Organized by the International Association of Professional Congress Organizers (IAPCO) and hosted by the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), the "IAPCO Regional Seminar on Professional Congress Organization" opened today (March 15) at the Grand Hyatt Macau. About 90 MICE industry professionals from Macau and other regions in Asia participated. This is the second consecutive year for the prestigious IAPCO Regional Seminar to be held in Macau. The 3-day seminar aims to provide value-added opportunity for industry professionals from this region to further enhance their organization skills of an international event, how to promote a destination and how to win the bid. About 90 professional congress organizers (PCOs), convention and visitors bureaus, events management companies and other meetings industry representatives from Macau, Hong Kong, Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand are here to take part in the seminar and each participant will receive a certificate of attendance from IAPCO & MGTO. The first two days of the seminar will provide participants with a snapshot understanding of the mechanics of conferences and exhibitions, whilst the third day will be dedicated to an in-depth seminar on Promoting a Destination and Bidding to Win. In addition, MGTO has arranged a half-day tour the next day after the seminar so that participants can see and experience for themselves Macau’s current MICE offerings. Three internationally renowned speakers who are experts in the congress industry will share their knowledge and experience in organizing international congresses. They are: Philippe Fournier, the newly elected President of IAPCO, and managing director of MCI in Europe with 25 years experience; Roslyn McLeod, IAPCO Council Member, and managing director of Arinex Pty Ltd. in Australia - Roslyn has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her contribution to the meetings industry - and Jan Tonkin, also IAPCO Council Member, and managing director of The Conference Company in New Zealand. The Deputy Director of MGTO, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, pointed out in her welcome speech that 2009 was an exceptionally challenging year. “The financial crisis took its toll on the global economy, while the outbreak of human swine influenza further discouraged travelling. However, as the global economy revives, we should take this opportunity to strengthen our fundamentals and be well equipped with necessary trainings to grasp more business opportunities,” she stressed. She believed that from the valuable insight of the speakers and through interaction with regional participants, the local business tourism trade can enhance their competitiveness and standards of service. Macau’s convention and exhibition industry is growing steadily. With the support of governmental policy, improved facilities and continuous educational opportunities, Macau has enriched its event portfolio by hosting various regional and international conventions and exhibitions. Since the first IAPCO seminar in 1975, IAPCO has built up an unequalled reputation in the field of international meetings management training. Over 2,700 participants worldwide, including at least 80 in Macau have since obtained an IAPCO Seminar Certificate of Attendance. The IAPCO annual “Wolfsberg Seminar” is a much touted industry educational event, however with Macau hosting the regional seminar, many more MICE professionals in Asia will have the opportunity to tap into the collective expertise and experience of the speakers.
