News
MCI Dublin wins conference business worth 11million for Ireland
MCI Dublin can look back at 2009 as a year where the company emerged from the global financial crisis leaner, stronger and more fit-for-purpose. With so many negative news stories in the global economy, it’s often easy to forget that the PCO sector remains fundamentally strong and in recent months MCI Dublin has demonstrated its thought leadership position by securing the contracts of 8 congresses and meetings, attracting over 7,000 delegates to Ireland and hosting some of the largest European conferences held on these shores. The benefit to Ireland’s business tourism sector is estimated to be over €11 million, significantly boosting an area of the Irish economy that has keenly felt the impact of the global downturn.
2009 also saw the launch of the MCI Dublin brand, consolidating one of the most significant steps the organisation has taken to increase its competiveness. By merging with the internationally recognised MCI brand, MCI Dublin has been able to reduce costs and increase its global buying power, all factors that will benefit the customer in the long-term.
Jean Evans, Director of Conferences at MCI Dublin commented ‘‘ The last year has tested everybody involved in the PCO sector. The financial pressure on suppliers, associations and corporations has been keenly felt and some businesses have fallen by the wayside. At MCI Dublin we have confronted the challenges head-on, re- focussed our business plan and re-energised our performance to become a more competitive PCO provider well positioned to grow in the future’’.
Ms Evans continued ‘’One of the prime indicators of a first-rate service is customer retention and MCI Dublin is delighted to have been named core PCO for several associations seeking a high quality service. These long-running partnerships are vital to enable MCI Dublin grow our reputation at home and abroad and it is in the consistent delivery of customer satisfaction that MCI Dublin intends to build on these partnerships’’
One of MCI Dublin’s key wins in 2009 was the extension of its contract with The European Association of Cardio-Thoracic Anaesthesiologists (EACTA) to provide full PCO services for a further three years. In 2010 MCI Dublin will be managing EACTA Edinburgh (9-11 June) and EACTA Echo Berlin (11-14 September), while in 2011, MCI Dublin will also provide full PCO services for EACTA Vienna (June) and EACTA Echo Ghent (September). For 2012 MCI Dublin has been contracted to manage EACTA Amsterdam (June) and EACTA Echo in September.
For the third year running MCI secured the contract to handle the registration, exhibition and administration for the BICSI European Conference. BICSI, a professional association supporting the information transport systems industry, is hoping to attract over 800 delegates. The conference itself will take place in Dublin’s Citywest Hotel from June 22nd - 24th 2010.
A new partnership was also formed in 2009 when MCI was commissioned to present the first World Customs Organization Technology and Innovation Forum 2009, a new addition to the World Customs Organizations’ hugely successful IT conferences. With such a short lead -in time the conference was a major challenge but with excellent exhibitor feedback, strong delegate numbers and a significant return made on investment, MCI Dublin is confident that of building this event into a world recognised conference. Following on from this success MCI has now been employed as the full PCO provider for the influential WCO 2010 Technology and Innovation Forum taking place in Dublin on the 28-30 April along with the WCO Innovation and Technology Forum being held in Cairo in November 2010.
This was not the only conference that MCI Dublin won and managed with a very short lead-in time. The National Rural Network (NRN) conference, held in the Croke Park Convention Centre, Dublin, in December was part of a major project reporting on the success of the Ireland’s rural development programme.
One of the largest contracts secured came towards the end of 2009 when MCI Dublin was appointed the PCO partner for the International Congress on Emergency Medicine 2012. With over 3,000 delegates expected to Dublin, this conference is a significant step in cementing MCI’s position at the forefront of the medical events and meetings industry in Ireland.
Also in December, MCI secured the Exhibition & Sponsorship development for the 14th International Congress on Celtic Studies. Held every four years, the congress is the largest academic gathering in its field with between 500-1000 expected attendees in the National University of Ireland, Maynooth from August 1st - 5th August 2011.
Two major scientific conferences won at the beginning of 2010 are The Society of Molecular Biology and Evolution (1,000 delegates June 2012 in Dublin) and the European Politician Science Association’s 2011 meeting which along with a planning meeting in 2010 is expected to attract over 600 delegates.
Recent times have tested the pillars on which the PCO sector is built and MCI Dublin has proven that organisations that can deliver a first-class service to their clients will emerge stronger. By becoming more diverse and targetted in their offerings, MCI Dublin can attract increasingly discerning customers and bring prestigious business to Ireland into this new decade and beyond.
For further information, please contact;
Jean Evans
Director of Conferences
MCI Dublin
jean.evans@mci-group.com
Printer Version