Meet the faces behind ICCA's famous First Time Attendee programme! ICCA places huge importance on giving First Time Attendees (New-Bees) at the ICCA Congress a very warm welcome. Each year, just before the ICCA Congress begins, new attendees are invited to join a specialised session that aims to prepare them for success. Jam-packed full of helpful advice that is delivered from member to member, the programme has been delivered to over 3,000 delegates since it initially began and is designed with care to help them network, do business, learn, and maximise the benefits of attending their first ICCA Congress.

At the centre of the entire programme are the people we couldn’t do it without: our mentors, an amazing group of ICCA members and #ICCAFriends who are Congress veterans and want to help support and steer our New-Bees as they join the ICCA Family.

Keiko Nishimoto

Keiko Nishimoto is a lecturer of Ristumeikan University and also a senior researcher of MICE Research Institute (Congrès Group). She has been working as a meeting planner at PCOs for 20 years.

Keiko was awarded Doctor of Management Science from Kyoto University in 2020, with the research titled “Value creation over time: the application of IIRC integrated reporting framework to demonstrate the value of MICE business”. She is the first PhD with solid background in meetings industry in Japan, and will teach MICE management at several universities from 2021.

As an ICCA member, Keiko currently represents Ristumeikan University, and has been served as a Deputy Chair / Treasurer of Asia Pacific Chapter since 2016. She also serves as a member of academic advisory committee for ICCASkills from this year.

Thank you to Keiko-san, for being a mentor to our New-Bees! Are you interested in helping our New-Bees to settle in? Please email Ksenija.p@iccaworld.org to find out how you can become a mentor.

Let’s get social by using the following hashtags: #ICCANewBee #ICCAMentorBee #LetsGetBuzzing #ICCA2021