Planning & Bidding

Why Bid for an International Conference in the UK?

Hosting an international conference can offer great rewards to you and your specialist sector or professional discipline in the UK.  There are benefits to gain both at the national level in terms of raising the profile and awareness of the sector and also at the community level in terms of educational opportunities and career development.  There are also some very good reasons as to why the UK in particular is an excellent choice of conference destination.  Making the decision to submit a bid for an international conference can be time consuming but it can also be a truly rewarding and enjoyable experience.

Benefits at the national and international level:-

 

Demonstrate the UK’s importance in the sector

By hosting a congress, the UK shows that it is a key player in the sector, capable of staging such an event and this in turn would have a positive impact on the international community in the field.

 

Demonstrate government commitment

A congress that needs major government backing will demonstrate to both the British and international communities that the UK government is committed to the sector and this is important in terms of future development and funding of the field in Britain.

 

Opportunity to raise public awareness

A congress in the UK is an excellent opportunity to raise the profile and public awareness of the subject matter through increased media and press coverage.

 

Opportunity for UK business

A large international conference will bring business to the host location and will act as a useful platform on which British small and medium sized companies (SMEs) in the field as well as relevant non-governmental organisations (NGOs), can promote themselves.

Benefits at the community level:-

 

Raise profile of the national association

Hosting an international association congress in the UK will greatly enhance the profile and reputation of the national association.  It is an opportunity to recruit new members and develop and promote the objectives of the association and it may also be a way of raising additional revenue for areas such as future educational programmes.

Supporting British education in the field

A major conference in the UK will allow a large number of British students, researchers and practitioners to attend.  Conferences are seen as a hugely important educational tool, particularly in the scientific and medical disciplines but it is not always easy for UK delegates, particularly students, to attend similar events overseas.  In the medical field a major congress will also normally offer Continuing Medical Education (CME) or Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accreditation and as it becomes increasingly important to gain adequate CME points in order to maintain professional proficiency, it will be a further reason to attract a large number of delegates.

Strong UK input into educational programme

The local organising committee is likely to be heavily involved in the congress educational programme and may therefore be able to present a UK focus or at least influence the topics of some of the sessions.  The committee may also be able to give greater prominence to leading British practitioners in the field through speaker invitations or asking them to lead some of the sessions.

Career development and professional enhancement

Individual members of a successful organising committee can benefit from increased recognition at a professional level both in the UK and internationally.  The experience will undoubtedly assist them in future career development and they may well be invited to speak at other major congresses or offer advice to future hosts.

Benefits of hosting a conference in the UK in particular:-

 

Leading tourist destination

Britain is one of the most popular visitor destinations in the world with its history, culture and multitude of attractions.  It will always prove irresistible to potential delegates and you can be guaranteed of a high attendance.

Easy access and good communications

Excellent international connections with direct flights from around the world into all our major cities combined with advanced communication networks makes the UK an obvious choice for a major international event.

Superb facilities

From state-of-the art purpose-built convention centres to integrated hotels and unusual venues, we can offer a wide range of venues around the country to suit your needs.

Excellent support services

The dedication, expertise, knowledge and professionalism of our conference organisers along with other industry suppliers, is recognised and acknowledged by clients around the world.

Profitability

Given the high delegate attendance and corresponding sponsorship and exhibitor potential, conferences in the UK are often very profitable – especially when you take advantage of the full, fast and easy VAT refund opportunities.

English language

English is currently the most widely spoken language in the conference world, making it easier to organise your event in Britain.

Britain as a world leader

Finally, Britain is a world leader in science and medicine as well as in many other professional fields, so it is the natural choice for many high profile conferences.

Bid Documents and the Bidding Process

Decisions regarding the destination selection for international association conferences are normally subject to a competitive international bidding process.  These processes involve preparation of bid documentation usually followed by a bid presentation to representatives of the international association who are responsible for selection.

The Bid Document

A bid document describes a formal proposal to host an international conference.  It addresses the ways in which the proposed organisers, venue and destination can meet the criteria required by the international association.

International conference bids are necessarily defined by and focussed on their proposed destination.  The bid document is usually compiled in a shell or folder that is branded for the destination and conveys strong images and messages of the city throughout.  The best bid is a co-ordinated bid between the national organising committee, PCO, convention bureau and venue but you can usually find a convention bureau or PCO to co-ordinate the bid free of charge. 

Bid documents are unique and each must address the specific requirements of the conference and association, however a number of common criteria exist.

At the destination level:

Detailed venue information demonstrating how the conference will be accommodated in the proposed venue.

Accommodation information offering a range of suitable accommodation to meet the needs of all potential delegates.

Transport information including comprehensive details of incoming air routes along with any agreed conference fares, public transport and taxi information to and within the destination including any public transport passes.

Tourist information including a programme of pre and post conference tour opportunities.

Social programme including proposed reception and banqueting venues.

Accompanying guest programme.

At the event level:

Conference programme including proposed sessions and speakers.Draft budget proposals. 

Details of the host nation’s history in the sector along with any existing research or cutting-edge science or technology which might be of benefit to the bid.

Details of the organising committee or the UK representatives hosting the bid as well as details of any eminent local, national or international figures supporting the bid.  It is always good to have written letters of support from these contacts.  They may be local dignitaries, leading scientists or academics, government ministers or indeed royal patrons – any support of this nature is always highly regarded.

It is also important to identify the co-operation between the national and international association and how they propose working together.  

Overall a bid document should provide the right level of detail and should also demonstrate a joined-up approach at a local, regional, national and international level.

Bid Presentation:

There is no process of conference bid selection common to all international associations.

International association conferences tend to be held in series; regularly and in a rotational pattern defined by the scope of their association’s membership.  The decision as to where a future meeting will be held is often made at an earlier conference in the series.  Alternatively however, there may be a session held specifically for the purpose of selection, independent of any conference series.  Time scales vary considerably and decisions are usually made from 2 to 6 years in advance of the conference, depending on pattern, size and regularity of the series.

The decision is most often made by an elected group of representatives of the international association and in such circumstances will normally be based on a majority voting system.  However the decision can sometimes be based on individual preferences or on the activity or membership of the particular association.

The bid presentation is most likely to involve presentation of bid documents (which have usually already been circulated) and an oral presentation to a selection committee.  The oral presentation should focus on the benefits of the proposal, essentially summarising the key elements in the document.  This is likely to be followed by a comprehensive question and answer series. 

Winning the Bid:

Many criteria can influence bid success and with the certainty of enthusiastic international competition the bid should be focussed on some key factors.

To ensure that it is a winning bid it should:Be the product of a strong team involving the national organising committee, PCO, convention bureau and conference venue and employing the specialist expertise of each.

Offer a proposal that meets the specific objectives of the selection committee. Detailed guidelines of the conditions and requirements of the conference are normally available through the headquarters website.  Where information is not available online, prospective hosts should seek the requirements directly from the secretariat or contact a previous organising committee.

Inform the selectors on the current status and strength, if appropriate, of the subject speciality in the UK.

Demonstrate a strong commitment to the event which should be shared by the professional community, industry and government if appropriate.  A joined-up approach with multi-level support is crucial.

Prove that a UK hosted bid is in the best interest of members of that association.

The bid should also present an attractive destination, a suitable venue with the appropriate quantity and quality of accommodation along with easy international access.