From 17-18 January, Malaga will host the annual congress of the European Federation of the Associations of Professional Congress Organizers (EFAPCO), one of the MICE industry’s major events.
The capital of the Costa del Sol is currently preparing everything to receive more than 200 professional congress organizers from Spain and abroad, including convention bureau, hotels, restaurants, agencies, DMCs, and tourism offices, among other organizations, who will be attending the congress to exchange ideas and network.
"Smart congress"
Working sessions will revolve around the "smart congress" concept, from the perspective of innovation and advances in different key areas of the industry – cities, venues, technology, and sustainability – and their application to congress and event planning and organization.
One of the basic aims of the event is to generate ideas. In the words of Vicente Serrano, president of OPC España: "When designing the programme the accent has been put on those aspects that allow all the stakeholders in our industry to examine in greater detail issues that help us to continue to improve and optimize our resources." This point was also emphasized by Luisa Ahrens Teixeira, president of EFAPCO: "We have put together a programme addressing burning issues. Our industry is changing and we must adapt to these changes. Events such as this congress help us identify the keys to responding more adequately to market demands."
Malaga Tradeshow and Congress centre: the host venue
The EFAPCO will be held at the Malaga Tradeshow and Congress Centre, allowing professional congress organizers from all over Europe to get to know the city’s attractions, a city that, in the words of Serrano, "is currently enjoying a fair amount of popularity as an event destination, according to all the indicators." In 2012, the city hosted a total of 160 events (7 more than the year before), with a total of 63,175 participants (nearly 5% more than in 2011), generating an economic impact of over €75 million.
Last year, the Malaga Convention Bureau, controlled by the City Council’s department of tourism, participated in 60 promotional events (trade shows, professional seminars, workshops, etc.) and submitted 160 bids for major events, conventions and congresses. A number of major congresses, such as those of the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy and the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine, have already been confirmed for the future.
EFAPCO’s global vision
Based in Brussels (Belgium), the chief aim of EFAPCO is to promote and confirm the figure of professional congress organizers so that the European Commission acknowledges it as a profession by establishing specific rules and regulations to govern it.
Furthermore, featuring among EFAPCO’s priorities is to include congress organization in the modules comprising undergraduate degree programmes in tourism. Likewise, membership to EFAPCO is open to all those companies or organizations with a congress organization department, such as convention centres, A/V providers, event staff companies, hotel chains, convention bureaux, firms providing interpreting service es, designers, exhibition assembly firms, etc.
Registration and information at: www.efapcomalaga2014.com; efapcomalaga2014@piceventos.com.
Event Planner Spain
Event Planner Spain, the Spanish Moroccan meeting and event resource, will be attending the congress. For further information or for an appointment, email the company at: info@eventplannerspain.com.
