I Have a Dream

In the same way magpies are attracted to everything that glitters, I often see marketing agencies, so-called high profile consultants and even trade magazines move heaven and earth to get the new group of association customers in their power. Websites are put together, digital newsletters are sent out, speaker opportunities are created, and World Association Congresses are invented to raise the interest of association executives and bring in quick cash. Or, as I’ve said before: we’ve reached the period of the worshipping of the golden calf. And who doesn’t let himself be seduced by golden Easter eggs? To put it very clearly, after Easter but during the high season of association congresses and association days I want to announce a proposition that I’ve saved in my ‘I have a dream’ drawer.
I know only few specialized organisers who succeed in launching a solid association congress, but there’s one exception: Kellen Europe’s annual EuroConference, which had its 8th edition this year. The best forum in all of Europe! No association day or meeting fair can compete with that. Since last year ESAE is also striving for the same quality - a beginning annual ESAE congress with a lot of potential for the future. The EMIF Association Days have always been doing well too. And then came my dream: why not start a step by step forum for one joint European Association Congress in the capital of Europe? One single annual Top European Congress, so charlatans won’t get a chance anymore. You can read more about this dream in HeadQuarters N°26.

ESAE meets ASAE

Just your regular autumn day last week in London. People are dressed according to the weather: grey, dull, sad and incredibly hurried. Luckily I wasn't prepared for rain so I was wearing my Indian Summer costume for the occasion. And the second happy moment comes from Sue Etherington (middle), international sales manager of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre. For the Master Class of John Graham IV (right) she had picked two sky blue conference suites with a lovely view on the Westminster Area. For the first time in my life I saw two presidents of two continents who treat each other as equals, heartily and respectfully: Luc Maene (left), president of ESAE (European Society of Association Executives) and John Graham IV, CEO and president of ASAE (American Society of Association Executives). John was invited to give a Master Class on ‘Adapting to the new Leadership Imperative’ for an exquisite group of European Association Executives. It didn't take long before the entire room was all ears for 'What Remarkable Associations Do That others Don’t'. An exposé based on the book 7 Measures of Success, published by ASAE. Everyone was full of praise afterwards. The listeners got to know John as a CEO, more accurately, as a Broker of Ideas. But also as a scouts boy - John used to be very active in the Boy Scouts of America - who loves ‘Great People and Great Ideas’. And little sister ESAE can use the latter very well: ideas to grow. By means of his Master class, John has coloured the day permanently warm for me. And I think that after ESAE's Board Meeting - of which John and Susan Sarfati form part now - a few ESAE people started dreaming. Luc Maene dreamt of an ESAE with 23,000 members and an annual budget of 40 million dollar, and Rachel Frankel of ESAE secretariat dreamt of a 2008 ESAE Congress in Brussels with 1/100th participants of a normal ASAE Congress in Washington. I don't dream. I merely hope that John repeats his Master Class in Brussels (16-17 January 2008). European and International Association Executives, mark your calenders for the ESAE Annual Congress: Working together in Partnership. Don't miss it!

Titles make the man and the woman

Last year I received a new title: bridge builder, because HeadQuarters Magazine builds bridges between readers and suppliers in the Association Congress business, they told. I could live with that.
A month ago, I received an email from a lady of the Paris Hilton (the actual hotel, not the heiress in the picture) who has the title of ‘Elevator Management Trainee’. I had never heard of such a thing.
And then, last week during the ESAE Assembly, I was totally flabbergasted when I ran into an association executive who has 'Evangelist' on his business card. And maybe you know anyone by the title of 'meeting lover'?

Feeling for paper

I’m a paper-sensitive person myself. By that I mean: I like paper − I like to feel it and I like to read from it. I’m a magazine man, after all! I am even inclined to print out a lot of the emails that come in, because I simply don’t like reading from a screen. I’m definitely not a born digital reader.

Until the day I launched my blog on the World Wide Meeting Web and my attention was drawn to a frequently used email message bottom line: ‘Please consider the environment before printing this email’. I’m more careful now. I’ve become more conscious about using paper, and that’s also why I’m very pleased with this issue’s contribution from ESAE in HeadQuarters 20, which is devoted entirely to the topic of what associations can do for the environment.

On the day that I wrote this Editorial, I also received a magazine (I had not known of it until that moment) from Renu Snehi. She’s the Editor of ‘Hotline’, the Rezidor Hotel Group employee magazine. And what do I see? Another green Nordic Ecolabel with the line: ‘Printed on paper produced without optical brightener or chlorine … and printed with vegetable inks.’ Along with the magazine, she had enclosed a supplement entitled: ‘Hotels Environment Action Month’ (HEAM), which talked about ‘responsible business’ and what 166 of the group’s hotels regularly do as environmental actions. The best practice examples! Initiatives like these deserve a feather in their cap.

Taking good care of the earth has become vitally important, and I think that the meetings industry has a large role to play in this. I’m already contributing with two things: the launch of a meetings blog; and, wherever I can, I add…

please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

... or better yet, keep reading Marcel's Meeting Memories