Every meeting planner wants to be assured that they are selecting a venue that will meet all the standards they expect for their attendees. The International Association of Conference Centres (IACC) offers a way of guaranteeing this much sought-after quality.
With 378 members based in 21 countries, the IACC is a global professional association that represents small-to-medium sized venues specializing in meetings, conferences and training courses. Members must meet 70 points of criteria to become a certified IACC conference center. They must be able to demonstrate that they offer the very best facilities and are continually assessed to ensure that they adhere to the high standards of the fast-paced meetings industry.
“When meeting planners choose a property with IACC certification, they are getting more than just a name brand—they’re getting a property that has met our extensive criteria of excellence so that planners can feel confident about their booking,” says Mark Cooper, chief executive officer of IACC.
IACC has more than 30 years of experience sourcing the best meeting and conference venues, offering flexible delegate packages that make it easier to budget and incorporate catering, technology, event planning, meeting rooms and accommodations into the pricing structure so there are no hidden costs or surprises at the end of the meeting. Certified IACC venues sign a rigorous Code of Sustainability, which is updated periodically and reflects best practices in recycling, waste management, water conservation, air quality and other environmental policies.
Culinary excellence is another of the criteria that must be met by IACC members, ensuring that flexible dining, variety, international influence and exceptional service contribute to the meetings experience. The IACC stages an annual global chef’s competition to demonstrate the quality of cuisine offered at its certified venues and raises international awareness. The association also offers a global staff exchange program to share innovative ideas, skills and perspectives among its international membership.
“The individuality of our member venues world wide, we believe, is unlike any other collection of conference and meetings focused venues. IACC venues offer creative meeting settings and exciting food and beverage offerings, making a huge impact on the overall success of the clients meeting,” says Cooper.
IACC-approved properties are easy to locate by specifying your meetings criteria on their website IACCmeetings.com and sending an electronic RFP to a member. Certified members include companies such as Convene, which has five properties in New York and Washington DC, and which recently hosted Prevue’s Visionary Summit at their Grand Central New York location.
“IACC properties are dedicated to accommodating smaller meetings—the average group size is less than 100 and the majority of meetings are business focused. All IACC-approved properties employ meetings specialists so that your meetings take center stage and have demonstrated a high level of hospitality and culinary excellence. Creating a truly exceptional experience is the hallmark of being an IACC member,” says Cooper.
