AccorHotels and ICESAP to Launch Agency Accreditation Scheme

The Incentive, Conference & Event Society Asia Pacific (ICESAP) together with AccorHotels will jointly launch the first ICESAP Agency Accreditation Scheme and the Certification in Incentive, Conference and Event Management, a distance learning program for the MICE industry.

As the principal partner on ICESAP’s Agency Accreditation and Distance Learning programme, AccorHotels will work with ICESAP on improving training standards, supporting education and advancing best practices throughout the sector.

Nigel Gaunt, President of ICESAP said, “The business events sector in Asia Pacific generates more than US$ 200 billion in economic contribution, yet before the ICESAP Agency Accreditation Scheme there was no formal mechanism to assess the quality of the agencies supporting this investment. The fundamental barrier to long-term growth for the sector is a lack of self-governance by the intermediary agencies in the industry. There are no barriers to entry, codes of conduct, or probity and capability checks on agency owners, managers or staff. The accreditation from ICESAP provides the industry with a consistent set of standards to follow and provides a strong foundation for raising the quality and professionalism of organisations in the industry. It also enables end users to more confidently navigate through the process of researching, appointing and managing event agencies.”

The ICESAP Agency Accreditation Scheme will now allow corporate end-users the ability to confidently identify and contract event agencies who meet the stringent accreditation standards.

The scheme will assess an agency’s policies, processes, management and staff competencies, as well as conduct a third-party probity and due diligence check on company directors. It will also provide the industry with a much-needed governance structure to support a sustain

ICESAP has engaged renowned firms Bradbury Consulting Pte Ltd to manage the application processing and commercial elements of the scheme and Dun & Bradstreet (Singapore) Pte Ltd to conduct the Probity Checks.

“The partnership with ICESAP to launch the first Agency Accreditation Scheme will help strengthen our commitment to professionalising the MICE industry in Asia Pacific giving access for our staff to the best training in the market in addition to our own accredited Academie Accor,” said Kerry Healey, Vice President of Sales Asia-Pacific, AccorHotels. “With demand for events so strong across the region, we want to ensure that our hotels are providing the highest standards of service to meeting organisers and this accreditation scheme will raise standards across the industry.”

AccorHotels has more than 760 hotels and resorts in Asia Pacific. In addition, more than 250 hotels are scheduled to open over the next five years. Globally the group has more than 4100 hotels and resorts in 95 countries.

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