The ICCA Mediterranean Chapter members “Get Closer”

The members of the ICCA Mediterranean Chapter met in Athens to re-launch a period of closer cooperation.

Dubbed “Get Closer”, the ICCA Mediterranean Chapter Summit was organised by the Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau and hosted in Athens on 12-14 September 2018 at the Athens Marriott Hotel.  The meeting aimed to launch a period of closer cooperation and meaningful synergies between the Chapter members as well as with members of other Chapters. It offered the participants the opportunity to get inspired and reactivate collaborations through a series of educational, team-building and business sessions and workshops.

The renewed commitment for a more active ICCA Mediterranean Chapter with closer ties between its members was highlighted by the attendance and support offered by Elif Balci Fisunoglu, ICCA Regional Director (Europe). The meeting was also significant because it focused on building closer ties between the Mediterranean Chapter and other regional Chapters, underlined by the presence of Senthil Gopinath, ICCA Regional Director (Middle East) and Carmen Aguirregomezcorta, ICCA Iberian Chapter Executive Secretary.

The attendees came together after a long time to discuss best practices, share experiences and insights on how they can better work together to intensify cooperation in order to better promote their unique destinations, which include some of the most attractive locations of the international meetings industry. They were joined by the representatives of 3 international associations which gave them the opportunity to hear from associations as to their needs and requirements and what support from destinations works best. During the Summit, attendees also had the chance to taste the Athenian experience with special tours and social events planned for the occasion.

Being the crossroad of three continents, ICCA Mediterranean Chapter represents a big number of countries and diverse cultural richness of those countries. Mediterranean region is home to some of the most popular meeting destinations and a host to some of the most prominent and prestigious meetings in the world. The ICCA Mediterranean Chapter Summit was a great opportunity to gather the sector professionals, international associations and ICCA members for networking and business opportunities, said Elif Balci Fisunoglu, ICCA Regional Director for Europe.

The professionalism and enthusiastic engagement showcased by members at the ICCA Mediterranean summit clearly demonstrates the members are keen to improve their knowledge and share best practices amongst their fellow ICCA colleagues. The engagement of association representatives created an excellent learning platform. I believe such new initiative is just the start of an era of growth and dynamism, said ICCA Regional Director for the Middle East, Sentil Gopinath.

It was a real chance to share experiences with other ICCA members and to learn about trends in the MICE sector. Delighted to be part of the Educational Sessions and also to enjoy a fantastic social program organised by the Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau, said Carmen Aguirregomezcorta, Executive Secretary of the ICCA Iberian Chapter.

Our aim is to build bridges and invest in as many alliances as we can. We are very happy that during this meeting we fostered an intra-regional Chapter relationship with the ICCA Middle East and Iberian Chapter. A collaboration that will offer our members the opportunity to further collaborate for the promotion of their destination, said ICCA Mediterranean Chapter Chair Eliza Tsolakou.

The ICCA Mediterranean Chapter comprises Convention & Visitors Bureaus, Tourist Boards, Destination Marketing Organizations, Professional Congress Organisers, Conference Centers, Hotels and Venues registered in Algeria, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Serbia, and Turkey. The Mediterranean Chapter is one of the largest geographical Chapters of ICCA.

The Chapter’s main objective is to create a better networking and business exchange environment among the Chapter members, to increase the awareness of the region’s meeting potential and raise the profile of the region as one of the top meeting destinations as well as to promote its members as business partners.

The ICCA Mediterranean Chapter yet will reconvene in November 2018 during the 57thICCA Congress in Dubai. The ICCA Mediterranean Chapter Meeting in Athens was sponsored by AFEA, ERA and ERASMUS.

For information, please contact:
Chatzidaki Anna-Maria
Marketing Manager
Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau
+30 210 3312002 // info@athenscvb.gr