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It was disappointing to read Brad Foster’s comments on the MEA NSW Professional Development session “Behind the Scenes at ACDC” in the last issue of mice.net.
MEA regularly runs these types of events calling on experienced industry practitioners to give insight into aspects of interest to meeting and event professionals, such as planning, logistics, staging, risk management, etc. These events are education, not entertainment based.
We value our members’ – in this case ANZ Stadium – willingness to share their knowledge and experience with industry colleagues and have always had positive feedback on the value of these sessions.
It seems Brad was after a different type of experience - maybe he should have purchased concert tickets? However we are confident that on this occasion his comments have fallen on deaf ears.
Yours sincerely,
Anne Camenzind
General manager branch operations/strategic alliances
Meetings & Events Australia (MEA)
Well said [Bryan Holliday]! I have just read your short but very succinct and accurate piece “The Value of Meetings” in the latest issue of “mice.net”.
For close on 40 years I’ve been ‘preaching’ the often misunderstood and unrecognised ‘hidden’ values associated with a destination hosting both corporate and association meeting events. I call it the ‘iceberg principle’. Indeed, whenever making a case to a destination’s government (mainly in Asia these days) about the merits of either establishing a convention bureau or improving their market share, from the outset I strongly encourage them to identify their destination’s specific social and economic strengths and to zero in on those associations and corporate entities whose subject matter is related to those strengths.
I can’t tell you how many investments and/or joint ventures I have witnessed over the years within the destination further down the track that have materialised as a consequence of hosting relevant meetings and bringing ‘into town’ people of influence who other than for the purpose of attending that meeting would otherwise never visit the place in question.
I know I am stating facts that you are more than well aware of - it’s just a pity that so many of our suppliers only see the tip of the iceberg and the direct spend for the duration of the event. Even without such ongoing investments or joint ventures happening, we still have many people in our industry, and indeed governments who simply do not recognise or understand the significant flow-on effect on the economic and social fronts right through the whole community as a result of hosting meetings and events.
Again, well said Bryan.
David Hall
David Hall & Associates
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