La Arena Chateauform, Madrid, Spain circular meeting room with soft seating — Photo by IACC
Kappelerput, NL kaban - treehouse meeting room — Photo by IACC

-- IACC-Americas introduced a new workshop – ("Innovative Conference Centre

Design") at the 2014 IACC-Americas Annual Conference and is being touted as one of the most successful – ever.

According to workshop moderator, John Potterton (University Operations Manager, FMC

Technologies Learning Center), "The aim of this new workshop was to find a way to present and highlight some of the incredible innovations introduced by IACC members worldwide and to share these ideas, services, and new products with fellow members. Everyone wants to come away from a conference with that 'golden nugget' and delegates who attended the IACC-Americas conference in Los Angeles, told of how this workshop justified their attendance!"

This new workshop consisted of a series of five-minute case studies, where members

spoke of the issue or the opportunity they identified, explained the solution they found and the impact it had on customers or staff. Contributions were submitted from IACC members who attended the conference from Japan, US, Canada, UK, Denmark and France with topics that included:
  • Innovating the welcome experience
  • Innovating the audio-visual experience
  • Innovating the food and beverage experience
  • Innovating operations efficiencies
  • Innovating the learning experience
  • Innovating the meeting room environment
  • Innovating the conference centre experience
  • Innovating the concierge experience
  • Innovating the meeting experience

The workshop demonstrated the many advantages of being a part of an active global

association: no sales, no product placement, just a mutual sharing of proven ideas with a common goal to help colleagues innovate in their own businesses globally.

A new concept for managing your meeting room's audio visual equipment from your

smartphone was demonstrated by FLIK Conference Centers, as a new feature they incorporated in their conference centres throughout the US.

IACC's Japanese member, Benchmark Conference Centres Japan, demonstrated how

they use LED technology to create colour-changing effects in their lobby areas and how they create exhibition packages that are popular with clients, appreciating simple inclusive packaged solutions.

Innovating the Learning Experience was another feature of this popular workshop and

IACC member FMC Technologies shared a solution they had discovered by providing simple coloured pipe cleaners, which, when mixed with delegates imagination, led to many creative models being made!

Meeting Room Design, presented by IACC European Member Chateauform',

revealed transformed several spaces to stimulate thought, creativity and discussions; IACC member Kapellerput Conference Centre in The Netherlands presented a case study on their tree house meeting room concept ("kaban"). Members were treated to views of radical meeting room design for the future.

A concept for the workshop originated from a Swedish member, Sigtunahojden

Conference Centre, near Stockholm. Lotta Boman, CEO and Owner shared her experience about how they literally and figuratively broke down the barriers of the reception desk that traditionally stands between staff and customer. The reception area was physically transformed and the welcome evolved into a considerably more personable experience as a result of completely reconfiguring the lobby.

Mark Cooper, IACC CEO commented "In 2015, IACC will continue the theme of the

successful workshop and look to provide an Innovations Hub within the exhibition area of the conference, as the association seeks new ways to provide delegates with more of those golden nuggets to help them transform their businesses".

About IACC

Founded in 1981, IACC is dedicated to representing the best meeting venues globally and is, by definition, the future of the meetings industry realised. The association brings together the brightest, most innovative minds from around the globe. IACC elevates the meeting experience by creating a unique point of entry that is inclusive of the best-in-class meeting venues internationally. IACC membership is a symbol of meeting excellence and exceptional connections amongst the best in the meeting industry. This exclusiveness makes IACC's members part of an elite group representing the most innovative, forward-thinking, and results-driven meeting venues globally.

All members meet a set of stringent Quality Standards and agree to a Code of Ethics. IACC includes over 400-member conference venues from Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Italy, Netherlands, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, Wales, Canada, and the United States.

The IACC Mission Statement: "To bring together the brightest industry minds to promote the best meeting venues, which deliver exceptional meeting experiences. There are meetings... And then there are IACC Meetings".

The IACC Vision: "IACC is a global community of passionate people and organisations delivering innovative and exceptional meeting experiences."

Mark Cooper
CEO, IACC
IACC