔ HQmagazine.eu Club for suppliers

HEADQUARTERS 6

SEOUL EXTENDS SUPPORT FOR HOSTING INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCESThe city of Seoul City has begun offering

fi nancial support to organizations that plan

to attract, organize and host international

conferences. The exact amount will be de-

termined after an evaluation of the scale,

importance, and potential economic effect

of the conference, with up to 43,000 USD

available. Potential recipients of the fi nancial

support include organizations that are plan-

ning to attract, or are preparing to hold, an

international conference or other types of

small and medium international conferences

with over 50 participants from foreign na-

tions. The funds will be released by the Seoul

Tourism Organization’s Convention Bureau.

www.miceseoul.com

HQ> H E A D Q U A R T E R S N E W S

THOMAS REISER JOINS INTEREL

European Corporate Affairs Consultancy In-

terel announced the appointment of Thomas

Reiser as the new Director for Healthcare

and Life Sciences within its growing Associa-

tion Management practice. For over 15 years,

Thomas Reiser has worked as an association

management professional supporting a wide

range of professional organisations in the

healthcare and life sciences sector. Before

joining Interel, Mr. Reiser worked with MCI

Brussels as Client Director where he served

most recently as the Executive Director of

the International Society of Nephrology and

the International Liver Cancer Association.

www.interel.eu

MARRIOTT HOTELS EVEN GREENERIn a move to help improve the climate, Marriott

International, Inc. has launched a new way for

guests to ‘green’ their hotel stays. Now, while

booking a room on www.marriott.com, guests

can offset the carbon generated during the

stay with a donation, for example as little as

US$1 per day. As part of Spirit To Preserve,

Marriott’s fi ve-point environmental strategy,

guests can so contribute to a Brazilian rain-

forest preservation fund which has already

been supported with a US$2 million commit-

ment by the company.

www.marriott.com

EXCEL LONDON LAUNCH DESTINATION LONDON

ExCeL London has produced its fi rst annual

Destination London report, providing an exten-

sive analysis of the current and future trends

being witnessed across the UK conference and

events market. With the results unveiled at this

year’s IMEX in Frankfurt, the report has con-

ducted extensive quantitative and qualitative

research across the technology, catering, event,

accommodation and transport industries, spe-

cifi cally focusing on trends experienced in Lon-

don. The research is supported with comment

and examples from leading industry fi gures and

representatives of the fi ve individual sectors

including Visit London, Leith’s, London City

Airport, Blitz Technology and Accor Hotels.

www.excel-london.co.uk

NEW DIRECTOR OF SALES AT MCECA sales professional with a string of awards to

her name, Anne Jamieson, has been appointed

Director of Sales at the Melbourne Convention

and Exhibition Centre. Anne will replace Melis-

sa MacCourt, who leaves MCEC after three

years in the role, this month. Her experience is

extensive and includes senior executive roles

at The Westin Melbourne, Novotel Melbourne

on Collins, InterContinental Hotel Groups,

Radisson and Sheraton Hotels.

www.mcec.com.au

EACD WELCOMES ITS 1000TH MEMBER The European Association of Communication

Directors (EACD), the leading Europe-wide net-

work for in-house communication profession-

als, recently welcomed its 1,000th member.

Cheonggyecheon, Seoul

© C

heo

ng g

ye C

heo

n offi cia

l web

site

HEADQUARTERS 7

HQ> H E A D Q U A R T E R S N E W S

Founded on November 8, 2006 by about 100

founding members from 23 different coun-

tries, the association has since then extended

its network of communicators from compa-

nies, institutions, associations and NGOs to

more than 40 countries. EACD brings in-house

communication professionals together to ex-

change ideas and discuss the latest news and

information relevant to their work.

www.eacd-online.eu

ICCA PUBLISHES COUNTRY AND CITY RANKINGS 2008

This year the ICCA Data researchers have

identifi ed 7,475 events which took place

in 2008, a rise of approximately 800 over

2007. As has been the case since 2004,

U.S.A. and Germany are the number one and

two countries respectively measured by the

number of international meetings organised

in 2008. For the fi rst time in three years,

Vienna shares the top with Paris as the most

popular city. Barcelona on third place had an

increase of 30 meetings over 2007. Remark-

able newcomers in the top 20 are Athens,

Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Tokyo. Stock-

holm and Seoul both climb in the rankings to

8th and 9th position respectively.

www.iccaworld.com

QMDI WINS GREEN EVENT CATEGORY AT MIDDLE EAST EVENT AWARDS 2009Qatar MICE Develop-

ment Institute (QMDI),

a joint venture company

with Qatar Foundation, recently won the

‘Green Event’ category at the Middle East

Event Awards 2009. Khalifa Al Mannai, PR

& Government Liaison Manager, QMDI, said:

‘The accolade was presented to QMDI, the

appointed event management company for

UNEP (United Nations Environment Protec-

tion Agency) Ozone Protection Conferences

hosted by the Qatar’s Ministry of Environ-

ment, for the turnkey event management and

special project management to ‘reduce paper

usage’ at an event’. MEEZA, the Managed IT

Services and Solutions provider, developed a

paperless document management solution,

an event portal, web-site and wireless net-

work for the event.

www.qmdi.com.qa

EXPERIENCE M:CON IN A MOUSE CLICKOn the new M:CON’s website and www.rosen-

garten- mannheim.de a virtual walk through

all rooms of M:CON, online booking inquiries

and fi lm sequences offer more convenience

for the meeting planer. The virtual walk

through the m:con CC Rosengarten, (capacity

9,000 persons; 5,000 m2 exhibition space)

shows each room’s highlights e.g. room size,

seating, technology & me-

dia. Homepage visi-

tors will receive

a comprehensive

idea of how a hall

might look for their

event. Booking

inquiries can be

done by a ‘Shopping

Basket’function.

www.mcon-mannheim.de

SEVENCENTERS CELEBRATE 7TH ANNIVERSARYIn May 2002 the seven biggest German con-

vention centres with large exhibition grounds

directly adjacent founded the marketing alli-

ance ‘SevenCenters of Germany’. Since then,

the Big Seven have jointly promoted Ger-

many internationally as a meetings destina-

tion with the slogan ‘Great Places for Great

Conventions’. They celebrated their seventh

anniversary at IMEX 2009. The members of

the SevenCenters of Germany are ICC Berlin

- International Congress Center Berlin, Düs-

seldorfCongress, Congress Frankfurt, CCH

- Congress Center Hamburg, Congress-Cen-

trum Koelnmesse - KölnKongress (Cologne),

ICM - International Congress Centre Munich

and ICS International Congress Center Stutt-

gart. Under the motto ‘Together we are even

stronger’, these seven big congress centres

today form a forceful marketing association.

www.sevencenters.de

ASIA’S CONVENTION AND VISITOR BUREAUS UNITE TO WIN BUSINESS

Eight Asian visitor bureaus have united to

boost the continent’s market share in the

growing global business events industry by

relaunching the Asian Association of Con-

vention and Visitor Bureaus (AACVB). The

Association announced that a new agenda

will be implemented and driven by eight

convention and visitor bureaus (CVBs) from

China, Hong Kong, Korea, Macau, Malaysia,

Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. AACVB

Chairperson, Ms Suprabha Moleeratanond

of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition

Bureau, said: ‘These eight convention and

visitor bureaus will put cooperation ahead of

competition and raise the level of sophistica-

tion of the meetings, incentives, conventions

and exhibition sectors in Asia. Our aim is to

ACCESS 2009SEE YOU IN AUSTRIA!In its sixth year access has grown into a nation-ally and internationally acknowledged venues platform, counting in the meantime as a must for all those planning and holding events in Austria. In access 2008 over 230 Austrian exhibitors from all sectors of the Austrian conference industry presented their products and services portfolios. Designed to be even bigger, access 2009 will take place in Vienna from the 5th to the 6th of October 2009. A comprehensive Hosted Buyer programme has already been put together. Interested? Please write to press@meetingmedia.eu or call +32 2 761 70 50 to register.

www.access-austria.at

© P

aris To

urist O

ffi ceJ

ocely

ne G

enri

Bangkok

Under -standing creates Networking.Networking creates Experience. Experience creates Knowledge. Knowledge creates Technology. Technology creates Convenience. Convenience creates Well-being. Well-being creates Feeling. Feeling creates Motivation. Motivation creates Participation. Participation creates Meetings. Meeting creates Understanding!

www.austrian.com www.acv.at www.messecongress.at www.vienna.convention.at

Save the date!

2ND HQ/UIA ACADEMIC SESSIONBrusselsOctober 5 & 6 2009

Programme:UIA 2009 statisticsTrade associations debateStay tuned for more information!

www.hqmagazine.eu > events

HEADQUARTERS 9

HQ> H E A D Q U A R T E R S N E W S

increase competitiveness and drive new MICE

business to our region.’

Contact: aacvb@macau.ctm.net

ESTORIL WINS IMEX’09 GREEN EXHIBITOR AWARD

Competing on a fi nal short list of three

sustainable exhibitors, the Estoril Congress

Centre, in Portugal, was chosen as the winner

of IMEX’09 Green Exhibitor Award for ‘its

combination of ingenuity and inventive think-

ing in stand design with a concerted effort to

think outside the box’, as referred to by the

judging panel during the Award presenta-

tion at IMEX Gala Dinner. In the opinion of

the judging panel, Estoril Congress Centre

created a simple but unique new stand design,

built by their own team, with a concept for

visitors interaction inviting people to commit

to a more responsible behaviour, personally

and professionally, and promoting its Show

and MI campaign ‘Reduce Your Footprint and

Survive’.

www.estorilcc.com

CONVENTION CENTRE DUBLIN RECOGNISED AS CARBON NEUTRALThe Convention Centre Dublin (CCD)

recently announced it is the fi rst carbon

neutral international convention centre as

the net impact of the building’s construc-

tion on the environment is zero. This iconic

landmark, which is still in construction, can

be considered carbon neutral due to the use

of low carbon cement throughout the build-

ing and through offsetting all unavoidable

carbon emissions by investing in carbon

credits in accordance with the Voluntary

Carbon Standards (VCS). Validation and

verifi cation of the venue was conducted by

UN accredited auditors SGS.

www.theccd.ie

MEET ANNABEL SULLIVANSupporting the Tourism

Australia alliance and

representing Brisbane’s

business events indus-

try at IMEX this year was Annabel Sullivan,

Brisbane Marketing Director Business Events.

In her 3.5 years with Brisbane Marketing,

Annabel has contributed to several major bid

wins and overseen the Bureau’s participation

in a range of projects and events including

IMEX, AIME and TABEE. Annabel brings 20

years experience in the business events sec-

tor (including roles with Voyages Hotels and

Resorts and P&O Australian Resorts) to her

role and is an ideal Australian contact point

for associations looking to meet in Australia’s

new world city.

www.meetinbrisbane.com

TOURS EVENTS IS BORNRight before IMEX began last month, a new

entity was born in Tours, France. Aptly named

Tours Events, it’s made of Vinci, Tours’

congress centre, the exhibition park and the

Tourism Offi ce, and designed to promote

Tours as a business tourism destination. Its

board is composed of one president, Jean-

François Lemarchand, and two directors,

Benoît Martin and Denis Schwok.

www.vinci-conventions.com

» SEND YOUR PRESS RELEASES TO PRESS@MEETINGMEDIA.EU

2009 MEETINGS INDUSTRY FAIRSWORLDWIDE: MAKE YOUR CHOICE!

CIBTM – Beijing // China National Convention Centre

September 8-10 2009 – www.cibtm.com

ACCESS – Vienna // Hofburg Vienna

October 5-6 2009 – www.access-austria.at

IT&CMA + CTW – Bangkok // Bangkok Convention

Centre at CentralWorld

October 6-8 2009 - itcma.com.sg

EIBTM – Barcelona // Fira Gran Via

December 1-3 2009 – www.eibtm.com

NEW VENUE TO RISE UP IN MONTPELLIERIn mid-2010, visitors to Montpellier’s exhibition centre will witness the opening of a new key

infrastructure, a multi-purpose hall within the exhibition centre, which can be used as an

exhibition and congress hall, a venue for major events and shows, with a capacity of 14,000

spectators in show confi guration and 13,500 m2 surface area in exhibition confi guration. Aptly

named The Great Hall, it will be an exceptionally versatile facility and managed by the Enjoy

Montpellier group.

www.enjoy-montpellier.com

HEADQUARTERS 10

I AMSTERDAM UNCOVERED: AMSTERDAM AT ITS BEST

HQ

A COUPLE OF TIMES OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, AMSTERDAM TOURISM AND CONVENTION BOARD (AND THE NBTC) HAVE SURPRISED ME

WITH AN ORIGINAL, BUT PARTICULARLY INFORMATIVE, MEETING. ORGANISING WORKSHOPS, FAM-TRIPS, HOTEL VISITS OR SPECIAL EVENTS

IS NOT A SIMPLE ASSIGNMENT IN THE MEETINGS INDUSTRY. FEW DO IT REALLY WELL. I AMSTERDAM MAY BE CONSIDERED AN EXCEPTION.

TEXT MARCEL A.M. VISSERS

SERVING UP AMSTERDAM: THE SILVER PLATTERWhat should I make of

‘I amsterdam uncov-

ered’ business case’?

was my fi rst query to Marc Horsmans, Busi-

ness Unit Manager, when the programme was

introduced in La Serre Bar in Amsterdam’s

Okura Hotel. ‘Good question,’ Marc replied.

‘Picture a waiter carrying a serving plate with

a domed silver cover, striding with a bearing

as though he’s going to present a secret pro-

gramme. He lifts the cover... and instead of a

rabbit ‘I amsterdam’ springs into magnifi cent

view. Our aim each year is to conjure up a

particular aspect of the city of Amsterdam to

a select international gathering of association

executives and congress organisers.

I use the word ‘conjure’ because we leave no

detail of the programme untouched. In every

visit to a venue, we try to amaze our visitors.

And that’s usually more than a mere pleasant

surprise.’

With this science in mind, I took my place

in a bicycle taxi (and there would follow at

least 20 more) in the company of Michel De

Bisschop, Executive Director of the European

Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA). What did

we see? I will mention only the highlights.

THE RAI AMSTERDAMThe highlight of the visit to the RAI was the

presentation of its congress possibilities with

a lot of attention on the new RAI Elicium

complex. The best that the RAI has to offer

was presented as we watched a sophisticated

digital screen, sitting in 30 white armchairs

arranged on a large red carpet in the middle

of an immense space. And what was served

up in the Brasserie Amsterdam afterwards

was not to be scoffed at either.

CANAL CRUISECongress-goers can easily travel by water

in Amsterdam, which is always a pleasant,

relaxing way to get about. A restored steam-

boat brought us within the hour to one of

Amsterdam’s historical meeting venues.

THE BEURS VAN BERLAGEThis former stock exchange building - re-

garded as the beginning of Modern Archi-

tecture - offers the congress organiser a

whole range of very special meeting places.

The guests were also able to meet the city’s

stakeholders here.

LE CIEL BLEU RESTAURANT WITH PANORAMIC VIEWConcluding a visit on the 23rd story of an

iconic hotel is already a unique experience -

but then to savour delectable French cuisine,

that’s something else besides. A restaurant

with two Michelin stars, if you please. And

know what I heard as we were dining? Michel

De Bisschop, ESA’s Executive Director, signed

the contract for his 2012 congress during

the visit. How many delegates is he expect-

ing? - 15,000! For the second time I say: if

you please!

www.amsterdam.com

> A M S T E R D A M

Organising workshops, fam-trips, hotel visits or Special Events is not a simple assignment in the meetings industry. Few do it really well. I amsterdam may be considered an exception

HEADQUARTERS 11

TEXT EDGAR HIRT - AIPC PRESIDENT AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF CCH, CONGRESS CENTER HAMBURG

At fi rst glance, the economics of a convention

centre can look a little odd. Few ever recover

their capital cost. Many lose money on the

bottom line and need to be subsidized. And

those that do make an operating profi t may

do so at the expense of broader economic

benefi ts they might otherwise generate!

This is all simply the result of a market that

understands only too well the value they

bring to a host city or region. The overall

economic benefi t generated by conferences

far exceeds any potential bottom line profi t

by the centre itself. Governments, who are

typically the owner, are in the best possible

position to capture a portion of that resulting

benefi t via incremental tax revenues. Clients

know that, and negotiate accordingly.

But what is likely the biggest benefi t of all is

seldom even understood - and that is the role

that a centre and the kinds of events it hosts

play in generating new economic activity.

When viewed in that light, the modest

subsidy that some owners have to pay in op-

erating a centre pales in comparison with the

much larger proportion that is paid for by the

very planners and delegates whose presence

provides what is typically the most effective

business promotion a destination can have.

Most cities or regions that are serious about

attracting new business to their communities

organize programs to promote what makes

them a good place to locate and invest. A key

part of any such promotion is encouraging

potential investors to come and experience

that city, and to see what makes it an attrac-

tive location. And that’s exactly what conven-

tion centres also do.

Here’s how it works: convention delegates

are generally no ‘regular’ visitors. They

are much likely to be senior professionals

and business people, and primarily there

to attend an event. Very often, they are

people who would not otherwise have had

any reason to visit at all. And once they are

there, their event program is designed in a

way that will expose them to the attributes of

the destination. This is precisely what you’d

want for an effective business development

program - and ironically, it’s paid for by the

delegates themselves almost entirely.

Why this factor has never fi gured more

prominently in the thinking of centre owners

is a bit of a mystery, until you realize that

it has one problem: it doesn’t lend itself to

direct measurement. As a result, it’s often

simply ignored. The value of something as

obvious as the role that major events play

in building destination profi le, to the longer

term benefi t of a city, seems to be well

understood when it comes to a single, high

profi le event - like the Olympics - but seldom

recognized in connection with the activities

of a convention centre.

In practice, most centres manage a balance

of business activities that combine good

revenue generators with those that create

greater economic benefi t, and manage to

achieve both an acceptable operating bottom

line and the broader economic generation

that is often the more important objective.

However, managers are still regularly faced

with the question ‘Why can’t you people

make more money?’ from those who don’t

understand the full range of potential

benefi ts that are available from different

strategies for centre operation.

Few would question the wisdom of committing

money to a program to attract new business

to a destination. It’s about time we recognized

how convention centres do exactly that.

For more information on AIPC:

marianne.de.raay@aipc.org or

www.aipc.org

HQ> A I P C M E M B E R S S P E A K

HOW CONVENTION CENTRES FINANCE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS - WITH OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY

Edgar Hirt

The overall economic benefi t generated by conferences far exceeds any potential bottom line profi t by the centre itself

HEADQUARTERS 12

HQ: We understand that Star Alliance

offers a dedicated product for convention

organisers?

Roswitha Clement: Star Alliance Conventions

Plus is specifi cally designed to suit the needs

of convention organisers. International

associations were identifi ed as a target

group with increasing global travel needs in

the early years of the alliance. Work

carried out by a project group consisting of

representatives of the fi ve founding airlines

culminated in the launch of the product in

2002, making it the fi rst true alliance prod-

uct for the conventions market. It has been

very well accepted by the market, with the

number of delegates travelling on Conven-

tions Plus agreements steadily increasing

year-on-year. Last year for the

fi rst time we had more than half

a million delegates travel on the

Star Alliance network.

HQ: In a nutshell, what advan-

tages does the product pro-

vide, especially compared to

those offered by individual

airlines?

Roswitha Clement: Global

reach is one the key selling

points, as through Conven-

tions Plus, organisers have

access to a network of 24

airlines (including Regional

Member Airlines), offering

around 17,000 fl ights a day to some 916

destinations in 160 countries, and all this

through one contact at one of our member

carriers and one agreement.

HQ: So from an organiser’s perspective,

how does this work exactly?

Roswitha Clement: The organiser submits

a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the travel

needs for the event through our website

www.staralliance.com/conven-

tionsplus. The RFP is then

evaluated and the lead

airline assigned centrally

by Star Alliance. All other

member airlines are then

asked internally to confi rm

their participation in the

offer for the event. After this

phase the organiser is con-

tacted by the so-called ‘lead

airline’, the Star Alliance mem-

ber carrier who will present the

Star Alliance Conventions Plus

offer and negotiate this Offi cial

Airline Network agreement on

behalf of the other participat-

ing Star Alliance

member airlines.

STAR ALLIANCE WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR YOU

HQ> S T A R A L L I A N C E

t

o

p

ta

ai

be

Sta

offe

Airl

beh

ROSWITHA CLEMENT HAS BEEN WORKING IN THE AIRLINE

INDUSTRY FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS. AT STAR ALLIANCE, THE

FIRST TRULY GLOBAL AIRLINE ALLIANCE, SHE HAD BEEN THE

RESPONSIBLE PRODUCT MANAGER FOR CONVENTIONS PLUS SINCE

2003. IN THIS ROLE, SHE CO-ORDINATES, INITIATES AND DEVELOPS

ALL PRODUCT RELATED MATTERS WITH THE MEMBER CARRIERS. SHE EXPLAINS WHAT

STAR ALLIANCE IS EXACTLY… AND HOW CONGRESS ORGANISERS AND DELEGATES CAN

BENEFIT FROM IT.

Conventions Plus Brochure

Roswitha Clement

HEADQUARTERS 13

> S T A R A L L I A N C E

HQ: Does the product provide for

special prices?

Roswitha Clement: In general, dele-

gates receive a discount ranging from

10 to 20% off the applicable fare for

either Business or Economy Class.

HQ: Do you offer any support or

ancillary services for the confer-

ence organiser?

Roswitha Clement: Yes, the product

provides for ticket support for the

organiser, e.g. travel for site inspec-

tions and for speakers needing to

attend the conference.

HQ: What advantages does

Conventions Plus provide for par-

ticipants?

Roswitha Clement: Each event

organised through Conventions

Plus is given a specifi c conventions

code, which is recognised by all our

member carriers and even by travel

agents. Therefore the participants

can book through any of these

channels to obtain the offered

discounts. Moreover, travel on

Conventions Plus fare qualifi es for

the collection of miles for those

inscribed in any of our member

carriers’ frequent fl yer programmes.

HQ: Does the product cover more

than just conventions?

Roswitha Clement: Yes, we have

recently expanded the offer to

include Sports and Cultural Events.

The product works in exactly the

same way as for conventions travel.

We can however not provide any

direct sponsorship, but offer Con-

ventions Plus delegate discounts

for member carriers sponsoring

sporting events.

HQ: We understand more airlines

will be joining Star Alliance. How

will this affect the product?

Roswitha Clement: In 2008 both

EGYPTAIR and Turkish Airlines joined

Star Alliance, thereby bringing in

more choice of travel to, from and

within two important convention

markets - Egypt and Turkey, while

at the same time increasing fl ight

options especially in Africa, Central

Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

At present, we are working on the

integration of 4 more airlines: Air

India, Brussels Airlines, Continental

and TAM. These carriers will again

bolster our network and hence the

number of fl ight options for our

customers. This of course will also

increase the attractiveness of Con-

ventions Plus, especially in the re-

spective home markets of Belgium,

Brazil, India and the USA.

HQ: As part of your marketing, do

you participate in trade shows ?

Roswitha Clement: The product

is a marketing tool in itself due to

the promotion of Star Alliance as

the Offi cial Airline Network and the

delegate discount offer on the event

websites and in event publications.

Furthermore Conventions Plus ban-

ners can be found on the website of

several Convention Bureaus in Star

Alliance airlines home markets and

on the website of the HCCE (Historic

Conference Centres of Europe).

We are represented at the most

important trade show for the con-

ventions business - IMEX - with our

own dedicated booth. In addition,

our member carriers also promote

Conventions Plus at various trade

shows around the globe.

HQ: I believe that you are a mem-

ber of the International Congress

and Convention Association

(ICCA)? Can you explain what ben-

efits this membership brings?

Roswitha Clement: Star Alliance is a

member of ICCA and represents the

member airlines at the chapter meet-

ings and the international congress.

Joining ICCA has enabled me to gain

more knowledge about the meet-

ings industry and has also provided

unique networking opportunities.

www.staralliance.com/conventionsplus

About Star Alliance: The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the fi rst truly global airline alliance to offer customers worldwide reach and a smooth travel experience. Star Alliance received the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award in 2008 and was voted Best Airline Alliance by Business Traveller Magazine in 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and by Skytrax in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009. The members are Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, bmi, EGYPTAIR, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthan-sa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shanghai Air-lines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Spanair, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI, United and US Airways. Regional member carriers Adria Airways (Slovenia), Blue1 (Finland) and Croatia Airlines enhance the global network. Air India, Brussels Airlines, Continental Airlines and TAM have been announced as future members. Overall, the Star Alliance network offers 17,000 daily fl ights to 916 destinations in 160 countries.

HEADQUARTERS 14

HQ: What is the mission of the

International Wool Textile Organization?

Henrik Kuffner: IWTO’s mission is to help

our Wool Industry Members to understand

the textile demands of the consumers,

and to enhance the response to them

with products and promotional activities

especially developed to meet their needs,

with a fi bre that is highly desirable for its

social, technical, comfort and sustainable

values. The expected outcome should be a

better positioning of the Wool fi bre on top

of consumers’ choices and preferences, and

to bring a steady increase of wool sales and

higher market share, and the maintenance of

commercial advantages along the entire wool

demand chain, from retailers to woolgrowers,

all around the world.

IWTO’s aim is to position and to value wool

clearly in the consumer’s mind as a desirable

material for its technical, ethical and comfort

values.

HQ: What is the Organization’s decision

process concerning the organization of

a congress?

Henrik Kuffner: IWTO Congresses are usu-

ally hosted by an IWTO Member Country.

IWTO asks for submissions approximately

three years in advance, and these are sent

out to the National Committee Members for

approval. The Congress takes place annually

in the month of April, May or June. As IWTO

members are located globally, the Congress

can take place basically everywhere.

IWTO IS THE INTERNATIONAL BODY REPRESENTING THE INTERESTS OF THE WORLD’S

WOOL-TEXTILE TRADE AND INDUSTRY. AS SUCH, ITS MEMBERSHIP COVERS THE WOOL-

GROWERS, TRADERS, PRIMARY PROCESSORS, SPINNERS AND FABRIC MAKERS OF WOOL

AND ALLIED FIBRES IN ITS MEMBER-COUNTRIES, AS WELL AS ALL KIND OF ORGANISA-

TIONS RELATED TO WOOL PRODUCTS AND THE WOOL BUSINESS IN GENERAL. IT PRO-

VIDES FOR THEM A FORUM FOR DISCUSSION OF PROBLEMS OF JOINT CONCERN AND

ACTS AS THEIR SPOKESMAN WITH ALL THOSE BODIES AND AUTHORITIES TOWARDS

WHOM A COMMON APPROACH IS DEEMED NECESSARY. ITS DIRECTOR GENERAL, HENRIK

KUFFNER, TELLS US HOW THEY OPERATE.

THE INTERNATIONAL WOOLTEXTILE ORGANIZATIONAn Interview with Henrik Kuffner

HQ> A S S O C I A T I O N P O R T R A I T

Henrik Kuffner International Wool Conference - Oslo 1962

Edinburgh 2007

HEADQUARTERS 15

IWTO has been organizing annual Congresses

since 1927. In recent years, those events have

attracted an average of 200-300 delegates

with about one-third of delegates bringing

their spouses. This is where they took place:

+ 2000: Christchurch, New Zealand

+ 2001: Shanghai, China

+ 2002: Barcelona, Spain

+ 2003: Buenos Aires, Argentina

+ 2004: Evian, France

+ 2005: Hobart, Austrália

+ 2006: Cairo, Egypt

+ 2007: Edinburgh, UK

+ 2008: Beijing, China

+ 2009: Frankfurt, Germany

+ 2010: Rambouillet/Paris, France

HQ: Regarding this decision process, in

what way does a trade association differ

from a non-profit organization?

Henrik Kuffner: Many trade associations ac-

tually are non-profi t organizations. They are

organizations founded and funded by busi-

nesses that operate within a specifi c industry.

The main activities of a trade association

consist of marketing and networking so com-

panies can collaborate and policy strategies

can be formed. The aim is also to infl uence

public policy through lobbying, public rela-

tions and education. In addition the organisa-

tion of conferences is essential for both trade

associations and non-profi t organizations.

On the whole, trade associations try to give

their members the best support so that the

industry they represent become stronger

commercially, while non-profi t organisations

usually have just the benefi t of members/con-

sumers as strategic goal.

HQ: Where will the next congresses be

held? And why have you picked these des-

tinations?

Henrik Kuffner: The Frankfurt Congress just

took place in June, along the TechTextil Fair

organised by Messe Frankfurt, an associated

member of IWTO. Next year, in May, we’ll go

to Rambouillet (Paris), France, in conjunction

with the World Merino Congress and a Wool

Festival at the historic Bergerie Nationale.

IWTO endeavours to provide added value

by organising events of interest to the wool

industry in the same venue as other events.

The venue must be of interest to a large

number of our members involved in different

stages of the wool pipeline in order for the

event to be attractive.

HQ: When choosing a congress centre,

what criteria must it satisfy?

Henrik Kuffner: The congress centre has to

be able to host a large group of individuals,

many of which travel long distances to take

part in the congress. It is also paramount to

offer a certain standard when it comes to

accommodation and congress facilities. Our

congress delegates have to feel comfortable

and this usually happens thanks to a friendly

environment and a good standard of service

culture.

HQ: Do you work with a PCO or a DMC?

Why? What do you expect of them?

Henrik Kuffner: IWTO organises everything

in-house and in cooperation with our local

Member contacts/representatives. IWTO has

the ‘know-how’ to handle on-line registration

and coordinate speakers, hotels, suppliers

(technical, social events, etc.).

HQ: How would you summarize new trends

in the association congress world?

Henrik Kuffner: In the last couple of years,

with a much more diffi cult economic context,

the following criteria have become signifi -

cantly important:

+ The Congress has to take place be in a

country/region/city which can be com-

bined with general business. This means

that delegates frequently register to a

congress only if they can combine it with a

business trip as such.

+ Registration fee is becoming more and

more relevant. It is not necessarily impor-

tant to have a ‘state-of-the-art congress

centre’. Delegates prefer sometimes

to have a less ‘luxurious’, maybe more

‘convenient’ congress centre if it means

congress fees can be signifi cantly reduced.

+ Hubs are more and more preferred as

congress sites, as travelling is easier and

cheaper, and can be better combined with

other activities.

+ Nice congress trips, cultural days during a

congress, pre- and post-event tours, etc.

are less important nowadays.

www.iwto.org

> A S S O C I A T I O N P O R T R A I T

It is not necessarily important to have a ‘state-of-the-art congress centre’. Delegates prefer sometimes to have a less ‘luxurious’, maybe more ‘convenient’ congress centre

Beijing 2008

HEADQUARTERS 16

CONGRESS PEARLSThe New Icons of the World

HQ> C O N G R E S S P E A R L S

THE BRAND NEW CONGRESS CENTRESHALIC CONGRESS CENTRE (ISTANBUL)

Opening: March 2009

Capacity: a 3,000-seat auditorium, 21 meet-

ing rooms capacities ranging from 50 to 1,100

participants

Website under development

CHINA NATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE (BEIJING)

Opening: November 2009

Capacity: 23,600 m2 of meeting space, 6,000-

seat plenary hall, 36,000 m2 of exhibition

space, 72 breakout rooms, ballroom to seat

3,500 for banquets, auditorium to seat 396

www.cnccchina.com

It’s a fact that, before its hey-day, an industry

always goes through a pioneering phase.

For the congress industry, this was the early

1980s. I still remember that I once received

an invitation from Jacqueline Pietri - whom

I dare to call here, in her memory, the Queen

of the Congress Centres and Bureaus - to

the opening of the fi rst European purpose-

built congress centre: Nice Acropolis, 1984.

I had never before seen such an immense,

colourful and strangely shaped building.

Nearly everybody was gaping, awestruck,

at the opening of the prestigious Apollon

auditorium in 1985.

In 1988, I was again invited to a spectacu-

lar opening - this time in Asia: Hong Kong

Convention and Exhibition Centre, the

fi rst purpose-built convention centre in

the world to be situated on a waterfront. I

gradually began to suspect that congress

centres could well begin to shape the face

of a city. New centres started springing up

all over the globe - so many, in fact, that

I may have lost track of a few. Who still

knows that the fi rst purpose-built congress

centre in Asia was not located in Hong Kong

but rather in Colombo, Sri Lanka? In 1973,

the Bandaranaike Memorial International

Conference Centre had been opened, clad

in exquisite Chinese marble. And who can

still remember the oldest congress building

of North America? Le Palais de Congrès de

Montréal, opened in 1983. All of these build-

ings have well withstood the ravages of

time - but they’re now undergoing intensive

renovation.

That’s the short story of the fi rst 25 year-old

congress pearls. The story of the young con-

gress pearls is much longer. I draw a conclu-

sion from this history: congress centres have

grown to become the new icons of our time.

Here is a fi ne selection of them.

THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME I REPORT THAT MY FASCINATION FOR CONGRESS

CENTRES HAS GROWN APPRECIABLY OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. NOW, AS THE

AIPC ANNUAL CONFERENCE APPROACHES, I FEEL AN INCREASING URGE TO WRITE

ABOUT THE NEW ICONS OF OUR TIME. AND ODDLY ENOUGH, I’VE DIPPED INTO HIS-

TORY AND HAVE COME UP WITH A NUMBER OF HISTORICAL ICONS.

TEXT MARCEL A.M. VISSERS

HEADQUARTERS 17

PALACONGRESSI DI RIMINI

Opening: end of 2009

Full capacity: 42 rooms, 9,300 seats (4.700

seats in the plenary hall) and 11,000 m2 of

exhibition space

www.riminipalacongressi.it

TIVOLI CONGRESS CENTRE (COPENHAGEN)

Opening: Last half of 2010

Highlights: up to 4.000 guests, 3 hotels with

a capacity of 1, 300 rooms, for an assembled

building area of 75,000 m2

www.arp-hansen.com

CONVENTION CENTRE DUBLIN

Opening: September 2010

Highlights: space for up to 8,000 delegates,

22 multi-purpose meeting rooms, a 2000-

seat auditorium and approx. 4,500 m2 of

exhibition space

ww.theccd.ie

STOCKHOLM WATERFRONT CONGRESS CENTER

Opening: December 2010

Capacity: 13,700 m2 of usable space for up to

3,000 people. Next to it: a 4-star hotel with 418

rooms

www.stockholmwaterfront.com

PALACIO DE EXPOSICIONES Y CONGRESOS CIUDAD DE OVIEDO

Opening: 2010

Highlights: auditorium capacity for 2,150

people, 14 modular meeting rooms, 3,200 m2

of indoor exhibition area, 15,640 m2 of total

surface

www.pec-oviedo.com

NEW DELHI CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE

Opening: 2010

Capacity: Plenary Hall for 10,800 delegates,

two-tiered lecture theatres for 600 and 450

delegates, Grand Ballroom for 2,700 people,

28 meeting and breakout rooms, 24,700 m2

of exhibition space

www.newdelhiconvention.com

OTTAWA CONGRESS CENTRE

Opening: April 2011

Highlights: up to 30 separate meeting spac-

es including a spectacular ballroom on the

top fl oor and a dedicated formal boardroom

for executive meetings and events

www.ottawacongresscentre.com

ICELANDIC NATIONAL CONCERT & CONFERENCE CENTRE

Opening: mid 2011

Highlights: a 1800-seat concert hall of the

highest quality, a 450-seat concert hall as well

as a number of conference halls, with the larg-

est of these seating up to 750 participants

www.portusgroup.is

QATAR NATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

Opening: 2011

Capacity: 40,000 m2 of exhibition space

over 9 halls with the capacity for a confer-

ence or gala dinner for 10,000 guests, a

4,000-seat conference hall, 2,300-seat lyric

style theatre, three tiered auditoria,

52 meeting rooms

www.qatarconvention.com

> C O N G R E S S P E A R L S

HEADQUARTERS 18

EXTENSIONS OF EXISTING CONGRESS CENTRESVANCOUVER CONVENTION CENTRE

Opening: April 2009

Capacity: 29,200 m2 of exhibit space, 7,900

m2 of meeting space, 72 meeting rooms,

6,700 m2 of signature ballroom space

www.vancouverconventioncentre.com

HONGKONG CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE

Opening: June 2009

Capacity: The expansion brought the centre’s

exhibition space to 83,000 m2 and total rentable

space for events and activities to over 92,000 m2

ww.hkcec.com.hk

MELBOURNE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE

Opening: July 2009

Capacity: 32 meeting rooms of various sizes,

one grand banquet room, an entry level foyer

for 8,400 guests, a state-of-the-art 5,000 seat

plenary hall, 30,000 m2 of exhibiting space

www.mcec.com.au

HARBIYE CONGRESS AND CULTURAL CENTRE (ISTANBUL)

Opening: October 2009

Highlighst: an auditorium for over 3,500

participants, 12 meeting rooms with capaci-

ties ranging from 100 to 850 and over 10,000

m2 of multi-purpose space

Website under development

RAI ELICIUM

Opening: 2009

Highlights : Built in the RAI Congresplein, the

Elicium has a basic surface area of 3,400 m2

and 20 meeting rooms for up to 100 people.

Elicium ballroom accommodates a maximum of

2,500 people

www.rai.nl

WORLD CONFERENCE CENTER BONN

Opening: end of 2009

Highlights: A glass roof spanning the expan-

sive foyer, a large hall will offer rowed seat-

ing for 3,600 participants, an extension with

space for up to 834 additional guests, and an

additional four conference rooms

www.worldccbonn.com

MANCHESTER CENTRAL CONVENTION COMPLEX

Opening: late 2010

Aim: to enhance the venue’s facilities and

maximise the available space to add to

Manchester Central’s appeal to national and

international convention, exhibition and

event organisers

www.manchestercentral.co.uk

MIC PLUS (MILANO)

Opening: 2011

Capacity: a 1,500-seat auditorium, a 4,500-

seat plenary hall, 73 modular halls for 20 to

2,000 people, 54,000 m2 of exhibition space

www.micmilano.it

BRISBANE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE

Opening: 2011

Highlights: a 24,000 m2 development including

5 levels of boutique meetings and event space,

a contemporary design, a fi ve-star green rating

www.bcec.com.au

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE

Opening: End of 2012

Highlights: an additional function space com-

prising a 1,600m2 multi-purpose hall, break-out

areas, meeting rooms

www.eicc.co.uk

> C O N G R E S S P E A R L S

HEADQUARTERS 19

> C O N G R E S S P E A R L S

PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE CONGRESS PEARLSAT HQ MAGAZINE, WE’RE ALWAYS ON THE

LOOKOUT. FOR THIS YEAR’S RESEARCH ON

CONGRESS CENTRES, WE TRIED TO FIND

AN ANGLE THAT WOULD ENCOMPASS THE

PHENOMENOM OF CENTRES POPPING OUT

EVERYWHERE, AS THEY ARE USUALLY

CONSIDERED ECONOMIC GENERATORS TO

THE PLACE IN WHICH THEY ARE BUILT. WE

HAVE ASKED A FEW REPRESENTATIVES OF

THE WORLDWIDE MEETINGS INDUSTRY THE

FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: 1/ HOW WERE

CONGRESS CENTRES CONCEIVED/DESIGNED/

BUILT 25 YEARS AGO? WHAT WAS THE

PHILOSOPHY BEHIND IT? 2/ WHAT IS IT

LIKE TODAY TO CONCEIVE/DESIGN/BUILD A

CONGRESS CENTRE? 3/ DO YOU FORESEE

CHANGES IN THE FUTURE IN THE MATTER?

HERE ARE THEIR ANSWERS.

1/ A few years ago, there seemed to be a lot of

copy/pasting going on. Congress centres were

designed and built with a traditional concept in

mind: speaker in front on stage and audience in

theatre style in the room. The tendency was to

built lecture theatres for as large an audience

as possible. Older congress centres mostly

ignored the well-being aspect of the participant

experience: there were a few ‘bunkers’ without

daylight! Fortunately more recent centres or lat-

er extensions seemed to use more glass, open

spaces, seating areas, or large open foyers.

2/ The very nature of congresses has evolved

through the years, and continues to do so. The

way congress centre are designed lags behind

because they are literally set in concrete and

were designed with a set, traditional use in

mind. Compared to a decade and more ago,

congresses nowadays tend to be more interac-

tive than they used to be. Interactive sessions,

workshops, round tables, forums, and other new

formats require quite a different set-up than

before. The more events become interactive,

the more it becomes a challenge to make them

fi t nicely in congress centres.

An interesting new trend that only became appar-

ent in recent years is the changing value set of

the average participant. More and more partici-

pant belong to the post-Baby Boom Generation X.

Typically, Generation X-ers have quite opposing

view of the balance between work and live, attach

a lot of importance to atmosphere, environment,

well-being: exactly the things that architects who

designed public building in the past paid very

little or no attention to. They followed the design

rule ‘form follows function’ but the form they

designed at the time matched different functions

than the ones that are needed today. Gradually,

we see congress centre being designed and built

that do not follow the old paradigms, that are

innovative, different, surprising, seemingly excen-

tric or even deceptively off-the-wall.

3/ The latest in public building design, which

spills over into congress centres undoubtedly

infl uenced by the growing concern about the

environment, is green roofs on public buildings,

also known as the fi fth façade. This technology

is developing fast and is taking us to a sustain-

ability level and environmental correctness

which goes far beyond the initial attempts at

greening the congress industry by recycling

participant badges. The congress centre exten-

sion in Vancouver is a prime example of green

roof technology. I would not be surprised if this

trend will move very quickly from a mere curio-

sum to mainstream architectural design.

LUC HENDRICKXDirector, Congresses and Governance, International Diabetes Federation (IDF)

Grand River Center, Dubuque, Iowa

© C

ity

of

Du

bu

qu

e

HEADQUARTERS 20

1/ Congress centres were built using different

philosophies in different parts of the world. In

Europe, centres were mostly built outside of

the city. Cities were established many years

ago, so allocation of adequate space within

the city centre was virtually impossible. Most

centres were built also as primarily exhibition

centres with huge halls and large parking lots

as they were probably originally planned to

serve a more local market. The idea behind

was that congresses which utilized the facility

used converted exhibition halls for plenary

sessions if needed, even if it’s the exhibition

market which was the signifi cant market

share of the centres.

2/ Today a more multipurpose approach is

used for the new centres: the Lutfi Kirdar in

Istanbul has now a large space that serve

both exhibition and meeting space, thus

creating an appreciated and needed fl exibility

for the association needs. Older centres are

taking similar approach: the Fierra in Milan

has converted one of its exhibition halls into a

multipurpose space, thus enabling a meeting

to utilize its space with a maximum fl exibility.

The current philosophy is indeed to enable

maximum of multipurpose space, creating the

needed fl exibility for the societies.

3/ Predictions of the future needs of the as-

sociation market are challenging, but there is

a high likelihood that the exhibition space will

be less utilized while meeting space will be of

a greater demand. The medical industry for

instance will reduce the size of its exhibitions.

Furthermore, we see more of more mergers

in the medical market, which implies less

players to exhibit to begin with.

The large entrance foyers will also be of a

lesser importance. The present structure of

huge registration area will not be needed as

technology advances. As a matter of fact, I

foresee that the logistical space for the serv-

ice centres will be reduced signifi cantly within

the next fi ve years, thus the large entrance

foyers will be used for other purposes.

Furthermore, the meeting space will need

to be more fl exible than ever. While there is

still a need by many societies for big plenary

halls, the trend will become more and more to

utilize smaller parallel halls in order to enable

1/ Some two to three decades ago congress

centres were developed by governments or

city councils to generate economic benefi t to

the destination where they were built. They

were built as 5-star deluxe hotels without

rooms and a service delivery to match. In

the Asia-Pacifi c region at least, centres were

built in most cases to become iconic in their

appeal, so that it became a valuable asset

attraction for the destination. Location and

surroundings of the facility were important.

The Sydney Darling Harbour and its conven-

tion centre is just one example of this. Centres

also offered large exhibition facilities in most

cases, which provided the local national

and international companies to exhibit their

products.

2/ The main purpose of the development of

a convention centre has not changed a lot

as it is still seen as an important economic

benefi t generator. However one does see more

and more government and private enterprise

partnerships emerging in the new development

of convention centres. This is a result of the

increasing costs associated with the develop-

ment of venues of this nature.

Technology advancements are occurring at a

very fast speed in today’s environment .

Wireless connectivity is now an expecta-

tion and technology such 360 cameras are

being installed in meeting rooms, enabling

people to patch in from around the globe. It

will be an ongoing challenge to keep up with

the ever-changing technology development

around the world.

The capability of a centre to not only cater

for the larger events but many smaller events

simultaneously is also becoming more and

more an expectation. Flexibility of the facility

to create fast turnarounds in between events

is of paramount importance because of the

hiring costs involved for event planners.

3/ Most elements mentioned above are still the

motivators to develop new facilities. However

DAN RIVLINManaging Director, Kenes International

PIETER A VAN DER HOEVENConsultant, PG International Consulting Pty Ltd

The current philosophy is to enable maximum of

multipurpose space, creating the needed

fl exibility for the societies

> C O N G R E S S P E A R L S

HEADQUARTERS 21

maximum exposure of congress par-

ticipants to diverse topics. I would even

foresee smaller rooms being utilized

for forums. This will enable also small

groups to meet without the need to use

AV or other elaborated equipment.

properties offering sustainable hospitality

or green programmes are becoming and will

become a major criteria for selection of a

venue during RFP processes in the future.

Government sectors and companies in the

medical and pharmaceutical especially need

to know the green policies of the venue

upfront even before negotiations start.

Many centres throughout the world are now

at the forefront of these new developments.

The planning of their new extension will be

based on the principles of advance technol-

ogy and green/environmental friendly

operations and facility structure.

Properties offering sustainable hospitality or green programmes are becoming and will become a major criteria for selection of a venue

1/ The fi rst Convention Centre in Australia

was built in Adelaide just over 20 years ago.

Since then Australia has seen convention

centre development in all major cities. The

convention centres of 20 years ago were pri-

marily designed to provide customised space

for meetings. Unlike multi-purpose hotels,

the early brief was to provide tiered seating

and exhibition halls for delegates. They were

also designed to draw on central access to

the city, as can be seen in Sydney with the

site of the Sydney Convention & Exhibition

Centre located on the harbour waterfront.

2/ Modern convention centres are a lot

more technologically sophisticated, with

in-built audio visual systems and intelligent

lighting rigs. There is renewed attention

to the aesthetics of these buildings, with

green credentials essential for conven-

tion centres. The Melbourne Convention &

Exhibition Centre is the newest convention

centre in Australia and features a six star

green rating, the fi rst in the world to do so.

Newly constructed convention centres have

moved away from a concrete edifi ce design,

and now aim to capture more natural light

whilst featuring interesting internal design

concepts. There is also evidence of drawing

on the local environment in which conven-

tion centres reside, whether through art or

in the design palette.

3/ The future of convention centres lies

not just in the physical, but in the symbiotic

relationship it develops with the end-user.

Whether this is in the design of more fl exible

meeting spaces, customised food and bever-

age options, or innovations in technology, it

is a very dynamic time for PCOs. The more

commercially savvy convention centres will

become involved in partnerships with hirers,

especially in the area of delegate boosting.

Convention centres may also entrepreneur

events in the future, rather than wait for

global rotation cycles. At a national level,

we may see more joint marketing to bring

business to the region: Australia fi rst, then

convention city.

EMMA BOWYERGeneral Manager of ICMS Australasia

> C O N G R E S S P E A R L S

Vancouver Messe Stuttgart

HEADQUARTERS 22

> C O N G R E S S P E A R L S

1/ In Australia our fi rst purpose built conven-

tion centre opened in 1987 in Adelaide. It was

funded by the State Government, but the con-

cept was driven by the private sector through

the local convention bureau. The Centre itself

was built close the centre of downtown and

in a pretty location with a hotel, casino and

arts centre complex beside it so the plan was

well thought out and the location is a real

advantage. Since its completion, many hotels

and apartments, museums, two university

campuses have been developed nearby. A mid

sized centre, it still remains today as a lead-

ing example of best practice in convention

centre location and construction.

2/ Today the concept of designing and building

a convention centre is different in the sense

that there is a lot of experience around the

world and today an investor can benchmark

against best practice examples that are the

obvious stand outs for a variety of reasons.

+ There are the very successful casino

complexes that incorporate a convention

centre to attract their punters.

+ There are the city built centres that use

taxpayers funds to build a Mecca in their

city to attract not only delegate and exhibi-

tor numbers and their visitors who make

considerable expenditure in the city attrac-

tions while in town but just as importantly,

attract world famous and eminent speakers

who share their knowledge and provide

business opportunities in the supermarket

style exhibitions for trade and sales.

+ There are the private investors who see con-

vention centres as good revenue generators

and build with the sole purpose of profi t.

3/ New centres entering the market will

provide a competitive threat to the existing

centres. Meetings are going through the usual

end of decade make over right now, exacer-

bated by the current economic turmoil which

will provide fi nancial reasons for implement-

ing change. As industry changes its needs, it

is possible that convention centres will be af-

fected as both seller and buyers fi nd different

means to make purchases, collect information

and network. Part of the current economic

struggle resembles a modern economic

revolution. The solution being sought is a way

to do business that is not extravagant but pru-

dent and practical. I see a major opportunity

here for city owned centres who can market

their centre as a functional and less profi table

centre to the benefi t of the user.

ROSLYN MCLEOD OAMManaging Director, Tour Hosts Pty Limited, Sydney

1/ In the 1980s, congress centres were

mostly concerned with providing up-to-date

functional areas - congress halls and meet-

ing rooms. Typically constructed in urban

cores, these centres were not architecturally

striking. The main idea was to create the

types of spaces that would be useful and

practical for hosting congresses. Examples of

centres built 25 years ago include the Ottawa

Congress Centre (Canada), which is undergo-

ing a dramatic refi t due to open in 2011, the

Budapest Congress and World Trade Centre,

and Congress Centre Basel.

2/ Today’s congress centres are much more

likely to be iconic or landmark buildings in a

community, like the Hong Kong Convention

and Exhibition Centre, or the Grand River

Centre in Dubuque, Iowa. Cities have much

higher expectations for excellent design

than was the case 25 years ago. In addition,

centres today have a focus on sustainable

architecture that was nearly absent a genera-

tion ago. Having some sort of accreditation,

such as LEED or GreenGlobe, is considered to

be a given in the design of current centres.

And, like the higher design aspirations for

the exterior, owners expect contemporary

congress centre interiors to be fi nished to a

level comparable to the fi nest hotels.

3/ As the world is changing and ever

growing, we recognize the need to design

congress centres that that celebrate many

people coming together for a shared experi-

ence. We believe the congress centre of the

future will be a more integrated experience

for users. That is, we believe the next genera-

tion centre will merge editorial (seminar)

and advertising (exhibit) content in a single

space that is ideally suited for both. We also

believe that while excellent design will still

be expected, centres will also be expected to

render authentic content about their home

community to visitors. This content will

include everything from architectural expres-

sions of local geography and culture, to mini-

ature satellite installations of local cultural

institutions and attractions. The purpose of

this is to make centres more effective ambas-

sadors, if you will, for all that a community

offers its guests and to provide guests with a

more unique experience of a community.

DAVID GREUSELPrincipal of Populous, a global design practice

HEADQUARTERS 23

The extension to HKCEC in Hong Kong

was arguably the fi rst iconic conven-

tion centre ever built. In the 12 years

since, iconic buildings have become a

worldwide phenomenon, manifesting

themselves in buildings of all types,

including convention centres. A facil-

ity that has been massively success-

ful in a highly visible and prominent

location, HKCEC should have been

the beginning of a reversal of the

trend that banished convention cen-

tres from city centres. City planners,

however, have been reluctant. There

is a tendency to confuse exhibition

centres (which need to accommo-

date massive numbers of trucks)

and convention centres (for which

the exhibition space needs tend to

be more modest), and this has been

exacerbated in recent years by the

emergence of hybrid venues which

are a bit of both. More likely the ability

to embrace change has been limited by

the boundaries of narrow imagination.

It is a well-known fact that international

convention delegates choose event

destinations primarily on the basis of

the attractiveness of their host cities.

THE FUTURE OF CONVENTION CENTRES: PALACES OF THE 21ST CENTURYThe Views of Larry Oltmanns, Architect and Design Director of Vx3

> C O N G R E S S P E A R L S

CONSIDERED ON THE WHOLE, THE CONVENTION CENTRES OF THE PAST WERE

A DISMAL FAILURE IN TERMS OF URBAN DESIGN. ALTHOUGH THEY WERE OFTEN

CONSTRUCTED ON PRIME URBAN LAND, THEY FAILED TO ENGAGE WITH CITIES.

BRUTAL IN APPEARANCE, GENERIC IN EXPRESSION AND UNAPPROACHABLE AS

PUBLIC EDIFICES, THEY WERE FREQUENTLY PART OF THE CAUSE OF THE URBAN

DECAY THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN PREVENTING. THE LACK

OF IMAGINATION DISPLAYED BY THE DESIGNERS OF THESE BUILDINGS LED

INEVITABLY TO THEIR MARGINALISATION BY POLITICIANS AND CITY PLANNERS,

WHO WERE JUSTIFIABLY IN FAVOUR OF LOCATING THESE CLUMSY BUILDINGS

ON SITES AT A SAFE DISTANCE FROM CITY CENTRES. THIS IS UNFORTUNATELY

STILL THE NORM TODAY.

We will probably need to be more specifi c about the purpose and ultimate size of the venue. We will certainly need to ensure that the design of each new building responds to its location with appropriate imagination

HEADQUARTERS 24

It stands to reason that the ideal location

for a convention centre in any particular

city is therefore in its centre. In terms of

sustainability, a central location is also quite

compatible with the planning objective of

maintaining density in order to avoid urban

sprawl. In the future, if we want to locate

these buildings where they will be most

successful, and where they will do the most

good, we will need to be more imaginative

in choosing convention centre sites. We will

probably need to be more specifi c about the

purpose and ultimate size of the venue. We

will certainly need to ensure that the design

of each new building responds to its location

with appropriate imagination.

As a way of illustrating the exciting potential

that the future has in store, I have imagined

eight new convention centres for fi rst-tier cit-

ies in Europe. Taken together, these examples

illustrate the difference between the present,

where design potential is all too often limited

by location, and the future, in which the

choice of locations might be made possible

by the latest advances in construction tech-

nology, and inspired by all the possibilities of

imaginative design. It is interesting to note

that the French expression still generally

used for convention centre - ‘Palais des Con-

grès’ - still conjures up images of sophisticat-

ed buildings that so obviously belong in the

centres of the great cities of the world, and

this is perhaps an appropriate model for the

future. No city planner is likely to be particu-

larly enthusiastic about constructing a ‘box

with docks’ within the city centre. A grand

palace, on the other hand, is a different story.

Picture yourself in the following eight cities

at some point in the future.

SUBMERSION IN VENICE: PALACE OF THE LOST LAGOON Conceived as a sustainable undersea water

palace, the new convention centre of Venice

is an invisible presence that connects to the

city’s waterways while preserving intact the

historic views of this world heritage site. A

thousand glass columns provide daylight

and natural ventilation to the event spaces

within, while a grid of solar collectors just

beneath the water’s surface stores energy

throughout the day. Glowing in the distance

at night from the light within, the fi eld of col-

umns surrounds a submerged courtyard that

literally causes the waters to part, creating

a secluded outdoor space invisible from the

islands beyond.

TRANSFORMATION IN LONDON: BATTERSEA PALACE A new life form now inhabits the shell of a

familiar old building along the south bank

of the River Thames. Replacing the power

station which once occupied the building,

the Battersea Palace is one of the most

popular convention venues in Europe. People

love the contrast between the historic

exterior and futuristic feel inside. Bursting

out from the existing structure on all sides

and cascading down to the river’s edge, the

positive energy created by events in Bat-

tersea Palace has been a signifi cant force

in transforming a previously blighted urban

area into one of the most south-after places

to live in London.

LEVITATION IN BUDAPEST: THE PALACE BRIDGESpanning 300 meters across the Danube is

a dramatic structure that connects the twin

cities of Buda and Pest. The Palace Bridge

is at once a symbol of unifi cation, a meeting

point shared by the two cities, and the means

by which these cities are physically joined

together. The structure itself is a covered

bridge. Between the open-ended steel and

glass helix of the bridge and the independent

enclosed volume of the convention centre,

public spaces above, beneath, and beside

provide for all types of transport connections

between the two cities.

RECONNECTION IN COPENHAGEN: PALACE OF THE SILVER STRANDA braided serpentine strand covers over the

vast rail yard near the central station, knitting

the city back together again and producing

a labyrinth of new places to be discovered

in its heart. Constructed above the tracks

and within a sinuous hull of silver weathered

wood, the Copenhagen Congress Centre is

the central organising feature of a subversive

new force within the city centre, a force that

integrates cityscape with landscape, one that

is urban in scale and green by design.

> C O N G R E S S P E A R L S

It is a well-known fact that international convention delegates choose event destina-tions primarily on the basis of the attractive-ness of their host cities. It stands to reason that the ideal location for a convention centre in any particular city is there-fore in its centre

Lary Oltmanns

HEADQUARTERS 25

RESURRECTION IN WARSAW: THE SAXON PALACELying at the intersection of the old and

modern cities, Pilsudski Square is the ideal

location for the new congress centre in

Warsaw. The foundations of the Saxon Palace

that once stood there are preserved within

a glass reception pavilion that traces the

original lines of the palace. While the historic

excavations are revealed within a new glass

volume, beneath the glass plaza the volumes

of the new event spaces are represented as

excavations. A special ionized coating makes

the glass opaque at the fl ick of a switch when

darkness is required.

INCORPORATION IN RIGA: THE AMBER PALACE A shimmering golden curtain refl ected in the

River Daugave recalls the historic impor-

tance of Riga at the origin of the Amber

Road. Forming a modern triptych with the

Vansu Bridge and the Hansa Bank, the

Amber Palace faces the old city from the

far bank, creating a dialogue between the

richness of the city’s past and the vibrancy

of its future. Monumental amber glass beams

containing the meeting rooms span across

the major event spaces and cantilever over

the river, offering breathtaking views of the

waterfront and the city beyond.

RECLAMATION IN BELGRADE: THE WHITE PALACEA monumental arch marks the entry to

this new community in Belgrade. Built on

reclaimed industrial land near the old city,

the convention centre is a dramatic bridge

of meeting rooms connecting the headquar-

ters hotel on the mainland with the plenary

hall on the island. The White Palace was

the fi rst building to be constructed here: an

extremely wise investment of public money

that acted as the catalyst for all the private

development that has grown up around it.

Passing through the arch is the Grand Canal,

focal point of a new urban area that links

the modern lifestyle of Belgrade with the

riverbank that has always been so essential

to its history.

INTEGRATION IN FLORENCE: PALACE OF A THOUSAND FACETSA series of modest ochre facades along

the streets near the main railway station in

Florence all but conceal the enormous size

of its new convention centre. A series of

narrow passageways, medieval in scale but

modern in expression, lead inevitably to the

centre, where the space suddenly erupts

into a dazzling display of glass and light. A

modern cloister that acts as the focal point

of the scheme, the central space is shaped

by a series of crystalline meeting pavilions

connected by glass sky bridges.

Larry Oltmanns is the founder and Design Director of Vx3, a design studio based in London. He has achieved international acclaim for his work as the architect of convention centres and as a master planner of large-scale mixed-use developments worldwide. His convention centre projects, which are frequently cited as prototypes representing best practice by owners and operators, include the Hong Kong Conven-tion and Exhibition Centre, site of the handover ceremony in 1997 and arguably the fi rst conven-tion centre in the world to be recognised as an icon. Mr. Oltmanns has been a frequent speaker at annual events of the ICCA, of which he is the only architect member. He served as a commis-sioner on a panel appointed by the Mayor to study the potential of a new convention centre in London. His most recent project, the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre in Victoria, Australia, will defi ne the new state-of-the art for plenary halls.

> C O N G R E S S P E A R L S

There is a tendency to confuse exhibition centres - which need to accommodate massive numbers of trucks - and convention centres - for which the exhibition space needs tend to be more modest

HEADQUARTERS 26

The relationship between management and

governing bodies has to be built on trust and

transparency for any association to func-

tion properly. A constant dialogue needs to

exist between an association’s board and its

members through the secretariat. Educating

the members on the association’s governance

structure is an important responsibility for

the secretariat.

At the International Fertilizer Association

(IFA), new members are introduced to its

governance structure and receive clear and

concise information on the association’s man-

agement. IFA’s governance structure consists

of the Council, which defi nes the policy and

orientation of the association and decides on

its budget and subscription rates; the Execu-

tive Management Group, which supervises

the operations of the secretariat in line with

goals set by the Council; the Executive Com-

mittee, which discusses the issues facing the

industry and is responsible for ensuring that

the activities developed by various Standing

Committees meet the goals set by the Coun-

cil; and the Finance Committee, which super-

vises the association’s fi nancial management

and prepares the annual budget for approval

by the Council.

For international associations, this is all the

more challenging since important cultural

and corporate cultures come into play. For

instance, IFA’s board - the Executive Manage-

ment Group - consists of six persons, each

from a different region: Norway, India, USA,

Turkey, Chile and Morocco. In order to build

that trust, a clear understanding of the re-

sponsibilities of the elected offi cers and the

association’s staff is required.

International trade associations also need

to show an additional level of transparency

because they usually have to follow the

national regulations of the country where the

secretariat is located. Associations need to in-

vestigate thoroughly which governance rules

apply since they vary tremendously from one

country to another, even within Europe.

It is, thus, particularly important for an asso-

ciation executive in an international environ-

ment to understand and accept national and

regional differences and have the necessary

skills to clearly explain to the governing

instances and the membership the rules that

apply and to reconcile these differences in

the interest of the development of the sector

the association represents.

Luc Maene is the President of ESAE and Director General of the International Fertilizer Association

THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE OF TRADE ASSOCIATIONS DIFFERS FROM A NUMBER OF OTHER ASSOCIATIONS MOSTLY BECAUSE THEIR

OFFICERS ARE ELECTED AMONG THE MEMBERSHIP AND, THEREFORE, SHARE MANY INTERESTS. TRADE ASSOCIATIONS, NEVERTHELESS,

FACE SPECIFIC ISSUES WITH REGARD TO GOVERNANCE. FIRST, ALIKE ANY FOR-PROFIT OR NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, TRADE ASSO-

CIATIONS NOW HAVE TO FOLLOW STRICTER RULES AND OPERATE IN A MORE REGULATED ENVIRONMENT: SUPERVISION AND ACCOUNT-

ABILITY ARE PARAMOUNT, IN PARTICULAR WHEN IT COMES TO ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES AND FINANCIAL REPORTING. MANAGEMENT

NEEDS TO DEDICATE TIME FOR REGULAR COMMUNICATION WITH THE MEMBERSHIP TO EXPLAIN THE PRINCIPLES BEHIND THE RULES AND

MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE UNDERSTOOD AND ACCEPTED.

GOVERNANCE AND ASSOCIATIONSAn introduction by Luc Maene

Educating the members on the association’s governance structure is an important responsibility for the secretariat

Luc Maene

HEADQUARTERS 27

1. Build organizational spirit

To withstand the disturbance of the status

quo, nurture and strengthen bonds of trust

across the membership, its chapters and

geographies. Connections create resilience.

When people from different parts of the

association greet each other like old

friends, debate ideas at lunch, and josh

each other in the hallways, those same

bonds help everyone make big changes

together. On the other hand, the phrase

‘divide and conquer’ contains much truth.

Organizational silos often resist change

and defend a comfortable, or at least a

predictable, status quo. This is a case of ‘dig

the well before you’re thirsty’. You can’t

manufacture trust overnight. So if you want

to make governance changes, be aware that

trust across an organization is requisite and

trust builds on shared experiences.

2. Recruit champions for change

The Board must be 100% behind the merits

of any governance review. The Board

must then select and appoint a respected

and dedicated leadership team with the

candour, integrity and courage to open up

SEVEN KEYS TO SUCCESS IN GOVERNANCE REVIEW AND CHANGE

GOVERNANCE IS ABOUT ‘WHO GETS TO

MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT’ AND

HOW THE OVERALL DIRECTION OF THE

ORGANIZATION IS SET AND CONTROLLED.

WHAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO EFFECT

GOVERNANCE CHANGES? WHY DO SOME

ORGANIZATIONS SUCCEED WHILE OTHERS

NEVER EVEN LEAVE THE STARTING GATE?

FROM MY EXPERIENCE, RESEARCH AND

CONSULTING, I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE

CRITICAL FACTORS THAT, WHEN THEY ARE

IN PLACE, HELP AN ORGANIZATION CON-

DUCT A GOVERNANCE REVIEW, PROPOSE

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IF REQUIRED, AND

TO TRANSITION WELL. WHAT FOLLOWS

ARE SEVEN KEYS TO SUCCESS BASED ON

THOSE FACTORS.

TEXT LYN MCDONELL, CAE, C. DIR.

The case for governance review must come from people who are trusted, who have earned their stripes and who know of what they speak

HEADQUARTERS 28

these questions. The case for governance

review must come from people who are

trusted, who have earned their stripes and

who know of what they speak. In the case

of one organization that made governance

changes successfully, its governance task

force included the Board chair, someone

with a legal perspective, individuals with

analytical and strategic skills, a staff

perspective, and grassroots leaders. Key

leaders across the association should be

tapped.

3. Make the case for change

Expect many people to say: ‘it ain’t broke,

so why fi x it?’ This is a common challenge:

organizational changes are often based on

factors, internal and external, that few in

the organization fully appreciate from their

standpoint. Therefore the case for change

must be accurate, credible and persua-

sive. It helps a lot if you can link improved

governance to addressing a clearly-defi ned

business problem.

In the case of several organizations that

transitioned successfully, the reasons for

change were about increasing the organi-

zation’s effectiveness towards its mission

(changes offered more clarity and focus

of volunteer and staff roles), following-

through an accepted and valued principle

(ensuring members elected the national

Board), or re-casting the Board to support

its newly-defi ned role in risk management

and strategic thinking. Just make sure the

reason for change is not a long litany of

what’s not working but is motivating. It’s

about building a better organization to be

more effective toward its mission.

4. Develop a working concept

Develop, as early in the process as possible,

a working idea of the governance change.

Since the question is ‘change to what?’ it

can create greater upset to make only the

case for governance change without shar-

ing some idea of what that change might

look like. Communicate the guidelines

you have in mind, the framework you’re

starting with, or a direction for the change.

Otherwise what your task force believes is

getting everyone’s ‘buy-in’ to the need for

change may appear to the average member

as indecisiveness or lack of leadership.

In one successful transition, a ‘straw man’

or rough picture of what governance

reform might look like was developed.

Everyone was told it could be critiqued and

improved. It was. Although some people

called it a ‘fait accompli’, they had some-

thing concrete to discuss, and the fi nal

recommendations did contain adaptations

made along the way.

5. Ensure both two-way communication and transparency

There are always new people joining the

discussion. Over-communicate and repeat

basic messages and information. Make use

of newsletters, special reports, and face-

to-face meetings. Tell people how they can

give input, get involved, and learn more.

List questions and answer them - before

they are asked. Then publish this Q&A.

Since we look at organizational changes

through a very personal lens (‘how does

it affect me?’), inform those individuals

affected by the proposed change as gently

and/or plainly as needed according to the

emotional environment. At all times, stress

the case for change and its relationship to

business goals. Successful associations not

only plan the communication process care-

fully, they take advantage of unexpected

opportunities to share with members why

their associations are hoping to move

forward with governance changes.

Avoid closed doors! Candour is about being

frank and sharing in a matter-of-fact and

respectful way what the organization is

considering. In the case of one organiza-

tion, which eventually met fi erce opposi-

tion to any governance change, there

developed a sense that the meetings of the

governance review task force were behind

‘closed doors’. Everything the group pro-

duced or reviewed was stamped ‘confi den-

It helps a lot if you can link improved governance to addressing a clearly-defi ned business problem

Lyn McDonell

HEADQUARTERS 29

tial’. Related Board policy documents were

held for release and also marked confi den-

tial ‘until other questions were settled’. The

rumour mill went crazy. By the time the

group had something to share, emotions

were high and pre-set opinions trumped

genuine dialogue. Better to throw open the

doors, and be open. If people express inter-

est or concern, that’s great! Find a way for

them to contribute.

6. Expect and work through dissent

If we expect and prepare for confl ict, we

can provide for it to be aired constructively

in ways that do not risk the entire project

being scuttled. One organization changing

its bylaws at a Special General Meeting

knew there was strong opposition ready

to speak out against the new terms. After

the motion encompassing all changes was

tabled, the Chair called for a suspension of

the meeting. Delegates were then allowed

an opportunity for debate and any last-

minute questions and answers before their

votes were cast. In small groups, opponents

shared concerns and people asked ques-

tions. Champions of the change spoke to

why they believed the change was neces-

sary. An hour later, the plenary reconvened.

The Chair addressed the top issues that

had been reported from all groups, giving

the Board’s viewpoint. Then he asked each

delegate to make his or her decision, to

vote. The governance changes passed in

a single motion with an overwhelming

majority.

7. Time it, pace it and maintain momentum

There are certain occasions in the course

of an organization’s history when the orga-

nization will open its governance system to

question successfully. These occasions may

be prompted by external pressures such

as new regulations and a change in the

role of the organization. Or there may be

internal issues that prompt the review such

as response to dysfunctional situations or

a turnover in the Board and new members’

views of what is governance.

A Board has to decide the timing of a

governance review. Wise Boards pace

change mindful of all that is going on. If

your Board makes a decision to go forward,

try to accomplish the project with some

dispatch while allowing appropriate input,

proper consultation, and suffi cient dead-

lines for response. Maintain momentum

while remaining open and responsive.

Otherwise, fatigue may set in and even a

small faction opposing change can make

for a tense political climate. You now need

to get on the other side of the change

to stabilize the organization. If the

governance review takes too long,

your Board may be beating a retreat.

Lyn McDonell, CAE, has the C. Dir. designation in governance and works as a consultant and facili-tator with non-profi t Boards. Lyn is Senior Con-sultant with Leader Quest, Inc. amongst other affi liations and a part-time instructor at Humber College. Lyn is a former CEO and COO. Lyn’s work at the Canadian Diabetes Association helped it earn the Conference Board of Canada/Spencer Stuart National Award in Governance in 2005. Lyn can be reached at lyn@jobexperts.com.

EXAMPLES OF GOVERNANCE CHANGES

+ Changing voting rights

+ Reducing the number of people on a

Board (expansion is typically not

contentious)

+ Changing the culture of a representa-

tional Board so members govern and

speak for the whole

+ Creating more engagement with, and

accountability to, members

+ Creating a new norm that Board mem-

bers attend meetings without staff from

their home units for information and

support

+ Eliminating quasi-governance groups

+ Moving to a new governance model

+ Clarifying accountabilities between

professional staff and committees

+ Changing role and relationships of

operational committees that formerly

reported to the Board

+ Eliminating Board positions

+ Reducing or lengthening meeting

durations

+ Radically changing the agenda

of the Board

There are certain occasions in the course of an organization’s history when the organization will open its governance system to question successfully. The occasions may be prompted by external or internal issues

HEADQUARTERS 30

A good defi nition of governance defi nes it as ‘the effective management of relationships with integrity to produce enhanced company performance’

The concept of governance can be defi ned in

various ways since it is applicable on

different levels of society: public, corporate,

associations etc. However, a good defi nition

of (corporate) governance defi nes it as ‘the

effective management of relationships with

integrity to produce enhanced company

performance’. This defi nition, although used

from the perspective of a company can also

be used to describe associations’ governance.

The key elements to be extracted from this

defi nition are: management of relationships,

integrity and enhanced performance.

Some aspects of governance are integrated

in the articles of association of which the

decision making process is an important

one. However, in addition to this, governance

aspects are also infl uenced by less tangible

elements such as the ‘human factor’.

It is also worthwhile noting that, since a

couple of years, associations are giving more

attention to CSR - corporate social responsi-

bility. Associations have the opportunity to

learn from the corporate approach of CSR

and include socially responsible aspects in

their strategic planning. Experience shows

that many associations do so nowadays, how-

ever without explicitly linking their activities

to the SR concept.

Governance applied to associations The following paragraphs will look closer at

some of the critical governance elements

which are to a certain extent all interlinked:

(1) decision-making processes, (2)

relationship between the Board and the Sec-

retariat, (3) the need for high-level company

commitment and (4) social responsibility.

The decision-making process for an associa-

tion should take into account certain

balances. It cannot be a stringent and cum-

bersome process with as a result that the

association can only make progress at a very

slow pace. On the other hand, a too swift

and rapid decision-making process could

result in decisions that are not carried by the

majority of the membership. It goes without

saying that either extreme is not benefi cial

for the effectiveness of the association

and its representation towards the external

stakeholders.

Is there an ideal decision-making framework?

The answer is no! Associations are not simply

interchangeable. The way the decision mak-

ing rules are set are subject to:

+ The size of the association

+ The type of membership: a uniform

THE IMPORTANCE OF A WELL-FUNCTIONING GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE FOR AN ASSOCIA-

TION SHOULD NEVER BE UNDERESTIMATED. ALTHOUGH THE GOVERNANCE OF AN

ASSOCIATION FOCUSES MORE ON THE INTERNAL PROCESSES OF AN ASSOCIATION, IT

HAS A DIRECT AND IMMEDIATE IMPACT ON THE WAY THE ASSOCIATION IS REPRESENTED

TOWARDS ITS EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS. ANY DISCUSSION ON GOVERNANCE WILL

THEREFORE TOUCH ON SEVERAL CRITICAL ASPECTS OF ANY ASSOCIATION AND THE

EFFECTIVENESS IN ACHIEVING ITS OBJECTIVES. TEXT HANS CRAEN, MANAGER, KELLEN EUROPE

ASSOCIATIONS: THE CONCEPT OF GOVERNANCE

Hans Craen

HEADQUARTERS 31

corporate membership will have more

straightforward rules than a mixed mem-

bership base consisting of different types

of corporations and national associations.

+ The voting weight: a ‘one member

one vote approach’ will be easier than

weighted voting rights based on objective

criteria. This however should not preclude

an association with a mixed membership

to use a diversifi ed voting scheme. On the

other hand, when the membership base

consists only of corporations, a ‘one mem-

ber one vote’ approach is recommended.

First, competition law rules always have to

be respected. A diversifi ed voting scheme

could divulge information on the market

size of the corporate members which, by

all means, should be avoided. Also, any

differentiation in voting rights could block

smaller companies to join the association

due to a potential perception that the big

companies anyhow will dominate the as-

sociation.

Although a ‘one fi ts all’ approach is not pos-

sible, whatever the decision-making process

will be, it should be transparent, democratic

and applied consistently for all decisions.

Within an association, the Board plays an

essential role in setting out the overall direc-

tion of the association while the secretariat

takes care of the day-to-day activities to en-

sure that these objectives are met. As such

there has to be a good working relationship

based on mutual confi dence between the

secretariat and the Board. It is also impor-

tant that the Board and Chairperson have

a clear vision in mind for the association. A

passive Board will result in an inactive and

therefore ineffective association. The need

for an active Board is of course diffi cult to

include in the articles of association. The

role of the secretariat is essential to inform

the Board members and to stress the need

for action on issues of interest for the as-

sociation.

An important part of good governance is

based on the good working relationship

between the members and the secretariat.

The secretariat should have all the capaci-

ties to fulfi ll in the most effective way its

daily operations. From the membership it

is expected that they show commitment to

become involved in the working groups of

the association and that they are able to

share there expertise. Especially on Board

level, it is essential that there is a high-level

company commitment consisting of the

representatives of key-members with deci-

sion making power within their respective

organizations.

Applying good governance principles for an

association is one way of ensuring a socially

responsible organisation internally. This can

be complemented by providing an environ-

ment based on trust, diversity and non-dis-

crimination in relation to all those involved in

the association. Additionally, developing ef-

fi cient certifi cation programmes or voluntary

industry standards can strengthen a socially

responsible reputation. Externally, SR for

associations is mainly linked to responsible

advocacy (‘lobbying for the good’), as well as

ensuring an adequate best practice sharing

platform for the association members and its

stakeholders.

Governance vs. the external representation of the association A sound governance structure will ensure

that the association functions internally in

an effective way. This will benefi t the way the

association can represent itself in an effi cient

way towards the external stakeholders which

is especially important in times of crisis or

when strict deadlines apply. The latter often

applies for EU lobby activities which requires:

+ Quick decision-making

+ Membership commitment to defi ne posi-

tions in a constructive way and to provide

where needed technical expertise. The

membership commitment is also impor-

tant to avoid positions only based on the

lowest common denominator

+ A supportive board with full understand-

ing of the urgency and importance of the

issues at stake

+ An effective functioning secretariat pro-

viding the necessary guidance, input and

knowledge

Conclusion This text does not aim to give an exhaustive

overview on governance applied to

associations. It merely aims at provoking the

readers’ thought on governance and how

this would apply to the associations they are

working for either as part of the secretariat

or as a member.

Clear and workable rules are indeed im-

portant to improve the governance of an

association. But it doesn’t stop there. By

defi nition, the ‘human factor’ plays a very de-

cisive role in the functioning an association.

But this is of course more diffi cult to capture

in well defi ned rules.

Applying good governance principles for an association is one way of ensuring a socially responsible organisation internally

HEADQUARTERS 32

The historical approach in many organizations

is the latter, and this may be refl ected in nomi-

nation and election processes that include

nominations from the fl oor at AGMs, some

reluctance to present a slate of candidates

for consideration, and elections that occur at

the AGM. The increasingly common approach

in other organizations is to identify potential

Board candidates who have the skills, stature,

and experience the organization considers es-

sential for good director performance.

When the emphasis is on building the best and

most effective Board possible, associations

are well-advised to focus efforts on ensuring

Board connection with and accountability

to the membership. It is also very important

to place greater emphasis on the process of

seeking out those qualifi ed candidates for the

Board. More effort is required to ensure that

the search for such candidates is not limited to

specifi c geographic areas, specifi c member-

ship groups, or insiders only. These Boards

must work at bringing a democratic element

to their role and function.

With organizations seeking to maintain a sig-

nifi cant democratic emphasis, there is a critical

need to ensure that the Board is trained and

oriented on its role, and has resources availa-

ble to secure advice and knowledge as needed.

These directors may be all over the map with

respect to their knowledge and understanding

of governance, and this can result in frustra-

tion, friction and poor decision-making. Good

intentions are not enough... governing associa-

tions is growing increasingly complex.

Which end of the spectrum is best? Well, a lot

depends on the culture of the organization,

but it is probably a good idea to bring your ap-

proach more to the centre. For example, if your

organization still has nominations from the

fl oor of the AGM, then look for more effi cient

ways to achieve democratic involvement in the

election process. By the same token, if your

approach is building an effi cient and effective

Board, then make sure everyone remembers

that no matter how impressive the Board,

members and their opinions still matter!

Members of today generally are looking for

more transparency and accountability in an

effi cient and effective organization. To achieve

this, both modern democratic principles and

effective governance principles are essential.

Wayne Amundson is president of Association Xpertise Inc., a consulting fi rm serving associa-tions and non-profi ts. He is also a writer and speaker on association and non-profi t management and governance, and is editor of The Canadian Association e-zine and

co-author of the new Primer for Directors of Not-for-Profi t Corporations published by the Industry Canada and three non-profi t umbrella groups in Canada. www.axi.ca

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ORGANIZATION’S APPROACH TO BUILDING A BOARD? IS THERE AN EMPHASIS ON GETTING THE BEST

AND MOST QUALIFIED PEOPLE FOR THE BOARD, OR DOES THE ORGANIZATION ATTEMPT TO MAKE ELECTION TO THE BOARD AS OPEN

AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL MEMBERS AS POSSIBLE? TEXT WAYNE AMUNDSON, PRESIDENT OF ASSOCIATION XPERTISE

BALANCING DEMOCRACY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN ASSOCIATION GOVERNANCE

Members of today generally are looking for more transparency and accountability in an effi cient and effective organization

HEADQUARTERS 33

Smaller BoardsFrom a process standpoint, it is clearly easier

for 12 people to agree on a course of action

than for 30 people. Although the average

board size in ASAE’s (www.asaecenter.org)

survey has remained 27 since 1991, more asso-

ciations seems to be recognizing the problems

inherent in large boards. In many cases,

however, reducing the size of the board means

dealing with issues such as representation of

certain constituencies. If your association cre-

ates avenues of two-way communications for

all its members, then having designated rep-

resentatives for certain groups becomes less

critical and less controversial. Alternatively,

associations with large boards are delegating

more work to their executive committees to

speed up decision making.

More Ad HocTo accommodate the compressed time of our

elected leaders, associations will continue to

move away from bylaws-mandated standing

committees in favor of ad hoc task forces. One

reason our volunteers become disillusioned

with committee service is that the tasks they

are given are, frankly, a waste of time. It is in-

fi nitely easier to recruit a volunteer for a task

force with a specifi c charge and a limited serv-

ice commitment. Once the job is completed,

the task force disbands and the members earn

a sense of accomplishment.

Leadership Development CommitteesAs boards recognize that they need ongoing

attention for peak performance, nominating

committees are becoming ‘leadership develop-

ment committees’. Instead of just getting

together to propose a slate of nominees, these

broader committees have the responsibility to

identify and nurture future leaders and to help

the board assess and improve its operations.

Public MembersBoards facing complex issues can benefi t from

an outside perspective. One innovative way

to accomplish this is to add a ‘public’ member

(that is, someone outside your industry or pro-

fession) to the Board. The American Academy

of Ophthalmology added its fi rst public board

member (and non-physician) in 1992. Accord-

ing to David Noonan, Deputy Executive Vice

President, the addition has been a success.

‘No matter the sophistication of the leaders

involved, group-think enters all deliberative

process. The inside ‘outsider’ keeps you look-

ing at the big picture and often lends a cooling

affect to an otherwise hot issue,’ Noonan

explained. ‘Public members help keep you from

taking everything too seriously. They do tend

to see the forest and the tree.’

Faster SuccessionThose same volunteers who are frustrated by

cumbersome procedures will not hang around

for 10 or 12 years (ore more) to ‘earn’ their

place in the association’s leadership. One of the

challenges for board development committees

is to defi ne an appropriate leadership path that

can be completed in a reasonable amount of

time. What’s ‘reasonable’? Well, it’s probably

not six years on the board then another four

years moving through the chairs. In some asso-

ciations, there is only one chair, president-elect.

Comprehensive orientations, ongoing training

and written policy manuals provide Board mem-

bers with the in-depth understanding of the

association that they formerly obtained only

‘on the job’. How can your association incorpo-

rate some of these trends? Perhaps this article

can serve as a springboard for discussion at a

board or executive committee meeting.

GinCommGroup provides consulting and train-ing that helps associations succeed in leadership development, strategic planning, and membership marketing. www.gincomm.com

HERE ARE FIVE TRENDS THAT ARE EMERGING

IN ASSOCIATION GOVERNANCE. MAYBE SOME

OF THEM ARE RIGHT FOR YOUR ORGANISATION.

TEXT GINGER NICHOLS, GINCOMMGROUP

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN ASSOCIATION GOVERNANCE THESE DAYS?

If your association creates avenues of two-way communications for all its members, then having designated representatives for certain groups becomes less critical and less controversial

HEADQUARTERS 34

Belgium is one of the few countries which

offers specifi c legal recognition to interna-

tional associations (or NGOs). This category

is Association internationale sans but lucratif

- AISBL, sometimes Association internation-

ale scientifi que sans but lucratif. This is in

addition to the national level nonprofi t status

(ASBL / VZW in Dutch), Fondation Privée and

Fondation d’Utilité Publique categories.

As in other countries, corporate law can be

used to register a not-for-profi t organiza-

tion; in Belgium this is known as a Société À

Finalité Sociale.

UIA has long been a proponent of the

explicit legal recognition of international

associations and has been active in pro-

moting national and regional legislation. To

this end UIA fostered the establishment of

the FAIB - Federation of International

Associations - in Belgium (www.faib.org).

FAIB publishes a ‘Practical Guide’ to the

Belgian AISBL registration process and can

also answer questions and provide assist-

ance on these matters. Groups similar to

FAIB exist in Geneva (FIIG - www.fi ig.org)

and France (where the Law of 1901 is the

basis of non-profi t association registration).

In the absence of national recognition of

INGO status, INGOs are then subject to regis-

tration at the national or sub-national level in

LAW OF THE LAND: NATIONAL REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS SET GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES

U I A ı U N I O N O F I N T E R N A T I O N A L A S S O C I A T I O N S

Early days of the UIA - Presumably a schema devised by co-founder Paul Otlet (Courtesy of Mundanuem Archives)

THE UIA IS OFTEN ASKED TO ANSWER THE

FOLLOWING: ‘IN WHAT COUNTRY SHOULD

I REGISTER MY INTERNATIONAL ASSO-

CIATION?’ THIS QUESTION COMES FROM

ALL TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS (TRADE,

SCHOLARLY, PROFESSIONAL, SOCIAL,

ETC.) WHETHER THOSE DEVELOPING

ORGANICALLY FROM A LOOSE INTEREST

GROUP SEEKING TO FORMALIZE ITS AC-

TIVITIES OR FROM THOSE BEING FOUNDED

WITH SPECIFIC INTENT (E.G. FOLLOWING

CONCLUSIONS REACHED DURING AN

INTERNATIONAL MEETING).

TEXT JOEL FISCHER - HEAD, UIA CONGRESS DEPT AND CO-EDITOR OF THE YEARBOOK OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

HEADQUARTERS 35

the country/countries where they headquar-

ter and/or operate. In the USA this is usually

501c3 tax status with the IRS; in the UK it is

usually achieved through Registered Charity

status and/or Limited Liability Company cor-

porate status. In the Netherlands many are

registered as a ‘Stichting’ - which translates

as ‘foundation’, but for the fact that they do

not operate as foundations in the general

English language sense of the word.

There is no explicit European-level legislative

recognition of transnational associations at

this time, beyond the status of EEIG - Euro-

pean Economic Interest Grouping.

Generally speaking, establishing a legal

and fi scal personality in a specifi c country

- whether moving your headquarters/sec-

retariat or establishing a regional offi ce - is

subject to whatever national laws exist in

relation to nonprofi ts, foundations, chari-

ties or NGOs. Every nation has its own set

of policies in these matters not all of which

are benefi cial to organizations operating

internationally.

In the fi nal analysis, it’s a matter of having a

legal personality for the organization so that

it may have a bank account, deal with taxa-

tion, write contracts and so forth.

The choice of location and organizational

form is important because the laws, to

greater and lesser extents, will require a

basic/minimum governance structure to

be clearly defi ned and registered. These

structures will control fi scal and operational

decision-making roles & responsibilities as

well as responsibilities for fi nancial matters

and so forth.

In 1988, the UIA published the fi rst volume of

the International Association Statutes book

series in order to document the statutes/

structure of some major international non-

governmental organizations, provide model

texts for others to use and to serve as a

registry and research tool. Changes in the

structural environment for international

associations have been few since that time.

The major changes occur to the governance

environment when national legislation is

modifi ed/updated to address legal and fi scal

issues of the day - as was the case in Belgium

circa 2001.

From the required legal minimums an

association’s governance structures are

developed and elaborated: either through

further defi ned roles and responsibilities (in

bylaws or statutes refi ned and modifi ed over

time) or operationally in such documents as

handbooks or project documents.

There are organizations and associations

which exist without formal legal structure

and they do so for a wide variety of reasons.

Many fi nd that when matters of fi nance

(partnership, grants/foundation support,

corporate sponsorship, etc.) increase in im-

portance so does the need to have a formal

legal/fi scal personality.

What has changed in the time since 1988 are

the means by which we all communicate and

do business. The Internet, open borders, the

end of the Cold War, advances in telecommu-

nications and travel all mean that things can

happen more quickly, with more people from

more nations and from greater distances

from a central location. In addition to the

daily life of an association, these develop-

ments also impact how ‘offi cial’ association

business (announcements, the handling of

proxies, etc) is conducted.

COUNTRY OF REGISTRATION VS. OFFICE LOCATIONSIt should be noted that while an association

may be registered, or domiciled, in a particu-

lar country this nation may not be the one in

which its day to day Secretariat activities take

place. The reasons for this are also varied:

offi cers may be voluntary with roles rotating

every few years; the operational offi ce may be

hosted by a university department or a corpo-

ration; the real daily business of the associa-

tion may take place in Brussels, Washington,

Paris, Nairobi or Geneva or New York.

Registering a transnational association

can be a daunting project with logistics,

language, law and fi nance all playing a role.

Luckily a growing cadre of professionals -

association management companies, law-

yers, accountants, and local facilitators/

promoters - are available to assist organiza-

tions in establishing themselves and getting

their governance structures fi rmly rooted.

www.uia.org

The choice of location and organizational form is important because the laws, to greater and lesser extents, will require a basic/minimum governance structure to be clearly defi ned and registered

Joel Fisher

HEADQUARTERS 36

HQ

In Europe, Brisbane seems at the other end of

the world. But once you’re there - and usually

congress delegates come from all over the

planet - it’s almost impossible not to be en-

thralled by the city, with its fresh, young vibe

and its engaging appeal. In fact, it’s common-

ly agreed that it’s a ‘city of villages’ or better:

as Lesley Caldwell, Communication and Media

Advisor at Brisbane Marketing, put it, ‘confer-

ence delegates can really own the city with its

compact and easy-to-get-around size’.

Generally considered one of Australia’s most

liveable cities, Brisbane is also known to be a

progressive centre, with a dynamic, cosmo-

politan population embracing modern cul-

tural trends and some of the continent’s best

meeting and event facilities. During my (way

too short) stay there, I could taste fl avors

of them. If I had to pick one hotel and one

special venue, I would pick the award-winning

Emporium Hotel, which perfectly caters for

conferences, and the new and unusual Bris-

bane Powerhouse, an arts and design centre,

with its urban feel and original spaces.

Other useful information for the convention

planners:

+ Brisbane has 35,000 beds in 12,500 guest

rooms. Hotel categories range from cost-

conscious to 5-star facilities.

+ Brisbane offers excellent value for money:

it has been rated as one of the lowest cost

meeting destinations in the world, not to the

detriment of high-standard service of course!

+ Brisbane’s Airport has 30 airlines operat-

ing more than 3,250 international and

domestic fl ights each week. It’s the perfect

gateway to Australia.

+ Brisbane offers endless possibilities of

pre- or post-congress programmes, from

all-essential urban experiences to authentic

Australian outdoor activities - take my word

for it and try Tangalooma Island Resort!

As far as associations are concerned,

Brisbane is renowned for being a ‘knowlege

corridor’ - not to mention the Silicon Valley

of computer games in Australia. I couldn’t

say it better than Annabel Sullivan, Busi-

ness Events Director at Brisbane Marketing:

‘Alongside the business fundamentals such as

infrastructure and facilities, Brisbane offers

great affordability and access to a cluster

of world-class leaders in industries such as in-

formation and communication technologies,

medical research and creative industries.’

Add to this several world-class universities

TRAVELLING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AUSTRALIA LAST FEBRUARY TO ATTEND THE AIME FAIR, I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET

INVITED - RIGHT AFTER THE SHOW - BY BRISBANE MARKETING TO DISCOVER THE JOYS OF A CITY IN QUEENSLAND I MUST SAY

I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT. WHAT I DISCOVERED IS QUITE A YOUNG TOWN, FULL OF LIFE, FUN AND EXCITEMENT. BUT WHAT I DIDN’T

KNOW IS THAT WHEN IT COMES TO HOSTING INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS CONGRESSES, BRISBANE IS KIND OF A RINGLEADER,

WITH A STATE-OF-THE-ART, IDEALLY LOCATED CONVENTION CENTRE (ON WHICH I WRITE EXTENSIVELY IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES),

VERY SPECIAL VENUES AND OF COURSE WARM-HEARTED PEOPLE EVERYWHERE YOU GO. REPORT RÉMI DÉVÉ

BRISBANE A NEW-WORLD DESTINATION

> B R I S B A N E

South Bank

Reddacliff PlaceBrisbane PowerhouseGallery of Modern Art

© K

evin

Sta

llan

© J

oh

n G

ollin

gs

and a vibrant research and development community and you will

be likely to wonder why you haven’t chosen Brisbane before!

And despite the current economic environment, the Brisbane

Convention & Exhibition Centre’s Manager of International Bid-

ding, Alison Gardiner, said she even expects growth of conven-

tions and meetings to continue at a steady pace. ‘Our new

expansion received a lot of interest at IMEX and the world class

standard of our venue and its location offer a really strong and

cost effective proposition for clients,’ she said.

Of course everybody at Brisbane Marketing and its Convention

Bureau will be happy to help you to plan any event you might

have in mind. And I have to say, this is the fi rst time that I have

experienced such a team spirit within a city. All the actors of the

local meeting industry seem to have a strong, close, successful

relationship. The rightfully named ‘Team Brisbane’ is a coordi-

nated, collaborative, city-wide approach to doing business. As one

united force refl ecting the general, positive, out-there attitude of

Brisbanites, they’re dedicated to getting the best results for their

clients. I can now almost hear you saying: ‘Where do we sign?...’

HEADQUARTERS 37

> B R I S B A N E

BRISBANE CONFERENCING HOTELS

+ Brisbane Marriott Hotel: This multi-award-winning hotel

provides 5-star accommodation and meeting facilities

that come with the convenience of a central city riverside

location. Recently refurbished, it offers 267 rooms with

stunning views and state-of-the-art in-room technologies.

Nine meeting rooms give business event organisers a range

of options ideally suited to in-house conferences.

+ Hilton Brisbane: With a prime location in the heart of the

city’s busiest shopping precinct, it offers contemporary ac-

commodation and meeting options that are perfect for the

business event organiser. It boasts 320 rooms and 14 meet-

ing rooms – including a dedicated events fl oor of 2,500 m2.

+ Sofi tel Brisbane Central: Located in the central busi-

ness district, it’s one of the city’s premier hotels. Recently

refurbished, the 5-star hotel offers 429 contemporary style

rooms. On the meeting front, it is the largest fully inte-

grated hotel meeting facility in the city offering 11 meeting

rooms and extra business essentials such as direct Airtrain

links to the airport.

Held every four years, World’s

Poultry Congresses are the

peak global poultry science

and technology forums. At the

beginning of summer 2008,

it was held at the Brisbane

Convention & Exhibition Centre

and attended by 2,300 del-

egates from 82 countries.

Event Profi le

The program of the 2008 con-

gress was relevant to the needs

of the poultry industries global-

ly, with the added challenge of

incorporating fi ve individual as-

sociations’ programs into one

cohesive scientifi c program. It

included 16 key note plenary

session speakers, 600 oral

presentations (100 from invited

speakers) in 16 concurrent sym-

posia sessions each day and

400 poster presentations.

Challenges

+ This was the fi rst time that a

concurrent industry exhibi-

tion was organised by the

host body in conjunction

with the congress.

+ Many of the delegates were

from developing countries,

which necessitated an active

and effective fund raising pro-

gram to support the attend-

ance of these participants.

+ In promoting the Congress at

International Meetings there

was the obvious challenge of

distance and this was coun-

tered by the strong appeal

of the destination and by the

successful marketing and

information provided on pre-

and post-touring packages.

Destination

Brisbane was chosen by the

bid team in 2000 based on 15

criteria including conference

and exhibition facilities of the

venue, international access,

accessibility and cost of ac-

commodation, transport and

traffi c and climate, with all 10

members of the assessment

committee independently giv-

ing Brisbane the highest total

score.

Overall Summation

The success of the Congress

according to Congress Chair, Dr

Bob Pym, was due to a number

of factors including ‘a superb

facility in BCEC, a relevant

and broad based scientifi c and

technical program, thought

provoking, challenging plenary

sessions from keynote speakers

and excellent oral and poster

presentations.’

Annabel Sullivan, Business Events Director at Brisbane Marketing:

‘Alongside the business fundamentals such as infrastructure and facilities, Brisbane offers great affordability and access to a cluster of world-class leaders in industries.’

CASE STUDY: 23RD WORLD’S POULTRY CONGRESS (WPC 2008)

World Poultry Congress

HEADQUARTERS 38

> B R I S B A N E

‘Everything’s covered’. The motto of Brisbane

Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) says

it all. And it’s pretty much what you feel when

you take a tour of the venue. It seems like

everything has been carefully thought out,

planned out to meet the requirements of

the most demanding meeting planner. And

with the expansion of the current facility and

maybe one of the friendliest staff in the meet-

ings industry, Brisbane Convention & Exhibi-

tion Centre will be on the map of international

association congresses like never before.

Opened in 1995, ideally located near the

waterfront at South Bank, home to Brisbane’s

thriving cultural and arts community, Brisbane

Convention & Exhibition Centre has nothing to

blush about when it comes to achievements,

whether it be in hosting green events, cater-

ing or awards. The BCEC is indeed Australia’s

most awarded convention centre, has been

offi cially ranked among the top three centres

in the whole world, has received recognition

for its benchmarking activities in the sustain-

ability area, hosts an average of 900 events a

year and has won 42 catering awards so far!

IN TERMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIPA member of Australia’s Greenhouse Chal-

lenge since 2003, the centre has an in-house

team whose members promote environ-

mental effi ciency wherever and whenever

BRISBANE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE, THE OVERACHIEVER

BRISBANE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE, THE HARD FACTS

+ 171,650 m2 of fl oor area

+ 42 meeting rooms and event spaces

+ 3 plenary halls for 400 up

to 8,000 people

+ 2 ballrooms

+ 4 executive boardrooms

+ 3 speakers’ presentation centres

+ 1 dedicated tasting room – the only one

in Australia

+ 20,000 m2 of exhibition space

IACC

HEADQUARTERS 39

possible. It offers the services of a tailor-

made carbon calculator delivering clients

the opportunity to stage carbon neutral

events, taking into account room occupancy,

menu selection, event services, wide-scale

recycling and ever more effi cient use of

resources - with regular donations to Food-

bank. No wonder, then, that Brisbane was

chosen to host major ‘green’ events, such

as Green Cities ’09 and the World Green

Infrastructure Congress 2012.

IN TERMS OF CATERINGWe usually don’t emphasize catering in HQ

magazine, but here I really have to make an

exception. The BCEC’s kitchens are so impres-

sive, the range of what they can achieve is

so striking that it’s worth being pointed out.

Whatever your food and beverage require-

ments, with more than 40 awards to date,

they have the proven ability to cater for basi-

cally any event and every taste. It’s really a

‘You name it, we cook it’ kind of thing. In fact,

the pride of Kevin Gulliver, Food & Beverage

Director, is almost tangible: he himself praised

‘BCEC’s high quality restaurant catering’.

IN TERMS OF FLEXIBILITYWhen you take a tour of the facility, you can’t

but be amazed by the array of possibilities it

offers. Everything is under one roof - includ-

ing a graphic department, the only one in

Australia - and like John Gaudin, Conven-

tion Centre Manager, says: ‘Operationally

speaking, everything has been well designed

and each room is laid out so that every bit of

space is optimized.’ From 8 to 8,000 people,

any congress is doable: it’s just a matter of

fi nding the right multi-purpose meeting room

or plenary hall within the venue.

And because nothing has ever to be taken

for granted Brisbane Convention & Exhibition

Centre has started a phase of expansion which

is due to be completed by 2011. Called BCEC

on Grey Street, the new building will have fi ve

levels of boutique meetings and event space,

thus establishing the BCEC as one of Austral-

ia’s most fl exible event venues. With an iconic

contemporary design, 5-star green rating and

no less than 800 hotel rooms all at walking

distance, the 24,000 m2 development will have

a direct interface with the ‘outside world’, the

retail and restaurant hub and the cultural and

arts community right next door.

On a personal note, I personally could feel the

sense of commitment of all the teams work-

ing there. It’s no surprise that the BCEC takes

pride in a really low turnover. Each and every

staff member, including many who have been

in the centre since its very fi rst day of opera-

tion, is fully dedicated to a venue they’re

really proud of. As Gail Sawyer, BCEC Com-

munication Manager, puts it: ‘It pretty much is

a spirit. There’s a deep sense of belonging, of

being part of a bigger picture’.

> B R I S B A N E

+ 15th UICC Reach to Recovery

International Breast Cancer Support

Conference 2009 - 700 delegates

+ International Association for Communi-

ty Development 2009 - 1,000 delegates

+ International Association for

Ambulatory Surgery Congress 2009 -

1,000 delegates

+ 19th World Congress of Soil Science 2010

- 1,000 delegates

+ International Society of Arboriculture

Conference 2011 - 2,000 delegates

+ Asia Pacifi c Digestive Week 2011 -

2,500 delegates

+ International Council of the Aeronauti-

cal Sciences Congress 2012 -

650 delegates

+ 34th International Geological Congress

2012 - 4,000 delegates

+ International Congress on Archives

2012 - 2,000 delegates

+ World Green Infrastructure 2012 –

1,500 delegates

+ International Urogynecological

Association Annual Conference 2012 -

600 delegates

+ 29th International Horticulture

Congress 2014 - 2000 delegates

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS CONVENTIONS TO COME TO BRISBANE

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre has started a phase of expansion which is due to be completed by 2011. Called BCEC on Grey Street, the new building will have fi ve levels of boutique meetings and event space

Great Hall Gala Dinner River Room - Special events venue

CONTACT

Brisbane Convention

Bureau/Brisbane Marketing

T : +61 7 3006 6200

F : +61 7 3006 6250

conventionbureau@

brisbanemarketing.com.au

WWW.MEETINBRISBANE.COM

The perfect conditions for picking up new skills

MAKE BRISBANE YOURS

AUSTRALIAwww.meetinbrisbane.com

Choose the destination where conditions are perfect.

HEADQUARTERS 41

WHEN MAASTRICHT RHYMES WITH QUALITYMAASTRICHT BELIEVES A SUCCESSFUL CONFERENCE HAS TWO ESSENTIAL CRITICAL FACTORS:

THE QUALITY OF ACCOMMODATION AND THE QUALITY OF THE DESTINATION. IN THIS OLDEST

CITY OF THE NETHERLANDS, THESE TWO FACTORS ARE COMBINED PERFECTLY.

Maastricht is often described as an un-Dutch

city, maybe because of the contemporary

atmosphere of the historic centre, or the joie de

vivre of the city’s inhabitants, or its location in

the green, hilly surroundings. Everyone agrees

that the large variety of boutiques, the quality

and richness of the cultural opportunities on

offer, and the high level of gastronomy give the

city an international fl avour.

The city of Maastricht consists of 120,000

inhabitants, 5,000 of which are students, due

to the large international Maastricht Univer-

sity, and the renowned academic hospital. It

is known to be safe and compact. From the

conference centre, delegates can easily walk

back to their hotels. It has the best of both

worlds: venues large enough to meet and a city

centre small enough for you to bump into your

colleagues and elaborate on the conference.

GREAT DIVERSITYIf you wish to organise a dinner or party during

your congress, there is a great diversity of venues

in Maastricht and surrounding area for these

type of events, whether it be in natural caves, in

a beautiful castle or in a 17th century fortress, all

within 15 minutes from the conference centre.

The mayor of Maastricht offers a welcome

reception for international conferences in the

town hall of Maastricht, a historical building on

the Market Square in the city centre. After the

congress programme your delegates can enjoy

a lovely drink or dinner downtown, where the

gastronomic opportunities are endless. The city

boasts 5 restaurants with one or more Michelin-

stars, and more than 400 bars and cafés.

The surrounding area is perfectly suitable for

various social or partner programmes: cycling

around, visiting caves in combination with a

cruise on the river Maas, wine tasting, or simply

enjoying the astonishing beauty of the town

during a city tour. Partners from delegates of

an international conference get a free city tour

during the congress programme! In addition,

their overnight stay in Maastricht is also for

free at the time of the congress in one of the

many types of hotels that the city and its sur-

rounding area has to offer:

591 rooms in *** hotels

2476 rooms in **** hotels

313 rooms in ***** hotels

EASY ACCESSMaastricht can be perfectly reached by train

from Brussels, Paris, London and several desti-

nations in Germany. For international delegates

who prefer to travel by airplane, the airports of

Düsseldorf, Cologne and Brussels are only

1 hour away from our city. Professional trans-

port companies can take care of your trip to

and from the airport.

For more information, contact the Maastricht Conven-tion Bureau! It is a foundation of several companies and service organisations from the meetings industry of Maastricht and its surroundings. They offer, free of charge, independent, objective information and advice on all topics related to organising events in our region.

www.maastrichtconventionbureau.com

HQ> M A A S T R I C H T

Hoeg Brö gk

HEADQUARTERS 42

> M A A S T R I C H T

MECC MAASTRICHT Where you take your event to another level

WITH A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF HIGH-QUALITY FACILITIES, EXCELLENT SERVICES AND

A GREAT SETTING, MECC, THE MAASTRICHT EXHIBITION AND CONGRESS CENTRE, IS A

DYNAMIC, MODERN SPECIALIST IN THE ORGANISATION OF CONFERENCES AND OTHER

EVENTS. OUR VENUE OFFERS 30,000 M2 OF EXHIBITION OR EVENT SPACE, A CONGRESS

CENTRE WITH TWO AUDITORIUMS AND MEETING ROOMS FOR BETWEEN 10 AND 1650 PEOPLE.

DESPITE ITS SIZE, THE BUILDING IS INTIMATE AND EXTREMELY FLEXIBLE. WHETHER YOU ARE

HOLDING AN EVENT FOR 50 GUESTS OR 5,000, MECC MAASTRICHT IS THE PLACE TO BE.

UNIQUELY CHARMINGMECC Maastricht is the ideal meeting

place at the heart of Europe. With a history

stretching back some 2000 years, the

Romans, Spaniards, French and Germans

have all left their mark in Maastricht. The

result is a cultural melting pot with its own

uniquely exuberant personality – a place

where everyone will feel at home.

Today’s Maastricht is a city of culture,

learning and business. And one of the three

leading conference venues in the

Netherlands. Sometimes referred to as

‘Europe’s second home’, event organisers

value Maastricht for an intimacy which is

often lacking in larger meeting destinations.

Famous as the birthplace of the euro, our city

is also home to many international institu-

tions and European multinationals. Their

presence is another of MECC Maastricht’s

attractions as a venue for international busi-

ness meetings.

WE MEET YOUR DEMANDS, YOU MEET YOUR TARGETSA varied social programme is the perfect

complement to your business meeting. Maas-

tricht has plenty to offer, from traditional city

tours to golfi ng or wine-tasting. To arrange

transport, book a hotel room, make a restau-

rant reservation or even organise an event,

simply contact Maastricht Booking Service, a

division of MECC Maastricht. With its years of

support services for congresses, they know

the city and region better than anyone.

MECC, the Maastricht Exhibition and Congress Centre, is a dynamic, modern specialist in the organisation of conferences and other events

FIBREGLASS CONNECTION MAKES EUROPEAN VASCULAR COURSE UNIQUEStrategic collaboration between Maastricht UMC+ and MECC Maastricht

CONTACT

MECC Maastricht

Forum 100 - NL - 622 9 GV Maastricht

P.O. Box 1630 - NL - 6201 BP Maastricht

Tel. 0031 (0)43 38 38 356

Fax 0031 (0)43 38 38 450

info@mecc.nl

www.mecc.nl

www.tastemaastricht.eu

For all your culinary needs, MECC Maas-

tricht has its own catering service. MECC@

table is our in-house restaurant and the

MecCafé is the place to relax with a drink.

We can also assist you with services

ranging from multimedia technology and

décor to security and cleaning. And much

more. In fact, everything you need for a

successful event.

MECC MAASTRICHT: IDEALLY ACCESSIBLEMaastricht lies in the so-called euregio,

at the heart of Europe, close to where

the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany

meet, making MECC Maastricht easy to

reach from anywhere. We have excel-

lent rail links with all major European

cities. With the completion of the new

high-speed line, Brussels is now less than

75 minutes away. Moreover, the trains

stop right in front of the congress centre.

Maastricht is a key hub on the European

highway network, too, with the congress

centre practically on the motorway. And

you can park right outside the main

entrance, and the city centre is just a

stone’s throw away. MECC Maastricht is

close to numerous international airports,

all less than an hour away.

A unique fi breglass connection between

the operating rooms of Maastricht UMC+ -

Maastricht University Medical Centre - and

MECC Maastricht is the next important step

in a strategic collaboration between the two

organisations. The aim is to increase Maas-

tricht’s reputation as a centrally located

city with optimal facilities for organising

and facilitating medical conferences.

It was the fi rst time that the European

Vascular Course (EVC) successfully used

the fi breglass connection during its fi rst

edition in the MECC in Maastricht which

took place from Thursday 26 February until

Saturday 28 February. Over a thousand car-

diac and vascular surgeons, cardiologists

and specialist nurses from across the world

exchanged experiences over the course

of three days and watched no less than 21

unique operations broadcast live from the

operating rooms of the Maastricht UMC+ to

the MECC.

The European Vascular Course is a cutting-

edge post-academic training programme

in which the latest techniques and medical

products are discussed, displayed and utilised.

Philips even built a complete operating room:

the innovative ‘Hybrid Operating Room’. All

these ingredients made EVC the largest car-

diovascular medicine ‘course’ in Europe.

The fact that the EVC took place in

Maastricht for the fi rst time was a result

of the joint effort of Maastricht UMC+ and

the province of Limburg. The organiser

and driving force behind EVC is profes-

sor Michael Jacobs, vascular surgeon and

director of the Heart and Vascular Centre

of Maastricht UMC+.

‘This conference is respected worldwide

because it is not a ‘fancy circus’, but a de-

manding and innovative post-academic pro-

gramme’, explains Jacobs. ‘Leading speak-

ers from across the world give lectures,

workshops and demonstrations. This year

was the fi rst time that we showed live op-

erations. This way, specialists could see the

latest techniques such as hybrid operations

or the insertion of a heart valve through

the groin. The conference is a good way of

demonstrating the unique multi-disciplinary

work method of the Maastricht Heart and

Vascular Centre across the world.’

> M A A S T R I C H T

HEADQUARTERS 43

HEADQUARTERS 44

HQ: Of course, the first thing we want

to know: what are the most important

changes?

Jan Wittouck: The name change is the most

prominent thing. Meetingpoint Belgium is rel-

egated to the history books. Too often it was

perceived as a meeting place on an airport

or train station, and we defi nitely wanted to

avoid confusion. Most people in our industry

know what a convention bureau is and what

they can expect from it, so we wanted to in-

clude that in our new name. Furthermore, we

see that Flanders is not exactly well-known

and we he have to keep in mind that we need

to calculate the economic strength of what

we do, according to the agreement with the

Ministry of Flanders.

It’s not the fi rst time we notice people’s unfa-

miliarity with the name ‘Flanders’. During the

EIBTM and IMEX fairs, we had 80 appoint-

ments about Belgium in our schedule op-

posed to 5 appointments about Flanders, so

there’s defi nitely the need to bring Flanders

to the fore. The ‘new’ convention bureau will

still be part of the Flanders tourist offi ce, but

we want to explore the possibilities we get by

using the ‘Belgium’ brand. In the Anholt index

Belgium comes in somewhere in between,

but Flanders is not known at all.

Foreigners only know Brussels and Belgium, all

the rest is far too complicated, that’s why we

chose this new name and fought for it. You can

ask yourself: what about OPT, the Convention

Bureau for Brussels and Wallonia? Of course

we have informed them so they’re aware of

the new name and chances are they might be

changing theirs too. Obviously we’re open to

the new direction they might be heading.

HQ: What will be the other changes?

Jan Wittouck: In the next few months

the new branding for the website will be

complete and we’ll have a completely new

brochure. Then we have the teaser brochure

which will include info on how to reach every

congress destination, what the infrastructure

is like (capacity of the venues, hotels and

their classifi cation), and practical info and

specifi c things about the town (for instance,

‘an ideal town for meetings of up to 500

people’). This will be available around June.

That’s also the time we’ll be sending out a

direct mail all over the world with our new

logo. We have a new MICE assistant in the

UK, and we’ll also have one in New York

shortly. The most recent addition to our team

is Marketing Director Piet Jonckers. I also

would have liked to announce the name of the

new general administrator but the selection

ON A SUNNY DAY IN SPRINGTIME HQ MAGAZINE MET UP WITH JAN WITTOUCK, DIRECTOR

OF THE FLANDERS-BRUSSELS CONVENTION BUREAU - MEETINGPOINT BELGIUM. BUT

DON’T GET USED TO THAT NAME, BECAUSE THEY’RE MIXING THINGS UP IN THE UPPER

PART OF BELGIUM. THE RESULT OF THE NEW REBRANDING WILL BE SHOWN TO THE

WORLD SHORTLY, BUT NOT BEFORE HQ MAGAZINE HAD AN EXCLUSIVE TALK ABOUT THE

HOW AND WHY OF IT ALL. INTERVIEW STEVEN KINS

NEW NAME PUTS FLANDERS ON THE MAPBelgium Convention Bureau for Flanders & Brussels

HQ> F L A N D E R S

Brecht Putman, Jan Wittouck and Evelyne Bardyn

HEADQUARTERS 45

procedure for this is still going on. As you can

see, we’re not standing still.

HQ: What are you doing for the

association world?

Jan Wittouck: In reply to your editor in

chief Marcel Vissers’ request to chart the

associations, we’re looking into the 3,000

addresses in Brussels. What’s behind them?

We discovered that certain associations that

are headquartered in Brussels go somewhere

else from time to time to hold meetings, to

Antwerp for instance, and we’re really curi-

ous to fi nd out more about this. Everywhere

we hear that a lot of association headquar-

ters are located in Brussels, but we want to

know: that’s what they are, and that’s what

they organize, these are their budgets and

their expectations towards DMOs,… We’re

cooperating with the UIA, the Union of Inter-

national Associations, on this and the report

should be ready by the end of the year.

We’re aiming for a full-time assistant who’s

only dealing with associations. I myself deal

with associations in America, together with

the American Society for Association Execu-

tives (ASAE). Bidding for an annual associa-

tion conference is quite complicated and

time-consuming - it also takes longer, even

years in advance, but we don’t need only the

big meetings, also the smaller meetings that

have a less long decision-making process are

of high interest to us. Those side meetings

from associations are larger in number but

smaller in number of delegates.

HQ: Then the inevitable question.

How are you feeling the crisis?

Jan Wittouck: The current crisis is not a

cyclical but a structural crisis. The world

economy has expanded enormously the

past decades with new countries with large

economic growth. Measures need to be and

are already being taken by the local govern-

ments. The world economy has to be reorien-

tated, and banks need to work in a different

type of structure and atmosphere. I believe

we’ll see a totally rescaped framework in

which the worldwide economy will operate.

Crucial decisions were made at the G20, but

such a complex process will take time.

Nevertheless, the crisis is hitting hard for many

industries. In Belgium, statistics show that the

hotel industry, airlines,… are losing business.

Some say 30% less occupancy, which is enor-

mous. But, we have to keep on going, even with

smaller budgets, but maybe with a higher level

of creativity. The intake of foreign visitors may

have slowed down, Belgium-based corpora-

tions and associations still have to hold their

meetings and want to save money by staying in

Belgium, so the home country wins.

Our international marketing plan currently

has not been revised and we also keep in-

vesting in a cooperation with airlines and

international partners. The growth of tourism

in Flanders in 2008 is less then 1%, but many

other countries in Europe have a decline of

8 to 11%. So we’re not doing that bad. I think

this is because our tourism model is quite

fl exible and this makes it less vulnerable.

HQ: Any other projects?

Jan Wittouck: Thanks to the Kunstactieplan

and the corresponding budget that the Min-

ister for Tourism, Kris Peeters, has reserved

for it, four cities - Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp and

Leuven - in close cooperation with Toerisme

Vlaanderen have launched a project on green

meetings. We’ll investigate how corporate cli-

ents think about sustainability – green meet-

ings: what does it mean to them? Afterwards,

we would like to communicate the results of

the report to the suppliers and we intend to

attach a label to their venues and products.

But don’t forget, we already have an important

sustainability department. We’re very much

into sustainability and quality care and we

have a product that can meet those demands.

The ‘groene sleutel’ is a project of Toerisme

Vlaanderen in which a hotel or venue received

an award for being sustainable.

Meetings in Brussels have a very environmen-

tal aspect. For those holding a meeting in the

heart of the city, the delegates can arrive by

train and walk to their hotel. The SQUARE

convention centre stressed the fact that no

transfers were needed from the airport and

between the hotels, which is an enormous

saving and above all an environment-friendly

solution. So it sold like hot cakes, but now

we’re also stressing the green aspect and the

fact that people can walk to their hotels.

Once Antwerp has its renovated Flanders

Congress & Concert Centre, it will be the same

story. In a few years time you’ll be able to

take the fast train from Brussels Airport to

Antwerp Central, walk around the corner and

you’re there. On top of that, all the hotels are

at walking distance, so you save money and

you’re environment-minded.

One of the three pillars of the meetings indus-

try product is accessibility, infrastructure and

tourist product. Therefore we’re happy that

Brussels Airlines has teamed up with Lufthan-

sa and that they’ve joined StarAlliance, which

has a strong offi cial carrier programme.

Belgium will be connected to the world better

than ever. I hope more international fl ights

will be added as well in a couple of years.

> F L A N D E R S

CONTACT

Belgium Convention Bureau

for Flanders & Brussels

T: +32 (0)2 504 04 33

F: +32 (0)2 504 04 80

congres@meetingpoint.be

www.meetingpoint.be

We’re aiming for a full-time assistant who’s only dealing with associations. I myself deal

with associations in America, together with the American Society for Association Executives (ASAE)

belgiumconvention

bureauFlanders - Brussels

new meeting guide

In Thailand, possibilities branch out endlessly

Colloquium, the specialist in congress organization and management of professional associations, is now present in Brussels. Thanks to this European-scale development we are able to boost our international expertise and assistance capacities. We are now even closer and more responsive to you, confi rming our ambition to provide our clients with the best possible consulting services.

To fi nd out more, go to colloquium-group.com

DD

H