Laying the foundations of the Association

In the meantime plans to market ABPCO were set in train, a recruitment drive was implemented and in March 1983 the first bank account was opened with members paying a subscription of £25 every six months to cover the inevitable expenses that were building up.   Other costs, such as printing the first brochure, continued to be divided between the members as and when required.

Working parties were set up to explore ideas on publishing guidelines for the benefit of those wishing to enter the conference industry, prospective clients and managers of venues.  These included:

• The ABPCO guidelines for entering the conference industry
• Guidelines for the preparation for an invitation to tender (for distribution to organisations inviting bids to organise their event that may have no idea of the role of the conference organiser)
• The addendum to client contract
• The addendum to venue contract (for distribution to venues advising them of the consequences that may ensue if they breached their contracts)
• The essential terms and conditions of exhibiting

The working parties also produced, among others, reports on:

• Conditions of membership
• Grading hotels offering conference facilities
• The development of education and training

Members continued to meet four to five times a year, including the AGM, and a popular item on the Agenda was Information Exchange at the end of each meeting.  Members who had had good or bad experiences with suppliers had the opportunity to express their views.  A recurring topic was hotel standards!