Guidelines

IMPORTANT PLEASE NOTE: The guidelines have slightly changed, please see point 'f' in bold text below under the 'conditions for participation'.


Introduction

ICCA Sector ‘Venues’ organises two Client/Supplier Business workshops annually. At present one for International conferences with between 800-3000 delegates and one for European conferences with between 500-2500 delegates. These guidelines deal with the Sector Venues Client/Supplier Business Workshop for European meetings which are meetings that rotate between at least three European countries.

1. Workshop objectives

The primary objective of the workshops is to provide a cost-effective opportunity for ICCA Sector Venue members to meet and do business with key decision-makers for International and European conferences, meetings and similar events.

A secondary objective is to introduce clients to ICCA and to explain the benefits of working with ICCA members.

The workshop is not an opportunity to reward a client with a free trip overseas, nor should it be used by the host venue as a site inspection or familiarisation trip.


2. Workshop format

The format is simple: A minimum of 10 and maximum 15 ICCA members each invite a client to the Workshop to discuss their specific meeting requirements. Accompanying clients must conform to strict selection criteria so ensuring that participating members can promote their company and services to senior decision-makers who are actively looking for destinations and venues. No other event offers the same opportunity for client and supplier to meet face-to-face and discuss future co-operation in a tailor-made Workshop environment.

The Workshop commences on Thursday with a “Client’s Introduction” followed by a Networking evening. The next day the Workshop takes place and members set up their tables while the clients are given a short presentation of the hosting destination or a brief tour of the venue. At the start of the workshop the clients are asked to join the members, sitting opposite the member who invited them for the first discussion period of 5 minutes. After the first discussion session of 5 minutes and on the sound of a buzzer clients are asked to move in a clockwise direction to the next table for the second discussion period of 15-18 minutes (the length of the discussion depends on the number of participants). When the 15-18 minutes is over a bell/buzzer will sound to indicate that the session is over and a two minute interval will take place for taking notes, coffee, consumption etc. which will be available in the room. After the two minute interval the bell/buzzer will indicate that the next session will begin and each client is requested to move to the next table on the right. After every three or four sessions a 20 minute break will be given. During the workshop, the participating clients get the opportunity to meet representatives from between nine to fourteen other venues. After the Workshop, venues and clients are given a short de-briefing session in separate rooms to get some valuable feedback on the Workshop and time is also scheduled for a Clients only session.  

Please see below for the layout of the tables in the Workshop room.

3. Conditions for participation

- Participation in each workshop is restricted to a maximum of 15 venues each of whose representatives attends with a client meeting the criteria set out below.

- For a client to be accepted for the workshop, he/she must meet the following criteria:

a) He/she must be a key decision-maker or decision-influencer with regard to where the conference or event takes place in the future.

b) The conference must historically meet the size criterion for the workshop. For this European Client/Supplier Business Workshop it is between 500-2500 delegates.

c) If the conference has no track record the projected number of attendees must meet the size criterion for the workshop.

d) The conference should not have been represented nor the client have been present at any ICCA Sector Venue Workshop held within the previous 3 years. (see Exclusion List under the "My ICCA" section of the website under "Logo’s & Documents").

e) The conference must be at least 3 days duration and must take place at least once every 4 years. For this "European" workshop it must be a European Meeting which rotates between at least 3 European countries (only European meetings will be accepted).

f) In order to keep in line with ICCA's new strategic goal #2 - Engaged Association Executives, the guidelines have slightly changed and only association executive clients will be accepted straight away. Anyone registering with a Core PCO or AMC client will be held on a waiting list until the registration deadline and will only be offered a place if there are still places available and providing they meet the criteria and submit a document in which the client association agrees to be represented and states that the Core PCO or association management company is involved in the decision influencing process concerning future locations of their event.

g) The conference must not be limited to rotating only between countries that speak one language, for example, French speaking countries or Spanish speaking countries.

- It is recommended to start looking for a client immediately upon receipt of the invitation. Once a client who fits the criteria has agreed to attend, the completed registration form, together with the client and venue profile forms should be sent to ICCA Head Office for approval. Once approval has been granted, ICCA Head Office will ensure that the venue concerned will be informed immediately to minimise the period of uncertainty for themselves and their client.

- Venues are accepted on a first come first served basis, provided their clients meet the necessary criteria. Full client details must be included in a venue’s application to participate. Only the official fully completed registration form together with the official fully completed client and venue profile forms will be accepted. (Please note registration is only accepted upon receipt of all three forms.)

- No more than two venues from any one country may participate and they can not be from the same city.

- Venues will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis provided their client meets the necessary criteria. Full client details must be included in a venues’ application to participate.

- It is not possible to reserve a place at the workshop by informing Head Office by email, fax, phone or otherwise. Only the official fully completed registration form together with the official fully completed client and venue profile forms will be accepted. (Please note registration is only accepted upon receipt of all three forms.)

- Waiting lists, also operating on a first-come-first-served basis will be set up both for overall participation (if over 15 applications are received), for individual countries (if over 2 from the same country apply) and for AMCs and Core PCO clients (if over 2 apply).

- If a venue’s client has been accepted for the workshop, but subsequently drops out, the participant may put forward a replacement client but this will be treated as a new application to be dealt with under the first come first served rule.

- If a venue’s client is rejected for the workshop because it does not meet with the criteria set out in the guidelines, the venue may put forward a replacement client, but this will be treated as a new application to be dealt with under the first-come-first-served rule.

- Participating venues are obliged to fully brief their client about ICCA in general and about the objectives of the workshop. Venues must ensure that their clients bring with them any information/printed material relating to their conference and organisation which could be of use to participating venues. In particular, information relating to the decision-making process for where the event will be held in future years.

- It is not necessary for a venue to have a business relationship with the client they bring to the workshop, only that the client meets the criteria specified above.

- The official language of the workshop is English, so clients should have at least a basic command of this language.

- Participating venues are responsible for their own and their clients travel arrangements to the local airport/railway station. They are also responsible for covering the registration fees for themselves and their client which includes all transport, accommodation, meals and entertainment from arrival at the local airport/railway station to departure at the end of the workshop.

- If at any time a client is not participating in the workshop (e.g. arrives late, leaves early) the venue who invited him/her is suspended from participating for the time of absence of their client.

- It is a one on one Workshop so only one representative per organisation can attend the Workshop.

- Accompanying persons can not attend any part of the Workshop, business or social.

- Members must be in good financial standing with ICCA if they want to participate in the Workshop.

- If a client cancels their participation in the Workshop for whatever reason, the cancellation policy is upheld and the member who invited the client can not attend any part of the programme, business or networking/social events.

- Participants are expected to participate in all parts of the programme starting with the Clients Introduction and networking evening through to the farewell dinner on the Friday night and should arrive on time for all sessions.

- All participants are requested to bring business cards to the Workshop with them.

- Consultants or representatives of ICCA member companies will not be accepted to participate in the ICCA Workshops if they are also representing non-ICCA member companies.

4. Client (organisation) Profile

Each client is requested to complete the Client Profile. This profile must be sent to ICCA Head Office together with the Registration Form and Venue Profile form. If all three forms are not received then it is not accepted as an official application for the Workshop. The Client Profile form will be included in the Workbook handed out to the participants during the Workshop and will be distributed at least two weeks prior to the Workshop.

Additionally the client is requested to supply all other relevant information, which is important for a venue and an event/congress destination and which is not given in the profile, such as: list of local counterparts; outline and structure of the organisation; selection criteria for future events venues; decision making process for future congresses/events/conventions etc.

 
5. Venue Profile

Each venue is requested to complete the Venue Profile form, which includes various information about the venue. This profile must be sent to ICCA Head Office together with the Registration Form and Client Profile. If all three forms are not received then it is not accepted as an official application for the Workshop. The Venue Profile form will be included in the Workbook handed out to the participants during the Workshop and will be distributed at least two weeks prior to the Workshop.


6.  Sample floor plan for workshop room