SIBOS, the annual financial services congress, is run by a professionally honed and experienced team from the Swift organisation in Brussels and therefore do not require a local PCO. SIBOS, which occupied the entire Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre for two weeks last October, is an important event on the calendar of all the world’s leading banks and financial institutions.
SIBOS brings together several thousand decision-makers annually to discuss international financial transactions and new developments in the industry. It attracted some 5300 delegates, more than double the number who attended the SIBOS conference in Sydney in 1997. SIBOS always allows plenty of time for the opportunity to network informally and bring together experts.
Whilst the overall management of the event originates in Brussels there were a number of opportunities to support the key exhibitors/sponsors and Tour Hosts was lucky enough to gain an exceptional appointment via INCON our international partnership. Our client is a leading multi-national bank who hosted key customers to a number of events. There was keen competition between the banks to secure the attention of delegates and preparation for this program was a year in the making.
Our brief was to manage an extensive database for invitations and all the logistics for a range of activities over the week in consultation with the company’s offices in New York and Hong Kong.
We developed signage and collateral material which reflected our client’s “inventor’s” theme – The Art of Partnership: How Innovative Thought Inspires Success.
On behalf of our client, we rolled out the red carpet for their guests – literally in the case of the gala dinner we organised at the Sydney Town Hall. Words cannot describe the success of this event. From the moment the 400 influential guests arrived for pre-dinner drinks and canapés in the Town Hall’s elegant vestibule every moment of the entire evening was choreographed down to the farewells. The menu had been tested some months out from the event and has a distinctly “Modern Australian” flavour. Nothing unusual for us Aussies but even the simple desserts of wattle seed pavlova and individual lamingtons were a big hit.
Entertainment arrived in the form of The Three Waiters (you could say, no not them again but when you see all the guests on queue waving their napkins….!), talented operatic singers who appeared from the ranks of the service staff. After dinner it was time to enjoy the music of Bjorn Again, the popular ABBA tribute band.
The brief also included a range of tasks including breakfast meetings at L’Aqua on Cockle Bay; a fleet of aircraft taking selected guests to lunch at Cottage Point on the scenic Hawkesbury River, sailing on Sydney Harbour, massages for partners and a media lunch.
So what made it so successful? The working relationship with our client who had high expectations and a great attitude. Together we constructed elements that may normally be considered ‘simple’ into elegance and superb participant interaction - So remember, even when you don’t win the whole gig, look for other opportunities!
 Roslyn McLeod is the founder and managing director of Tour Hosts, a Sydney-based conference and event management company.
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