...
ICCA will support delegates in maximising maximizing the commercially important data that will be exchanged during the Business Exchange, turning the event into a massive intelligence gathering opportunity. The format is designed to ensure that commercial confidentiality issues are respected whilst encouraging interaction between the different sectors of ICCA membership. Adequate time and space will be scheduled during the BE Sessions to enable pre-set and/ or ad hoc meetings and information exchange to take place between BE participants. It’s all about sharing leads about non-repeat business. You don’t have to be afraid of losing business because as soon as a piece of association business is yours, it won’t come back for 15 years or so. Verbal sharing of information is a purely voluntary matter; confidential data can be held back. All written material is included longer term in the online Association Database and is accessible to all members. All BE participants are asked to give additional information in advance to events which were inputted into the database online. This is information regarding the decision making process, government support, matters relating to the budget and details on gala dinners, for instance.
Instructions on how to put forward a lead for the Business Exchange will be included in an email which you will receive upon registering for an ICCA Business Exchange Session, in addition to a link to an online BE lead proposal form (See an example below) where you will need to complete background information on the event you are proposing. When proposing an event please make sure it meets the following criteria:The association meetings submitted for the BE mustrespective BE criteria. Also note that this criteria for an ICCA BE changes according to format or region.
An example of a BE criteria may be as follows:
- attract at least 50 250 participants
- be held on a regular basis
- rotate between at least 3 different countries
- Please note: In case of a past meeting, it should not have taken place more than 2 years ago. .
- The bigger the rotation area is; the more interesting your Lead will be for the other BE participants. For instance, a meeting with a World/International rotation will generate interest with more members than a meeting which only rotates between German speaking countries.
The following fields/answers are available:
1. Bidding/Decision-making Process:
1.1 What type of bidding/decision-making process is used?
1.2 Does association have a published manual with details on how to bid for the congress?
1.3 How many years in advance of the meeting can bids be seriously considered?
1.4 How many years in advance of the meeting is the actual decision made?
1.5 Please describe any minimum requirements to be seriously considered for this event
Accessibility - international (e.g. do they insist on having a nearby major hub airport
Accessibility - local (e.g. what is an acceptable travel time from airport to main venues; do hotels have to be walking distance from main venue)
Main venue: what type preferred or required (e.g. hotel; university; congress centre) Congress Center or university
Main venue: minimum capacity of plenary room
Main venue: minimum number of breakout meeting rooms (include typical capacities if known; e.g. 30 breakout rooms/ 100-500 pax. each.)
Main venue: size of exhibition space (NB please say if estimate given is gross or net, and m2 or ft2)
Delegate accommodation: how many bedrooms required in which star categories (e.g. 300 5 star double rooms)
1.6 Financial criteria relating to the decision
Please indicate what sort of financial considerations are most important to the association (e.g. do they aim to make a big profit from the event; is it more important for their central budget costs to be kept low or are they more concerned with securing good hotel rates for their delegates; is financial and/or in-kind support from the destination important to them; do they need firm price guarantees before making decisions; etc.).
1.7 Is the association flexible in terms of the time of year or days of the week when the event takes place?
1.8 What sort of support does the association need from suppliers in the destination
(e.g. identification of local PCOs or DMCs to help run the event; housing bureau services; marketing support to promote congress to delegates)?
1.9 Please describe any important internal objectives that the association has for this event
(e.g. to increase their membership numbers; to promote their services in countries where they are not well established; to support strong local membership chapters; to address social/medical/environmental problems linked to the association's Mission; etc.).
1.10 Please indicate if there are any known political or emotional factors that influence this association's bidding decisions
(e.g. are they very concerned about safety issues; do they like to choose "new" or "trendy" destinations; is destination tourist appeal a big factor; are there powerful groupings of members in their decision-making Board or Committee who influence the other decision-makers; do they like/need invitations from the government of the country bidding; etc).
...