144 Association meeting professionals from 32 countries successfully met in Fukuoka, Japan from 29 June to 1 July for the second edition of the ICCA Association Meetings Programme (AMP).
The global AMP programme has been custom-designed for international association executives and for ICCA members who interact directly with associations and their meetings, to learn from and about each other, to explore how to design, organise, negotiate and host more effective and successful meetings, and to build lasting business relationships and friendships.
This year’s edition introduced a new gamification element called “Slay your Meetings Dragon”: Delegates are encouraged to bring their own ‘Dragon’ challenge with them and the faculty ‘Masters’ will teach them how to ‘fight’ it. See the “Slay your meetings dragon” opening session video, introducing the AMP Faculty as “Master Dragon Slayers”:
ICCA caps the AMP to 150 participants (out of which 30 associations) to enable the delivery of highly personalised sessions and advice to every attendee. The event contains many practical hands-on workshops and one-on-one meetings with faculty.
ICCA CEO Martin Sirk on the aim of the AMP: “Success in tomorrow’s meetings industry will increasingly depend on an ability to partner and collaborate with clients and with other suppliers. To avoid becoming caught up in a commoditised marketplace where low cost and standardised services are the norm, ICCA members need to learn new skills and adopt new business concepts. Likewise, to reach the often-ambitious objectives of their meetings and deliver ROI to their delegates, international association executives need to learn how to build more constructive relationships with destination marketers, venues, PCOs, and airlines. AMP aims to bridge this gap: to build mutual understanding of objectives and business cultures; to identify practical new ways to work together; to generate ideas for improving the effectiveness and value of the meetings themselves.”
Izumi Shimada, Director of Marketing, Sales & Business Development at the Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau: “I was so happy to share such wonderful moments with the ICCA AMP participants. It was an incredible experience. Not only for Fukuoka City to have created 150 new ambassadors from all over the world, but also for me personally to recognize and share what Associations and CVBs from all over the world are currently struggling with.”
AMP 2018 to take place in Ljubljana, Slovenia
ICCA announced at the Closing Session that out of four shortlisted bids, that Ljubljana, Slovenia was chosen as the destination for the third edition of the AMP, taking place 9-11 July 2018. ICCA’s new AMP rotates between a European and another destination anywhere in the world every other year.
Petra Stušek, Managing Director at Ljubljana Tourism and Miha Kova?i?, Director of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, on behalf of the Local Host Committee: “The Slovenian ICCA members are delighted to welcome ICCA AMP 2018 in the capital, Ljubljana. We are confident that with its human scale, green soul and vibrancy, topped by our genuine hospitality, it will provide an excellent platform for the knowledge exchange and business networking among the participants.”
“Ljubljana and Slovenia are striving to strengthen their position and brand on the international meetings market, therefore hosting this important industry event gives a further boost to our joint marketing efforts. At the same time, we will be pleased to showcase the many qualities of our destination that still has untapped potential to attract international association and other meetings. It will also reinforce the value of the meetings industry among the important local stakeholders.”
Shaping the future and value of international association meetings
ICCA -the International Congress and Convention Association- is the global community and knowledge hub for the international association meetings industry. As part of its new strategy plan launched at the 2015 ICCA Congress, ICCA aims to increase its relationship with associations and together with ICCA member-suppliers shape the future and value of international association meetings. As a result, associations are invited to attend the annual ICCA Congress and the new AMP.
