Dear All,

I’m delighted to announce that IFES has confirmed the restructuring of its membership following our Extraordinary General Assembly held in Brussels on 26 October.

These changes will allow all IFES members to participate in a more dynamic, more inclusive organisation which I am convinced will deliver more value to members and will better represent the Exhibition & Events Services industry.

Central to the new structure will be allowing individual companies to participate alongside national associations as full members. The national associations which have supported IFES will continue to be key partners in developing and growing the IFES membership and knowledge base. The associations which are part of the IFES network will be able to offer IFES company memberships at special rates to their members.

This combination will give us the best solution to retain the knowledge and network which we have developed for 25 years whilst also opening IFES up to a broader international audience and encouraging active participation from new members, wherever they may be located.

With 26 countries represented at our last convention in Paris, IFES is diversifying its membership base and the new structure is designed to encourage that growth and provide support and guidance to new members and emerging markets. 2010 promises to be an exciting year!

Full details on the new membership packages are included here in this newsletter.

I am also pleased to announce that the IFES Convention 2010 will take place on 21-26 June in Shanghai. We will organise this special event in conjunction with the World Expo 2010 and FAMAB. The introductory information and preliminary programme can be found here.

I hope you will join us in the next stage of IFES’ development where we will now have more opportunities to collaborate than ever before. As our industry and our companies require more and more international business exchanges, IFES members will be uniquely positioned to capitalise on these opportunities.

Our management office in Brussels will be available to answer and questions you may have about IFES membership and how to participate. We hope to hear from you soon!

Kind regards

 

Moreno Zaccarelli

IFES President

As described above, the IFES statutes were approved on 26 October. From 1 January 2010, a new membership and governance structure will be launched. All IFES members will be able to participate fully in the association’s activities.

Below is an overview of the changes and the new membership packages. To obtain application forms or for any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the IFES Management Office: info@ifesnet.com / +32 2 627 0163

IFES Re-Structured Membership Rules:

• National Associations will continue to be Full Members
• Individual Companies will also be welcome to join IFES as Full Members
• Each Full Member is a Voting Member
• IFES National Association members will offer preferential membership rates their members

Member Benefits:

National Associations

• All IFES information to distribute to members at large
• Visibility of National Association activities through IFES Newsletter and Network
• Members at large can get discount rates at IFES Events
• Opportunity to co-organise IFES Events
• Voting right (1) as Member, plus possibility to act as proxy for members from the country (only if requested by the companies)
• Opportunity to offer reduced group rates for member companies in their country

Individual Companies

• Access to the IFES online network for their employees
• Access to results of IFES Member statistics / benchmarking studies
• Active participation in all communication initiatives
• Option to join Working Groups & Committees
• Discounted Convention Fees
• A complimentary subscription on Expopedia for one venue, one activity (normal price €500)
• All information packages
• Full member voting rights
• Optional extra: Partner Guide listing at attractive rate

Membership Rates 2010:

• National Association: €1,250
• Individual Company: €750 (discounts apply for Members of IFES Association Members)
• Partner Guide subscription: €250 (if purchased together with membership) / €350 (if purchased separately)

SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER!!! Sign up for IFES Membership before 31 December 2009 and you can get your Partner Guide subscription for only €150!

Get Involved!

At the next AGM in June, IFES will confirm its active Committees and choose its new Board of Directors so for all of you interested in helping shape the IFES future, now is the time to sign up!

The preliminary list of committees and working groups is:

• Planning & Strategy
• Membership
• Marketing & Business Development
• National Associations
• Health & Safety and Regulations
• Education
• Environment & Sustainability
• Statistics
• Past Presidents Council

These groups are expected to have 3-5 members, with the Chair of each group also being a representative on the IFES Board of Directors.

Is there an activity missing?
We are open to all member suggestions for areas in which IFES should be active. If you feel there is an area neglected, please contact the IFES Management Office.

Moreno Zaccarelli

IFES President

New IFES Structure
in 2010

IFES AGM & Convention 2010 - Shanghai