ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath says innovation is key to making 2023 a dynamic and successful year:
It’s been a busy start to 2023. This revelation will not necessarily take anyone by surprise, as the excitement and activity levels we witnessed last year indicates the industry is very much back on track, in terms of generating and attending in-person meetings.
The start of the year allows many of us the opportunity to explore industry trends and use what we learn to help shape our own working strategy. Of course, we always think well ahead but, as we know, the unexpected can sometimes deflect our long-term objectives. Or at least give us a more immediate objective to focus on.
But we are nothing if not resilient. Early January – which already feels like an age ago -– afforded me the opportunity to define the levels of positivity and focus on what the ICCA team requires to best serve our membership. We continue to set exacting standards for ourselves and create an environment where we support, challenge, and inspire one another to be the best we can be.
2023 is already turning out to be a busy year. In fact, it’s already been remarkably busy with ICCA on-the-ground activity in the Middle East, Australia, South Africa and Asia Pacific. In March it was Scotland, and Canada. April sees us in Portugal, Finland, and France… and then we head to Frankfurt and that great industry gathering, IMEX. Add in a Presidential Survey, new website development, a 60-year report, and a Board Meeting in Panama. So, lots to do. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
As mentioned earlier, the start of year allowed me to brief my team fully about the thoughts, feelings and insights that will shape our 2023. My key share is venues are busy, but there is nervousness out there because uncertainty remains. Complex issues around global unrest, financial challenges, professional skills and recruitment, accessibility for all… combine to present us with one simple truth: what we do must matter more. Never has the need been greater to be bold and show our members our value proposition as thought leaders, instigators, advocates, and champions of a major global industry.
We must listen to our members and use their hopes and aspirations as a working brief, so we create dynamic new narratives that will fire their imaginations. We must focus on innovation. I am excited to say, to bolster this commitment, ICCA is working on a high-visibility partnership to showcase innovation at our upcoming global events. I’ll reveal more, nearer the time.
Innovation requires creativity, application, and a genuine desire to do things differently. We want to be agents of change, not just for our industry but for society in general. That is why Legacy is integral to how an event is planned, where it is staged, and what it achieves. Our commitment to knowledge sharing and building trust allows us to focus more on the power and potential of innovation. It’s what I told my staff in January. Let us be the innovators.
2022 was a time of great excitement and relief. 2023 is looking very different. It is not the time to consolidate. It is the time to be bold. To push onwards. To innovate.
