Bid for a congress is defined as an invitation to hold an international congress in a country. Normally, the national group or department of the international organization will be responsible for the management of the congress if the bid is successful. Having obtained a commitment, formal invitations can be prepared and the bid project can begin. A key factor in the bidding process is if the organization works through local members or with departments of the organization through professional intermediaries as the city Convention Bureau or direct with individual suppliers.
It is decisive to analyse the bid criteria with in-depth research to ensure the right decisions are made and the appropriate actions are taken. Then a bid team needs to be created. The bid members can consist of the person who initiated the bid (often the chairperson), the invited members from the same field and the representatives from: the PCO company, the Congress venue, the city Convention Bureau, the host country airline and the sponsors companies. It is accepted practice that the representative from the PCO leads the bid along with the initiator.
The project plan for candidacy should contain all the necessary information to analyse how these match up to each of its logistical, financial and internal objectives. Often the international organization has a set of formal criteria that must be answered. At the stage of presentation is when bidders have the biggest opportunity to influence decision makers in an emotional way. In some models the presentations are made by members only in other partners with suppliers and in others the suppliers present on their own.
As a result of globalization has increased the professionalism and excellent exchange of information. The success of a bid is highly influenced by the team work and effort. Governmental Institutions work alongside the city Convention Bureau and the PCO to secure the right to host the congress.
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Post written by Carmen Rafecas.