by Chris Schwartz, at the request of Union of International Associations Brussels. On Monday 12 November, in the Brussels Marriott Hotel, 169 participants, including over 100 international association representatives, gathered together for the UIA's annual Roundtable. This year's Roundtable was a much more down-to-earth affair than last year's, perhaps reflecting the difficult economic times, wherein sustainability and development are front and center in everyone's minds. This year focused upon the nitty-gritty of sharing lessons learned and providing practical advice, both tactical and strategic. That's not to say that the Roundtable was a grim affair – to the contrary! Participants in the UIA Roundtable offer 'a broad spectrum with respect to their origins' remarked Prof Dr Bernd Hallier of the EHI Retail Academy, which causes this experience to be very different from the usual 'segmented workshops', he found. Philippe Fournier, President of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), kicked off the day by presenting on the links between meetings, the global knowledge economy, and development. Simply put, 'Meetings are economic engines', Fournier said. Meetings are strategic tools in the transfer of knowledge, thereby spurring on innovation, he explained, and should thus be considered an essential part of a community's development strategy. Next came the workshops, informative and valuable. Topics ranged from the strategic, such as advice from Terrance Barkan (GLOBALSTRAT) on how international associations can expand their professional reach, to the tactical, in general pointers on utilizing social media, from Jonas Eriksson (AwareHouse), and tips from Vicky Long (Creative Connection) on visualizing meetings – quite literally! According to participants, the most engaging workshops were the most ethics-oriented, such as the talks by Bernard Miche (Finergie) and Marilyn Mehlmann (Global Action Plan International) on sustainability and responsibility. Others reported finding themselves in deep contemplation after attending the group discussion led by Tim Casswell (Creative Connection) on the power of narrative, that is, how the stories we tell to ourselves about ourselves and our co-workers affect associations' work cultures and outputs. Between workshops, and then later, before the panel discussion, the Marriott lobby was transformed into a lively 'Marketplace' for the coffee and lunch breaks. At a higher level – the level that counts at an event like this – it was very much a space of exchange, wherein people assembled to trade their impressions, ideas, experiences, and yes, their business cards! In the afternoon panel discussion, 'The Power of Associations', representatives of Brussels, Washington DC, and Singapore were keen to discuss the experiences of their cities. This included discussing their unique circumstances, pros and cons of their geographical and political contexts, and measures they have taken to attract associations and association offices to their cities, thus relating to Fournier's earlier argument. It was no surprise that the feistiest remarks came from Cyril Ritchie, Vice President of the UIA and President of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO). He certainly had more than a few sharp words but also concrete ideas for how city governments could attract, and more importantly, hold on to international associations. A debate ensued over questions of whether practical benefits offered to start-up businesses, as described by Jacques Evrard, Managing Director of Brussels Invest and Export, could be applied to international associations. The concept of a 'one-stop shop for associations' was also mentioned from the floor – and, as it turned out, according to Jeannie Lim from Singapore's Tourism Board, her burgeoning Asian metropolis was one step ahead, having already established an 'International Organizations Office'. To wrap up this report, it would be best to close by considering the heart of Cyril Ritchie's comments from his closing lecture: international associations are microcosmic 'ethical societies' that are 'future-' and 'human-oriented'. When cities meet associations' material needs, they also meet their own material needs, and moreover their ethical, and even spiritual, needs, as well. | ||||||