International Conferences

International Conferences - Great Events; Which to Choose?

In this edition we're examining the role that conferences have to play in successfully networking and marketing your business.  During the year there is of course one major event, the EuRA Conference, but our members also attend conferences in the UK, the US and Canada, Asia and across Europe.
 
With such a choice of networking events, marketing budgets being squeezed and a limit to how much time we can actually spend out of the office, it is more important than ever to choose the right events for your networking needs.
 
Obviously we all have a favourite international conference, the EuRA meeting in the Spring!  Since the first event in Barcelona eight years ago, the diversity and number of delegates we have attracted has grown enormously.  Each year we evaluate the conference, taking delegates comments seriously and taking them into account to improve the next event. One change we will be making in Lisbon 2007, is to increase the opportunity for delegates to network, plan meetings and find each other.  As the number of delegates has more than trebled since Barcelona, so delegates are faced with a greater challenge to find each other.  In the past, it was almost inevitable that one would just "run into" almost everyone one needed to see, without scheduling a meeting.  Therefore you will see some innovations at the next conference which we hope will change this.

Those delegates who have attended every conference, have noticed some big changes and Mona Radwan of Global Relocation Consultants in Egypt is one such delegate:
 
"When I started my Relocation company , I worked very hard to prove that GRC was worthy of being a member and carrying the name of EuRA. Although I am from out of the regular area, (I am from the Middle East ), I was honored to be accepted …. I have never missed a conference since then. 
I find that the EuRA meetings are the most rewarding form the business view point, all of the attendees are top notch professionals, no time is wasted during the conference, each and every one is treated like he or she is the most important.  Most of all the conferences do not have any outsiders, nor timewasters, also the training being attached to the conference helps to limit the time out of office as well as the expense."

Another delegate who has attended every EuRA conference to date is Paulene Grant, of UK Relocation Services:

"As UK Relocation Services has adapted to meet our clients needs and grown as a company, so the EuRA conferences have adapted to the needs of the relocation companies and affiliates who make up the membership.  The conferences have become much larger yet manage to combine serious business opportunities with an informal and respectful atmosphere.  EuRA maintains its very European persona whilst also learning from the pioneers of the relocation industry in the USA.