According to Neil Pompan, IACC Global President and Vice President of Thayer Lodging, “the success of last year’s inaugural European conference was to gather European member properties together to explore ways of expanding our leadership role in the global meetings industry and discuss a vibrant future for the association.”
Steen Broby, President of IACC-Denmark and Managing Director of Comwell Klarskovgaard a-s in Korsør, Denmark, comments that this year’s theme is particularly compelling in that the event is targeted toward strengthening the personal leadership capacity to deal with the “perfect storm” as well as strengthening IACC’s learning network. “As we put this program together, we had great uncertainty about what the world will look like by late 2009 – or beyond. But we all sense that the storm will continue. Change is happening at an exponential rate and most of us struggle just to keep up – let alone stay ahead.”
Some of the plenary session topics include “When Chaos is the Order of the Day” and “Setting the Forward Focus: understanding reality and getting our priorities right.” Broby continues: “The August 2009 gathering will not be a conference in the traditional sense. There will be no transfer of ‘wisdom’ from experts to participants. Instead, we will explore the unknown together – in a structure guided by experienced facilitators. At the end of the three-day session, participants will have a much better idea about what they need to do as leaders to manage the changes that are taking place. These changes are going to challenge the current way of doing business.”
The Annual European Conference will be preceded by a three-day study tour of member properties throughout Denmark, including Schæffergården, Kolle Kolle, Pharmakon, Comwell Sorø Storko, Kobaek Strand Konferencecenter, Comwell Klarskovgaard, Hindsgavl Slot, Sinatur Hotel Sixtus & Konference Center, and Comwell Kellers Park before arriving at the host property, Comwell Kolding in Kolding.
According to Pompan, “we anticipate an enthusiastic crowd from around the world at our second European conference. The topic is solid, relevant and important to every IACC member as we start to plan for the recovery phase of this struggling global economy. The conference is consistent with our ongoing commitment to provide more educational and networking opportunities for members throughout Europe. “
Founded in 1981, the International Association of Conference Centres is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting understanding and awareness of the conference center industry and to giving member properties with the necessary tools to provide an exceptional meeting experience. Active members meet a set of stringent Universal Criteria and agree to a Code of Ethics. Currently, the association includes approximately 400 members from the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, France, England, The Netherlands, Germany and Japan. For more information, visit the website at www.iacconline.org. IACC = exceptional meeting experiences.
