Focus on the environment and politics at Meetings @TUR
The meetings industry has taken quite a beating as a result of the recession. Nevertheless, there are strong indications that the current trend will change for the better, and the sector has a lot of faith in the future.
“We’ve learned that things improve again sooner or later,” says Roger Kellerman of Meetings International, who is in charge of the Meetings@TUR Seminar Programme, 25-26 March 2010.
However, according to Roger Kellerman, a return to the substantial business volumes of the last boom might not materialise until 2013. “Until the market stabilises, we’ll make sure to exploit the growing interest in what we’re doing,” he says.
And one way of achieving this will be through additional efforts at Meetings @TUR in 2010. “Among other things, we’ll focus on the connection between the meetings industry and the big COP15 climate conference in Copenhagen in December,” reveals Roger Kellerman.
That is when the meetings industry, together with Visit Denmark, Wonderful Copenhagen, the Danish Government and MCI Scandinavia, will create a protocol for how large meetings, such as climate conferences, are to be arranged with a view to the environment. “The meetings industry is a pioneer when it comes to environmental issues,” says Roger Kellerman.
The subject will also receive attention at the new political forum due to be launched at TUR 2010. “One of the things we’ll be discussing is how to get politicians to understand why the meetings industry is so important to a country’s development.”
TUR 2010 will also see the release of Aja Lind’s Det politiska mötet (The Political Meeting), and Aja will be talking about the book at Meetings @TUR. In addition, the ICCA (International Congress & Convention Association) will be sending one of its key speakers to give a lecture on political meetings.
Peter Vallenthin of logistics company Geodis Wilson, who was named “Meeting and Event Planner of the Year” in 2009, will also be giving a talk.
“Geodis Wilson is a good example of a company using meetings as its main medium. Peter Vallenthin has bypassed advertising and PR agencies in favour of only buying the strategy, staging, direction and dramaturgy of personal meetings. A lot of people will be following his example in the future, He’ll have many followers in the future,” predicts Roger Kellerman.
2010 will once again see Roger Kellerman of Meetings International magazine as one of the forces behind Meetings @TUR.
Photo: Jorma Valkonen