Re-imagining the future of global events

The ICCA Congress is unquestionably a highlight in the global event industry calendar. It is a wellestablished, growing, truly international event that cannot be missed.

It binds the global event community and is a genuinely diverse international platform for the exchange of knowledge, ideas and business opportunities. This year, the ICCA Congress is being transformed into a global hybrid experience, like no other, with a groundbreaking six-week programme and seven regional hubs. Lindiwe Rakharebe, the Africa Board representative on the ICCA Board, shared some insights on the 59th ICCA Congress.

Why was this new format for the ICCA Congress created?

The reality that has unfolded earlier in 2020 means that it most definitely cannot be business as usual and that a new format had to be found! ICCA’s leadership realised that bold action would be needed to address the current volatile and ever-changing situation. To reach as wide an audience as possible with first class, exciting content and networking opportunities and to be respectful to the organisers of the 59th ICCA Congress it was decided to pursue a courageous new direction and format and uncover new and exciting ways to foster quality education and networking.

First, we knew it was going to be different – and we wholeheartedly embraced the need for change!

We knew that we were going to have to start from scratch – thoroughly examining our current state to best understand what do we keep; what do we lose; and how do we proceed into an uncertain future? So, the ICCA Board made the decision to partner with experts in event design, ICCA member Maritz Global Events and their Design Studio Team to take us through the design process – or in our case re-design process, utilising design thinking and design principles. This methodology helped us deconstruct our traditional congress and think differently about key elements, keeping the attendee journey in an atmosphere of uncertainty at the forefront, while remaining laser focused on quality education and networking – hallmarks of ICCA.

What is different in this year’s format?

This new format provides an example of how our client audiences could organise events, in both a restricted but also opportunity rich future, and provide guidance to ICCA Members and all in the supply chain, dealing with the new realities. ICCA agreed with our gracious hosts in Kaohsiung to continue to plan for the face-to-face congress which is scheduled for 1-3 November this year. Excitingly this will only be one part of a 6-week Global Hybrid Multi-Hub Congress Experience that includes a varied mix of digital, (where possible) live face-to-face, live online and on-demand programming. The congress experience will culminate in the face-to-face congress in Kaohsiung which will also be linked to regional face-to-face hubs and connect with virtual audiences around the globe. During the whole six-week period we will stimulate as much interaction as possible to provide meaningful, relevant and exciting new experiences.

What makes the registration flexible & risk-free?

We aim to be as flexible as possible. All participants will be able to choose between attending in person in Kaohsiung, in one of the regional hubs or attend and engage digitally. Delegates can sign up now and downgrade/ upgrade their registration category at a later stage.

Congress Theme: Transforming Global Events Together

As part of our interactive Congress ‘Road to Kaohsiung’ programme, we’re inviting the entire global ICCA community to connect with each other and explore new ideas, formats and technologies with us. We are creating an opportunity for ICCA Members to join the dialogue about the sector trends, hear stories from industry colleagues about how we’ve had to adapt to our current realities, explore topics pertinent to you and contribute to solutions as we move forward toward recovery. Together we’ll create the “Kaohsiung Protocol”, a framework identifying major trends and key strategies which will enable the international meetings industry to thrive, now and into the future.

What is the Kaohsiung Protocol?

The Kaohsiung Protocol is a framework to examine the macro and micro trends most relevant for the future of rotating global live events and then the relevant strategies for us as destinations, venues, transportation entities, meeting management and support firms and most importantly, our event owners (international associations, corporations and agencies) to deploy and consider aligned to these trends. We see the 2020 process as establishing a benchmark to then update as we continue to change and evolve due to Covid-19 or other, newer trends in succeeding years.

What is ICCA trying to achieve by creating the Kaohsiung Protocol?

1. Continue in our role as a thought leader in the industry, providing our members with impactful, relevant information for you to act on to improve your business prospects.

2. Expand our engagement with event owners. Understanding their needs and motivations will enhance our members’ ability to partner effectively.

3. Create enduring research around trends and strategies that can be benchmarked as our industry continues to evolve.

What are the Regional Hubs?

One of our key early principles was to attract and engage all of our members and stakeholders. That and the rapidly changing regional environment for face-to-face meetings lead us to the hub-and-spoke concept. Kaohsiung is our “main stage”. Regional hubs, for those able or willing to travel and connect live in all of our main regions, while offering a fully digital opportunity for those not comfortable or able to travel or meet face-to-face. This was based on the concept of giving our attendees the flexibility and autonomy to choose their manner of participation. It instills feelings of safety and security during the event journey– all new key words in today’s environment while providing a truly global experience. Regional hubs locations are:

• Cape Town, South Africa

• Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

• Luxembourg, Luxemburg

• Malaga, Spain

• Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

• North America (virtual hub)

• Latin America (virtual hub)

What can delegates expect from the Congress Programme?

As you would expect from ICCA, there will be ample opportunity to engage and network with speakers and all other participants. The programme is designed to bring latest trends and knowledge to our members from within and outside the industry. Delegates can look forward to over 80 hours of content including global, regional and on-demand. The groundbreaking programme will unfold over a 6-week period. All presentations will be recorded and available afterwards, on-demand, until the end of the year: • 28 September - 16 October: Threeweek programme (every weekday 14:00-15:00 CEST, for registered participants only)

• 28 September - 2 October – Storytelling Week

• 5 - 9 October – Crowd-Sourced Topic Week Strategy Week

• 22 October: ICCA Congress Broadcast (for registered participants only)

• 1-3 November: Congress Programme Kaohsiung/Regional Hubs/Virtual (for registered participants only)

What are the networking opportunities for delegates?

The congress offers several networking opportunities for delegates to engage and build strong business relationships. You can network among sector peers during the topic weeks, face-to-face on site in Kaohsiung or at any of the regional hubs, and also by using the directory in the portal that allows you to reach out to and connect with other congress participants.

The congress portal also features a community section with a Discussion Forum and the informal chat area Shoutbox. The Shoutbox works like a chat on social media. At online events you can casually get to know your fellow delegates and say hello to everyone. The Discussion Forum is where the real treasure lies, with topics highlighted where you can offer your insights and where the speakers can answer any outstanding questions from the audience during live broadcasts.

More information can be found on the event website: https://events. iccaworld.org/congress2020/