Trust and Transparency at the Source of Continuous Improvement | MCI The Netherlands | EN

Type: Congress Destination: Bangkok, Thailand Attendees: 1,529

The Story

For its 30^th regional edition, the International Society for Blood Transfusion brought its mission to inspire and educate within the field of blood transfusion to the city of Bangkok, Thailand. The purpose and mission of ISBT remain the same, and yet the context continues to evolve with each edition of the congress.

This time, the selected destination stood out for being unique to MCI The Netherlands, the association’s core PCO since 2004. This would thereby shape the story of the event alongside some of the challenges encountered along the way.

Welcomed by a speech from Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, delegates from across the world embarked on an enlightening journey with a will to learn and exchange. Whereas ISBT’s international reach continues to expand, this edition was defined by a strong regional footprint. The social programme was entirely sourced locally, while the event also witnessed high regional attendance. The most represented country, of course, was Thailand (373), then followed by Indonesia (109), China (106), and India (84). From ISBT’s perspective, this would, therefore, present an excellent opportunity for impactful awareness building within the Asia-Pacific region.

Riding the Waves of Uncertainty

From the event planning side, many of the elements were also sourced locally. However, while MCI The Netherlands often refers to its international network of suppliers to help manage events internationally, Bangkok comprises of the few destinations where we did not have any preferred supplier nor local office to seek for advice.

As MCI partnered up with a local DMC, AV and venue supplier, alongside individual parties; the challenge stemmed from coordinating these various partners. Some of which got involved in the event at later stages of the planning process. The inclusion of these multiple stakeholders implied a mix of representatives with which communication needed to be well-maintained and facilitated in the days leading to the event. These situations can make way for cultural differences to emerge, which may always consist of a challenge in our industry but is also part of the learning experience.

Covering a total of 1010m2, the 52 exhibitors present indicated high satisfaction with the amount of traffic received. Meanwhile, delegates expressed their contentment with the scientific sessions, which were largely attended. At the end of the day, when both delegates and exhibitors see their objectives being fulfilled, the backbone of a successful congress is formed.

As with most events, there is always a small dose of uncertainty as to whether every piece of the puzzle will come together to produce a memorable event. This was particularly applicable in this scenario. Besides expertise in Full Congress Management, our project managers’ ability to navigate the unexpected and adapt accordingly was put to the test. In this regards, MCI The Netherlands’ experience working abroad and with many cultures proved to be invaluable. Drawing from the last edition which took place in June 2019, we also integrated some of the feedback received, notably by upgrading the exhibitor registration process and providing organisations with their registration codes. As the source of these improvements, we can be grateful for ISBT’s trust in our work and expertise.

With over 15 years of collaboration, we can rely on our relationships’ openness and transparency to continuously enhance the organisation’s congresses through time. Actively considering ISBT’s feedback, alongside the feedback of exhibitors and delegates, a great deal of gratification arises when we can witness the result of our quick adaptation and improvement processes.