Host an international congress in Geneva

A Request for Proposal (RFP) is a key document that sets out all the essential information relating to a congress, including its duration and proposed dates, a preliminary programme, meeting space requirements, the responsibilities of the local host, financial expectations, sustainability requirements, the submission deadline, selection criteria and the decision-making process. This document is essential in order to begin preparing a bid.

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) is the local team that hosts the congress and works closely with the association to organise the conference. Depending on requirements, it may be supported by a PCO agency, which handles logistics, allowing the LOC to focus on the scientific programme. The PCO's fees are generally covered by the conference budget. As the LOC's responsibilities vary from one association to another, it is essential to clarify them at the outset of the application process.

Letter of intent: sometimes requested before the official application, this allows the local host to express their interest in hosting the conference.

Bid book: application file aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of the conference in the destination and the motivation of the local host. It includes a scientific section (Geneva's expertise and assets), a destination section (accessibility, hotels, costs, etc.) and a logistics section (conference centre, budget, etc.).

The Geneva Convention Bureau provides a customisable template and takes care of creating and personalising the document.

In some cases, it may be necessary to present and defend your bid before the general assembly or a select group of decision-makers. The Convention Bureau can assist you, either on-site or remotely, and provide a presentation and video to support your bid. If attending in person, promotional items can also be offered to the audience.

The organisation may choose to visit the destination to inspect venues and facilities. The Geneva Convention Bureau can organise and, under certain conditions, finance this site inspection.

 

The association officially announces the selected destination after evaluating the submitted bids.

Once the bid is successful, the operational phase begins, carried out in close collaboration with local partners to ensure the success of the congress.

The Geneva Convention Bureau does not act as a logistical organiser of events. Our mission is to support local institutions and representatives throughout the congress bidding process. Once a congress has been awarded to Geneva, a professional congress organiser (PCO) can be appointed to manage the logistical organisation of the event.

The Geneva Convention Bureau cannot assume financial responsibility for an event. This responsibility lies with the organisers or the Local Organising Committee. It is essential to clarify this point with the organisers at the very beginning of the bidding process and to establish a detailed congress budget to avoid any unforeseen issues.
However, the Convention Bureau can support you in preparing an initial estimated budget and may also offer financial or in-kind support to help reduce overall costs.

Our team can assess the financial viability of a congress by analysing data from previous editions and preparing an initial estimated budget based on your needs. This allows us to evaluate feasibility together and decide whether to proceed with a bid.

The Geneva Convention Bureau has access to the ICCA database, which lists European and international congresses held on a rotational basis. We can carry out targeted research on your behalf to identify relevant opportunities in your area of expertise.