A joint initiative of the Darwin Convention Centre (DCC) and the Northern Territory Convention Bureau (NTCB) has been heralded a winning combination after hosting the inaugural ICCA Australia Committee Association Business Session in Darwin, the Northern Territory’s capital city recently.
The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) is the peak international association body for the meetings industry with over 850 members from 80 countries.
Newly elected Chair for ICCA Australia and National Manager for one of Australia’s premier conference and venue management companies, ICMS Pty Ltd, Ms Sarah Markey-Hamm, said ICCA Australia has 25 active members and is one of the largest country memberships in the global network.
One of Ms Markey-Hamm’s first official activities was to welcome the participants to Darwin.
The success of this event was due to the initiative and support of the local host committee led by the DCC’s General Manager Malu Barrios, DCC Business Development Manager Carrie Altamura and NTCB Manager, Lynn Fairbrass.
“The event not only created a greater awareness of the benefits of doing business with ICCA Members, it brought together a group of Australian convention industry specialists who were not necessarily exposed to the power of ICCA as a networking tool.
“It also showcased the quality and diversity that Australia has to offer convention organisers and their delegates alike to the Association Executives and ICCA fraternity who may not have had the opportunity to experience Darwin as a conference destination before,“ said Ms Markey-Hamm.
Based on the highly successful International Client Supplier Workshops, nine ICCA members escorted nine Association Executives from around Australia, who were the primary decision makers for planning National and/or Asia Pacific conventions of over 500 delegates with a trade exhibition.
The four day program consisted of a full day educational session held at the Darwin Convention Centre to discuss the benefits of globalisation of meetings, current industry trends, challenges and issues associated with holding national and international events and ways to maximise delegate attendance, exhibitor and sponsorship support.
Facilitated by meetings industry expert, Ms Elizabeth Rich and supported by a host of Darwin’s specialists, it included:
• Professor Jonathan Carapetis, Director of the Menzies School of Health Research Institute and host of the International Symposium on Pneumococci and Pneumococcal Diseases outlining the legacies associated with hosting conventions
• Case study from Superintendant Joanne Foley, Conference Director for the International Association of Women in Police 2008 in Darwin
• Thought provoking session from Daryl Guppy of Guppy Traders on the current economic climate in share trading from an association member’s perspective
• Powerful overview on business from the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce NT, Mr Chris Young
• Presentation by Claire Baxter, Charles Darwin University's Executive Director of Business Development
The workshop was a unique concept with all attendees agreeing that the event provided a successful ‘return on investment of time and money’ for all concerned.
The event also included a relaxed social program to allow plenty of networking opportunities for all participants, including a city sight tour, sunset harbour cruise, dinner at Peewees on the Point, a welcome reception at Crocosaurus Cove, where Stephanie Blower of the Australasian Sleep Association and Matthew Sturt of Gold Coast Tourism surprised the crowd by being submerged into the crocodile enclosures within the ‘Cage of Death’.
Conference Manager for the Australian Society of Microbiology, Ms Janette Sofronidis said she found the visit extremely beneficial from many perspectives.
“Being able to network with fellow Association conference organisers was tremendous – it’s not often that I have this opportunity, so a full weekend to network with no distractions was of immense benefit. Consequently, I can see there are ways in which our Society can collaborate with some others of cross-over interest, to work for mutual benefit.
“It was exciting to see the development in Darwin, the new venue and the supporting infrastructure and to be introduced to the key members of the Darwin Convention Centre as well as attend the business sessions to meet other convention centre and bureau representatives," stated Ms Sofronidis.
From an ICCA Member perspective, Ms Tracy Baker, Perth Convention Exhibition Centre’s Director of Sales, Association & Not For Profit Sectors said the dynamics of this event created a special bond between all of the participants.
“Sharing information, ideas, challenges and all aspects of hosting meetings over a relaxed four day program brought everyone together on the same level, rather than the usual ‘buyer and seller’ atmosphere in a tradeshow. In fact, one client I had been dealing with for an international bid by phone and e-mail, attended the event. It was the first time we had met ‘face-to-face’, so were able to discuss their requirements extensively,” added Ms Baker.
“This joint initiative came about from brainstorming ideas on how else we can better understand our clients’ needs and create another forum for spending quality time with prospective clients in an educational business like event,” said Carrie Altamura.
“The positive feedback we have received has been overwhelming. Several of the Association Executives told us that they have never experienced such a close knit forum where they could freely exchange ideas, challenges and experiences to gain a better understanding of everyone’s business and that their ‘day to day’ issues were not unique,” added Ms Altamura.
From a destination perspective, Lynn Fairbrass mentioned it was not only an ideal opportunity to showcase the true magic of Darwin to key conference organisers but for our industry peers to also understand the diversity that every location in Australia has to offer.
National Manager, Events for the Australian Water Association, Dr Wayne Castle summed up the success of the event by saying that he found the whole experience one of the most rewarding networking events he had ever attended.
“The Darwin Convention Centre excelled in all aspects and I can’t wait to find an event to bring to Darwin,” he added enthusiastically.
Due to the success of the event, ICCA Australia has already received favorable feedback to repeat on an annual basis with ICCA Members already tabling their interest to host 2010.
Image: Darwin Convention Centre
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