DIGITAL restructuring of the way conferences are organised and advances in hybrid events will be among the findings being included in the Kaohsiung Protocol Framework – a document that will form the legacy of the 59th ICCA Congress 2020.
The three-day conference in Taiwan’s southern port city of Kaohsiung came to a close this week as the International Congress and Convention Association’s primary annual conference adopted a hybrid format for the first time.
ICCA leaders are working with Kaohsiung City Government to create the Kaohsiung Protocol, a crowdsourced framework identifying major trends and strategies to enable the international meetings industry to prosper.
Trends identified include innovative business models; shared risk; digital restructure and hybrid events; and, enhanced engagement and value strategies.
James Rees, ICCA president, said the host city authorities and all stakeholders rose to the challenge presented by the global pandemic to build a hybrid event that would be a “live case study for the entire events industry”.
Gregg H. Talley, moderator of the Kaohsiung Protocol working group and CEO of the Talley Management Group added: “We have a framework for members to build from based on our customer’s input. And we have an interesting path forward on innovative business models, industry collaboration and advocacy. Our goal was to create a legacy for the Kaohsiung Congress – mission accomplished!
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“This is a new framework for identifying and prioritising these important trends and strategies. We call upon ICCA members and the society as a whole, to make reference to the Kaohsiung Protocol Framework in coordinating future development.”
ICCA chief executive Senthil Gopinath said: “ICCA’s primary objective is to restart our industry in a safe and sustainable manner. ICCA being the global meetings industry association decided to create a framework which will enable and support ICCA members and the wider business events industry to utilise the knowledge, best practices and understand new business models.”
Recognising Leadership in Transformation
Campaigns by four organisations in Asia were among those praised at ICCA’s Best Marketing Awards.
Kintex centre in South Korea created a comprehensive framework for re-opening a venue during the pandemic, which has subsequently been adopted in different parts of the world as the go-to standard.
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre identified a deficiency in their local supply chain in the form of insufficient knowledge among PCOs of the scope of work and services required by international planners. KLCC formed a unique partnership with Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau and Iapco to launch an online platform providing globally accredited training to conference organisers in Malaysia.
Seoul Tourism Organisation launched a series of practical initiatives and support to underpin its Stand Strong Together campaign to revitalise the local MICE community.
The Indian Hotels Company provided emergency accommodation and meals for frontline health and police personnel who were on duty treating Covid-19 patients during the nationwide lockdown. In addition to supplying 20,000 food boxes daily for those migrant workers who were combating unemployment.
