On 16 April 2008, the Spanish Association of Destination Management Companies (AEDMC) held its 8th General Assembly in which the plan of action and budget for 2008 were approved. Main issue raised during the assembly included the promotion of Spain as an international meetings and event destination and obtaining financial aid from the country’s different administrations.
Presided by Juan Antonio Casa, AEDMC’s members met in Barcelona to approve the accounts of the previous financial year, establish the association’s lines of action, and approve the budget for 2008.
During his speech, Juan Antonio Casas called for the need to inject business content into the association’s actions, promoting the enormous advantages of using a DMC for organising international corporate events in any part of Spain.
Along these lines, the meagre financial aid that DMCs receive from the different Spanish administrations, taking into account the enormous weight the MICE industry has in the Spanish economy and its impact on the GDP and employment figures, was discussed at length. All those present agreed unanimously to call on all the Spanish administrations to step up collaboration.
Luis Diaz, executive director of AEDMC, set out the association’s plan of action for 2008, of which the lines approved in the general assembly included the following: to create a new brand name more in accord with the association’s objectives; to redesign the association’s website so as to improve its functionality and give it a more commercial angle; to design a corporate brochure: to participate in MICE industry trade shows; to sign general agreements with different types of service providers that use DMCs and collaboration agreements with institutions and other MICE industry associations.
With the aim of executing the plan of action, the budget for 2008 was approved, up 200% on the year before. Nevertheless, membership fees will not be increased as a result, additional spending being covered by the fees of new members.
