Convention 2020: Technology and specialisation will determine the future of conventions

Convention 2020: Technology and specialisation will determine the future of conventions

New business sales practices, flexible and imaginative pricing policies, specialised and personalised services, as well as the expansion of potentials for drafting agreements will be the main parameters of the world meeting and convention market in 2020.

That is one of the main preliminary findings in the first phase of a study called "Convention 2020-The Future of Meetings, Venues and Meeting Destinations." The study is part of the pioneering initiative of leading organisations in the meetings and conference market, such as the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) and IMEX (the largest international trade show in the conference market), and is being coordinated by the Fast Future Research Company.

It should be noted that as part of Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis' strategy to establish Athens as one of the more important conference destinations in the world and to make its presence felt at major international events, the Athens Convention Bureau (ACB) has signed a strategic agreement in support of "Convention 2020" and is among its major backers, along with other leading organisations, such as Visit London, the Best City Global Alliance network (participants include Copenhagen, Cape Town, Dubai, Edinburgh, Melbourne, Singapore, Vancouver and others), the Seoul Tourism Organisation, the Qatar National Convention Centre and multinational conference organisers Kenes International and Congrex. According to the initial findings, it appears that:

Today:

• Listed as counter-motives to effective meetings and conferences are the cost of participation (if it is high or without suitable returns), poor or problematic staging and unclear event focus. On the contrary, the quality of the content, the degree of interaction, technological applications and good opportunities for networking were listed as the main factors in a successful event.

• The main elements that indicate they will shape the market conditions in the coming years include the increased competition, developments in technological applications and changes in behaviour and preferences of conference goers.

For 2020:

• The potential and opportunities for good networking and making contacts is reported as the main factor that would encourage participation in meetings and conferences for 76% of respondents. Less than 50% list cost of participation as a factor and only 1% stated that they would not attend face-to-face meetings and conferences in 2020.

• About 74% of respondents believe that their organisation/company would continue to invest in "real" meetings, as opposed to 59% who believed that their organisations would invest in alternatives (such as teleconferencing).

• About 79% of respondents predict an increase in smaller, more specialised meetings and conferences, while 48% predict an explosion in the number of free or low-cost meetings and conferences in the form of one-day seminars at cheaper venues.

• About 77% believe that more attractive packages in terms of prices and costs should be offered, along with incentives for participation, in order to attract the desired participants, while about 76% believe that the potential for conducting transactions and reaching agreements during meetings and conferences will be much greater.

It should be emphasised that the Athens Convention Bureau, as a main supporter of this particularly important initiative, is an active participant in all phases of the research study and is working closely with those involved. To this end, it plans to hold a workshop in Athens, while ACB staff will attend similar events abroad.