TPO Network World Conference

Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs

0. Who should attend the TPO Network World Conference?
0. Can my organization participate?
0. What does my institution need to do to participate on the WTPO Conference?
0. How can my organization host the Conference?
0. What are the costs involved in order to host a WTPO Conference?
0. What does it imply to host a WTPO Conference?
0. Where have previous Conferences taken place?

 

 

 1. Who should attend the TPO Network World Conference?

The TPO Network World Conference is aimed at practitioners and professionals in the field of trade promotion. It is ideally suited for CEOs and other senior staff members from national as well as regional trade promotion organizations.

 

 2. Can my organization participate?

While targeted at the senior level staff of Trade Promotion Organisations, the TPO Network World Conference welcomes representatives from Trade Promotion Organizations, other governmental and private business support organizations, related government ministries with responsibility for trade and international and national development agencies interested in trade capacity development.

 

 3. What does my institution need to do to participate on the TPO Network World Conference?

Every participant needs to register in advance. Registration starts a few months before the event and details are announced on the TPO Network website, as well as on the conference website.

 

 4. How can my organization host the Conference?

The selection of the venue for the next Conference is always done by the participants at the event. Before each Conference, interested organizations put in a bid following an announcement on the TPO Network website, as well as the conference website, where details of how to register and the criteria of registration are outlined. Finally, each interested organization presents its bid during the Conference, and the participants vote in a secret ballot to select the next host.The bid with the simple majority of the votes is elected as the host. The bid coming in second in the vote is named runner-up and will step up to host the event if for any reason the winner declines that privilege.

As there is currently an imbalance regarding the geographical areas where the Conferences have taken place, ITC would like to encourage that the next events are hosted by African and/or South-Asian TPOs.

For information, the 2010 bid criteria are available here. In 2010 the participants of the 8th TPO Network World Conference and Awards elected Matrade to host the event in 2012. 

 5. What are the costs involved in order to host a TPO Conference?

While the costs of hosting a high-level international conference for some 200 people from across the world vary from country to country, prospective bidders to host the conference should consider the responsibilities for the organisation include covering all local costs, including venue and logistics, local transportation, communications and promotion of the event, mainly. Hence, it is recommended that when envisaging to bid to host the TPO Network World Conference and Awards TPOs have a very precise objective they wish to obtain by hosting the event, in order to ensure the investment results in positive benefits for the organisation and the country.

The TPO Network World Conference and Awards takes place biennially, normally in October. It is a high-level, international event for some 200 to 250 participants representing trade promotion and development organisations from all around the world. The primary objective of the conference is to bring together colleagues and peers from around the world to discuss issues which are relevant to their daily activities and that can be turned into practical and operational decisions quickly. A second objective, equally important, is for meeting participants to network, exchange experiences and explore potential avenues for collaboration.

The host TPO covers all local costs for the Conference. This includes event planning, logistics and promotion. A view to keeping the costs for the participants as low as possible is strongly recommended, in order to encourage participation from representatives from LDCs and countries located across the globe.

When defining the venue for the event, consideration should be given to the size of the event. Conferences are planned to accommodate around 250 participants. The venue should provide adequate space for:

• A plenary session with up to 250 people
• Parallel break-out sessions
• Secretariat space for the host committee and ITC
• Rooms for bilateral meetings

Travel, accommodation and meals: Conference participants usually fund their own participation. To encourage the largest possible representation from all member countries, the bidding TPO may wish to consider the following:

• Flights: Airfares will depend on the location of the event. Though, if possible, they should not be prohibitive for participants.
• Transportation to and from the airport should be convenient and the location should be in reasonably close to a major airport.
• Accommodation and meals:

- ITC must follow the requirements set down by the United Nations when considering such events. This means that host countries must offer three alternative hotels for participants to choose from. The prices of these hotels must fall within the UN’s daily subsistence allowance for the particular city where the Conference and hotels are located.

- Lunches, refreshments and coffee breaks are an integral part of the event and need to be considered when designing the budget. The TPO Network Awards are announced and handed out during a gala dinner on the first night of the event. This gala dinner, along with a welcome cocktail should be also included in the considerations for the budget. Furthermore, in keeping with the objective of facilitating networking among participants, space and time should be allotted for networking activities. Optional, but traditional, dinners during the event provide an opportunity for the host country to showcase the local culture and cuisine.

Please note: If the bidder would like to showcase a selected conference venue and the related hotels, please ensure the venue showcased in the bid complies with the above recommendations.

For the definition of the theme and programme, the host TPO works in close collaboration with ITC on the conference programme in selecting the theme, speakers, conference chair, etc.

More detailed guidelines will be made available closer to the event. The previous guidelines can be read, for reference, here.

 

 6. What does it imply to host a TPO Conference?

Hosting the TPO Network World Conference and Awards is open to officially recognized national TPOs mandated by their governments to act as the apex body for trade promotion in their countries. In cases where no TPO has been established, government ministries often perform this function. As such they are also recognized as the apex body for trade promotion and could apply to launch a bid.

The winning bidder will embark on a close collaboration with ITC over the next two years towards the successful organization of the event. Soon after the closing of the previous event, ITC begins this relationship through the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding with the host country. This document outlines the requirements for hosting the following event. Further to acting as the Conference host, the head of the winning TPO will sit on the Adjudicating Panel for the next edition of the TPO Network Awards.

Read more about the bid for the next TPO Network World Conference.

 

 7. Where have previous Conferences taken place?

The event is hosted biennially by a TPO that is a member of the TPO Network, in collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC). The following Conferences have been held since 1996:

• The 1st Conference in Cartagena (Colombia, 1996) addressed the impact of the new multilateral trading system, in the wake of the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
• The 2nd Conference in Santiago (Chile, 1998) followed with a closer look at trade promotion tools.
• At the 3rd Conference in Marrakech (Morocco, 2000), participants addressed the challenges of the digital economy, and began to review the challenges of public-private partnership and impact assessment.
• The turbulent business environment was the theme of the 4th Conference in Beijing (China, 2002).
• At the 5th Conference in Malta (Malta, 2004), the focus was on innovation and practical action as a response to rapid evolutions in global trade.
• The opportunities and challenges for TPOs in global trade were discussed at the 6th Conference in Buenos Aires (Argentina, 2007).
• The 7th Conference in The Hague (Netherland, 2008) explored key issues for TPOs to remain competitive in the changing international marketplace. 
• The challenge of measuring and reporting on TPO impact was the centre of the 8th World Conference, held in Mexico City in 2010.
• In 2012 the 9th Conference will be held in collaboration with MATRADE (Malaysia), with a theme still to be defined.