Professional Conference Organizer (PCO) | 會議管理顧問

Before talking about PCO, you may have a big question mark around your head about the “C”.

What is the difference between a CONGRESS and a CONFERENCE?

We invite the most reputed meeting association - ICCA, to answer!

Please find the definition at ICCA FAQ.

Here are some key points for your quick review:

CONGRESS

- Delegates: regular coming together on a representational basis of several hundreds of individuals

- Purpose: often convened to discuss a particular subject.

- Frequency: either multiannual (more likely international)or annual (rather national)

- Length: often last several days with several simultaneous sessions

CONFERENCE

- Delegates: participatory; not so representational

- Purpose: designed for discussion, fact-finding, problem solving and consultation; smaller in scale and more select in character; tend to facilitate the exchange of information

- Frequency: no special connotation as to frequency

- Length: not inherently limited in time, conferences are usually of limited duration with specific objectives

We would like to add one more C: CONVENTION, which is used interchangeable to Conference, but more “fun” gathering.

Source: hello sandwich 

在我們開始說明PCO之前，你或許會對"會議"的英文名稱感到些許困惑。

到底Congress跟Conference有什麼不同呢？

我們有請國際有名的會議協會 ICCA 來回答，在他們網站的FAQ中有清楚的說明。摘錄如下：

CONGRESS 代表會議

- 參加者：經由成千上百的個人推選出來的代表，定期出席

- 目    的：通常都是針對特定主題作討論

- 頻    率：多年一次 (通常是國際性的) 或是 每年一次 (通常是全國性的)

- 長    度：持續幾天，且同時有多場會議一起進行

CONFERENCE 會議

- 參加者：自由參加的；沒有代表性

- 目    的：可以是討論、發掘事實、解決問題、顧問性質；規模上較小，也會協助訊息的交換

- 頻    率：沒有定期

- 長    度：基本上沒有時間限制，但通常特定目的都是有期限的

另外，我們也想再分享另一個會議CONVENTION，這跟Conference其實算是同義字，但通常指的是主題較為輕鬆的會議。

Source: teacher training international 

Now, you know what you are after and then, usually, an international-level or even national-level conference with 100 persons above will demand a PCO, us!  We are intermediaries working on behalf of buyers -- you! PCOs are known as independent, specialist meetings planners who work on a consultancy basis, being temporarily hired by associations and companies to organize a specific event or series of events.

現在您了解了會議的不同，接著您就需要我們這樣的PCO，尤其是國際性甚至是全國性一百人以上的會議。PCO是站在買家 – 也就是您的立場做一個媒介；是獨立、專業的會議策劃者，可說是為特定事件或一連串活動而被協會或公司所臨時雇用的顧問。

Source: gallery

Not only conference planning or executive does a PCO matter, but well connections to venue, facilitation, travel agent, or so suppliers would make a PCO more valuable to your events. This is important because the details of an event are far more than everyone can image but only a PCO with more good connections can assist you in these aspects in a more efficient and economic way. Furthermore, in our experience, choosing a PCO is like choosing a partner. The chosen PCO will do better and the association and company will satisfy if their backgrounds and tastes can match each other. In other words, you may find disappointed when a PCO experienced in fashion show cannot catch your event demand for scientists.

除了會議規劃與執行，PCO跟其他供應商 (如場地、設備、旅行社等) 的關係越好，越能對您的活動提供價值。這很重要是因為一個活動的細節比一般人想像的還多，但擁有更多合作關係的PCO可以在這些問題上用更有效率且經濟的方式協助。此外，我們的經驗告訴我們，選擇PCO跟選擇另一半很像，如果PCO的背景與調性符合該協會或公司性質，通常PCO的表現都比較好，協會/公司也會更滿意。換句話說，如果一個專長在時尚秀的會議顧問，可能無法滿足參與者是科學家的活動。

 

Source: inhabitat 

※ Reference ※

Conferencing & Business Events, Malcolm Auld Direct 2001.