Face to Face45 years of history, a lifetime of experience

Tips and tactics for successful face to face meetings and business events

Our next event could be yoursLeaders in the management

of conferences, exhibitions,

corporate communications

and special events.

Contact Bryan Holliday on

(02) 9254 5000 or email

bryanh@icmsaust.com.au

w w w . i c m s a u s t . c o m . a u

My basic premise is that there is afundamental human desire to meet andthat conferences satisfy that desire.Information can be accessed almost atany time and in any place but strongpersonal and professional relationshipscan only be cemented face to face.

Another core belief is that technology,like fire, is a good servant but a poormaster. For about 40 years people havebeen developing more and better waysto communicate, from video-conferencing to webinars but none hasand never will replace meetings as weknow them now. There will be endlessattempts to improve the productivity ofconferences, particularly in trying tocreate a forum before the event beginsbut that will enhance the experience atthe meeting and will not become asubstitute for attending.

Finally, a strong social and ceremonialprogram is just as important as a strong

Just over 10 yearsago, I was invited by

the publisher ofMice.net magazine tocontribute a regularcolumn on currentdevelopments within

the meetings industry in Australia. Thelatest of these articles are now repeatedin this booklet. From time to time, I’vebeen encouraged to be a little morescientific and support my argumentswith statistics and references. However,I’m of the belief that what you rememberis what’s important and it can besomewhat artificial if you have toreinforce your position by relying onother people’s research and opinions.Naturally, the content of any column isvery personal and I hold certain strongviews which I continue to explain anddevelop by referring to contemporaryworld or industry events.

scientific or business program.Conference content drives attendance;social events create life-long memories.

This is the fourth in the Face to Faceseries. Since the first one was publishedmy own company has grown anddeveloped in harmony with the dramaticchanges in the outside world. However,the primary focus of meetingsmanagement has hardly changed sincethe time when the company wasfounded in 1966. I hope that you enjoyreading the articles and looking at thephotographs taken at some of our recentevents. Feedback is always welcome.

Bryan HollidayManaging Director

1. Did you study or complete any highereducation to get to where you are today?

After completing tertiary studies inWestern Australia (Double Major inBusiness and Tourism), I completed anHonours Degree and thesis at theUniversity of Technology Sydney. Mythesis examined supply chainrelationships across various sectors,including the Business Events sector, inan aim to better understand qualityoutcomes. I’m a passionate believer inthe value of education and itsconnection to innovation andimprovement. I’m convinced that withoutthis level of learning I would not be inthe position I enjoy today.

Woman of Influence

2. What strengths have you gained fromother roles that have aided you in thisposition?

After completing my tertiary studies Igained a tenured position at theUniversity of Technology Sydneylecturing to 1500 students a week inorganisational behaviour over a five yearperiod. The key learning I took from thisexperience was that Gen Y seek outconstant solutions, are very empatheticand so long as you share knowledge,you receive it! I loved every minute of myteaching and am a much bettercommunicator because of the need tospeak to a multi-national audienceweek-in and week-out.

In the June and August 2012 editions of leading meetings industry magazine Mice.net, 18 women werefeatured under the heading Women of Influence. Here is the profile of Emma Bowyer, General Manager,

ICMS Australasia.

3. What are your tactics in juggling severalparties and overseeing a large team?

Patience, passion and persistence! Withcompeting priorities it’s important tofocus on outcomes rather thanprocesses. As a scratched horse hasnever won a race, it’s my personalphilosophy to just give things a go,which is the key message I convey toour team! I’m also extremely lucky towork with colleagues I consider myfriends, and so good team managementto me is really about treating others theway in which you also like to be treated.Our events vary from complex scientificand government meetings tointernational medical meetings attractingparticipants from over 70 countries sothe successful management of theserelies on marrying appropriate strategiesand specialist skill sets to each event.

4. What are some of the challenges inyour role?

Time to fit everything in! So manyexciting ideas and innovations acrossmany events is part of the excitement,but also a key challenge. Also, being inmore than one place at the one timegiven our national spread of offices(however, the benefit of being anidentical twin (to Amie) is that she canappear on my behalf at times (and has)!).

5. What goals have you achieved in yourcurrent position?

Since my appointment in 2006 we haveopened offices in Brisbane andMelbourne and will be opening an officein Perth in early 2013, developed adestination marketing company andlaunched a global independent PCOreferral service across 10 countriesthrough our founding of World’s LeadingConference Organisers (WLCO). Thesuccess of WLCO has been my majorachievement and one in which I lookforward to working on in the future.Nationally, our business has grownexponentially in the last six years to thepoint that over half of our business isnow delivered outside Sydney, whichwas our only base of operations for over40 years and until 2006. So, excitingtimes ahead for ICMS Australasia!

With all the talk about the continuinginternational financial turmoil, the

high value of the Australian dollar,increasingly expensive hotel rooms,massive changes in airline services andcompetition from Asian cities, it'sperhaps timely to remind ourselves whyinternational conventions are sosuccessful. At a recent Botany congressin Melbourne that attracted over 2000delegates from 73 countries, I asked across-section of the delegates why theyhad registered. Naturally, the answersvaried according to age, country of originand area of specialty but the responseswere reassuring to anyone who works inthe global meetings industry.

Zuhuang from China is studying for amasters degree, she said Melbourne isvery different to Shanghai; the flowershere are very special to me. Tammy aprofessor from Canada collaborates withseveral Australian biologists on animportant rice project. Sara originally

from Iran is studying for a PhD inSwitzerland. She gave her firstpresentation at an internationalconference. She was then planning tovisit Cairns and Darwin to study the florathere. Amy from the USA is an editor ofa scientific journal and was planning lotsof meetings with authors and reviewers.Kirsten from La Trobe University investedin an exhibition stand and had alreadymet prospective students andresearchers from Russia to Mexico. Birgitfrom Germany was attending all thesessions on population genetics. Robertfrom Queensland had just completed hisPhD and was making good contacts ashe thinks about postdoctoral positions.Joshua from Israel was learning a lotabout drought resistance and tolerancean area in which Australia has someexpertise. Molotja from South Africa wasmeeting editors from the many journalsexhibiting at the Congress to discusspublishing her work. Monika fromMelbourne was interested to hear about

all the work on biofuels, which is an areathat her own work in plant cell wallbiosynthesis is moving towards.

Aimee from NSW had recentlyembarked on a PhD program and beforeshe developed her research topic indetail she wanted feedback from theexperts. Kenneth an establishedscientist from the USA said that hewouldn't miss the congress for theworld; it's the Olympics of botany. Lizaalso from NSW who had just completedher honours degree was inspired by aplenary speaker and she was now keento get into food security. Carlos,originally from Chile but now working inNew Zealand showed his passionateside by saying I read recently that youcan quit women, or men, or cigarettesor alcohol but orchids are forever.

This is what international conferencesare all about; the pursuit of knowledgethrough collaboration for the benefit ofthe human race.

Back to Basics

One of the constant challenges faced bypeople working within the meetingsindustry is to offer a standard servicewhilst applying a creative, customisednuance for the benefit of their many andvaried clients. Sometimes it’s difficult to beconsistent in a single office, harder whenthere are offices scattered around thecountry and even harder when trying toapply a degree of uniformity across officesaround the world. Rules can be global buttheir interpretation is often local.

Recently I spoke to a very experiencedevent producer who had achieved anenviable reputation for his small buthighly specialised company. After heblended his company into amultinational enterprise I asked him howhe had adapted to the change incorporate culture. He said that like allchange there were both positive andnegative outcomes. On the positive side,he could present a particular challengeon the company’s intranet and by the

Choice is a wonderful thing. Somepeople take comfort in working with

global corporations. Others are happierworking with smaller boutique operators.Commodities are easier to standardisethan services. However, fast-foodfranchises, international hotel chains andaccountancy firms are all experts athomogenising their offerings. When youdeal with one of these types oforganisation you know exactly whatyou’re getting.

time he returned to work the followingday he had a variety of suggestions fromcolleagues overseas in different timezones. On the negative side, he foundthe weight of bureaucracy veryfrustrating. Often his superiors wantedto know if a particular idea would work,what were the KPIs and would theinitiative be profitable. When running hisown company, he would be aware ofthese questions but often he couldn’tanswer them as he could only rely onhis experience and his very satisfiedlong-term clients.

So, no one model suits everybody andas mentioned above, choice is awonderful thing.

Does Size Matter?

One of the many challenges that facecompanies today is how to make

sure that they appear to be different fromtheir competitors; be they butchers,bakers or candlestick makers. To thecasual observer one hotel room looksvery much like any other, one audio-visualcompany looks very much like any otherand even one meetings managementcompany can look like any other.

The only unique aspect that everyonecan confidently promote is that eachenterprise employees different people.All companies in a certain industrysector undertake similar tasks using thesame software programs and almostidentical operational systems. So howdoes a prospective client choosebetween them?

Recently my own company missed-outon a job and the reason given by theselection panel was that their group feltmore comfortable with the staff from thesuccessful company. Hallelujah, I replied;honesty at last. It’s tiresome whenpeople say your price was too high,which I never believe, that’s just anemotion-free rationalisation after the fact.

Let’s never lose our individuality be it asa country, an industry sector or acompany.

Individuality

challenge for event managers as theywill have to offer more strategic adviceand counsel to their clients and rely lessfor their revenue on undertaking labour-intensive activities.

One word that I didn’t hear mentionedwas service. After reviewing a number ofdictionaries the best and in some waysthe simplest definition I could find was –the action of helping or doing work forsomeone. The future path for all peoplewho work in the narrowing gap betweenclient and supplier is that they becomemanagers of information and that is theservice that they’ll sell.

Another word that I didn’t hear in thesessions on technology was creativity.Anyone who produces special eventsmust have been in awe when watchingthe opening and closing ceremonies ofthe Olympic Games in London. Simplestories portrayed with elegance andhumour using both professional and

Earlier this year I had the opportunityto attend a number of excellent

master classes attached to the co-located business events trade showsABEE and RSVP. It was both fascinatingand mind-blowing to hear about thespeed of change to activities that havebeen relatively free of dramatic upheavalfor decades. Naturally, much of theaccelerated pace of change is beingdriven by technological innovation. Onespeaker mentioned that there were over650,000 Apps for mobile devices. Thereare probably more by now. There alsoseemed to be an enormous number ofwebsites designed to help with everyactivity associated with organising,managing and producing a conference.To be accurate, these technical aidsfocussed more on improving processesrather than outcomes. They alsoseemed to empower the delegate to afar greater extent than they’reempowered now. This is an exciting

volunteer performers combining tocreate magic. Of course technology wasa major factor in bringing the sequencesto life but it was always secondary tothe primacy of the human imagination.

So despite the exponential growth in ourtools of trade there will always be aplace in business events for people whocan convert the age-old desire to meetinto a sparkling festival of ideas,networking and productivity with a keenfocus on client service.

Are You Being Served?

Whilst driving to work recently Iheard a terrific program on the

radio. It was a discussion betweenvarious experts on how social media isimpacting on the way some peoplethink. The newly published researchfindings indicated that addictive users ofsocial media were having difficulty inundertaking tasks that required amedium to long amount of time tocomplete. One contributor said that shehad planned to write an article for ajournal and had given herself two hoursto complete it. However, she becamedistracted by constantly dipping into hervarious social media outlets with theresult that it took her twice as long tocomplete the work. She also said thatthis addiction had adversely impactedon her personality. Rather than being acalm person with time to ponder, shehad become a victim of instantgratification as she wanted all theanswers to life’s mysteries straightaway.

This type of behaviour has also spilledover to the world of meetings. On morethan one occasion I’ve being trying toconcentrate on the message beingdelivered by a keynote presenter whenpeople sitting close to me have beenfiddling with their laptops or mobilephones. This is not only insulting to thepresenter but extremely distracting tothe other members of the audience. At arecent international congress, wearranged with the venue to provide Wi-Fithroughout the building but blocked itbeing available in the main auditorium.No one complained and hopefullyeveryone benefited from being in asocial media-free zone.

Running on the Spot

Australia is in the enviable position ofbeginning its year in summer and

ending it in summer. Despite doom andgloom in the rest of the world we shouldnever lose our cheerful demeanour andpositive attitude. We can’t have a majorinfluence on the economic turmoil inEurope or the political and economicgridlock in America but we can showleadership by displaying brighter thinkingand finally taking advantage of ourgeography and not being too tied-downby our history.

If we’re now in the Asian century thenlets harness all of our resources; not justthose in the ground but the morevaluable grey matter between our ears.Good conferences stimulate thinking.Good thinking leads to collaboration andinnovation.

2012 has been proclaimed as theNational Year of Reading. What awonderful opportunity to recharge ourintellectual batteries. As someone oncesaid The pen is mightier than the swordand we should never forget this. Dataattacks us from all sorts of directionsand we have to develop the skills to siftthrough the dross to arrive atsustainable conclusions in order to moveforward with any worthwhile activity.Attending conferences helps us in thisprocess. Invited speakers are chosenbecause of their skill in gathering rawmaterial and converting it to meaningfulinformation which is then sharedamongst all the delegates. As adults, we

then process the information throughour own filters which have been uniquelydeveloped and refined through time.

With the growth of Asia-Pacificconferences we can blend the westerntradition with the eastern tradition togenerate new ways of looking atchallenges and solving problems. In thepast, these conferences have onlyrotated amongst Asian countries butnow a great deal of energy is beingspent, particularly amongst conventionbureaux and convention centres, toinclude Australia in this rotation. It won’thappen overnight but without doubt it’sthe best way forward to grow andprosper the mature business eventsindustry in our country.

Summer to Summer

If we’re products of the food we eat,wouldn’t we also be products of the

information we consume? So saysauthor Clay A. Johnson in his recentlypublished book The Information Diet. Ifover-consumption of food is bad for ourbodies, could the over-consumption ofinformation be bad for our minds? It’snot that we’re overloaded with food orinformation, it’s that we over consumethese value-neutral commodities. It’shard to believe that in an average daywe’re exposed to 11 hours ofinformation. What’s perhaps even moreinteresting is that there’s now a strongtrend that indicates that affirmation sellsa lot better than information. In otherwords we’re now accepting the blurringof the lines between news and opinionand we’re all attracted to sources ofinformation that re-confirm our values,attitudes and prejudices.

Billions of people have mobile phones.Smart phones are really pocket-sizedlibraries, printing presses, cameras,radios and televisions so it’s notsurprising that the business models oftraditional newspaper companies areunsustainable which in turn is leading toa great deal of corporate re-structuring.

Could all this info-churning have anyimpact on meetings? The answer ofcourse is yes and no. Yes, because anychange in society in general impacts onmeetings, particularly advances intechnology and no because the primevalurge for people to meet to shareemotional experiences will exist for ever.

In an article published in The SydneyMorning Herald it was reported that arecent academic study suggested thatsocial media is harder to resist thancigarettes and alcohol and that someUS travel destinations are marketingdigital detox holiday packages. This isn’t

really surprising as we all know peoplewho suffer withdrawal symptoms if theycan’t access Facebook or fiddle withtheir mobile phone or other digitalgadget. It’s not technology that’s at faultbut our over-consumption ofinappropriate and mindless information,so let’s all make sure that we have ahealthy information diet.

The Information Diet

to the new extension, the view took mybreath away. It was both dramatic andimposing in a very functional and user-friendly way. The placing of all theimportant practical components likesteps, bars and lifts seemed to be incomplete harmony. The materials usedand colour scheme adopted addedstructure and form which complementedthe abundance of natural light. I’m surethat delegates and exhibitors will reallyenjoy attending events at this excitingnew addition to our nation’s meetinginventory.

At the recent annual AIME exhibition inMelbourne I took the opportunity tomarvel at the vast improvement in thedesign of exhibition stands since the firsttrade show 20 years ago. Gone are thetiny 3m x 3m cubby-holes and in theirplace are open, accessible and custom-made stands that are designed towelcome visitors and to reinforce thedestination of the exhibiting city or

One of my favourite sayings is thatGood design costs no more than

bad design. Professionals in all the visualarts can often apply their fine aestheticstyle to the most elementary andmundane of objects. When it comes tothe built environment some architectshave the ability to inspire and surprise intruly refreshing ways whilst others focuson the ordinary and the bland. In recentmonths, I’ve had the pleasure of being inspaces and places that were incrediblyuplifting. The stunning new extension tothe Brisbane Convention and ExhibitionCentre on Grey Street is a joy to behold.It doesn’t seem that long ago thatWayne Goss, the then Premier ofQueensland was speaking at a smallgathering on the building site when theconstruction company hoisted a tree onto the highest point of the building. Thiswe were told is an old Europeantradition. Fast forward to 2012 and as Iturned the corner from the main building

country. Terrific use was made of theairspace with colourful banners andattractive signage. The new floor-planwas also able to add an extra buzz tothe whole event.

So the message is; never compromise onyour investment in good design as it willalways repay you handsomely in the end.

Visual Stimulation

Within market sectors there’s anenormous range of clients. Some seemto be particularly well-funded, others arenot. Some attract large amounts ofsponsorship dollars as commercialorganisations seek to influence theassembled delegates’ purchasingdecisions and others have hardly anybuying power and consequently fewspare dollars to invest in their meetings.

One recent phenomenon that I’venoticed is that even within the fairlystable association market there can bedifferent perceptions of what representsa successful meeting. CEOs focus onthe financial surplus in order to fund theiroffice staff and infrastructure. Volunteerorganisers who are members of theirassociation focus on presenting abrilliant business and social program.This apparent dichotomy becomes moreacute with national meetings that rotatearound the country. The new organisersalways want to produce a more highly

All market sectors in the wonderfulworld of meetings have their

strengths and weaknesses. In boomtimes incentive and off-shore corporateprograms are numerous. In challengingtimes, the taps can be turned-off veryquickly. The association and governmentmarkets rarely reach the highs of theircousins but equally significantly theyrarely experience the lows.

regarded event than the ones deliveredthe previous years. This can place PCOsin a difficult position. If the loyalty isshown to the volunteers then sometimesthe CEOs can become professionallyjealous of the relationship and then try toinfluence the appointment of anothercompany the following year. If loyalty isshown to the CEO, they may supportcontinued engagement but thevolunteers for the next event might notregard the incumbent’s performancevery highly. This is a real challenge andone that’s not easily resolved. Ideally,both CEO and members of the localorganising committee can agree onoutcomes both professional andfinancial but this is often extremelydifficult to achieve.

Who’s the Client?

Any organiser who relies on voluntaryattendance for the event’s success

has to possess nerves of steel. Whencorporate meeting planners arrange theiractivities it’s relatively easy to predict finalnumbers but public, sporting, culturaland association meeting planners oftenoperate in an environment with a veryuncertain outcome.

For most of the last 30 years I’veworked within the association andlatterly the government sectors. When atinterview, potential clients ask aboutlikely attendance, I feel like saying I’veno idea. However, I try to be morepositive and talk about past attendancenumbers, customised marketing plans,scheduling visits to intervening relatedmeetings and anything else I can thinkof that’s been successful and comfortsnervous hosts. Even so, I still feeluneasy because like most people Icertainly can’t predict global financialcrises, Icelandic volcano eruptions and

any other disaster, man-made or naturalthat may have a negative impact ondelegate attendance.

It sometimes amazes me thatconferences are successful at all withthe challenges they face. There’s somuch competition for the delegatedollar, busy people are notoriously time-poor and overseas and domestic travelis rapidly becoming a chore rather thanan enjoyable experience. So, back tobasics; why meet? If everyoneassociated with a particular event can’tanswer this simple question, thendanger signs should be flashing to anyprofessional who is trying to offer theirservices for financial reward.

Will They Come?

www.congressorganisers.com

Photographs from events managed and produced by ICMS Australasia

Graphic Design by John Hardaker

Printed by Rostone Print

Leaders in the management of conferences, exhibitions, corporate communications and special events.

Brisbane 72 Merivale StreetSouth Brisbane QLD 4101PO Box 3599South Brisbane QLD 4101T: (+61 7) 3255 1002F: (+61 7) 3255 1004

Melbourne Level 2, 120 Clarendon StreetSouthbank VIC 3006PO Box 5005South Melbourne VIC 3205T: (+61 3) 9682 0500F: (+61 3) 9682 0344

SydneyLevel 9, 234 George StreetSydney NSW 2000GPO Box 3270Sydney NSW 2001T: (+61 2) 9254 5000F: (+61 2) 9251 3552

E: bryanh@icmsaust.com.au • W: www.icmsaust.com.au