International Congress and Convention Association

International Congress and Convention Association

TURN LOCAL RESEARCH INTO INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS

Julio Urban

Latin American ICCRM

Curitiba, Brazil

19-21 June 2005

iccaworld.com

Content

01 Targeting international clients through your local network02 How to set up ambassador programmes yourself03 How to motivate, communicate and work with academics 04 Financial resources 05 External factors

iccaworld.com

01 Targeting international clients through your local network

• Find in your city someone related to the theme• Try to find links between the national and international

association. E.g. 1994 Brazilian Congress on Endocrinology - 1999 Latin American Thyroid Society

• Search ICCA database for congress data• Submit to your local contact the idea of bringing the

congress to your city • Network with the opinion leaders in your city

iccaworld.com

02 How to set up ambassador programmes yourself

Have a deep knowledge of your city.

• Keep permanent contact with opinion leaders in multiple areas

• Choose the areas for which you have affinity, vocation

and experience. E.g. 1998 International Biofuels Congress using the agricultural vocation of the state of Paraná

• Invite opinion leaders to visit congresses organised by you and show them how it works. E.g. 1999 Brazilian Congress on Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition - 2008 World Congress on Pedriatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

iccaworld.com

Use events such as LACIME, ABAV, ABEOC for famtoursPromote events catering to opinion leaders in your city

03 How to motivate, communicate and work with academics

iccaworld.com

03 How to motivate, communicate and work with academics

• Patience, patience, patience - long-term contacts bring results• “A barking dog won’t bite” - “A barking dog makes noise”• Fight Murphy’s law: “If anything can go wrong, it will” - “If anything

can go wrong, turn it into an opportunity”.

04 Financial resources

• A good project helps sales. • Seek the support of your local Convention Bureau• Contact incentive agencies, such as Embratur• Generate a permanent fund to search for new business• Make preliminary contacts with the big sponsors of the

segment, proposing to host the congress in your city• Take advantage of all your domestic and international

travel to do research

iccaworld.com

05 External factors

• Political changes in your country, in the international and local association

• AMCs (Association Management Companies) using their partners

• CORE PCOs make long-term decisions• Your actual capacity versus your international

competitors, e.g. Curitiba versus Paris• Experience makes a difference for success

iccaworld.com