PCB Organized Networking Meetings of Congress Ambassadors

Prague Convention Bureau organized two networking meetings within the Ambassador Program on Wednesday 7th December in the historical premises of Karolinum in Prague. Educational seminar “Why and how to bid for an international congress or conference in Prague” was followed by an informal Advent meeting of congress ambassadors and partners of the Prague Convention Bureau’s Ambassador Program. The educational seminar was led by an experienced congress ambassador professor Tesař - Head of the Nephrology Clinic of the 1st Medical Faculty of the Charles University and the General University Hospital in Prague.

Professor Tesař shared his knowledge and experience in the organization of the international congresses with the attendees during his very engaging lecture and, at the same time, provided them with valuable advice that should lead to successful candidacies for international congresses and conferences in the future.

Professor Tesař has been operating in the congress industry since 1999. 12 year later, in 2011 he successfully organized a prestigious international medical congress ERA-EDTA (European Renal Association - European Dialysis and Transplant Association), one of the biggest congresses in Prague ever, attended by more than 8,000 delegates.

Professor Tesař summarized the factors that are, according to his opinion, the key to a successful bidding for an international congress in the end of his presentation:

• The key is in the continuity, i.e. long-term results of the team, department, institute and the local representatives who establish international contacts.
• Active involvement in e.g. international investigative studies is a necessity. The representatives must have professional prestige.
• A stable local committee without frequent personal changes is very important.
• The representatives should ideally be, at the same time, also committee members of the relevant international companies.
• Smaller meetings should precede the major events to bring decision-making committees of future congresses and conferences to the destination. 
• The last significant factor is the participation in international investigative studies that are not primarily sponsored by drug companies.

Participants also learned information relating to the current destination and state support intended for associations/non-profit organizations. Prague Convention Bureau was represented by: Roman Muška, Markéta Růtová, Petra Karásková, Veronika Marethová, Tzveta Morawski Kambourova a Michaela Baracová.