OVERVIEW

Origins of FPDs Conference Department

FPD's conference department has its origins in the fight to make AIDS treatment accessible in Africa and combat AIDS denialism in South Africa. In 2000, at the peak of AIDS denialism, FPD organized the XIII International AIDS Conference in South Africa under the theme "Breaking the Silence." The conference drew 13,000 delegates, including 1,500 journalists, to Durban, marking the largest conference ever held in Africa. It conveyed a powerful message: "Whether you could afford a thousand dollars a month for treatment was the price of living with HIV or dying from AIDS." Within six months, global AIDS treatment costs plummeted, facilitating widespread affordability and rapid uptake in the South African private sector, despite denialism prevailing at the highest political levels, which hindered public sector treatment.

In response FPD in 2003, FPD reconvened the original AIDS 2000 local organizing committee to launch the 1st SA AIDS Conference. This event profoundly influenced government policy. Delegates experienced vehement denialist statements at the opening ceremony from the then Minister of Health, transitioning to commitments to a public sector treatment program during the closing ceremony by another senior politician, who had requested a speaking slot. He used this opportunity to declare, "It is not a matter of if, but when the government will provide AIDS treatment." Two weeks later, the national AIDS treatment programme was announced by Cabinet.

Differentiation from traditional Professional Conference Organizations (PCOs) 

The FPD Conference Department offers comprehensive meeting and event management services, supported by skilled and experienced staff using state-of-the-art project management systems. We provide clients with a robust partnership covering all aspects of event and conference management, ensuring the successful execution of their projects.

FPD's Conference Department serves as the permanent secretariat for several key conferences, including the SA AIDS Conference (since 2003), SA TB Conference (since 2008), and SA Mental Health Conference (since 2023). This commitment involves continuous investment in systems, marketing capacity, technology use, and staff expertise, all of which directly benefit our clients.

FPD's Conference Department stands out in South Africa as one of the few Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs) operating solely on a professional management fee structure, refraining from accepting commissions from suppliers—a common practice in South Africa. Instead, all traditional supplier commissions are returned to the event, reducing the overall cost of hosting events and allowing for funding of scholarship programmes.