In November the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) welcomed a record number of delegates to its 56th annual congress. Almost 1,300 members, including more than 40 association executives, travelled to Prague for four days of education, chapter meetings and networking.
During the event, the inaugural winners of the “Incredible Impacts” grants supported by both ICCA and BestCities Global Alliance were announced at a session called “A celebration of the beyond tourism impact”. The three winning international associations have each made legacy a central part of their thinking and activities.
The Iceberg is currently running a series of videos recorded at the event which celebrate “Incredible Impacts” and the wider effects meetings have on a destination and its region. The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) won its grant for creating legacy through the World Thrombosis Day Campaign.
Placing a global spotlight on the often overlooked and misunderstood condition of thrombosis, the ISTH’s World Thrombosis Day campaign organised more than 8,200 events across the globe in 2016. The team demonstrated creative thinking in a number of ways, reaching beyond tourism, with one standout example being their annual Twitter Chat digital event. By creating a platform for people to talk about the condition, sharing expert advice and insights, the project garnered an impressive 45 million impressions worldwide.
But in this fifth and final video of the series, we focus on a different ISTH legacy project that was also submitted to “Incredible Impacts”: the holding of the society’s 2011 Congress and Annual SSC Meeting in Kyoto after the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
It is a masterclass in disaster preparedness and management, and a lesson in how meetings can bring a real legacy of recovery to a destination reeling from nature’s fury.
Incredible Impacts Video Five: the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
Part one of this series – “Incredible Impacts: The Winners’ Stories” – is here.
Part two of this series – “Incredible Impacts: Making a Mark” – is here.
Part three of this series – “Incredible Impacts: World Parkinson Coalition” – is here.
Part four of this series – “Incredible Impacts: World Confederation for Physical Therapy” – is here.
The Iceberg‘s video feature on “Incredible Impacts” – published after its IMEX launch in May – is here.
Association Meetings International’s coverage of the “Incredible Impacts” winners – published in November – is here.
Photo: Don France.
