This is where AsiaCongress is unique

 

Many of our events are driven by scientific or technical congresses.  AsiaCongress does not just manage congresses for our clients, but we position ourselves as partners, and focus on sales and marketing.  Our track record speaks loud and clear!  

 

Nearly all events we manage come out bigger and better

 

Events grow in number of delegates and exhibitors, sponsors and reputation.  From as far back as 2003, where we managed one of our first major event (WSAVA -World Small Animal Verterinary Congress) which grew 20% in attendence and was dubbed "Best Ever" by its global board of directors to our 2008 success with GASTECH (DMG World Media) which doubled its participants to 12,800 and increased the exhibition from 15,000 to 25,000 sqm!

 

As AsiaCongress is working in partnership with its clients, it continues to offer its experience and resources in positive ways.

The Role of the Professional Congress Organizer

The market for conferences and meetings can be broken down into three distinctive segments:

Association, Corporate and Governmental. The PCO's role varies, depending on the type of meeting. 

 

Associative Meetings

 

The PCO is the link between the separate National Congress Committees and the Suppliers. While the committee must be the final arbiter, the PCO is the project manager. It ensures that the whole programme runs without a hitch. The PCO can also act as consultant to the Committee in many different areas. These days PCOs are asked to advise on communication techniques, marketing and public relations, tax, insurance and other fiscal matters, as well as, innovative conference formats and programmes.

 

 

Corporate Meetings

 

The conference needs of companies are diverse. Board and shareholders' meetings, sales and marketing meetings, trainings, product launches, motivational events (often combined with social functions) tear down barriers, confirm strategies, educate and inform people.

 

A PCO adds new dimensions in developing events that fulfill these needs, instills team spirit and effectively communicate the corporate message. The PCO becomes an extension of the company, reflecting whatever image the event intends to transmit.

 

 

Governmental Meetings

 

High-level governmental meetings often have additional complex needs, such as adherence to strict rules on protocol and VIP reception, tight security, separate offices for each national delegation, simultaneous interpretation and translation in many languages, extensive media facilities, and special financial arrangements.

 

The PCO team will satisfy these complex requirements just as much attention as to every other aspect of the entire conference.

 

A Core PCO

 

A relatively new phenomenon, a Core PCO is a PCO contracted by a client on a permanent basis. An international association’s head office may assign one PCO to handle the main aspects of regular, recurring meetings wherever they are held. In this case a local PCO may also be recruited for specific tasks benefiting from local knowledge. 

 

Defining the objectives of an international meeting:

 

   • Exchange of knowledge and experience?

   • Expert's lecture?

   • To solve problems?

   • To negotiate?

   • Promotion of a product or company?

   • Publicity or persuasion of the public? Is it persuading people to think about illiteracy, for example?

   • Exchange of results and decision making? Finance Ministers may meet to decide on interest rates, for example

   • Social contact? Tourism? Is their main purpose sightseeing or attending parties for networking?

 

Organizer of the Meeting

 

   1. Who is in charge?

   2. Who takes the political decision?

   3. Who takes the scientific decision?

   4. Who pays the bill?

   5. Who pays in case of a deficit?

   6. Who earns in case of a surplus?

 

More often than not, the roles and responsibilities of the international body or headquarters are confusing and not clearly defined. This often leads to problems during the course of the preparation of the meeting, not only for the organizer, but also for the PCO. For details, please refer to the Guidelines for Co-operation between the International Association, the National Association and the PCO published by the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO).