In between her client visits in New York City, Jacqueline stopped by at the MCIntl office on a brisk Friday early afternoon in February. She shared with the team some of her international meeting experiences and her role at International Pediatric Endosurgery Group (IPEG). Jacqueline serves as the Executive Director of IPEG, “an inclusive international organization that fosters new ideas, innovation, and education in pediatric minimally invasive surgery.”
She also serves as the Administrative Director for SAGES’ Global Affairs Committee. A committee that takes SAGES’ know how in structured education to areas around the globe with limited resources. In this role, she has helped to foster relationships with sister societies, government entities, and local leaders to be able to provide the best avenue for sustainability and success. Jacqueline’s instrumental role in developing meeting structure, educative seminars at IPEG and working with SAGES Global Affairs Leadership and Committee has contributed to the global impact of both these organizations. Her long and successful career in the meetings and events industry has placed her in an elite class of Global Events Visionaries shaping the world one event, one country at a time.
JN: In your successful career, what are some of strategies you’ve implemented in global meeting planning?
JQ: As much as opportunity allows, I like to think that I add a level of personalization for all attendees at each conference, course, or event planned. Especially when we are in areas with limited resources, I like to connect with the local team, and as we finish off our work week, ensure then that they are part of the given working team, community.
Be always open to new ideas. Challenges are learning experiences.
JN: From your experience as a Managing Director of Global Events, what insights can you provide to international destinations in positioning their product in the competitive marketplace?
JQ: Providing detail in a full deck and walk though of the partnership with the city i.e. housing sourcing, city incentives, support with site visits, city highlights tailored to the client, support opportunities given the focus of the client. A few destinations that I feel have done a fantastic job at this have been Edinburgh, Vienna, and Macau.
JN: What are some of the benefits of planning an international meeting?
JQ: An international meeting allows for the client, be it association or corporate, to reach new audiences or members. It also provides global visibility. If you are an international organization or company that as a goal would like to reach and impact new individuals or continue to have a global footprint, international meetings and events are a must.
JN: What global legacies or impact are IPEG creating?
JQ: As an example, IPEG is an international Association with over 60 countries represented at each congress. Although based in Los Angeles, California, USA, IPEG continues to strengthen its reach internationally and has two current active chapters one in the Middle East and the other in Latin America. In 2020, there will be a meeting “Among Friends,” IPEG (in conjunction with) ESPES & EUPSA will meet at the Austrian Center Vienna, June 10-13, 2020. One of the largest gathering of Pediatric Surgeons. As the Executive Director of IPEG, we bring together colleagues, innovation, and education in Pediatric MIS across the globe.
In 2018, Global Affairs launched a new program called iLAP (international Laparoscopic Advancement Program). The mission of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) is to improve quality patient care through education, research, innovation and leadership, principally in gastrointestinal and endoscopic surgery. This new program was launched in Mexico with great success and commitment from the Asociacion Mexicana de Cirugia General (AMCG) and the various authorities for each state we were in from the Hospital Directors, Military Leadership, and Ministry of Health. This program will continue to expand and in its first year has received interest from various countries and regions as well as Industry partners. The ability to collaborate and know that you’re working towards improving patient care, sustainable programs, and education pathways for the future in that international region is the global impact.
