New Year, new look and new strategy for JMIC

The Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) has set a new course for the New Year, including a new Charter, revised constitution and streamlined Strategic Plan. The new approach was agreed at JMIC’s final meeting of 2018, where members reached a consensus on a number of key structural changes intended to guide the ongoing development of the industry representation body. The new Charter sets out the nature of Council responsibilities and member interactions, while a revised constitution in the form of a Letter of Agreement among members provides a clear framework moving forward. A streamlined Strategic Plan contains agreement on priority JMIC actions. All of these agreed documents were developed as a direct outcome of the Meetings Industry Global Summit that took place in Hannover earlier in 2018. At the same meeting, JMIC members elected a new President. Kai Hattendorf (pictured), CEO of UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, is to see the Council through the next two years of activities. The JMIC presidency is taken in turn by leaders from the Council’s member organisations, and as a long-standing member of JMIC UFI is well positioned to help advance an overall industry agenda. JMIC also welcomes a new member – SISO, the Society of Independent Show Organisers. This brings the total Council membership to 16 organisations that collectively represent the full breadth of global business events industry activity. One of the key elements of the new Constitution was a redefinition of membership that existing members felt better addressed and accommodated the changing structure of the global industry at large, with an emphasis on the emergence of strong and active regional organisations all pursuing similar objectives to those of the Council, particularly in the areas of industry interactions and advocacy. As a result, the Council is now in active discussion with a number of additional organisations whose participation will further enhance its role in representing industry interests. “This has been a big year for JMIC as it took the experiences of the past number of years and interpreted these into a new, focussed framework for moving forward,” said incoming President Kai Hattendorf. “We now have a clear and collectively accepted picture of what we all feel are the most urgent priorities for the organisation. With this in place, JMIC can begin to drive implementation of projects and activities that further drive recognition and relevance of our industry at large”.