< PreviousJUAN MARTÍNEZ MPI IBERIAN CHAPTER PRESIDENT “EVENTS ARE, BY FAR, THE MOST POWERFUL CORPORATE COMMUNICATION CHANNEL THAT EXISTS” Juan Martínez, Director of the Events Department at Feria Valencia, was recently appointed President of the MPI Iberian Chapter. If something characterizes Juan, it is his attitude towards change, and the belief that learning and innovation must be a constant. That was in fact the main reason that led him to MPI Iberian Chapter years ago, being VP of Sponsorships during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 financial years. We caught up with him to find out his plans for the Chapter. The events, as a communication tool, are gaining more and more importance for companies, brands, associations, and institutions. But what are events’ weaknesses and strengths when compared to the rest of communication tools? I’ve always defended that an event is basically a communication channel, of the many that there are, and that organisations can use to transmit their messages. Obviously, there are many types of events and therefore many ways to interpret this definition. What is relevant is that, to a lesser or greater extent, every event has at least one sender, a message, and a receiver. Having said this, it seems logical to analyse the event from twelve variables that define each communication channel. Conceptual ease. It refers to the creative effort that is necessary to develop communication. We all know that the event requires a high effort, possibly at the same level of creative demand as television, which has always been par excellence the highest expression of advertising creativity. Therefore, events are not easy to conceptualize, such as the Internet, the radio or the press, for example, in which it is relatively easy to trace the concept of the piece of communication, be it a banner, ad or creativity, to be carried out. Technical ease. How many professionals or specialists are involved in an event? The event, unlike other channels, requires many and very different professionals involved for a long time. It does not enjoy, therefore, technical ease. Low communication risk. What is the probability that something does not come out as expected? What is the possibility of solving it? What consequences will it have? Obviously, the condition of being a live event makes the communicational risk very high. If something goes wrong, it cannot be fixed, since the “show must go on”. All other channels enjoy pre-launch WWW.EVENTPOINTINTERNATIONAL.COM 20 ASSOCIATIONS revisions that reduce the risk of communication. High audience. The highest audiences are however, despite the fragmentation of chains, those of television. The event is clearly the medium that has the lowest convening power. An event for 1,000, 2,000 or 3,000 people is a very big event, but it is nothing compared to the audiences that other channels offer. Low cost by impact. While the cost per impact the event also sells very poorly in comparison. We all know that if we share the cost of an event by its assistants, very high figures will come up in most cases. Recapitulating until now, we see that the events imply a high conceptual and technical difficulty, which requires great creative capacity. High communicational risk due to being live. Relatively small audiences and, therefore, high cost per impact. So… Why should an organisation include events in their communication strategy? Let’s continue with the analysis to find out. Multisensory. In this concept, the event is a clear winner, you can use your eyes, your ears, your taste, your smell and your touch. Internet and television for sight and sound. While the press is only visible, and the radio is only heard. Interactive. Once again we win again. The event can be 100% interactive. Face to face sets us apart from other corporate communication channels. Notorious. The level of recall of an event is greater than any other channel. An event can be remembered for a lifetime, while any other channel goes completely unnoticed due to the amount of advertising stimuli we receive.v Potential to send complex messages. The fact of being multisensorial and interactive means that highly complex messages can be sent. For example, transmitting the corporate culture or expansion strategies in 10 years’ time. The other channels are much more basic, the radio being the ephemeral and monosensory condition of this category. High segmentation capacity. The events allow us to address people, with names and nicknames. Internet also allows you to segment very well by persona profiles. The other channels have a very limited segmentation potential. High power in internal target audiences. The event is the only channel that allows you to address internal audiences. Glocalising potential. Consequence of all other characteristics commented. The Event is the channel that best allows you to apply a glocalisation strategy, it is to decide, think globally and act locally. In conclusion… The events are the best medium that any organisation has to transmit a message because they are totally multisensorial and interactive. They imply a personal experience and, therefore, provoke a very high level of recall, sometimes for life. They allow transmitting complex messages to very segmented audiences, including internal audiences. By not talking about its ability to adapt to each market, thus facilitating the glocalising strategies of large companies. Events are, by far, the most powerful corporate communication channel that exists. Juan Martínez Why all event professionals should be experts in corporate communication and not only events experts? The MICE professionals have to know how to convey the enormous impact that events generate in the target audiences they are directed to. This is how to guide our potential customers on how they can combine different channels, including events, to maximize the benefits of their investment in communication. We can only do this if we know the weaknesses and strengths of each channel, including our own. This is why we must be experts in corporate communication. Only speaking the language of the communication director, and from his point of view, we will carry out an effective and credible defence of the MICE sector. What are the biggest challenges for meeting planners in the near future? The biggest challenges we face have to do with constant changes and the digitalisation of processes. Above all, I am a passionate and firm supporter of face-to-face events, which I consider to be the engine of knowledge transmission, as well as of economic and social development. I believe that the MICE sector will see profound changes, but that business will continue without building itself on the basis of digital relationships. “Confidence is only generated with direct contact, and that is where the importance of our sector comes from”. As I always say, “If you work in MICE tourism and you don’t like the change… change!” The COVID19 crisis reinforced the conviction that we previously had that as professionals, but also as people, we have enormous limitations. The pandemic was the maximum expression of this idea. The attitude towards the change, the resilience and the positivity of the people with those around you are the key to be able to face the challenges of the future. How can MPI help them with those challenges? From MPI Iberian Chapter we can help the professionals of the events sector not to fall behind, to keep up to date in a MICE sector in constant evolution, and on occasions in revolution. We are the largest professional association of events in the world, but above all we stand out because we are a fresh, daring, and innovative association. The year 2023 is being tremendously interesting for the Iberian Chapter members. Large organisations and destinations believe in us, especially Valencia, the leading city in MICE tourism that, through its annual agreement with MPI Iberian Chapter, wants to return part of the confidence that many professionals in the events sector deposit each year in the city. An intense calendar of events with a large training component, in a relaxed and direct MPI style. WWW.EVENTPOINTINTERNATIONAL.COM 22 ASSOCIATIONS © CanvaTRADE & EVENTS WILL MAKE AFRICA FLY By 2030, Africa will be home to 1.7 billion people and will have a combined business and consumer spending reaching over 6.7 trillion USD, making it the continent of the future. Sven Bossu Taubie Motlhabane WWW.EVENTPOINTINTERNATIONAL.COM 24 OPINION It is also expected that by 2035, intra-African exports will be up by 109% and international export by 32%. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will boost this development by creating a single market, increasing international and intra- Africa trade. It is, therefore, anticipated that organized events will play a crucial role in this transformation, providing the platforms for stakeholders to connect, learn and share and by doing so stimulate trade, collaboration and innovation. As outlined in a recently published World Economic Forum (WEF) report, AfCFTA indeed offers the potential for a new era for global business and investment in Africa. While the figures above are already impressive, the projections for 2050 are simply breathtaking: a population of 2.5 billion people and a total spending of 16.12 trillion USD. The increase in trade and the related industrialization will result in increased manufacturing, which in turn will lead to high- skill job creation, bringing better educational training and the development and retention of local talent. This will also lead to thriving local businesses that can partner with global leaders to the benefit of African and international companies alike. If these projections become reality, they will of course also have a massive impact on the African event industry, both in terms of number of events and business visitors, considering that currently, , Africa only accounts for 3% of the global MICE industry and just 1% business travel spending worldwide. Just as an illustration to demonstrate the potential: in 2019, France – ranked 5th in terms of expenditure of business tourists of the G20 countries ( www. statista.com/statistics/1194899/g20-business-travel-spending/ ) - welcomed 76.8 million business visitors, with half of them participating in one of the 595 corporate and institutional events taking place in the country and spending a whopping 32 billion USD. As a comparison: in that same year, business travelers in Africa spent USD 43 billion with South-Africa leading at 8 billion USD. Looking at these figures, it is also important to know that the vast majority of the business travelers going to France originate from its key trade partners such as the UK, Germany or Spain. Furthermore, there appears to be a positive correlation between tourism and MICE, given leading destinations are also leading hosts of business events. So if the intra-Africa trade grows as predicted (109% by 2035!), the need for organized events such as conferences and exhibitions will grow dramatically, as these are the platforms eminently used to bring people together to discuss trade, collaboration and innovation between trading countries. It also means that the target audiences are not the long-haul business travelers from Europe or the US, but rather the African business traveler coming from one of the 54 African countries who are signatories to the AfCFTA. Indeed, a study entitled ‘Tourism and Trade Nexus in Africa: A Gravity Model Approach’ revealed that boosting tourism in the continent will lead to an increase in trade. Turning this vision of a booming number of business events into reality will, however, require tackling a number of hurdles. The first set of challenges is related to intra-Africa air connectivity. The region’s air transport infrastructure – defined by a weak domestic airline industry and a lack of airport density – greatly undermines the ability of local economies to facilitate business travel, which is already hampered by the vast size and geographical barriers of Africa. This is now being addressed: according to the CAPA Airport Construction Database, there are 37 new airport projects under construction or planned in Africa, with an estimated value of $16.6bn. A second set of challenges is related to energy and infrastructure. As Africa’s overall development continues, the long-term hope is that infrastructure spend and construction related to energy, transport, airports, ICT infrastructure and health facilities will be key spurs for economic growth. The short-term reality is, however, that workarounds need to be found (e.g. the use of diesel generators by convention centres to produce electricity). Thirdly, there are the conference and exhibitions centres hosting business events which are as varied as the continent’s unique historical, cultural and natural experiences and will serve as platforms for Africa’s economic potential to be fully realized. Here, the challenge is double: ensuring the delivery of excellence, and obtaining the international recognition that this excellence is being delivered. Both are work in progress, with new centres being built – like the one in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire – existing centres being revamped and an increasing number of African convention centres becoming part of the global community of convention centres through initiatives such as AIPC, allowing to exchange best practices and obtaining a globally recognized quality label. Evidently, therefore, Africa is the continent of the future and that boosting organized business events will play a crucial role in this journey. The African Continental Free Trade Area has provided the continent with wings, and it is time now for to soar. Dr. Geoffrey Manyara United Nations Economic Commission for Africa – Economic Affairs Officer at the Subregional Office for East Africa Taubie Motlhabane CEO Cape Town ICC and AIPC Board Member Sven Bossu CEO AIPCFROM AZORES TO THE WORLD: AN EVENT WITH A TRUE IMPACT 2023 The Explorers Club announced the first 15 explorers of this year’s line-up for the Global Exploration Summit (GLEX). The GLEX Summit will take place on Terceira Island (Azores, from June 14-16). WWW.EVENTPOINTINTERNATIONAL.COM 26 EVENT In the fourth edition of the GLEX Summit the world’s leading explorers are bringing back discoveries from the edge — on return from cutting-edge expeditions with their latest findings, and disclosing plans for upcoming missions that will change the world. More than 40 panels will showcase the missions and scientific research that they are conducting as they explore land, oceans and space. GLEX Summit will bring together renowned explorers from around the globe. This year the panellists will take the audience on a journey from the Amazon to the search for Cleopatra’s tomb in Egypt, delving into some of the most intrepid expeditions, showcasing the future of space and ocean research, expanding our perspectives and exploring new ways of thinking. In the spotlight will be the Artemis Mission, the James Webb Space Telescope, ocean conservation, as well as polar exploration, biology, planetary sciences and archaeology. The Global Exploration Summit (GLEX Summit), organised by Expanding World in partnership with The Explorers Club of New York, was created in 2019 around the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Magellan’s circumnavigation and turned to be the most inspiring explorers meeting. The event won the 3rd place on Integrated Live Project category, at Best Event Awards, in 2021. The use of technology was one of the reasons of this award as well as all the contents produced. Road to GLEX Virtual Tour in partnership with Jornal Público and Ciência Viva helps to generate interest about Science among children. The summit will take place at the Cultural and Congress Centre of Angra do Heroísmo (Terceira Island), a city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. Angra do Heroísmo is located in Terceira, one of the nine islands of the Azores archipelago that seats in the North Atlantic ocean. The fortified island, first settled in 1450, is an historic landmark for Portugal, where maritime fleets on transatlantic trade routes anchored between the 16th and 18th centuries.JORGE VINHA DA SILVA NEW PRESIDENT OF THE ICCA IBERIAN CHAPTER Jorge Vinha da Silva was appointed president of the Iberian Chapter of ICCA, during the annual meeting, held this year in Évora. The new board of the ICCA Iberian Chapter will be led by Jorge Vinha da Silva, CEO of Altice Arena. The remaining executive committee is formed by Alexandra Martins Ramos, Algarve Tourism Association; Begoña Ruiz Lidón, Kuoni Tumlare; Carina Montagut, Feria Valença; David Noack Pérez, Madrid Convention Bureau; Eva Garde, Granada Convention Bureau; Itziar Benguria, Ifema Madrid; Joaquim Pires, Turismo de Portugal; Juan Jose Garcia, BCO Congresos; and Phil Cross, Bnetwork. The new board was appointed during the annual meeting that, this year, took place in Évora, Alentejo (Portugal), from 19th to 21st April. “I will ensure the continuity of the work started in 2018 and respond to future challenges with the integration of new elements that, as a whole, represent the Iberian chapter of ICCA. I am passionate about the associative movement and believe that this is the best way to build a stronger events industry, and, in this case, in the two countries, Portugal and Spain, that we represent”, says Jorge Vinha da Silva. In an interview to Event Point International, before the annual meeting, Jorge Vinha da Silva underlines that today “we are a more dynamic and stronger chapter, with permanent intervention and collaboration with the ICCA headquarters, in order to contribute to the development of our community”. His presidency will continue the previous work and will tackle the challenges ahead for our industry. WWW.EVENTPOINTINTERNATIONAL.COM 28 ASSOCIATIONS His program is based on four pillars: knowledge exchange, education & training; membership; communication; and business development. “We believe that, centred on these principles, our projects and actions will meet the expectations of our members”, he stresses. The program also includes the pursuit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These goals “are transversal to these four pillars and are in our DNA, so they will always be present in the construction of the events industry of the future”. Jorge Vinha da Silva Next >