Organisers launch trans Tasman association 

A free to join association for Australian and New Zealand professional conference organisers already has some members on this side of the Tasman and numbers are expected to grow quickly.

The PCO Association intends to address issues such as industry leadership, yield management, supplier pricing, accreditation, domestic and international business development, employee awards and career paths.

New Zealand councillor Amanda Graham, based in Hamilton, says she envisages the new association collaborating with the already existing PCO group within Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ).

She says key differences between the two organisations include the new association’s free membership. Only PCOs and event managers can join, while information, best practice documentation, standard contracts and other resources will be available free to members via the association’s website (www.pco.asn.au).

Graham says there will be an annual conference, for PCOs, with specific streams, held in December. It will be on the Gold Coast.

The association will have critical mass through being an Australasian group. ‘This effectively means more resource to dedicate to development.’

Graham says the association has only a handful of New Zealand based members to date, but has just started spreading the word. The association’s email server is up and running and the first email database consists of 3500 contacts in Australia and New Zealand.

A press release sent to Meeting Newz by the PCO association’s administrative manager Rob Henshaw states that most professional conference organisers are small businesses which are under increasing pressure from suppliers and have little bargaining power as individuals.

‘Change could be implemented if this industry sector could speak on some issues with one voice, indeed it would be a change for it to have a voice at all.’

The release says there has not been an association in Australia or New Zealand dedicated to the needs of people who manage conferences. These people include directors and owners of conference management companies, and employees of conference management companies including conference managers, conference supervisors, conference coordinators, in-house association conference managers, in-house corporate conference managers, in-house government conference managers and conference management educators.

Queensland councillor with the association, Peter Sugg, says the organisation will receive funding from sponsors and some prominent PCOs have ‘kicked in some money’.

‘All the positions are honorary, but we do have resources because all of the members are enthusiastic.

Sugg says the formation of the association is not meant to rock any boats, but rather to give a stronger voice to PCOs. He says only 20% or less of the membership of the Meetings and Events Association (MEA) in Australia is made up of PCOs. He also hopes the new organisation is not seen in any way to be in conflict with CINZ.

The PCO Association’s press release specifically addresses the differences with MEA.

‘The association does not wish to compete with MEA, which has a very valuable role to play in the industry and represents a large cross section of business types.’