Issue 26 JANUARY 2019 - MCI Associations · 2019. 12. 19. · MORE FROM MCI: contact...

Building community through shared insights

Focus is published by MCI, a global association, communications & event management company.

In the fourth quarter of 2018, MCI ran a research study into future-proof organizations. The purpose was to find out the biggest disruptors associations are facing, and the concrete actions they are taking to shape their future.

Some 63 percent of the respondents said their orga-nizations had already taken steps to shape their future. To the question ‘what initiative(s) have you taken so far to stay ahead of the game?’, the top three answers were creating a culture of change and rethinking the way it’s always been done (64%), encouraging new ideas and approaches (45%) and adopting new programs, initiatives and tools (40%).

We asked association leaders to share some of their specific measures to create a culture of change and the impact it has had on their organization.

Breaking the SilosOne study revealed that 70 percent of customer expe-rience professionals view silo mentality as the biggest obstacle to customer service. Silo mentality begins with management. The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS), has spent 2018 going through a major governance restructure to better address what it means for the organization to be a global entity and

Moving from good to great.

Association leaders at all

levels are embracing

change and using it as a dynamic

force for growth.

Issue 26 JANUARY 2019

FEATURED ORGANIZATIONS: SLAS 1 | CHEST 2 | ISTH 2 | IAM 2 | ACI 2 | NAPO 2 | IFSO 3 | RESOLVE 4 | ESPEN 4 | IOU 5 | FIGO 6 | ICSA 7

focus

Creating a Culture of ChangeAGILE

2 JANUARY 2019 Building community through shared insights

ensure that all the strategic areas are aligned and cross-communicating. “We have created a struc-ture that allows for a better flow of communication between the Board and staff up and down. We have also identified the right authorities to translate that into actions” said SLAS’s Chief Executive Officer Vicki Loise.

Appoint a Chief Innovation Officer The Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) is primarily responsible for managing the process of innova-tion and change management. The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) appointed its CIO in 2017. “Our CIO focuses on expanding CHEST’s lead in delivering innovative education through new and exciting products and courses, often featuring gamification and simulation,” shared Sue Reimbold, former Executive Director, CHEST Foundation. Fully integrated into the Executive Leadership Team, CHEST CIO’s new initiatives have generated $1.2 million in new revenue for the organization.

Include Innovation in Every Board AgendaClose to 48 percent of respondents to our study said innovation isn’t openly discussed at Board level. At the same time, they rank ‘getting the leadership buy-in’ as the most important factor in enabling innovation in organizations. “At our recent strategic planning session for the society for the next 1-3 years innovation was one of the top five areas of importance,” said Lisa Astorga, Direc-tor of Meetings at the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH). “With technologies being a significant factor in innovations, and the speed at which this environment is changing being adaptable is key to staying on pace,” she added.

Develop a Strategy for Innovation“Our organization has always considered itself innovative especially over the last two decades; and we are proud to have been instrumental in bringing new techniques and processes forward within our industry,” said Terry Head, President of the International Association of Movers (IAM). IAM has taken a series of bold moves, such as moving from its traditional printed hardback directory to creating a digital membership resource with the ultimate goal of becoming a ‘Universal Directory’ (including both members and non members) and centralized database for the profession. New Professional Development Programs have been promoted using this database and as a result have added non-dues revenue streams.

Improve Product Development and Management Practices Nothing ventured, nothing gained. How do organizations successfully empower their community and leadership to take innovative actions or propose disruptive solutions? With less micro- management and by encouraging well-measured risk-taking. The American Concrete Institute (ACI) has created an environment that encourages ‘trying new things’. “We accept the resulting success or failure as part of the normal institutive activities,” said Bernard Pekor, Director of International Business Development.

Change Mindset. Think Like a FuturistChange is on the way, but associations will be able to lead—rather than react—if they see it coming. ASAE’s ForesightWorks is an ongoing future-focused program of environmental scanning and trends analysis based on ASAE Foundation research. The National Association of Productivity & Orga-nizing Professionals (NAPO) has taken a number of concrete steps to move the futures conversa-tion forward. “Our Board has reviewed ASAE’s ForesightWorks summaries and identified the topics of greatest interest. Then, during our annual conference the volunteer leaders have engaged in a discussion about these top drivers of change with some 100 chapter leaders. We have also assigned a Board Member to serve as the champion for the NAPO Pathway to 2030 initiative,” shared Suzanne Pine, CAE, Senior Director. bMORE FROM MCI: contact [email protected]

The Threat of DisruptionIs your business ready for a breakthrough?Change is everywhere and often change turns into disruption. Can associations survive without following the trend?

Many people, like your members and customers, tend to be happy with the status quo. Disruption means change, which can conflict with their beliefs and expectations. Being disrup-tive for associations can be translated in many different ways, from introduc-ing a new set of needs, changing the conversation, and offering new prod-ucts, to partnering with organizations that are not obviously compatible.

But turning upside down a business model with disruptive ideas may not be the right strategy for all associa-tions. Sometimes playing it safe with improved services and maintaining priorities consistent with current trends might be the right choice. In this rede-signed issue, read about organizations that have taken bold steps and others that are working towards a strategy for change. b

WELCOMEfrom Robin LokermanMCI Group President

Connect with MCI: www.mci-group.com/associations JANUARY 2019 3

IFSO 2018 — a Year of Firsts

A report from the World Health Organization found that nine Middle Eastern countries rank highest in the obesity statistics among adults aged 18 and above. The World Journal of Diabetes also revealed that the Middle Eastern and North African region has the second highest rate of increases in diabetes in the world and the number of people with diabetes is projected to increase by 96.2 percent by 2035. Alarming statistics such as these played a significant part in facilitating the decision by the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorder’s (IFSO) to choose Dubai as a destination to host the 2018 IFSO congress. A series of innovative ideas were introduced to the event ensuring awareness would be raised in the region and allow IFSO 2018 to be remembered as one of the highpoints from all IFSO’s congresses.

Simulation Centre - The ‘Superstar’ of IFSO 2018The event hosted its first simulation center where delegates, alongside IFSO professionals, could perform live stitching and suturing on animal specimens. Some 20 stations with the latest endoscopy robotics were in-stalled spanning over 200m2 of the exhibition. Over the three days, 600 delegates were given the opportunity to work and enhance their learning while being supervised by qualified trainers.

First-ever IFSO Medical Court SessionDelegates were enlightened with the first-ever medical court session which was brought to life with actual law-yers and judges along with a panel of experts. Held in the main plenary and open to all delegates, participants to the courtroom were invited to define medical responsi-bility and its limits, the relationship between the doctor’s action and the harm to the patients.

The Debut of IFSO’s First Fencing MatchesHosted in one of the breakout sessions, the five fencing matches consisted of two doctors, head to head, engaged in a riveting 10-15-minute debate with a panel of partici-pants scoring them. The doctors used this new method to present their arguments on specific topics and were evaluated on the quality of the content presented.

A Video ChampionshipFor the first time, the program committee incorporated online video submissions as part of IFSO’s requirements. Some 171 videos were selected and presented in a desig-nated section in the exhibition area. The top 20 videos were shown during sessions. At the same time a world bariatric video championship and emergencies online courses were launched during the event. bMORE FROM MCI: contact [email protected]

When disruptive ideas accelerate success and delegate engagement

IMPACTFUL

IFSO 2018 by numbers

2,400 delegates

500 speakers

86 sessions and courses

1,209 abstracts submitted

95 countries


Honoring 40 Years of LeadershipFor the 40th anniversary of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition (ESPEN) congress celebrated in Madrid, Spain, the Chairman wanted to mark this memorable occasion with something special. So, MCI Geneva suggested creating a timeline, retracing the last 40 years of the organization. A 52.5-meter-long timeline, composed of 21 panels, was placed on the moving walkway showing the full history of the ESPEN congresses, including all the presidents and officials since 1979. It took some four months to collect all historical data from the organization’s ar-chives and the current and past leadership, scan the relevant documents, organize the information chronologically and for the designers to rework the old images. For the occasion, the granddaughter of Prof. Arvid Wretlind (referred to as the “grand-father of parental nutrition” and for whom the award is named) was invited as a “surprise guest” and presented the award to the winner after the lecture. bMORE FROM MCI: contact [email protected]

Re-energize the TraditionGala fatigue is a very real thing in the non-profit world. Guests to galas usually support causes that are mean-ingful to them either personally or professionally and do so year after year. So how do you keep things fresh when the city, guest list and your mission doesn’t change from year to year? For its 21st annual Night of Hope, The National Infertility Association (RESOLVE), an MCI USA client since 2007, wanted to put a fresh spin on a very traditional gala event with several new tactics.• The theme “Party for a Purpose” was changed to “A

Family Affair” which represents RESOLVE’s mission.• The event was live-streamed on the organization’s

online/social media community. • Instead of a traditional Master of Ceremonies,

a team of improv actors was hired to interact with the record-breaking 475 guests.

• RESOLVE took their “family affair” theme and worked with a photographer so the guests could create their own family photo. b

MORE FROM MCI: contact [email protected]

Five Tips to Make Membership Irresistible with Your MagazineMAGNETIC ATTRACTION

TRIBUTE

REJUVENATE

At its best, an association magazine is the premier vehicle for insights and information within your industry or field. A well-done magazine is also the perfect ambassador to showcase an organization to prospective members. Here are five ways to show non-members what they are missing.

Up the QuantityMail a copy to

prospective members so they can experience

the advantages of membership.

Engage VisuallyEntice readers to

open the cover with a teaser: “This is what

you’ve been missing!”.

Track PerformancesCreate an exclusive

landing page or provide a promo code to

track the mailing and measure ROI.

Make an IntroductionCreate a stand-

alone abbreviated “introductory issue”

targeted to prospective members.

Open AccessAllow open access

to a select digital issue of your magazine

once a year.

1 2 3 4 5

MORE FROM MCI: contact [email protected]

Data from the research study ‘Is your organization future-proof’. To receive a copy of the infographic contact [email protected]

Through the vision of a strong committee, the International Ornithologists’ Union (IOU) annual event went from a traditional scientific congress of 1,500 avian researchers and conservationists to the first-ever IOCongress and Vancouver International Bird Festival.

With the support of MCI Canada, the seven-day congress and festival went beyond the traditional program and gathered some 8,000 ornithologists, conservationists, and “birders” (bird enthusiasts) in Vancouver, Canada. The Opening Ceremony kicked off with a 200+ person bird parade with people on stilts wearing locally made bird costumes and the unveiling of four limited edition stamps from Canada Post in honor of the event. The expo featured 1,000 scientific posters, 80+ exhibitors and opened the door to both delegates and the general public over a six-day period. The centerpiece of the expo was the ‘Silent Skies Mural” which featured portraits of endangered bird species painted by professional artists and local school children. In addition, a speaker series open to the public featured 2017 Whitley Award-winner Purnima Barman and acclaimed science and nature writer Jennifer Ackerman.

Because of the unique program and collaboration with local partners, the event earned 54 million media impressions, 245K Twitter impressions, 150+ press mentions, on-air coverage on four local broadcasting organizations, and press mentions on nine international online media outlets. bMORE FROM MCI: contact [email protected]

EXPAND REACH

Engaging the Public

Disruption is Everywhere, But What Does it Mean for Associations?

FUTURE-PROOF

CEO and C-level functions have the responsibility of driving innovation for 50% of the association surveyed.

Market disruptors causing associations to be better, faster, cheaper… and smarter:

Economic and political

changes

New offerings from the

competition

Industry disruption

Alteration in member/customer

needs

Difficulty in engaging

those under 40

48% 41% 35% 33% 33%

Some 40 to 90 percent of innovations never become a commercial success. Disruption means change, and consumer resistance to change is human nature. We asked association leaders what their biggest disruptor is, how they enable innovation in their organization, and who is responsible for driving it.



FIGO 2018 was the biggest congress ever. How did you achieve this?Johan Vos: We developed a series of innovative tactics aimed at boosting abstract submissions, registrations and increasing the overall visibility of the event. For this, new initiatives were introduced around three main areas: communication, education and partnerships.

Can you share some of these new initiatives and their results?Vos: One initiative was the introduction of the ‘Hello Doctors’ sessions consisting of 15-minute speeches whereby women with a personal experience of a serious women’s health and/or rights issue were invited to share their story and raise awareness about these issues. Never in the history of FIGO have we seen session rooms with so many attendees. The rooms were full, and the audience gave a standing ovation for every Hello Doctors speaker.

Another area where we concentrated efforts was in strengthening partnerships with our member societies by providing them with the best support possible to attend the congress, including free registrations for their Pres-idents, reduced group registrations, free stands in the exhibition and sessions within the scientific program. Finally, we launched a three-language digital campaign, in English, Spanish and Portuguese, using Google and Facebook and the hashtag #EveryWomanMatters in all communications. This campaign not only helped raise

the profile of the organization globally but also contrib-uted to the 20 percent increase in registration numbers and the 25 percent increase in sponsorship revenues.

Tell us more about the hashtag #EveryWomanMatters?Vos: From mainly focusing on medical issues, FIGO has repositioned itself to fully embrace the wider topic of women’s health and this is reflected by our congress and other events covering cutting-edge science as well as public health and policy. We see physicians and other related healthcare professionals as key stakeholders for women’s health and rights, and we want FIGO to be the global voice for women’s health. The popular hashtag contributed to reaching a community of almost 175,000 Facebook followers and has increased our Google search by 301 percent.

Can you share your fondest memory of the FIGO 2018 congress?Vos: FIGO’s vision is for women of the world to achieve the highest possible standards of physical, mental, reproductive and sexual health and wellbeing throughout their lives and 2018 was the year of change. Looking at this year’s success, I feel we have brought together the whole community of women, healthcare professionals, researchers, campaigners and policymakers to work towards this vision and raised global awareness about women’s health issues. b

Johan VosCEO, FIGO

Congress Raises World ConcernsINTERVIEW: JOHAN VOS, FIGO

The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) is a global organization representing 130 national societies of obstetricians and gynecologists around the globe. With an average of 8,000 participants, the FIGO World Congress held in Brazil recorded an impressive 20 percent increase in participants. Johan Vos, Chief Executive, shares with us the innovative ideas implemented during the event, and how the multi-language campaign has helped raise world concern about woman’s health.

FIGO by numbers

11,000 attendees

148 countries

2,200 abstracts

25% increase in

sponsorship sales


MCI UK Wins Best Association Partnership or Collaboration AwardIn October, MCI UK won the Best Associ-ation Partnership or Collaboration Award for the Global Communication Cam-paign with The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA). MCI UK undertook a six-month targeted global marketing strategy to persuade 30,000 members to vote in favor of new membership changes.

Logos Public Affairs Celebrates 20th Anniversary Logos, a brand of MCI Group, celebrated its 20th anniversary on 20 November. MCI’s public affairs agency marked its milestone by disclosing a brand-new identity, solution-focused services and new offices across the world. The festive reception, which gathered Logos’ founders, team, clients, partners and EU stakeholders, was the perfect occasion to highlight the thriving company’s evolution across the years. Logos has been growing exponentially thanks to a combination of its clients’ trust and team’s expertise. Earn Trust. Make Change. Visit www.logos-eu.com

New Acquisitions and Office OpeningMCI Group is expanding its offerings to the association community with the opening of two new locations in Montreal, Canada and Florence, Italy. “Our presence in these two new locations is a significant growth opportunity for MCI and will help us better serve our international association clients, while supporting local association needs” says Richard Torriani, Vice President Global Congress Management, MCI Group. MCI now has 60 offices in 31 countries. b

With so many unexpected participants, how did you manage to solve onsite logistical challenges?Juarez Carvalho: With 3,000 extra participants, we had to rethink the initial congress planning and layout. To make sure nothing was left on the side, we created a ‘crisis committee’ to solve day-to-day challenges, such as the reallocation of rooms and the creation of extra spaces overnight to avoid overcrowded rooms. The committee, composed of staff and leaders, would meet every morning before show time. The onsite team demonstrated incredi-ble proactivity in finding last-minute solutions.

With half of the participants coming from the LatAm region, how did you ensure the local community would get their own visibility?Carvalho: The language of the congress is English so to make sure all LatAm participants would get access to content, we organized simultaneous translation in both Spanish and Portuguese. A special track to address local challenges was de-signed for the Brazilian attendees with the support of the Brazilian Federation of Associations of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FEBRASGO). To ensure the local community was engaged from the start, preliminary researches were done to engage with Brazilian academics.

What achievement are you most proud of for FIGO 2018?Carvalho: Women’s health is a concern not only in Brazil but everywhere in the world. For this reason, I am extremely proud to have contributed to the success of this global congress and somehow help raise awareness. FIGO’s leadership was always very open to our discussions which contributed to the smooth execution of the event. Seeing the sat-isfaction from all stakeholders, delegates, speak-ers, sponsors, exhibitors and FIGO’s leadership is to me the biggest personal achievement. b

Juarez CarvalhoDirector of OperationsMCI Brazil

MCI IN THE NEWS

INSIDE VIEW: JUAREZ CARVALHO


The Festivalization of EventsAssociations, once the exclusive providers of content and networking opportunities to their communities, are now rethinking their value proposition to differentiate themselves from an extremely competitive environment.

At the same time association audiences are getting younger and technology enabled with access to informa-tion and networking from their device at any time. They no longer have to wait for the annual event to connect with their peers, learn, exchange or get their certification.

Disrupted ExpectationsAs with most organizations, membership-driven associ-ations have difficulties in embracing change. It is easier and more comfortable to stay with the ‘tried and tested’ event approach than trying something new.

But relying on traditional and familiar approaches will not be sufficient to fulfill these changing and more demanding audiences. To attract a wider multigenerational audience, association events must offer even more relevan-cy, content value, innovation and quality of the experience.

Associations leaders must rethink their models to create event strategies that generate disrupted expecta-tions through constant provocations.

The Value of Festivalized ExperiencesFestivalization of meetings is a convergence of live user experiences and human-machine interfaces. In the last few years the trend has increased significantly, and associations are starting to see it as way to better engage their communities.

Creating Emotional Intergenerational Synergies with a New Engagement Model

With an average of 82,000+ ‘campuseros’ in atten-dance, Campus Party is the largest global technology festival encompassing innovation, creativity, science, digital entertainment and entrepreneurship. Using a combination of online and offline experiences in-cluding hackathons, augmented reality, AI, Machine Learning, blockchain, and cyborgs, as well as live music performances and exhibition, the event is successfully blending experiences that speak to all generations and create spontaneous interactions between participants in unprecedented ways.

Show Me the LoveAttendees’ expectations increase as the time available decreases, and the search for happiness and experi-ence become key drivers. Today’s events that stimulate people’s feelings and emotions, both professional and personal, are the ones that combine the traditional approach, content, exhibition, and connection with unexpected experiences. Festivals are those events that make the live experience more complete. They provoke intentional encounters and help build sustainable, coherent and fair relationships between participants and sponsors.

Finding a balance between what is perceived to have worked in the past with what needs to change for the future is hard. But if done right, it will boost engagement, drive conversation and create an experience which peo-ple will recall and share with others. MORE FROM MCI: contact [email protected]

CONCEIVABLE PERMUTATION

1Events are

made by people for people. Be

authentic

2Engage the audience

3Make sure it adds value to participants

Get it right!

Make the link with the overall

theme

4

Issue 26 JANUARY 2019 - MCI Associations · 2019. 12. 19. · MORE FROM MCI: contact...

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