IAPCO Strategic Partners Panel session

Discussions on the current state and future of our global industry

IAPCO invited six CEOs and Presidents of meetings and events industry associations to join this years’ AM&GA for a facilitated strategic panel discussion on the current state and future of our global industry.

The session was facilitated by Master of Ceremonies, Loren Christie, who was joined onstage by Tina Wehmeir, CEO of AMC Institute, Sarah Markey-Hamm, President of IAPCO and Philippe Beille, President of IFES whilst Luis Ricardo Martinez Fajardo, President of COCAL, Senthil Gopinath, CEO of ICCA and Sheriff Karamat, President and CEO of PCMA joined virtually from around the globe.

The session focussed on the collective power of collaboration to raise the profile and engagement of our industry and associations.

Panellists openly addressed their individual strategic goals for their respective associations through 2025 and comparisons were drawn for the necessity to maintain high standards of quality, pay close attention to member needs, and raise member engagement. All agreed that Sustainability, EDI and Legacy are ‘must haves’ along with "best practice" education which is a crucial concern for everyone.

The panel talked about the necessity to support its members as they take on new challenges, focusing on three universal concerns: attracting talent, sustainability, and demands of the next generation.

The panel agreed that young people are drawn to organisations with a purpose that excite them and are greater than the task at hand. Individuals can enjoy fulfilling occupations particularly if they are made aware of the significant social and economic impact of what they do.

Our industry needs to become more adept at recruiting at universities like other sectors. It takes passion and adaptability to work in this field, but we need to spread the word about who we are, what we do, and the contribution this business makes to the world economy.

The audience of 160 was tasked by Loren Christie to reach out to a local college professor who teach travel and tourism and ask for the chance to speak to their class about our industry.

I hold the strong belief that we need to see our industry as a profession and be a little less humble about what this sector does for the global economy.

Sarah Markey-Hamm, IAPCO President

Travel limitations during Covid taught us that we had to trust people on the other side of the planet to do their job.

Philippe Beille, IFES President

Tina Wehmeir acknowledged the current 'Next Gen' initiative at the AMC Institute. Thanks to the Emerging Leaders programme, nearly 30 younger employees attended their most recent annual meeting for the first time, setting a record for attendance.

She is aware, though, that there is a strategy gap in the area of sustainability, and they must take advantage of the chance to help their association clients create a business case for achieving their sustainable objectives.

COCAL president, Luis Ricardo Martinez Fajardo, admitted that big changes must occur in Latin America but that a worldwide transition cannot be achieved in isolation:

In order to enhance their services and expand the events sector, the LATAM community needs to be inspired, connected, and empowered. We recently joined a project working with disabled individuals which highlighted the need for the industry to be more inclusive. We see our partnership with IAPCO as an opportunity to align and develop new global initiatives.

In response to a question from the audience about the timeline for action on sustainability, Sheriff Karamat of PCMA said,

I think time has passed and we are now living with the consequences of climate cancer. Nothing that we do is sustainable. We could easily be shamed into inaction, but this is an amazing opportunity for us to show leadership and demonstrate how business events can play a leading role in a regenerative economy. EIC (Events Industry Council) has developed a standard for us all to use. Start simple with an audit of what you are currently doing and look at what you can do to have an immediate impact. We must step in front of this issue; it's not going to wait for us.

Philippe Beille stated that the next generation does not find the idea of waste, build, and burn appealing, and they are monitoring the IFES website and social media to see what is being done in terms of sustainability:

Those who are already struggling find it difficult to be told that they need to change, thus we need to demonstrate the advantages through certified learning programmes. If we don't promote change, our industry will fail.

In order to increase efficiency and effect change, Philippe introduced the audience to the concept of "co-petition," where competitors work together to achieve greater and faster results.

Sarah Markey-Hamm spoke proudly about IAPCO's commitment to the UNSDGs and expressed a desire to see more sustainable case studies shared with association clients to urge them to include the UNSDGs as requirements in their RFPs.

During the session, Loren Christie reiterated the new Memorandums of Understanding that were recently agreed between IAPCO and COCAL, AMC Institute and IFES. Members of each of the respective organisations will benefit from further collaboration and knowledge-share at industry events and through educational programmes with IAPCO.

Commenting on the recent partnership, Tina Wehmeir said,

The strength in collaboration provides us with a much stronger voice and an inroad for genuine change. To maximise our efforts for change, we must also communicate our goals with our respective suppliers and partners.

Sarah Markey-Hamm, president of IAPCO, reiterated this viewpoint and expressed her enthusiasm for the possibilities that the industry could benefit from as a result of this group's unified voice.

We need to uphold our quality values and collaborate with our partners to cross-educate and create a global community where there is a mutual benefit for all.