Rotterdam International Advisory Board (IAB)
Rotterdam, Netherlands
The International Advisory Board (IAB) is a unique advisory council, first organized in 2004, made up of international leaders in academia and the private and public sectors. The IAB meets to advise the Municipal Executive Committee of Rotterdam on economic aspects of urban development and to reflect on ideas, visions and proposals the city wants to put forward.
The 2021 IAB was asked to define how the transformation of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry will change future business and revenue models, to assess the impact on the MICE sector on Rotterdam and to identify how the city should move forward to take advantage of opportunities that arise.
Christina Caljé was asked to join the IAB, given her perspective as an ‘original thinker’ outside of the MICE sector, and joins seven other deeply accomplished subject matter experts to provide strategic direction to the Municipality of Rotterdam during this crucial time of industry transformation.
On 21 April, the IAB presented their advice to the city government (represented by Vice Mayor Roos Vermeij) and city stakeholders, in a live-broadcast event.
Rotterdam International Advisory Board (IAB) Members
2021 Rotterdam International Advisory Board - Context and Purpose
The MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) industry is important for the Rotterdam economy, as a vehicle to drive high-value tourism generating local economic value, employment and income from tourist taxes. The industry also supports adjacent sectors such as leisure, hospitality and retail that are vital for the attractiveness of Rotterdam.
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the outlook of the MICE industry, hit hard by restrictions on travel, business operations, and social interaction. The MICE industry is not expected to return to normal after the pandemic. Global trends such as the adoption of sustainable business practices, the increasing demand for authentic experiences, and rapid technological advancements were already pushing for change in the industry and COVID-19 acted as a powerful catalyst to speed up this change.
This fundamental reset will not only change the nature of events, but also impact the make-up of the MICE industry ecosystem and revenue models for destinations such as Rotterdam. For this reason, the city government of Rotterdam has asked Rotterdam Partners to form a special International Advisory Board to get a fresh perspective on the future of the MICE industry.
This 2021 IAB, chaired by Lars Crama, brought together seven international experts to define how the transformation of the MICE industry will change future business and revenue models, to assess the impact on the MICE sector on our city and to identify how Rotterdam should move forward to take advantage of opportunities that arise.
On 21 April, the IAB presented their advice to the city government (represented by Vice Mayor Roos Vermeij) and city stakeholders. The presentation was broadcast live as a hybrid event with Netherlands-based IAB members present in studio at Hotel nHow Rotterdam and international IAB members joining virtually via Zoom.
Christina Caljé Intro And Motivations As IAB Member
Christina Caljé, Rotterdam Advisory Board member profile (video)
Christina Caljé Presents IAB Recommendation #4: Branding & Differentiation As Subsector Innovator
Christina Caljé, Board Member presents Recommendation #4 (video)
Rotterdam IAB MICE Industry - Full Board Recommendations
Rotterdam International Advisory Board presents recommendations to Vice Mayor (video)