Organising meetings in a time of disruption.

The meetings landscape has dramatically changed over the past few years. Significant disruptions, which should be rare, are becoming a constant variable when organising events.?The question remains: How to?deliver smooth event experiences in an unpredictable world?

So, what is a disruption? It is a disturbance or problem that may interrupt an event, activity, or process. Music to the event organiser’s ear, right? Disturbance, Problems, Interruption!

The last three years have given us a good spectrum of what these disruptions could be. A global pandemic, war, political changes, the evolution of social mentalities and many (mis)perceptions. The impact on the Association Meeting landscape is people’s inability to travel or, worst, fear of travelling. The challenge for event organisers and marketers is not only to deliver a successful event but, to get into the attendees’ minds to manage some misleading perceptions whilst keeping in sight an essential component: budget.

In 2021 like many other organisations, ICCA was confronted with a major disruption due to the global pandemic. Borders had started to open in some parts of the world. Still, most of the traditional attendees could not travel or were too afraid to travel, fearing the constant risk of being stranded or, even worse, sick in another country. However, ICCA is all about community: bringing the meeting professionals and international associations closer together. With an ambitious goal, the ICCA team conceptualised and implemented a 4-day global multi-hub hybrid congress featuring content simultaneously in 6 global destinations, onsite and online. We connected over 1,200 participants, featuring 120 international speakers showcasing a global influence, providing regional insights and having a local impact.?

In 2022 another disruption, and tragedy, impacted the meeting industry as a war started in Europe. Having scheduled a Congress in Poland, a country of asylum and transit - for millions of refugees. Being close to the war zone, attendees were constantly evaluating the progress, judging the evolution of the war and its risks. After many considerations and reconsiderations, ICCA decided to maintain the congress in Krakow, supported by a robust local host committee. In just four months, a 4-day global congress was organised, with absolute success: 960+ attendees gathered onsite with a strong desire for networking, collaboration and support to the host country.

Throughout these four months, we learnt that, from event design to delivery, every step must be identified to embrace the disruptions to neutralise any impact they might have on the event.

Here is a Tool Kit to keep in mind:

-???????Be Agile, Be Flexible. Whilst working on your event strategic framework, always keep agility and flexibility of processes in mind. Your strategic framework will define your organising principle, business outcome, and guest impressions that, despite any disruption, will guide the event organisation. Planning is vital; however, setting up realistic outcomes and goals is crucial. Allow yourself flexibility.

-???????A well-thought RFP. Work and structure an RFP reflecting your desire to work with partners, not just with event suppliers. As a partner, your main stakeholders will naturally be more flexible with the terms and conditions of their contracts. Involve them, collaborate with them, and consult them.

?Three main aspects must be considered whilst working on the event RFP:

o??Revise every year. We all learn from our experiences, and the RFP must reflect the company’s evolution and attendees’ needs. Also, importantly, the RFP must reflect industry trends and new requirements.

o??Always leave room for creativity. The main venue/destination must feel empowered enough to have a role in the event. Let them showcase their vision for the event and how they will make a difference.

o??Showcase the clear partnership ROI. Establish a win-win collaboration that is not only based on profit/revenue. What legacy will this event leave? How can it involve the local community? How can the event support the main destination/venue brand culture objectives?

-???????Plan, Plan, Plan. The event planning should be flexible in terms of the number of attendees. It is crucial to have the possibility of bringing the attendee numbers down on short notice and then be able to increase later without any critical financial impact. If the risk is, to not be able to organise the event in the preferred destination due to a significant regional disruption, prepare and negotiate with a destination B and C.

-???????Technology is critical. Despite our shared desire to believe it: a Hybrid event can’t be spontaneous. And so, technology must be ready on demand. The equipment must be available onsite, the internet speed must be booked in advance, and the onsite AV team must be briefed on the possibility of a short-notice switch to Hybrid.

-???????Communicate. External and internal communication plans should be set up on the following principles:

o??Transparency

o??Honesty

o??Consistency

o??Frequency

-???????Set expectations. Throughout the process, the key to success is to set expectations with all your stakeholders. Participants should be informed about the status quo, top management must have a clear view of possible results, the Board of Directors should be informed of the potential outcome, employees must be prepared for what is coming, and local partners and sponsors should be aware of what to expect onsite.

-???????Be a powerhouse and a guardian angel: Prepare and guide your event troopers. They are the ones who make the magic happen. Like professional athletes, they must be ready for all short and long-term eventualities.

All main stakeholders must be on board for the journey to preserve the right outcome.

-???????The selected DMO and the appointed local PCO must have mobilised all internal key agents to deliver and support the event's organisation.

-???????Establish a trusted relationship with government representatives who can be supportive during difficult times.

-???????An official spokesperson should be selected to be the event’s voice: someone attendees and stakeholders will trust.

-???????Your airline partners should be involved throughout the process. Having a ‘destination B and C as alternatives plan’ will never work without solid allies in the air to navigate the traffic of your attendees throughout the regions.

-???????Use an effective source of information, e.g., UNWTO, or any other trusted voice, to define and evaluate the level of disruption with neutral and factual data.

Disruption could be objective but also subjective. So, how can we deliver a smooth event experience in a time of disruption? You don’t have to listen to the loudest voice in the room: Evaluate and cross-check data and make a conscious decision - not based on hearsay or emotion

This is Your Event. Own It.

?