A near record 818 delegates from 64 countries travelled to Thailand in October 2007 for the annual tribal reunion and talkfest.
If you ever doubt the true global nature of our industry, go along to an ICCA Congress. I sat down at a roundtable session and introduced myself to industry colleagues from Spain, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, China and Malaysia. Later, I was seated at a lunch next to a convention bureau person from Croatia where I learned about what was happening in that emerging destination. A quick visit to the restroom and I bumped into an operator from Peru, sparking up a conversation about that fascinating destination, and over a drink in the lobby I met a speaker who ran his business from Lake Como in Italy.
All of these people were strangers until I met them at ICCA. All had something interesting to say: my bank of knowledge swelled after every conversation.
Such is the power of meetings, and such is the excitement of a global industry conference. There are new contacts and new information around every corner. You just have to be willing to register, turn up, and start networking.
At ICCA, the latest generation “Spotme” device was a boon for the networkers. It is a brilliant little tool, first used at an ICCA conference the previous year, and back by popular demand. Supplied by the Swiss-based company Shockfish, this little hand-held wizard allows you to identify other people around you, send an electronic message to them, be alerted when someone you are looking for is nearby, and quickly refer to it for program details. That’s just for starters. You can clap your new contact’s device against yours in a technically intimate way, and you have just exchanged “virtual business cards”. Post-conference, Spotme emails you a full bank of the cards from your own personal device, together with photos of everyone in case you need a memory jog. I found it hard to part with my new little friend at the end of the conference. I loved it, even forgiving it when its battery died at a critical moment.
Let me give you another example of just how handy this little darling device can be. I’m sitting at a roundtable, wondering who the Arabian guy is opposite who just made a very interesting point. I can’t see his name tag. A quick consult with my Spotme and it tells me who is within a three metre radius, bringing up their names, contact details and photo. Bingo. I now know just who he is and can address him by his name. I suspect this device has social possibilities as well.
But Spotme was just one element of a very good ICCA program. Many regard the annual ICCA event as an essential on their calendar because of the opportunity to connect with so many senior industry people. Sure you can do it at the big trade shows, but somehow you get swamped at these events – too big, too much on, distance and logistics can beat you. At a conference, you have a more intimate setting, more up close and personal.
The big players in the industry turn up. ICCA’s analysis of the registration figures showed that two-thirds of the delegates were at CEO, company president or senior director level. Sure there is the usual pecking order, but it is not too hard to break through a flimsy caste system.
Although downtown Pattaya itself didn’t rate highly in the minds of many delegates, the Royal Cliff and PEACH convention centre up on the hill presents a perfect conference precinct. Plenty of rooms, a centre within walking distance of the various Royal Cliff accommodation blocks, or a constant rotation of shuttle buses to jump on if it is too hot or inclement to walk. The F&B got rave reviews. PEACH produced excellent lunches each day and a knockout gala dinner.
Royal Cliff Grand prepared outstanding lunches for the concurrent Young Professionals Program I was running. I expected a simple working lunch of sandwiches and fruit. Far from it. An exquisite personal menu, complete with bonsai floral arrangement, greeted our little band of 40 each day as we sat down in the restaurant to be treated to a first-class three-course meal. If Royal Cliff was out to impress our industry, they succeeded.
ICCA should be commended for attracting a record crowd to their 2007 event. It was the biggest attendance at a congress outside Europe, just falling short of the overall record by two delegates (Greece, 2006). Pattaya didn’t seem to rate as a major drawcard factor. Networking is a given. This year, the business program delivered as well.
ICCA CEO Martin Sirk said a stronger educational program with greater resources allocated to sourcing expert speakers from across the globe was the primary reason behind the increased numbers.
“ICCA’s networking and business exchange opportunities are always a big draw for senior meetings industry directors,” Sirk said.
“But this year we have paid particular attention to the strength of the education program. The post-congress evaluations for educational content are the best we have ever recorded.”
The format allowed for maximum delegate discussion and interaction. With 800+ delegates this can be a challenge. The concurrent sessions all ran a similar panel discussion format and called for input from the roundtables on the floor. This encouraged chat amongst the tables. Each table had a microphone and the session chairmen were obviously well-briefed to encourage feedback. It made for a more egalitarian session and allowed for much more knowledge from the floor to be aired. You could never completely escape the powerpoint presentation, and there were plenty of complaints about the unreadable ICCA powerpoint template, but the format mostly paid off.
Content was strong. The corporate social responsibility (CSR) topic figured highly in discussions, as did the related topic of the environment. Many examples were given of organisers and clients wanting more depth, more resonance from programs nowadays, and wanting to leave a legacy. One European organiser shared a particularly inspiring story about a client’s delegation helping to build a new community hall in a South African village during a conference. Everyone seemed to be talking about the need to offer an “authentic experience”. “Voluntourism” is the new buzz word.
An inspiring talk by the executive director of the charitable Doi Tung Development Project in Thailand unfortunately drew a small crowd because of the tough timeslot late in the day. But one Australian in the audience was mightily impressed, suggesting later to her colleagues that the Australian meetings industry should be looking to contribute to the community in some way. That’s the way a seed can be sown at a conference.
Conversely, the “Delphi Oracle” session had a big build as identifying trends in the industry, but fell way short of expectations, with one delegate describing it as “turgid”. The idea had merit, but more work was needed on format.
After a quirky video self-introduction believed by some in the audience to be a parody, a keynote presenter, Martin Lindstrom, delivered a memorable talk on branding. He challenged the audience: “you are in control of the story telling industry” with the ability to tap into all five sensory experiences, but “you are not living up to it”.
“Most conferences are boring, with cold coffee and cold programs,” he said.
I don’t need to go into detail about all the sessions. Generously, ICCA and Spotme have posted all the presentations on the web for anyone to view and download. Go to www.iccaworld.org.nl and follow the prompts. You will get the gist of the content, but you’ll miss the real value – being there to absorb and discuss. Thank God a conference is more than a powerpoint download, otherwise we’d all be out of business!
ICCA and the local Thai committee obviously worked hard to deliver a social program which presented Pattaya’s best side. Who knew about the eccentric, wealthy Chinaman who erected a Chinese heritage museum out of town which housed not one, but several original terracotta warriors plus other stunning artifacts from Xian? When we tumbled out of the tour bus we underestimated what lay inside.
Then there was the extraordinary Sanctuary of Truth, the backdrop for the welcome reception. The intricately hand carved wooden structure the height of a 20-storey building, erected to promote ancient Eastern knowledge, is still under construction with carvers at work while we sipped and supped, and clambered all over it in the tropical heat.
In 2008 the conference heads to Victoria Island, British Columbia. If the farewell reception at PEACH was any indication, get ready for some mouth watering treats. It was as if the Canadians had heard the Martin Lindstrom message about the senses and decided to concentrate on the tastebuds. Cleverly their message to the audience during the final plenary focused on high quality Canadian produce and local recipes. Delegates then stepped out to be greeted by a leading Canadian chef. He had been flown in to oversee the creation of Canadian tasty morsels out of the PEACH kitchen. Mmm, can’t wait for more of those crab cakes. In the new spirit of authenticity and voluntourism, shall I be in the kitchen making them myself?
Two Aussie entrants came up against one from Frankfurt and the eventual winner from Italy. The Conventions Australia campaign made a strong impact with its aboriginal dancer introducing the presentation.
Transfers between off-site venues seemed to be running very smoothly, and then the penny dropped. There were police escorts for every one.
It’s unusual. A major hotel and a convention centre built, owned, and managed by a family. That’s the Royal Cliff Beach Resort and the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall (PEACH). A private Thai family company started buying up the cliff top land in Pattaya in the late 1970s, after coming down to the sleepy beachside spot for family holidays. They saw the potential. What was a plot of 20 acres of jungle on top of the hill is now an extensive 68 landscaped acres with four 5-star Royal Cliff hotels (Cliff Terrace, Royal Cliff, Royal Wing, and Grand) totalling 1100 rooms in an integrated resort. The first opened in 1973, a modest 10-room Cliff Terrace, and the most recent, The Grand, opened in 1997.
Royal Cliff had always attracted corporate incentive business: in 1999 the family decided to bite the bullet and build a convention centre within the resort grounds. Already a substantial centre, PEACH is currently expanding to be able to accommodate 7600 delegates.
This considerable private investment in Pattaya helped create a “MICE” reputation for the destination. Royal Cliff could rightfully take its place as one of the founders of the tourism and meetings industry in Thailand.
At the head of this family business is a woman – a very smart, able woman called Panga Vathanakul. She is a hands-on managing director and was seen regularly during the ICCA Congress. The mixed reputation of Pattaya, and increasing competition from the new government-funded centres in Bangkok does not faze her. Mrs Vathanakul is determined to maintain Royal Cliff’s profile and to see Pattaya’s reputation refreshed. Closer access from the new Bangkok airport, an improved highway to Pattaya, local government efforts to improve the environment and tackle pollution, are all positive factors working in Royal Cliff’s favour.
The resort has taken environmental issues seriously, with ISO 14001 environmental management certification. Even back in 1973, Royal Cliff was the first hotel in the city to construct its own wastewater treatment plant. A detailed environmental policy is offered by the hotel and the centre. ICCA acknowledged this in its own CSR policy for the conference, published on its website.
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