NEW YORK CITY
CEO Mark Cooper of the International Association of Conference Centres (IACC) recently announced the association’s ambitious goals for the upcoming year.
At a media luncheon hosted by IACC, Cooper stated IACC goals for 2014 that include the development of the IACC Institute, a certification program for conference center operators in 2014.
Cooper noted, “IACC has long sought to increase its presence and influence in the certification of professionals in our industry.” The benefits of a certification program for IACC members focusing on the excellence and best practices adopted by Conference Centers and the IACC Institute aims to “deliver learning and training opportunities which will form the backbone of professional and personal development of our members.”
In the coming year, IACC will also step up its presence and participation in industry trade shows in 2014 to include AIBTM– Chicago, CIBTM Beijing, IMEX Frankfurt, AIBTM Orlando, IMEX Las Vegas, and EIBTM Barcelona.
Educating Meeting Planners will be the key focus at IACC's Camp-Fire sessions at MPI's conference in February. This is consistent with the association’s goals to increase and strengthen awareness and to grow membership in the association. IACC has successfully increased global membership in 2013, achieving its highest number of new members in the Americas in the last five years.
Plans are also in the works for IACC to partner with noted hospitality schools, such as the SKEMA Business School—with offices in France, China, and the U.S. IACC invited hospitality students from Nice, France, to attend this year’s annual conference in Europe to provide important insights and observations into the views and preferences of Generation Y and the impact they will have on the meetings industry as they take on their professional positions in corporate life. Engaging students will also be a key focus at IACC-Americas Conference in California in March 2014.
IACC recently opened three new strategically located offices in Chicago, Brussels and Singapore to provide operational and administrative service to IACC on a worldwide basis. These new offices represent a big next step in providing further support to member properties around the globe, but also toward fulfilling IACC’s commitment to delivering innovative meeting experiences around the world.
