Market globalization has offered a tremendous opportunity for growth with the elimination of geographic boundaries, thus national economies become more and more interlinked in a global economic network.  

The entire concept of doing business is no longer restricted to a single country but inevitably leads to competition in the international marketplace.  

“The rise of the Core PCO and AMC”, commented Patrizia Buongiorno, (AIM Group-AIM Congress, Italy) “has helped an increasing number of associations to make this global transition by offering the Three Cs: Continuity, Combined Services and Centralisation”.

Continuity, by its very nature, means providing a certain quality that can only be achieved over time. Long-term collaboration creates a clear understanding of the association’s needs, structures, politics, and procedures, and by organising the association’s events over the years a PCO is able to evaluate and, where possible, improve them.

By co-ordinating the association’s activities over the years an AMC is able to facilitate the strategic growth of the association, thus the Core PCO and AMC work either as one or in close partnership, providing Combined Services.

Combined Services includes giving a tailored plan that can range from creative to technical, assessing each association’s particular objectives, analyzing the alternatives and thus making recommendations to provide the highest possible value and return.

The best possible return is based on Centralisation, which provides for consolidation with cost-savings and efficient use of resources.

But just how global can you get without losing individuality? Globalisation has made clients similar but not the same. As the Core PCO has always to keep its mind on the “big picture”, a local PCO offers a wealth of knowledge of the specific territory in terms of business conventions and cultural preferences.  

Is the function of the Core PCO dead? Not yet, says leading representatives of both IPCAA and a mega-medical international association at the IAPCO / AIPC Seminar at IMEX.

But the trend is that the concept is on its way out.

The Core PCO has past its peak and may be replaced by the AMC (Association Management Company) partnered with the traditional local PCO (Professional Congress Organizer).

Whilst PCOs continue to offer more and more AMC services as part of their standard practice, so these will automatically embrace the services currently provided under the auspices of the Core PCO.

AMC companies can move toward providing Core PCO services as a central resource and contracting to local PCOs for all local services, working to the Local Organising Committee. Hence, the activity of the Core PCO will not die, but the being itself will be transformed.   

Not so, argued Jurriaen Sleijster of MCI, “the Core PCO will continue, but to be successful, they have to provide Added Value, not just services. Not all Core PCOs wish to include AMC services in their portfolio as such services are a specialisation in themselves; equally AMCs often prefer to partner with one central organisation for PCO services. There is room for all, but working in partnership is the key, not as competitors.”