theworld has never been smaller.Emerging destinations inAsia, South America, and theMiddle East can grant your organi- zation access to new members and new customers, new ideas and new ways of doing business. And, if you’re the meeting professional tasked with plan-
ning an event in one of these up-and-coming regions, there’s something else on the radar aswell: newchallenges. But don’t worry. The primer that follows will help you surmount some of the difficulties youmight facewhen organizing ameeting in these not-so- far-flung corners of the globe.
Check the Calendar “The most important thing to look for right off the bat iswhen their hol- idays are,” and to schedule around them, saidMark Holland, associate director of theRockyMountainMin- eral Law Foundation (RMMLF), which hasmet in SouthAmerica since 1997, in countries including Chile, Venezuela, Peru, and Brazil. JenWelch, CMP, director ofmeet-
ings andoperations for theBiotechnol- ogy Industry Organization (BIO), seconds Holland’s advice. Last Sep- tember, BIO held its first BIO India International Partnering Conference at theHyderabad Interna- tionalConventionCentre(HICC).“Weplantheconferencearound [India’s]major festivals,”Welch said, but still, last year themeet- ing happened to fall during a minor festival, which resulted in “awful traffic, latevendors,andsignsbeingdeliveredlate.”Infact, itwasn’tuntil3a.m.onthedaythe conferencewas slatedtobegin that some ofWelch’s signs and banners arrived.
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‘RollWith the Punches’ It was occurrences such as these that led the BIO India team to adopt a slogan of “roll with the punches”—which served themwell. For example,Welch is accustomed to bookingmeet- ing space the day before the conference, so she has a full 24 hours to get everything set up. “But they are used to starting at 9 p.m. [the evening before the conference begins],”Welch said, “andworking through the night.” (Rollwith the punches.)
WHAT’S A BEVEL?: The first edition of the BIO (Biotechnology Industry Organization) India International Partnering Conference, at the Hyderabad International Conven- tion Centre (HICC; at left) taught the plan- ning teamto use “rollwith the punches” as itsmantra.After all, as BIO Director of Meetings and Operations JenWelch, CMP, put it, “Attendees don’t notice a bevel in a sign.We notice those things.As long as it’s a smooth process for attendees, they couldn’t care less.”
Also: “Amajority of our attendees registered [forBIOIndia]
only about a month to six weeks ahead of time,”Welch said. “Wewere kind of sweating three to fourmonths out.” It’s not that there wasn’t interest—it just so happens that in India, at least inWelch’s opinion, people tend to wait until the last minute to register. (Roll with the punches.) And finally: Those signs that showed up at 3 a.m. not only