Collaborations

The goal of this collaboration is to work together to promote AC Forum among Boardroom’s readership (international associations, based in Europe and other continents), and to uplift the Boardroom reputation among the meetings industry.

AC Forum contributes an article to be published in each of the quarterly editions of the magazine (print and online). The two organisations share a strong alignment of interests.

Both are focused on delivering high quality, educational content for the associations sector.

AC Forum strives to inspire and encourage its members to achieve excellence in association and congress organisation through the open exchange of information, while Boardroom prides itself on its position as an expert source of information for association professionals.

Read the latest articles here.

ICCA and AC Forum have a collaborative partnership to create a high-level annual signature event on the Future of Healthcare Meetings.

The programme is targeted to C-level, senior management participants of both associations and ICCA member suppliers.

The objective of the event is to create a platform where high level discussions and knowledge sharing will provide new solutions and strategies in running effective and more sustainable global healthcare meetings in future. The innovative event programme, co-created by a joint Programme Committee, creates a unique environment for valuable networking and knowledge sharing.

Explore how healthcare meetings are changing and how your organisation can adapt

The second in-person ICCA and AC Forum Event The Future of Healthcare Meetings will take place on 6-8 June 2023, hosted by the city of Istanbul, Türkiye.

This continues the exciting and collaborative initiative between ICCA and AC Forum, launched last year in Cannes, that brings together all stakeholders in healthcare meetings.

A limited number of fully hosted places are sponsored by the host city and available for associations by application only.

More information here.

Why your association should attend:

• Internationally accredited educational content
• Learn how healthcare meetings are changing and how your association can adapt to current and future needs
• Interactive networking opportunities with association peers and meeting suppliers from global destinations, to establish meaningful partnerships and collaborate to make healthcare meetings thrive

Key learnings:

• Leveraging stakeholder engagement to deliver accredited content in a compliant meeting format
• How to create effective collaborations between destinations and associations to generate a positive impact on public health in local communities
• Explore how the next generation of healthcare professionals will want to engage with healthcare associations and meetings
• Practical tips on making your healthcare meetings more future proof

Once again, AC Forum has a hosted buyer group at IMEX Frankfurt, 23-25 May 2023.

AC Forum members registering as part of this group automatically qualify as hosted buyers.

More information here.

AC Forum collaborates with IPCAA on knowledge exchange and education, holding webinars and sessions on topics of mutual interest and of benefit to members of both organisations.

The collaboration agreement between AC Forum and the LCE is for an educational event on a topic of shared interest annually, in an LCE member venue.

The topic is selected to be of mutual educational benefit and the programme is co-created by a joint committee of the LCE and AC Forum and targeted to senior management of AC Forum members and LCE members.

The first event, at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow, was around the topic of ‘The Language of Leadership’, while the second in the series, at MiCo in Milan, offered the opportunity to train and develop skills in ‘Persuasion in negotiation’.

The third edition of the AC Forum and Leading Centres of Europe Collaborative Learning Experience (CLE), Web3 Learning Expedition – Impacts of Web3 in the Event & Congress Industry, will take place in Paris on 26 & 27 June.

The two-day programme will introduce the concepts of the tools and practices of the metaverse, Web3 and NFTs and how they might affect the meetings industry, with practical experience in hands-on group exercises using the tools.

This interactive educational workshop is tailored for people who are not at all familiar with the topic and the content will be structured so that participants will gain an understanding of this technology and how it is applicable for associations, for their events and ultimately across the organisation. It will not deal with the technical aspects, but rather give a solid understanding of the technology and its practical applications. Associations need to be prepared at the highest level for this smart technology – which has already been applied in the events industry – to capitalise on it for their organisations.

AC Forum’s and PCMA’s strategic partnership seeks to strengthen both organisations through collaboration, advocacy and advancing professional development of their community by co-creating and organising activities mutually beneficial to the respective membership, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and intelligence between the respective membership, and enhancing the profile of association professionals and the business events they organise as true drivers of social and economic change. Further details of the Strategic Partnership Benefits for AC Forum members are available in the Member-Only section.

In 2021, AC Forum and PCMA partnered on a research study, funded by PCMA Foundation, into digital events. The full report, “Digital Events Outlook: Insights, Behaviours, Best Practices”, and Digital Event Planning checklist can be downloaded here.

Registration is now open for Convening EMEA 2023, taking place on 20-22 September in Copenhagen. More information here. AC Forum members can avail of a discount on registration – details in the Member-Only section.

AC Forum is pleased to collaborate with Solvay Brussels School on the 2023 edition of the Executive Master in International Association Management (EMIAM), along with the Federation of European and International Associations (FAIB), Visit.Brussels, Visit Flanders, European Society of Association Executives (ESAE), Wonderful Copenhagen and Union of International Associations (UIA).

Solvay’s Executive Master provides a targeted, pragmatic, and action-oriented curriculum focusing on the specific challenges facing the association sector in today’s economy. It empowers the participants to develop into efficient and effective leaders with a keen understanding of the economic, managerial and political landscape as well as practical skills in the management of international associations.

It is spread into 6 modules, each dedicated to a specific aspect of association management, namely Leadership & Change, Strategy & Change Management, Strategic Marketing & Communication, Project Management, Finances, and Governance & Sustainability.

AC Forum members can benefit from a 10% discount upon registration to the programme.

We collaborate with other organisations to deliver key collaborative learning experiences (CLEs) and other educational events for our members. Aligned with our forward-thinking approach to education and recognising that the format in which people want to learn has changed, we aim to link strategic and operational considerations together. Mindful of this shift, we are committed to seeking out innovative learning opportunities and organising joint learning activities with partners, which align with our four key principles: education – specifically in terms of learning from each other and external experts, excellence – raising standards in association and congress management, innovation – sharing good practice and expanding thinking, and neutrality – providing a forum free from commercial influence.

Our progressive collaborations present a different value proposition to members, combining education and discovery, which reflect the societal changes in learning and personal development by challenging members to move out of their comfort zones and discover new opportunities and challenges put into context with external partners.