ICCA to elevate member roles, lead knowledge exchange

From left: Martin Sirk and Dennis Speet

ICCA is taking steps to raise the importance of its members in the associations industry and to play a stronger role as a knowledge provider for its members, as part of its strategic plans to advance the association for specialists in the management of international association meetings sector.

Speaking to TTGmice in an interview, Martin Sirk, CEO of ICCA, noted that these two directions are significant elements in ICCA’s plans for the future.


Martin Sirk

“ICCA is taking a new approach to make our members partners of associations. We want them to become strategic advisors to associations and not just service providers. In the longer term, that will stimulate better meetings and establish closer and deeper relationships within the community,” said Sirk.

ICCA is also reducing the importance placed on its role as an associations meetings data manager, to a greater focus on its new role as a knowledge provider. It intends to stimulate knowledge exchange among members and be the sole “dashboard” from where members can get all of the information they require.

Sirk pointed out that the need for professional accreditation among conference organisers is rising along with greater expectations of PCO standards, a trend that is particularly strong in China where events are thriving, driven by individual and corporates’ desire to do business in the country.

The trend, he added, will also push associations and PCOs in China to “create their own world-class events rather than bid for international ones”, perhaps by way of internationalising their domestic events.

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