MANY things have happened since I first wrote here about legacy in the context of associations (“Legacy of Associations,” March 14, 2018). For one, the pandemic has put a stop on travel and business events, e.g., conferences and congresses, which are important activities that associations offer to their members. On the other hand, it gave momentum for associations to plan long term and think deeply on the impact these events provide, not only to members, but also to the destination.
Such is the case on the concept of associations as “legacy makers” brought to life in a webinar on themed, “How to Create Legacy with your Events”that my organization, the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives (PCAAE), recently conducted jointly with the Brussels-based Visit Flanders Convention Bureau (Visit Flanders).
Presenters Gemmeke de Jongh and Sam Versele, International Association Expert and Ambassador Relations Manager of Visit Flanders, respectively, made the case that legacy benefits people, society, and the destination in the long term.
Legacy, as they defined it and explained below, is something that “lives on” and what an association “leaves behind” long after its event has ended. It can be something small or large that brings about long-lasting physical, socio-economic, or cultural change.
- The “Why”—Events are not the end goal but a means to an end. They are catalysts for change and have a far-reaching positive impact. Legacy demonstrates the social value of associations and their events. Associations need not think only of more events but doing better ones.
- “For Whom and With Whom”—The event’s legacy is meant for member-attendees, residents of the destination (students, professionals, scientists, entrepreneurs), as well as organizations (businesses, non-profits, public sector) and places surrounding the venue.
- The “How”—The four guiding principles include: (a) creating a positive impact in the long term at the policy level, at the association, member and community levels, and at the level of the organization of the event itself; (b) focusing on the participants, the local residents, the entrepreneurs, and the place of the event; (c) undertaking co-creation opportunities, i.e., working with various actors, e.g., local authorities, businesses, and academics; and (d) monitoring for improvement such as sharing lessons learned and enhancing efforts to do better.
So how can an association start its legacy-making journey? The roadmap can consist of:
1. Exploration—Think of the potential legacy project that your association can develop as well as harness all the support you can muster to start it.
2. Preparation—You need one to two years to develop and organize your event—i.e., determining its theme and objectives, setting up partnerships and embedding your event in the destination’s community.
3. Organization—You work on the details of the event—e.g., approach, program, catering, and location
4. Embedding—You have to follow up on this from six months to a few years after your event.
Legacy initiatives demonstrate that associations not only provide services to members but also benefits to a wider community. In turn, they contribute to a destination’s socioeconomic development.
The column contributor, Octavio ‘Bobby’ Peralta, is concurrently the secretary-general of the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific, Founder & CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives and President of the Asia-Pacific Federation of Association Organizations. The purpose of PCAAE—the “association of associations”—is to advance the association management profession and to make associations well-governed and sustainable. PCAAE enjoys the support of Adfiap, the Tourism Promotions Board, and the Philippine International Convention Center. E-mail: obp@adfiap.org.
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