In hopes of "clarifying its role as the standard bearer of the meetings industry," the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) has created new vision and mission statements that expand the role of its member conference centers, it announced this week. Instead of focusing only on physical facilities, IACC said it will now emphasize conference centers' larger role as a strategic partner capable of helping planners generate successful meetings.
"Rather than simply provide first-class meeting venues, IACC members deliver more broadly conceived meeting experiences," said IACC Global President Neil Pompan. "Our new vision statement [captures] the wider lens of the 'IACC Meeting Concept' along with the new spirit of what is being referred to as IACC 2.0."
IACC's updated vision reads: "IACC is a community of people and organizations with a passion for delivering innovative and exceptional meeting experiences." Its new mission statement, meanwhile, reads: "The International Association of Conference Centers is the thought leader for meeting experiences. IACC represents its members by defining and promoting the IACC Meeting Concept and providing a wide range of learning opportunities."
The new vision and mission statements came out of a recent meeting of IACC's Global Board of Directors in Barcelona. The board's action followed recommendations by a task force that is exploring how to best serve member conference centers in the current environment. The task force will continue to make recommendations that are expected to include key structural changes in the association's governance and management.
"Of course, the physical attributes of a conference center will always remain important but they are only one piece of the puzzle," Pompan said. "Our competitors can copy the bricks and mortar, the chairs and tables, the lighting and soundproofing. They offer meeting packages that often confuse customers and decrease differentiation. What they cannot do is create total meeting experiences like those found at IACC conference centers."