NAME: XVIII FIGO World Congress of Gynaecology and Obstetrics
TYPE: Congress
CLIENT: International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics based in London, England
NO. ON ORGANISING TEAM: 26 members of the local committee and six FIGO committee members
PAX: 8294 participants
BUDGET: Top Secret
WHAT YOU DID: FIGO – the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics – is the only worldwide organisation that groups obstetricians and gynaecologists. The mission of FIGO is to promote the wellbeing of women and to raise the standard of practice in obstetrics and gynaecology. The FIGO congress occurs every three years, where thousands of gynaecologists and obstetricians gather in one city to spend a week not only analysing and discussing new medical discoveries but also looking at problems and issues that can be addressed by the application of low cost techniques. The site for the world congress rotates between North America, Europe, Africa-Eastern Mediterranean, Latin America and Asia-Oceania. The site is selected six years in advance by a majority vote of the general assembly. In 2006 the congress was held over five days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The FIGO congress organising committee is responsible for the policy and practical aspects of organising the triennial world congress, and the planning of the scientific programme is delegated to the scientific programme committee.
SPECIAL TOUCHES: Delegates were dropped off at the loading bay doors in order to drive more traffic through the exhibition halls. This proved very popular with the exhibitors as there was a constant flow throughout the exhibition day.
CHALLENGES: The rainy season proved very challenging. It disrupted the social programme and transportation but organisers were expecting such issues to arise. They handled this with a lot of smiles and buckets of patience. They also had to ensure that the on-site participant registration ran smoothly, and there were no long queues. When it came to delegate arrivals, the challenge was to time it so there was no traffic congestion at the drop-off point and that the assigned coaches knew where to go. The venues chosen for the various events needed to be suitable and have sufficient seating for the presentations. The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre met the requirements. Organisers also had to ensure pre-event that exhibitors had what they needed for their booths. Catering was also a challenge. Organisers needed to ensure there was sufficient food and drinks for delegates, and that all special dietary requirements were taken care of. They also wanted to avoid long queues and ensure there were sufficient seating and tables for delegates at all meals throughout the event.
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES: Planners overcame challenges by calling upon the best brains in the company to meet, regardless of their relation to the issue in hand. By doing so they overcame any issues quickly and effectively.
<< Top |