For the International Society for Professional Management (ISPIM) working with suppliers is all about partnership, which is why the Society's Executive Director has compiled a one page document briefing document aimed at suppliers  especially convention bureaux interested in hosting the ISPIM conference.

This document gives suppliers a good indication of what the ISPIM conference is all about and provides valuable information helping suppliers dertermine if they want to officially bid for the ISPIM conference. It also allows ISPIM to determine serious candidates for their next conference. This is a good example for associations how they can easily portray themselves to suppliers and destinations. 





Showcasing Innovation in your City

How can you help us choose your city for our conference?

We know you are an attractive city, with great flight connections, transport system, hotels and visitor experiences. Let’s instead talk about what is really important to us: which local innovation partners can you get involved in our event and what type of relationship can we build with them? A commitment to get involved in our conference by trusted local innovation partners is what will bring us to your city, and allow us to leave the biggest legacy.



Who are we?

ISPIM – the International Society for Professional Innovation Management - is an association of members from research, industry, consulting and the public sector, all sharing a passion for innovation management - how to successfully create new products, processes and services from ideas to stimulate economic growth and well-being. Formed in Norway in 1983, ISPIM has members in over 70 countries and is the oldest, largest and most active innovation network in Europe, expanding rapidly in the Americas and Asia-Pacific.

What do we do?

International Innovation Conferences:

• The ISPIM Innovation Conference takes place in a major European city every June. This event is in its 27th year, regularly attracting up to 500 delegates from 50 countries worldwide. Recent destinations include Stockholm 2018, Vienna 2017, Porto 2016, Budapest 2015, Dublin 2014.

• The ISPIM Innovation Forum takes place in a major city in the Americas every March/April. This event started in 2014 and attracts about 200 delegates from 25 countries worldwide. Our ambition is to grow rapidly in the coming years. Recent destinations include Boston 2018, Toronto 2017, Boston 2016, Montreal 2014.

• The ISPIM Innovation Summit takes place in the Asia-Pacific region every December. This event currently attracts around 200 delegates from 30 countries worldwide and we want to grow rapidly in the coming years. Recent destinations include Fukuoka 2018, Melbourne 2017, Kuala Lumpur 2016, Brisbane 2015, Singapore 2014.

ISPIM also does:

• Scientific and Business Publications, PhD Community, Topic Specific Special Interest Groups, Industry and Academic Completions and Awards, Workshops, Funded Research Projects, Speaker Finding Service

What does an ISPIM conference look like?

All ISPIM conferences run for 3.5 days, are usually held in a conference hotel and include plenary sessions, discussion circles, workshops, parallel breakout sessions, off-site visits to local innovation clusters or companies and 3 evening social events. We mix local and international delegates from academia, business, consulting and policy. We organise all our own events and do not require the services of a PCO but may occasionally work with a local DMC.



What is a successful conference?

A successful conference has:

• 25% local and 75% international participants

• vibrant cross-fertilisation of local and international ideas, best practice and opportunities

• engagement with the local innovation community where all delegates can come to learn and input on the challenges and successes of local organisations

• a local legacy so that academics, business leaders, consultants and public bodies in the local innovation community:

o are enriched with state-of-the-art international innovation know-how

o are better connected to the worldwide innovation community for future opportunities

o have higher profiles globally and increase the visibility of their success stories

This requires an effective long-term relationship (usually 2-3 years) with local partner organisations that take an active stake in attracting delegates, finding and engaging with local success stories and challenges through organising innovation sessions both on and offsite. Suitable local partners must have a vested interest in promoting local innovation, local business and local research to a wider international audience.



Next steps

Start the conversation with your local innovation community: which partners are interested in working with ISPIM to bring an international innovation conference to your city?

Please contact Iain Bitran – Executive Director of ISPIM. 



Iain Bitran shared also some more insights with us at the ICCA Congress in Prague in 2017: https://vimeo.com/user15128843/review/236565134/172f1e1551