Over 100 specialists and students from the Greek meetings industry joined EFAPCO for an action-packed two-day business programme hosted and organised by the Federation’s Greek members,HAPCO, the Hellenic Association of PCOs.
It was a highly appropriate setting for EFAPCO’s 2015 General Assembly, since the Greek capital had been the setting for the Federation’s launch ten years ago.
The first day was dedicated to tackling burning issues facing the meetings and events sector in Greece, not least the lack of recognition shown by the Greek Government and even the City of Athens, to the massive economic benefits generated by the industry nationwide.
Delegates were welcomed by HAPCO President Dinos Astras who put matters into perspective:“Over my 45 years in congress tourism, the state has been absent or indifferent. We as an industry have had to shoulder all responsibility. We have learnt how to survive, find solutions and help the industry to develop.”
He noted that the Greek Deputy Minister of Tourism, Elena Kountoura, had agreed to speak during the opening session, but had not turned up. However, the Athens and Thessaloniki Convention Bureaus were well represented.
Dinos Astras was followed by George Tsakiris, President of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, Dr.Andreas Andreadis, President of SETE, the Greek Tourism Confederation, and Lysandros Tsilidis, President of HATTA, the Hellenic Association of Travel & Tourist Agencies.
As session dedicated to examining how medical meetings were handled in Greece featured an imposing speaker line-up including Athanasios Manolis, Director with the Cardiology Department at Asklepeion Hospital, Athens, Dimitris Papakonstantinou, Professor of Ophthalmology at the Medical School in the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens and Vardas Panos, President of the European Cardiological Institute.
Other sessions looked at technology trends supporting the meetings and events industry; the sector’s future development and how Greece is positioned within the global meetings industry.
Former EFAPCO President, Luisa Ahrens Teixeira, delivered a keynote address about the way professional certification was being introduced with APECATE, for specialists working in the Portuguese meeting and events sector.
Delegates heard that the Netherlands and Ireland have similar certification systems, Croatia is working on its own and Greece hopes to do likewise. Mrs. Teixeira hoped other member associations would keep EFAPCO informed on progress.
The second day was launched by Susan Spibey, EFAPCO’s adviser on professional standards and now executive board chair with the UK’s Institute of Event Management presenting a European perspective on what is now being developed in Great Britain. Two of the IEM’s consultants, Ben Gittus and Stephen Studd, who work with EOSE Services delivered pan-European perspectives on the ways in which professional standards are being developed within an allied field of sports and events management.
The session was also attended by Caterina Drosopoulos, the UKTI Senior Commercial Officer from the British Embassy in Athens, who was keen to hear about ways in which the British model could now be adopted as a pan-European platform.
And Peter Theodorides from the International Federation of Exhibitions & Events Services, and CEO and President of Vision Ltd explored ways to develop an international strategic alliance, along with invitations to attend with IFES 2015 World Summit in Vienna in June.
A session moderated by EFAPCO President, Ivo Miksa, about the implementation of the EFPIA Transparency Code and its impact on PCOs organising medical meetings included another remote internet presentation, from Andrew Powrie-Smith, Communications Director with the EFPIA.
And a session looking at the challenges and opportunities facing Europe’s various national PCO organisations featured valuable contributions from Baudouin Guyot, president of EFAPCO’s Belgian member association BAPCO, Sam van de Kerckhof, Vice President with the Federation, and Lenka Zlebkova describing ways in which the Prague Convention Bureau developed its membership programme and educated the city and the Czech Government about the true value of the meetings industry.
The ThinkFORUM was hosted in highly welcoming style by the King George hotel while Day One’s dinner took place in the sister hotel, the Grande Bretagne, next door. Then Day Two wound up with a city tour and a visit to the spectacular Acropolis Museum.
After the ThinkFORUM Dinos Astras said: “In my judgement this meeting was one of the most friendly, constructive and valuable I have ever attended. EFAPCO has a lot to offer to its members and to the European Congress Market.”
