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MCI NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 16 | JAN 2014 GLOBAL ASSOCIATION, COMMUNICATIONS & EVENT MANAGEMENT COMPANY Building Community

Biannual association news and global trends

MCI IN THE NEWS

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTSUAE Government opens doors

Does your brand resonate globally?

Latest tech trends applied at ISTH 2013

Raising interest from global stakeholders

5 tips to... run successful international meetings

Namaste from India!

Growing local communities

Sharing the risks

Build an engaged online community

38% increase in delegate numbers

Negotiated savings

TALKS WITH MCIHeinz Marchesi, EULAR, shares with us their strategic decision for outsourcing their events

INDUSTRY TRENDSAligning sourcing strategy to business objectives

23-6

78

Use your smart phone to access Focus live with more articles.

Meeting revenues mainly come from two sources – participants and industry partners in terms of sponsors and exhibitors.

However, with more and more meetings taking place, content being made available in digital forms and through various online portals, and shrinking travel budgets, it becomes extremely important that associations have the right strategy behind their meetings when expanding in international markets, especially when they are new markets.

Below are 7 key areas to look into when planning international meetings.

Content

While working in international markets, organisations need to ensure their content is more locally relevant. Having the same content might not be a successful strategy as it might not address the local audiences. A good strategy will include customisation of the content or having the content being presented with local relevance and connections so the participants find it most useful and wish to attend the meeting.

Marketing and promotion

One of the major challenges faced by many associations when expanding into new markets is developing a locally relevant marketing and promotion strategy. From print marketing to social media, each industry and market responds differently and it is crucial to understand the triggers of that market before launching the strategy. One way to do this is to connect and discuss with counterpart organisations,

local suppliers or, at times, even international members.

Pricing strategy

Whilst most markets can adapt and work with a consistent and similar pricing strategy, there are certain countries where organisations need be

careful in defining the sponsorship/exhibitor values and registration prices. It is essential to look into this at the start when working on the event plan. If there are reasons for having lower prices, then the event costs have to be managed accordingly to ensure financial objectives are met and there is no last-minute compromise.

As associations continue to expand and grow globally, meetings become a key strategy for organisations to open and penetrate international markets, especially the emerging ones which show a huge thirst for latest content offered through multiple products and services including meetings.

No meetings are successful in

international markets if the local/regional stakeholders are not suffi ciently engaged

international meeting?

Do you have the rightfor your

trategy

IN

According to the International Congress and Convention Association’s (ICCA) most recent study, the number of regularly-occurring, internationally-rotating associa tion meetings is increasing by 100% every 10 years, and has been consistently doing so for the last half-century, with no signs of a slowdown. At the same time, the average attendance has reduced by less than 20% over the last decade.

Meetings are a crucial part of an association’s lifecycle. Most associations thrive or struggle depending on the success of their conference.

One of their main challenges is to keep focusing on carrying out the association’s mission and business whilst having to accom-plish the day-to-day logistics of their event.

For this reason, many associations outsource the logistics to event specialists. Outsourcing these operational functions allows associations to remain fully focused on the development of congress content, directing resources towards key organisa tional initiatives to better serve their community and achieve the organisation’s ultimate vision.

There are significant strategic, financial and operational benefits to outsourcing activities.

Outsourcing, is not only about cutting costs but also about reaping the strategic benefits such as accessing skilled expertise, reducing overheads, flexible staffing solutions, increasing effi-ciency, reducing turnaround time and, ultimately, gene-

rating more profit.

This issue is full of case studies and stories about improving meeting

efficiency and the advantages and challenges of outsourcing. From the latest meetings’ tech trends, to ways to boost your meeting attendance, from growing local communities to building successful partnerships, from getting your stakeholders engaged to increasing revenues, be ready to explore new ways to look at your event.

How relevant is your meeting?

MCI in the news

Richard TorrianiVice President Global Congress Management

Chief Operating Of� cer – Americas, MCI2 |

MCI is pleased to announce the opening of six new offi ces that will strengthen its core service offering in untapped and established markets. These new offi ces will bring MCI’s expertise to the emerging markets of the G-20 largest economies in the world, offering corporate and association clients unparalleled access to fast growing and dynamic new markets. The new and existing markets in which MCI will offer its services are South Africa (Cape Town and Johannesburg), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Jeddah and Riyadh), Indonesia (Jakarta) and China (Macau). MCI Belgium will also increase its assets, staff and client portfolio with the recent acquisition of Congrex Belgium.

• MCI Singapore won top accolades at the Singapore Experience Awards, coming fi rst in two categories: Association Conference of the Year with the 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health and Meeting of the Year for AMWAY Taiwan Leadership Seminar.

• MCI India has won the Best Large-Scale Conference Category in the Asian Conference Award for the 11th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Asian Conference Awards recognise excellence and best practices in conference companies and their suppliers throughout Asia and the Middle East.

• MCI Middle East has been awarded Superbrand 2014 by the UAE Superbrands council. The Superbrand organisation is recognised as being the worldwide arbiter of branding excellence and now operates in 85 countries around the world.

• Ovation Global DMC, the destination management division of MCI, has been recognised as the Best Destination Management Company 2013 at the C&IT Awards in London, UK in front of a panel of 17 judges. The annual awards ceremony took place on 27 September and attracted more than 500 movers and shakers from the events industry.

Six new offi ces in four countries

Awards

Stay informed on changing legislationLOGOS, MCI’s public affairs division has launched

a new public affairs website to offer association clients solutions to connect with their stakeholders and policymakers. For more information, visit www.logos-eu.com.

Lester Chin, MCI Singapore, receives the Association Conference of the Year Award

Global sport sector expert joins MCIMCI announces the creation of a Sports Business Unit which will

focus on advising and delivering innovative customer-orientated sports service solutions and strategies. This new business, headed by Barbara Martins-Nio, will offer expertise in strategic enhancement and engagement services to existing association and corporate clients within the fi eld of sport. Furthermore, the new business unit will also concentrate on operational delivery for local and global

event management, event hospitality, creative services, central booking, sponsorship services, as well as other MCI service offerings tailored to sporting rights’ holders.

Barbara Martins-Nio, Sport Business Unit Director, MCI

ultimate vision.

There are significant strategic, financial and operational benefits to outsourcing activities.

Outsourcing, is not only about cutting costs but also about reaping the strategic benefits such as accessing skilled expertise, reducing overheads, flexible staffing solutions, increasing effi-ciency, reducing turnaround time and, ultimately, gene-

rating more profit.

This issue is full of case studies and stories about improving meeting

efficiency and the advantages and challenges of outsourcing. From the latest meetings’ tech trends, to ways to boost your meeting attendance, from growing local communities to building successful partnerships, from getting your stakeholders engaged to increasing revenues, be ready to explore new ways to look at your event.

US associations going abroadMCI has developed a global services mobile site to showcase the full

spectrum of MCI services to US-based associations going abroad. The site is designed for mobile platforms and is accessible at the following link http://mci-associations.growglobally.us/ or via the QR code.

Lester Chin, MCI Singapore, receives the

Have you ever conducted focused research to discover specifically how your non-US members and customers view your association’s brand and its relevance? According to the 2013 Global Satisfaction Index (GSI) international association customers are considerably more satisfied with their association experience (75 Index points) than members (67 Index points).

Customers only interaction with an association is with regards to the specific products or programmes that they consider to be relevant and worthwhile their investment, without the complication of a membership package.

MCI teamed up with the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives (CESSE) and FairControl to launch the first edition of the GSI benchmark in 2013, which focuses exclusively on the perspective of members and customers overseas.

To find out more about international members’ perceptions and the different opinions of customers versus members, and to secure your copy of the GSI, contact Theresa DeConinck, External Relations Director, MCI.

Contact theresa.deconinck@mci-group.com (or tel: +1.202-251-4916).

As Dubai continues to grow and expand, it has also made a major breakthrough in attracting international associations to Dubai with new legislation being passed that will allow associations to get incorporated as not-for-profit organisations and run their day-to-day operations. Associations can now operate in the Emirate of Dubai under the ethical and legal standards of the Government of Dubai. Dubai today is a gateway to the world’s fastest growing economies in the region and Dubai Association Center (DAC) will be offering an ideal setting for global associations to expand across the Middle East, using Dubai as a launch pad.

DAC is one of the unique initiatives taken by the Dubai government, which brings together multiple Government agencies, including the Dubai Chamber of Commerce which will be responsible for licensing the associations, Dubai World Trade Centre which hosts the physical premises of DAC, from which the associations will operate, and finally Dubai Convention & Events Bureau (part of Dubai Tourism & Commerce Marketing) which will assist the associations on their meetings and events. These agencies will also support the associations operating out of DAC in business opportunities by connecting them to their counterparts as well as key stakeholders from the association’s industry, including both private and public sectors.

Associations established within DAC will also be able to leverage DAC’s association

management company – MCI, which can assist in defining go-to-market strategies and deploying a feasibility study and business plan for associations to define the best way forward when expanding in the Middle East. MCI can also support associations with day-to-day operations.

Illustrating the level of commitment, last November, a team from the UAE met with over 50 key decision-makers from associations in Chicago and Washington DC with regional outreach during a US roadshow. Some of these already-successful associations shared their winning strategies and best practices. Industry intelligence and research were presented to the decision-makers to forecast and plan expansions of their associations within the Middle East region.

For further information, view interview podcast at www.growglobally.org or contact ajay.bhojwani@mci-group.com.

global highlights

Does your brand resonate globally?

| 3

UAE Government opens doors for

international ssociations

DAC delegation in Washington

Continued from p1

Stakeholder involvement and support

No meetings are successful in international markets if the local/regional stakeholders are not sufficiently engaged. They need to be involved in defining the content, pricing strategy and in gathering the right support from local authorities and industry. This will not only help in bringing in direct revenues but also in assisting in elevating the meeting brand that eventually will attract more participants leading to increased revenues.

Audience engagement

Having the potential participant engaged right from pre-event marketing is the best way leading to participant attending the meeting. Audiences today can be engaged in developing content and choosing the speakers through voting. Social media

and digital tools also help connect them into forming a community, so today it is very easy to have your audiences engaged at no cost or very little investment. These communities can then be used to generate revenues by connecting the industry partners to them in various forms post-event to start an industry conversation.

Partner involvement

When working in international markets, having a local on-the-ground partner helps associations to address local challenges, driving down the costs through better contracts and manage local stakeholders and partners as well. These could be conference organisers and/or destination management companies who can also provide insights into the marketing mix and local market relevance.

Value-added services

A lot of organisations do not pay attention or focus on the value-added services desired by participants assuming the meeting is focused on local and regional participants. Services like offering accommodation, industry meetings, or off-site activities do influence the decision of a participant to attend the meeting.

Contact ajay.bhojwani@mci-group.com

Ajay recently presented a session titled ‘Boosting revenue from international meetings’ at PCMA’s Convening Leaders in Boston, USA (12-15 Jan 2014). For more information read our blog post on www.growglobally.org

trategy for your international meeting?Do you have the right

4 |

Sustaining viable stakeholder relations creates long-lasting value for organisations but when these need to be initiated from scratch, the challenge is to identify and maintain a sustainable partnership model.

Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) and Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth (HRIDAY) organised a first of its kind conference in India – the inaugural International Conference on Public Health Prior it ies in the 21st Century: Endgame for Tobacco from 10–12 September 2013 at the iconic Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi. It was co-sponsored by the World Health Organisation and supported by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

The challenge from the start was getting in the numbers and attracting the interest of the global stakeholder community for an inaugural non-mainstream event.

Impressive figures of over 350 abstract submissions, 150 international speakers and 500 niche delegates from nearly 60

countries were achieved by the end of the event. An enviable feat for any first-time event!

The standout reason for MCI’s selection was its outreach capabilities which were put to good use in spreading awareness and generating interest about the event among the stakeholder communities which led to higher abstract submissions and registrations. MCI was able to meet these challenges by exploiting its global network strength. MCI’s APAC offices were engaged to disseminate event information to multiplier agencies via a concerted outreach programme keeping local market sensibilities in mind. Simple yet effective ways of producing local language electronic communications, locally printed posters, and locally validated databases proved to be the game-changers at a time when concerns about attendance were real. An active social media campaign supporting traditional methods such as barter agreements with journals and related global conferences added to the success of the carefully orchestrated global marketing campaign. As a result, the conference website received over 10,000 unique visitors from 140 countries in six months.

Contact lalit.chadha@mci-group.com

global highlights

Raising interest from global stakeholders

Latest tech trends applied at ISTH 2013 Virtual communities and technological

innovations are today efficient tools to generate knowledge. At the same time, they emphasise the need and desire for stakeholder communities to come together and exchange ideas and information in interactive, face-to-face meetings.

The XXIV International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) 2013 Congress was held in Amsterdam, from 29 June to 4 July. The Local Organising Committee (LOC), in partnership with MCI Amsterdam, was determined to apply the latest technological developments.

The distinctive congress theme “Mondriaan” was integrated throughout the entire congress cycle creating an inspiring setting for the latest innovations, including: e-posters, projection, onsite

self-registration, recap lounges, a congress app and interactive master classes.

The latest trend in the field of registration management, including onsite self-printing of badges, provided the 8,000 attendees an advanced congress experience right from the beginning. Traditional poster

boards were replaced by e-posters; featuring 2,800 abstracts of which 1,700 were presented. Sponsored recap lounges provided participants the opportunity to view presentations, on demand or on rotation, which they did not manage to attend due to the numerous

streams on offer. The touch screens used to display the e-posters, provided the perfect setting for the master classes facilitating a great level of interactivity.

“We decided to focus on innovations that would enhance the congress experience,

without making concessions on the core of every scientific meeting: innovative research. The innovations were all aimed at making the science more accessible and more interactive. I will never forget the moment I stepped into the e-poster hall, and I saw thousands of people talking, jostling, shouting about science,…” said Prof Dr Frits Rosendaal, President LOC.

Contact sandra.hijnen@mci-group.com The innovations were all aimed at making

the science more accessible and more

interactive

5 tips to…

Some 15 different topics on association management and meeting trends were discussed at the roundtable sessions during IMEX Association Day in Frankfurt, Germany last year. One of the roundtable leaders, Susan Root, Director, Conference Business Services and Strategic Programs, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), reports here on the outcomes of her roundtable debate:

1) Provide Translation - translate materials ahead of time (presentation, bios and other supporting materials) for maximum understanding. Also consider having interpreters in the sessions if there is a large language divide.

2) Destination Consideration - think about the opportunity to grow local membership when considering the location. Engage with the local constituents. Ask for their support.

3) Set Reasonable Goals - if it is your first or second time in a new market, temper your expectations and set reasonable goals. Success can be measured in many ways.

4) In China - you need to apply for a permit to run conferences of 200 participants or more. Having a local partner (association/organisation) will help guide your decision-making for the conference consistent with Chinese regulations.

5) Local Meeting Resources - consider identifying and hiring capable and experienced local meeting support. Local support will be able to identify the best venues and manage expectations across cultural differences.

Contact s.root@ieee.org

run successful international meetings

Master classes at ISTH 2013

| 5

The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) is a professional organisation of over 35,000 registered nurses and other healthcare providers dedicated to excellence in patient care, education, research, and administration in oncology nursing.

ONS has been building its presence in the Middle East since 2007 by working with regional partners to deliver educational programmes, including participation in oncology-related conferences, which offer an educational platform for the cancer community.

The organisation has been actively participating with the UAE Cancer Congress based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, initiated and developed by MCI Middle East since 2011. ONS has contributed annually to the content and the creation of interactive workshops for registered nurses and other healthcare providers. The UAE Cancer Congress has seen a significant year-on-year increase in participants of 30% from 2011-2012, and 60% from 2012-2013.

The interactive workshops have allowed participants to apply practically their learning in their daily work environment.

In addition, the UAE Cancer Congress is a conference which has increased delegate attendance from across the Middle East every year. This increases ONS’s visibility and reach in the region. Finally, through ONS’s annual contribution of content to the UAE Cancer Congress and the positive feedback from participants, the local healthcare industry is supporting more oncology nurses in the region to attend the ONS track at this conference. With more nurses attending ONS trainings and events, the Middle East healthcare community can continue to expect ongoing improvements in tumour treatment standards.

“As a region that is investing in rapid growth in its healthcare sector (among many other industries), the Middle East provides great opportunity for associations to partner in building this capacity. ONS is dedicated to training, educating, and learning from nurses in the region. We are enthusiastic about the partnerships that facilitate this networking and bring about opportunities to collaborate”, said Kate Shaughnessy, Manager of International and Leadership Development, ONS.

Contact airaj.isaacs@mci-group.com

global highlights

India, officially the Republic of India, is the seventh-largest country by area and the second-most populous country in the world with over 1.2 billion people. According to the World Bank, the Indian economy is the world’s tenth-largest by market exchange rates (at US$4.457 trillion) and third-largest by purchasing power parity (PPP) as of 2011. With an average annual GDP growth rate of 5.8% over the past two decades, India is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

In the third quarter of 2013, the Indian economy has advanced 4.8% over a year earlier, up from 4.4% in the previous three-month period, thus registering growth for the fourth straight quarter. India ranked 60th in global competitiveness, 42nd in business sophistication and 41st in innovation, ahead

of several advanced economies (Global Competitiveness Report 2013-14, World Economic Forum).

India is a federal constitutional republic governed under a parliamentary system consisting of 28 states and 7 union territories. India is a pluralistic, multilingual, multi-ethnic society and the birthplace of

four world religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.

It is a large market, with some 200,000 associations across the whole country (varying from national to regional and local branches/chapters) of diverse size, structure,

means (both financial and human resources) and purpose. India is witnessing an increased number of international associations exploring ways to benefit from a fast-developing economy and the

sheer size of its educated workforce. Indian-based associations are mostly trade associations while others are professional societies and federations.

Apart from national and local conferences which are significant in number, India in recent years has played host to many world and Asia-Pacific conferences. However, the predominance is in the below 500 participants segment due to the limited capacity of conference infrastructure available in the country. India ranked 25th in ICCA worldwide rankings, hosting 150 international association meetings in 2012, the most popular destinations for conferences/meetings being New Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Goa and Kolkata.

Contact gaurav.sood@mci-group.com

India is witnessing an increased number of international associations

exploring ways to benefit from a fast developing economy

India in numbers:• Ranks 17th in financial market

sophistication

• Ranks 24th in the banking sector

• 486.6 million workforce, second largest in the world (2011)

• Hosts 200,000 associations

Growing local communities

Country focusNamaste from India!

Sharing the risks

To guarantee the event would attract a good number of international participants the local organising committee of the Asia Pacifi c Stroke Conference 2013 looked for a partner with a solid global network. The committee also wanted to explore other partnership models than the traditional ‘management fee’. MCI Hong Kong was able to propose a true partnership based on a risk-sharing model.

The model is built on effi cient fi nancial management and strategic cost control so both parties benefi t equally. Through effective marketing to key target markets by both parties, the event gathered over 900 delegates, 70% more than expected, from 40 different countries. MCI was considered as a true partner in these efforts and the positive results have led to further discussion between the two organisations about organising future Asia Pacifi c Stroke conferences in the region.

Contact anni.moyal@mci-group.com

6 |

For their annual conference, English Australia National Association needed new ways to communicate and engage with their audience. They were curious about social media but had no experience and base to start from.

The marketing team at MCI Australia convinced English Australia that social media was the perfect opportunity to engage with their clients and stakeholders. The benefits include engaging with key demographics that are well connected online, improving English Australia’s online presence, including search engine ranking, and improving the organisation’s brand reputation as an innovative and forward-thinking organisation.

MCI developed an in-depth analysis of the industry’s social media sphere and a strategy to build an engaged online

community around the organisation. MCI then set up professional profiles on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube and provided detailed guidance on how to use the social networks, including what to post and how to post. Relevant feedback and updates were given and any questions or concerns were addressed immediately. MCI also developed a successful Twitter competition to help ensure that delegates were ready to engage via Twitter prior to the conference. This was supplemented with a guide designed for delegates on how to use Twitter.

Twitter took off, with hundreds of tweets during the event and many engaged users. Facebook reach increased exponentially with key posts achieving moderate viral success, and both LinkedIn and YouTube were highly effective in reaching and

engaging with users. English Australia staff members are now adept in social media and are enjoying it. One year on and the English Australia staff have been successful in using social media to continue the conversation throughout the year and they now have an engaged and active audience to communicate with about their future conferences.

Over a two-year period, social media activity and engagement levels have been proven to last considering it was used as a strong communication tool for the 2013 conference and will be for the upcoming 2014 conference. English Australia Facebook profile reaches 2,761 followers and their Twitter account has 847 followers.

Contact chelsea.may@mci-group.com

Build an engaged online community

38% increase in delegates numbers

global highlights

Clever money

For one of their recent events, the European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) needed a venue that could accommodate over 4,000 delegates and provide a large enough space to house the exhibition, poster and catering areas. The organisers wanted to deliver a style that was exciting, innovative and that retained and reflected the ESPGHAN identity.

MCI UK were constantly on hand with successful time management and cleverly negotiated financial savings to the budget and worked very closely with ESPGHAN to make sure they were comfortable with every key operation that was taking place. ESPGHAN took advice from MCI UK on strategic elements that would eventually contribute to the positive financial outcome of the conference. These included delegate fee pricing, sponsorship packages that were offered to industry partners, programme structure and attendance and financial forecasting.

As a result, the event saw an increase in 756 participants over the previous annual meeting. More than 75,000 emails were shared via the various e-mail groups over an eight-month period leading up to the conference. MCI UK, through smart marketing and strict supplier management, were able to meet the financial objectives of the annual meeting.

Contact sarah.fitzpatrick@mci-group.com

Negotiated savingsAccording to the Global Competitiveness

Report (2012 – 2013), the overall quality of the South African education system is ranked 140 out of 144 (World Economic Forum, 2012). When considering the state of public education in South Africa, it is important to note the various players and how they could contribute to the status quo. The role of ‘school principal’ is fundamental to the success of any school as they are considered the leader and manager within their system.

The South African Education system – particularly the Department of Education and School Principals - has long been criticised, with a particular emphasis on the inadequacies of school principals. The South African Principals Association (SAPA) exists to motivate, improve skills and educate principals in South Africa, as well as provide a platform for their members to brainstorm solutions and share best practice.

With 800 participants in attendance comprising school principals, deputies, government representatives, academia and other leaders in education, the annual SAPA conference took place on 7-9 October 2013 in Gauteng, South Africa. To ensure the conference was a success, MCI South Africa’s office concentrated their efforts on three areas:

• Programme content: with a complete overhaul of the programme and processes starting with the identification of key thematic areas, the introduction of sponsored skills development programmes and the addition of a creative dialogue session allowing participants to share experiences and better understand the context of working in education in South Africa.

• Sponsorship: with a more personalised offering, a revised cost structure for both sponsors and exhibitors, and the introduction and sale of satellite sessions within the conference programme. Sponsorship was also secured for scholarship programmes to fund the attendance of disadvantaged public school principals from high-risk schools.

• Marketing: with the development of a centralised, updated database of national SAPA members and sponsors in 9 provinces.

As a result, sponsorship and exhibition stands sold out with 90% who exhibited for the first time contributing ZAR 450 000 (45K USD) in additional revenue. Attendance also increased by 38% and the programme was hailed as ‘excellent, relevant and motivational’ by most participants.

Contact tamlynne.wilton@mci-group.com

Conference participants get engaged

| 7

talks with MCI

MCI: What benefi ts do you see today for EULAR from collaborating with a professional congress management partner for the organisation of your events? What are the strategic implications?

Heinz Marchesi: Working with a PCO offers both operational and strategic opportunities. On the operational side, we can bring to bear expertise in areas that are not the core skills of a medical association. The wide range of logistical as well as infrastructure tasks related to organising a large scientifi c conference are handled professionally, we have a team of well-trained experts available that otherwise would have to be recruited, trained and maintained in-house. Generally speaking, we are seeing more fl exibility and good cost-effectiveness as a result of such a collaboration. On a more strategic level, the experience of a PCO working with other clients and being permanently exposed to and involved in the meeting industry provides a broader basis for successful congress management. The PCO can also act as a consultant who provides our leadership early on with insights into potential developments, risks and opportunities.

MCI: What are your future goals and expectations in the continuation of this fruitful collaboration?

HM: First of all, we will be jointly working towards maintaining the success and reputation of our congress as developed over time. Keeping fi nancial stability in times of economic unrest and foreseeable changes in the industry and regulatory environment is another goal. At the same time, the emergence of new technologies offers new opportunities for creating additional value for meeting participants, for instance, exploring and implementing new ways of delivering scientifi c content, providing timely guidance on congress programming, or improving communications with participants in general. In addition to specialised partners we are using, for media work, mobile information systems or publishing.

For instance, a PCO with expertise in more than pure congress organisation can serve as an advocate who stimulates fresh and critical thinking in our organisation. We also expect our PCO to help us identify early warning signs of industry or regulatory developments that may have adverse

effects on our association’s well-being as well as further positive developments.

MCI: Do you think that the fi nancial effi cacy of EULAR is enhanced by the collaboration with a professional congress management partner?

HM: Costs related to organising a major congress are substantial, mainly through personnel costs. Working with a PCO allows us to keep our fi xed costs low. In-house staff for congress management can focus on performing those tasks that are of intrinsic worth for the organisation like the scientifi c content and programming, and managing the PCO’s manifold tasks from the organisation’s perspective. By negotiating attractive contracts, an association can achieve savings in infrastructure, required management time, and ultimately operational cost.

To know more about the opportunities and/or challenges of outsourcing and what an association should look for when selecting a PCO, read Mr Marchesi’s full interview at www.mci-focus.com (Client Interviews page) or scan QR code on cover page.

with Heinz Marchesi

Insider’s viewMCI: You have been managing the EULAR Congress for 13 years. How has the relationship evolved over the years?

Antonio Guadagnoli: Business relationships can to some extent, but with obvious limits, be compared to human relationships. At the beginning, there is excitement mingled with fear, hope, expectations, questions…

Then, when both sides like what they discover and see, they start to grow, together. So grow the mutual trust, con� dence, appreciation, knowledge and understanding of each other’s needs, expectations and satisfaction. EULAR recently described our

relationship as “symbiotic”, and I think this says it all. Over the years, we have discovered and � ne-tuned our mutual understanding, leaving adequate space to each other to allow mutual respect and expression. I think the current EULAR-MCI relationship is a perfect demonstration that 1 + 1 can make 3 sometimes.

MCI: How do you ensure you continuously bring value to EULAR?

AG: The recipe includes various ingredients. The � rst and most important one is the most secret one that I will therefore only whisper… We don’t work only for EULAR… This is

extremely important as it allows the whole team to learn from many different sources, to share successful innovations and to discard failures, allowing EULAR to stay tuned in with innovation but without the hassle of permanent market screening.

Read Antonio’s full interview at www.mci-focus.com

Antonio Guadagnoli, Director Global Operations, Congress Management, MCI Geneva

For many associations, the day-to-day logistics and administration of organising a congress divert attention and resources from carrying out its core business. Many associations outsource the event logistics to specialists and professional congress organising (PCO) partners.

Heinz Marchesi, Executive Director of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), shares with us their strategic decision for outsourcing their events and the opportunities it has created for the organisation.

nterview

Heinz Marchesi, Executive Director, the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR)

extremely important as it allows the whole team to learn from many different sources, to share successful innovations and to discard failures, allowing EULAR

Director Global Operations, Congress

industry trends

This newsletter is published by MCI Institutional Division.

For more information contact: karine.desbant@mci-group.com

or visit www.mci-group.com/associations

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ISSUE 16 | JAN 2014

In the next issue…Read about leadership and creative management models

Aligning sourcing strategy to business objectives

In an environment where the global recovery from financial crisis and recession continues to be slow, no organisation can afford to pass on the

opportunity to boost performance.

For this reason, many organisations outsource their non-core activities to avoid certain types of costs. Whilst this is vital, added value, strategic input, innovation, and analytics are also required.

Over the last 20 years, outsourcing has become more sophisticated with the implementation of multifunctional approaches and different outsourcing models depending on the organisation’s needs and objectives. In today’s increasingly competitive marketplace, there are key strategic reasons to move into a new phase in the use of outsourcing services. It is a process of evolution rather than revolution for most organisations.

Not all organisations will follow this path and those that have taken the step evolve at different staging points and levels of integration. Each level is a step in the journey of outsourcing and not all organisations start or end on the same level.

Selecting the partnership model

After making the decision to work with a professional services firm, there are

a number of different options

available to organisations.

The partnership model will

depend on the organisation’s

structure and resources,

it will be influenced by the desired

outcomes, the portfolio of activities to

be outsourced, and the organisation’s

current level of sourcing maturity. Four

distinctive models can be highlighted:

• Staff augmentation: the organisation

needs to expand its own team to provide

specific expertise or due to aggressive

timeline pressure

• Strategic out-tasking: the organisation

decides to source certain functions but

keeps control and management

• Project-based outsourcing: the organi-

sation hands over operational control

of project management while keeping

control over its business outcomes

• Managed services: the service provider

is completely responsible for the delivery

of outsourced work over a multi-year

agreement.

Based on its unique needs, the organi-

sation will select the sourcing model most

appropriate to them.

The following diagram shows the relationship between two essential factors to take into consideration: time to market and level of seniority:

Moving to the next levelWhen is an organisation ready to adopt

an outsourcing solution for its activities? Are the internal capabilities ready to support this initiative?

Unless governance, staff and stake-holders are persuaded to buy into the outsourced solution and see the scope for new value-added services in future, the transition is difficult. The sourcing maturity of the organisation will be a key success factor of the partnership.

A complete scan of the organisation’s sourcing goals and realistic expectations are crucial. Accountability and responsibility need to be clearly articulated from the start. The analysis of performances and measurement of achievements will depend on it.

Contact richard.torriani@mci-group.com

It is a process of evolution rather than revolution

for most organisations

To learn more about the different outsourcing models read MCI’s White Paper ‘Working Effectively with Service Firms’ at www.mci-group.com/whitepapers