“This year’s conference, which is taking place at the San Diego Convention Center, will respond to the questions surrounding the new kind of industry that is emerging from the challenges created by the recent global recession and an economy that is only now showing signs of recovery”, says AIPC President Edgar Hirt. “It is the most focused and senior level event in our industry, with the ability to access the very latest industry intelligence and insights with both global experts and AIPC colleagues at a critical time in our evolution, and our keynotes will make important contributions in this regard”.
Professor David Blanchflower was a Member of the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee from 2006 to 2009, and is currently Bruce V. Rauner Professor of Economics at Dartmouth College. He was named ‘Business Person of the Year’ by the Daily Telegraph, and was the first policy-maker from the Bank, Treasury or Financial Services Authority to warn that the UK faced recession.
He “focuses on areas that matter to ordinary people, but which researchers usually ignore”, and was awarded the CBE for services to economics in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2009. His insights will help delegates understand the progress that is being made toward full global economic recovery; the obstacles that remain and the implications for future centre business.
Gary Heil is an author, director lawyer and coach, and a pioneer in the study of employee and customer engagement who co-founded the Center for Innovative Leadership, an organization dedicated to helping leaders create more innovative and sustainable management. He has published a number of books in this area, and has recently completed a study of 700 leaders and their attempts to engage people to take responsibility for helping create the future.
Gary will be delivering suggestions and strategies around how centre managers can encourage and manage change within their organizations and support the new directions that will increasingly be a part of the industry’s future.
Along with these prominent speakers, the Conference will also feature a series of sessions around key topics in industry evolution, ranging from the results of new research to insights into how client groups and centre managers from around the world are coping with today’s challenges.
Session topics include:
- After the Crisis: The varying shape of industry development and economic recovery around the globe
- A User’s Perspective: How some of our key client groups see their events evolving, and the implications for convention centres
- Taking the Temperature: What it takes to get a major centre project approved and financed in today’s economy
- The International Exhibition Industry: Status, prospects and future expectations
- Getting Ready for Virtual Meetings: an analysis of the technology, the applications and the adaptations
- New Age Food and Beverage: How an old standard has become the new specialty revenue generator
All this will be combined with practical workshops, the results of AIPC’s 2011 member outlook survey and how members are responding to change as demonstrated with the results of the 2011 AIPC Innovation Award.
“We’re in an important stage of industry recovery, and this year’s conference program has been designed to provide the base information our members need to respond to the issues and opportunities facing centres around the world” said Hirt. “At the same time, we know the value of members sharing their own perspectives and strategies amongst themselves. This program will provide ample opportunity for both and we expect it will help provide a solid base for the challenges of the years ahead”.
Important AIPC dates:
AIPC Sales & Marketing Summit: Frankfurt, May 22
AIPC Facility Operations Summit: Barcelona, November 27-28
AIPC Academy: Brussels, February 5-10, 2012
