EFAPCO EFAPCO makes breakthrough into EU corridors of power

PRESS RELEASE - 10 JANUARY 2007

The European Federation of Associations of PCOs has made a dramatic leap forward with its campaign for greater pan-European support for, and recognition of, its members' professional expertise.

The Federation has been invited to join talks with the European Commission about introducing universally-recognised standards across the complete spectrum of congress organisation.
The invitation was made by Jean Bergevin, Head of Unit Services with the Commission's Internal Market & Services DG, during his keynote presentation to EFAPCO's Second Annual Congress, held recently in Athens.

Over 130 industry specialists and press registered for the Congress which attracted a heavyweight roster of speakers including senior officials from IAPCO, the World Tourism Organisation, the UK Chapter of MPI, Reed Travel Exhibitions and IMEX.
Speaking about the Commission's approach to business tourism Jean Bergevin said the Commission was committed to facilitating cross-border trade in services in order to enhance the global competitiveness of EU enterprises.

A recently-adopted services directive underscored the Commission's aim to help the development of a globally competitive industry of professional congress organisers in the EU. This would also help the competitiveness of the EU hotel and travel sectors.
"Trust based on quality needs to be developed in the EU market for services," he said. "Without quality that can be trusted across our internal borders, growth in service provision and demand will not take place."

Service providers were being encouraged to develop certification and assessment of their activities by independent or accredited bodies, and by drawing up their own quality charters or participation in quality charters drawn up by professional bodies at Community level.
The Commission wanted to ensure that accreditation and certification services, for those who wanted them, would be competitive, offer cross-border recognition and be affordable for all forms of enterprises with particular emphasis on micro firms and SMEs.

"EFAPCO is particularly interesting to us because members offer key services to EU firms for both marketing and training purposes. I suspect most members are micro firms or SMEs, many offer cross-border services and those services are all key to the global competitiveness of EU hotel and transportation companies," Bergevin added.

He invited EFAPCO to draw up its own ideas on the subject. They could then be presented to an upcoming meeting of the European Forum for Services in the Internal Market which brings together all the European service trade and user associations.
And he suggested that EFAPCO might be asked to launch a pilot project within the congress sector.
"This ties in perfectly with our General Assembly decisions to devise an up-to-date and fully comprehensive schedule of quality standards, to put the P - professional - most emphatically into PCO," said a delighted EFAPCO President, Julio Abreu.

By the time Jean Bergevin delivered his invitation, the EFAPCO Congress had already taken on a new significance following the news that the Federation had become the first PCO-based body to be invited to join the WTO's Affiliate Members Council.

The Council's President Prof Carlos Vogeler was also at the Congress to speak about the evolution of meetings and business tourism around the world.
EFAPCO's vision has expanded dramatically.

"This is all great news for our Federation and for Europe's conference and meetings sector. It will give EFAPCO a voice, and influence, in the global travel and tourism industry's most dynamic circles," said Abreu.

"One of the reasons we formed EFAPCO was to campaign for proper political and financial recognition of our industry, in particular along the corridors of European power.
"Now we have an opportunity to broaden our vision into global dimensions and to further our promotion of Europe as the world's foremost congress and business travel destination.
"It was also very encouraging for EFAPCO to welcome the likes of Andre Vietor, President of IAPCO and Peter Haigh, President of MPI's UK Chapter, as speakers - along with Ray Bloom from IMEX and Paul Kennedy from Reed Travel Exhibitions," added Abreu.
"The event was a great leap forward. And we are already making plans for the Third Congress to take place in Warsaw at the beginning of 2008."

For additional information contact: Robin Anderson, Editorial Consultant EFAPCO. Tel: 44 (0)1670 523 568.
Email: info@ra-a.demon.co.uk.