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Unchecked Talk
26 Aug 2019

What to look for when hiring a professional conference organiser

Topics

Professional conference organisers

Many African associations work with third party PCOs to deliver their major congress or annual event.

Many African associations work with third party PCOs to deliver their major congress or annual event.  What should those seeking to hire a PCO be aware of when contracting this key service. Why has a new system of self-regulation been introduced and how does this protect the client?

Ref: AFRAC19-TK80

Speaker

Glenn van Eck CMP

CEO, MAGNETIC STORM

It is easy to speculate about the merits of PCO’s. The Internet has lists of the tasks they do and articles that are mostly written by pro PCO authors. The real test, though, is when you have your own conference venue or when you pass the baton to a PCO for your own customers.

Glenn van Eck speaks from both perspectives. As a businessman, he has his own 100-seater conference venue and has used PCO’s for his top clients such as VW. He has experienced the moments of joy or despair when a CEO senses the impact their choice of internal or external organiser. Apart from his positions such as Chairman of CEPA (Council of Events Professionals Africa) and Treasurer of SAACI (Souther African Association of the Conference Industry), he has been involved at a high level with highly successful international initiatives such as Roger Hamilton’s GeniusU program that is driven by high-impact events.  

Glenn also holds the designation CMP (Certified Meeting Professional) issued by the Events Industry Council. His practical experiences with PCO’s have transformed his speculation about the topic into hard-earned wisdom and his views of which lane to take with MICE event organising.


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