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CONTENTS
I. Final Accepted Practices Announced for Terminology &
Post Event Reporting
II. City Discussion Groups – Upcoming
Meetings
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I. FINAL ACCEPTED PRACTICES ANNOUNCED FOR TERMINOLOGY & POST-EVENT REPORTING
At its 2003 annual meeting, the Convention Industry Council (CIC) unanimously approved accepted practices for two key areas of the industry’s APEX (Accepted Practices Exchange) initiative – Terminology and History/Post Event Reports.
Regarding Terminology, the APEX Industry Glossary was approved and will now serve as the foundation of the meetings, conventions, and exhibitions industry’s language. The glossary contains 3780 entries covering all aspects of event management – from food & beverage and room set-up to speakers and exhibits.
“I believe that the industry will quickly comprehend the incredible value of this resource,” commented Brian Findley, CMP, LES, director of food & beverage for Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee. “Just last month my staff and I spent a number of hours and dollars resolving a problem that arose because we weren’t speaking the same language as our client. Now we have a readily accessible source to help our clients clarify their requirements, saving time, money, and frustration,” Findley continued.
The Glossary was compiled by a panel of industry experts on the APEX Terminology Panel which was chaired by Patti Shock, professor & chair of the tourism and convention department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The APEX Industry Glossary is the result of countless hours of volunteer work and is available on-line at glossary.conventionindustry.org. With this resource, users can:
- Click hyperlinks in terms and definitions to see other relevant information within the glossary and in external web sites.
- Search within the terms and definitions to find the specific information they are looking for.
- Request a listing of terms by category. For instance, all food & beverage related terms in the glossary can be listed at once.
- Suggest new terms and definitions that should be considered for inclusion, or modifications to existing terms and definitions.
In the area of History/Post Event Reports, the Convention Industry Council approved a series of accepted practices that address the “how” and the “what” of post-event reporting. A report of the details and activities of an event is called a “Post-Event Report” or PER. A collection of PERs over time will provide the complete history for an event. Examples of the “how,” or process-related accepted practices, in this area include:
- A face-to-face post-event meeting should be scheduled between the primary event organizer (the main planning contact person) and each venue and facility involved in an event. That meeting should occur immediately following the end of the event and should focus on the completion of the Post-Event Report.
- The most recent PER for an event should accompany any request for proposals (RFP) sent to solicit proposals for future occurrences of that event.
In addition to defining the expected processes involved in post-event reporting, the accepted practices spell out the “what,” or information-related accepted practices. This information is clearly outlined in the APEX Post-Event Report Template and carefully balances the importance of collecting as much information as possible and ensuring that both planners and suppliers will work to complete these reports.
The
full report on Post-Event Reporting accepted practices can
be found on-line at www.conventionindustry.org/apex/acceptedpractices/posteventreporting.htm.
The co-chairs of the all-volunteer History/Post Event Reports
Panel that developed the accepted practices for post-event
reporting are Christie Hicks, senior vice president of global
sales for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, and Christine
Shimasaki, executive vice president of sales and marketing
of the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“The completion of these accepted practices is not only an incredible success for APEX, but it is an incredible success for the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry,” said Christie Hicks, explaining that APEX remains a peak worth climbing. “APEX is not a revolution, but an evolution. It won’t reinvent the industry overnight, but with the commitment and vision of our industry’s professionals, we can achieve our goals of improving the way we do business together.”
APEX Commission Chair Mickey Schaefer, CAE, vice president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, expressed gratitude to the many volunteers involved in these efforts and to the industry as a whole for reaching this landmark moment. “The shared vision is becoming a reality. Accepted practices will assist the industry by improving communications, creating cost efficiencies and streamlining systems,” Schaefer explains. “With a common language and shared tools, we will save valuable time that we can channel toward creativity, improving service quality and addressing the broader issues that challenge our industry.”
“Not only will APEX heighten the profile of the rapidly growing events profession, but this groundbreaking initiative is giving all segments of the business a say in the industry’s future,” says Convention Industry Council President Mary Power. “The remarkable response to APEX reflects our industry’s support and enthusiasm for working together to make us all more productive and professional.”
II. CITY DISCUSSION GROUPS – UPCOMING MEETINGS
City Discussion Groups (CDG) are a vital part of the development of accepted industry practices, providing an open forum through which industry members on the local level can participate and be heard.
Upcoming meetings include:
- November 12, 2003 – Milwaukee, WI, USA
- November 12, 2003 – Portland, OR, USA
- November 19, 2003 – Los Angeles, CA, USA
- December 3, 2003 – Toronto, ON, CANADA
- December 10, 2003 – San Antonio, TX, USA
To RSVP for these events, and see the status of other cities, visit www.conventionindustry.org/apex/CDG.htm.
If you are interested in leading a CDG in your city, contact Crystal Coté at (703) 610-0278 or ccote@conventionindustry.org.
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The monthly APEX E-News is an effort to provide timely information and updates on the APEX (Accepted Practices Exchange) initiative to all volunteers, funders and general industry members. APEX is an industry-wide initiative that is developing the best accepted practices for the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry with the goal of streamlining the way the industry does business.
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APEX
is an initiative of the Convention Industry Council
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