IACC has updated and relaunched its Global Standards of Brilliance as part of a drive to redefine excellence in the events industry and grow membership through greater engagement with small and medium-sized business event venues operating within the industry. IACC has ambitious plans for growth as it strives to represent the top one per cent of small to midsize conference and meeting venues globally.
The enhanced Standards came about because of a significant increase in enquiries about membership from convention hotels, defined as larger hotels focused on conferences and meetings, which can accommodate larger groups, yet are focused on groups of 250 attendees or less. In addition, the membership community will welcome shared workspace meeting venues and small specialist boutique venues.
Mark Cooper, CEO of IACC, said: “IACC is committed to building and developing the global community of business event hotels and venues, and over the past few years, we have grown some areas of our communities where venues fall just outside of the IACC member venue footprint. Rather than excluding outstanding venues who live by our high standards, we decided to deep dive into the pillars of the requirement for membership and look at how we can better serve such an innovative industry.”
“To accommodate this and enable a broader spectrum of venues to apply for members, the enhanced Standards of Brilliance shift the focus from meeting space size to group size, allowing more venues to apply for membership.”
The Global Standards of Brilliance set out the minimum level of qualities IACC seeks for membership; by becoming a member of IACC and adhering to these standards, venues can benefit from training and professional leadership development opportunities and marketing support from IACC, as well as access to the expensive IACC network.
Criteria under the new global standards include: ‘Conference Room Design’ which focuses on the quality and functionality of the space; ‘Conference & Business Service’, which relates to effective meeting room set-ups, special event planning, and conference technology (AV/IT) equipment; ‘Food and Beverage,’ which appreciates high-quality, nutritious food and flexible catering in terms of dietary requirements; ‘Technology’; ‘Staff’ which relates to clearly defined roles and professional development; and ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’, an affirmation that the venue is engaged in a holistic, sustainable environmental endeavour that is woven into the fabric of the business.
Nancy Lindemer, Global President-Elect of IACC, said: “We are thrilled to unveil the new Global Standards of Brilliance, which aim to represent a more diverse spectrum of venues and champion those specific and unique venues that deserve recognition. The new standards aren’t an expansion link to meet a certain membership goal; it is to embrace the changing needs of communities on the periphery of some of our core venues.
“These new standards have also built in the demanding innovation of technology, and we’ve also embraced what IACC stands for in terms of corporate social responsibility around people, community, accessibility and climate. Our chapters worldwide have adopted those changes and will embrace the opportunity to welcome new members.
“Our recent review not only opens doors for new members who will be onboarded under the new global standards but also enriches the offering to our current members, allowing for collaboration, networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities with new types and sizes of venues across the global community.”
About IACC
Founded in 1981, IACC is dedicated to representing the best meeting venues globally and is, by definition, the future of the meetings industry realised. The association brings together the brightest, most innovative minds from around the globe. IACC elevates the meeting experience by creating a unique point of entry that includes the best-in-class meeting venues internationally. IACC membership symbolises meeting excellence and exceptional connections amongst the best in the meeting industry. This exclusiveness makes IACC’s members part of an elite group representing globally the most innovative, forward-thinking, and results-driven meeting venues. All members meet stringent Quality Standards and agree to a Code of Ethics. IACC includes over 400 member conference venues from Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Italy, Netherlands, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, Wales, Canada, and the United States.
