Leslie Zeck, Director of Meetings - introducing her association



 



1. When was your association founded? 



1920



 



2. Where is your association based, how many members do you have & in how many countries?



Based in Alexandria, Virginia (USA) near Washington, DC. WE have over 11,400 individual members worldwide.



 



3. Who are your members?



IADR members are oral health researchers, dentists and affiliated corporate employees who focus on oral health for the world through discovery and dissemination





4. What is your mission & aim of the association?



The IADR mission is to drive dental, oral and craniofacial research for health and well-being worldwide.





5. What are the major challenges facing your association?




  • Membership retention 

  • Attendance at meetings 

  • Visa denials into many countries for scientists/researchers



 



6. What kind of events are organised by your association?



IADR plans over ten meetings globally each year focusing on oral health research, including an annual general session, regional meetings, and board and committee meetings.



 



7. What is the decision process behind the selection of a destination/venue?



The director of meetings sends a Request for Proposal from the Global Headquarters office for each of the larger meetings. The IADR Board of Directors recommends the destination from a list of at least five options and the full IADR Council votes on the recommendation. Smaller meetings are selected by the Global Headquarters staff or Regional board of directors



 



8. Can you share your insights about the latest trends within the association community? 



Membership and participation in associations is declining globally. We are all striving to recruit and retain new members and remain relevant and engaging to our members. 

Also, the costs for hosting meetings including hotel room rates, airfares, food and beverages, and new technologies are increasing - but the income of global attendees is not. It is becoming increasingly more challenging to host profitable meetings and events worldwide as we compete for time and budgets of our membership.



 



9. What does your association do in terms of legacy, do your meetings have a societal impact on the destination?



IADR has established a healthy meetings policy including the elimination of sugar sweetened beverages at our meetings and has with dessert alternatives of fruit, nuts and healthier options for delegates. Our local members also offer pop-up dental clinics and other oral health services in local communities where we host our events.





10. Are you looking to forge collaborations with other associations? If so in what areas of expertise?



As a global organization, we partner with other international dental and craniofacial health organizations worldwide.



 



For more information on IADR please check their website: www.iadr.org