Region urged to lift profile of industry

The Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), the international industry organisation, has urged the Middle East to help raise the profile of the meetings industry within the region.

Chair of JMIC, Barbara Maple, said one of the biggest challenges was overcoming the "low profile relative to other industries" that the meetings industry suffered from.

"Few government decision makers, and even fewer in the broader business community, are even aware that we exist as a distinct business sector," Maple said.

She added it was incredibly important for "emerging regions" to work with JMIC to help it continue its work in promoting the meetings industry.

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"The Middle East is a good example of such a region - where the pressures of industry development are particularly demanding, yet it hasn't been a prominent player in the local business community long enough to ensure good awareness of what the industry is, what kinds of benefits it delivers and what sort of support it needs in order to prosper," Maple said.

"By taking advantage of what JMIC represents, an emerging region can more quickly take its place amongst established countries and regions and access the networks and resources that will enable it to promote its value and issues more effectively to local audiences," she added.

JMIC has witnessed a recent surge in membership, having welcomed three new affiliates in the past three months; the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and Destination Management Association International (DMAI) have joined as full members while the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) has agreed to cooperate with other JMIC members in support of its mandate to provide a forum for overall industry issues and take action to enhance industry profile and a better understanding of its benefits.

"This new surge of membership reflects a growing understanding of the need we have to take more direct action as a group and to raise the profile of the industry to the point where we are seen as a real factor in the global economy," Maple added.

JMIC consists of eleven major international associations, including AIPC (The International Association of Congress Centres), COCAL (The Latin American Confederation of PCO and Related Companies), ECM (European Cities Marketing), EVVC (The European Association of Event Centres), IAPCO (The International Association of Professional Congress Organisers), ICCA (The International Congress and Convention Association), MPI (Meeting Professionals International), and SITE (the Society of Incentive & Travel Executives).