What is a PCO?
PCO is the acronym for Professional Conference Organiser. A PCO usually provides full service management for conferences including but not limited to conference design, registration, site and venue selection and booking, audiovisuals, IT support, logistics, leisure management, marketing, printing and web services, sourcing speakers, funding and sponsorship, financial management and budget control. A PCO undertakes the above activities regularly hence achieves higher professionalism and efficiency than hosts, sponsors arranging conferences, meetings only a few time within years. In effect maximum paricipant satisfaction is more certain to achieve with the involvement of a PCO, also at a lower overall cost.
A PCO takes on the role of co-ordinator and consultant, responsible for the logistic, technical, administrative and financial matters involved in the organisation and preparation of conferences, congresses, special events or meetings. The assistence of a PCO enables the initiator, sponsor of a conference to devote time and energy to the preparation of the content and to the realisation of the objective of his meeting. Moreover, a PCO organises and runs a meeting as it is happening, allowing the client to fully concentrate on his presentation or discussion, to be an attentive host, and to exchange information and knowledge effectively.