Draws on Global Expertise to Address Industry ChallengesThe 2010 AIPC Annual Conference in Liverpool will continue and expand on the association’s approach of addressing senior level convention centre management issues with a program that will be drawing on the expertise of prominent economists, researchers, financial managers, design professionals and government relations experts to explore the working and investment environment of the coming decade and the strategies that will be needed to survive and prosper.
“This year’s conference will incorporate a comprehensive look at the process of facility development from initial planning through completion “, says AIPC President Edgar Hirt. “These are challenging times to be interacting with governments and communities that are still recovering from the shock of the financial crisis, and we will need special skills and insights to succeed. Our intent for this conference is to deliver these at the highest possible level.”
The conference concept will be delivered through a variety of formats including presentations, facilitated workshops, panel discussions and interactive exercises, and will offer delegates an opportunity to engage in one of the most comprehensive reviews of this critical area ever delivered. The results will be of intense interest not only to members engaged in or contemplating a major project but those who recognize that such projects are an inevitable part of their future.
Of particular interest will be the two keynote speakers who will be applying their global perspectives to the challenges of the convention centre industry;
Will Hutton is one of the most influential voices on work, employment and organization issues in the UK. He spent four years as editor-in-chief of The Observer, for which he continues to write a closely-watched weekly column, and has published a number of important books, including The State We’re In – which was seen at the time as setting the scene for the Blair revolution – The State to Come, The Stakeholding Society and On The Edge, a groundbreaking analysis of globalization. He is is a governor and visiting professor at the London School of Economics and is regularly called on to advise senior political and business figures and comment in the national and international media, and is considered one of the pre-eminent economic commentators in the United Kingdom.
Hutton will be providing an overview of the economic climate facing governments in the post-financial crisis world and in particular addressing the questions of how we can best deal with and make our investment arguments to the indebted governments of the next decade. His observations will help managers assess the best approaches to make in seeking new investment and rationalizing centre finances in what can be expected to be a challenging time for government shareholder relations.
Hamish McRae is one of Europe’s foremost speakers on future trends in economics, business and society. He is the Economic Editor of The Independent and The Independent on Sunday newspapers, and the author of the acclaimed work on the future, The World in 2020: Power, Culture and Prosperity. In January 2010 he published his latest book, What Works. He is a Visiting Professor at the School of Management at Lancaster University and a council member of the Royal Economic Society, and has been awarded the David Watt Prize for outstanding political journalism, the Business and Finance Journalist of the Year in the 2006 British Press Awards, and Communicator of the Year at the 2007 Business Journalist Awards. He is in demand around the world for his lucid insight into the current economic situation and how future trends are likely to affect business and governments.
McRae will be offering his insights into how the industry can best position itself in the economies of the future and what kinds of transitions that will be required to achieve this. He will be providing examples of innovation and success in other sectors that centres may wish to consider in developing their own future plans.
“These notable speakers will be joined by a wide range of other experts in the areas of market research, financial planning, architectural design and communications to round out a comprehensive program that will also be drawing on experienced AIPC members”, says Hirt. “We know that this is a combination that serves our members well, and will be of particular value given the changing landscape we are facing”.
Direct link to conference website: 2010 Conference in Liverpool.
