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.

SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

Too many major societal challenges are kept out of sight and out of mind. Impactful public health conference is a mechanism of shining a spotlight of these problems. Such conferences can play a critical role in crafting solutions to seemingly intractable problems by creating awareness, providing a platform for the disenfranchised, allowing knowledge exchange, fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders, promoting awareness and driving the development and implementation of innovative solutions. These events facilitate the sharing of research findings, best practices, and policy recommendations, ultimately contributing to improved public health outcomes and the advancement of health equity. As William F. Halsey said, "There are no great people in this world, only great challenges which ordinary people rise to meet." Conference can be key to creating that momentum to finding a solution. 

SOLUTION

Partnership

FPD is selective in its partnerships for organizing events, ensuring they align with FPD's mission and values. In such cases, FPD support goes far beyond that of a traditional PCO, offering services that include:

  • Comprehensive strategic planning to optimize the impact and reach of the event.
  • Comprehensive advice on socially responsible event organization.
  • A one-stop service providing most of the services required to organize an event.
  • Cash flow support during the start-up phase.
  • Access to FPD's marketing database which is compliant with the South African Protection of Personal Information Act.
  • Access to FPD's social media marketing capacity, which has run various highly successful conference marketing campaigns.
  • Vetted suppliers, all suppliers that FPD uses go through a transparent selection process in line with stringent donor requirements linked to FPD's large donor-funded projects.

This commitment to excellence and integrity ensures that FPD's Conference Department not only meets but exceeds client expectations, delivering successful and impactful events.

Accreditation

FPDs conference department is registered with the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI) and the Association of African Exhibition Organisers (AAXO).

Conference services

Our comprehensive range of local and international professional conference planning and management services include:

  • Strategic conference business development
  • Conference risk analysis
  • International conference bid production
  • Conference secretariat functions
  • Abstract and speaker management services
  • Conference project planning and management services
  • Delegate administration service (including registration)
  • Exhibition management services
  • Financial management
  • Conference technology support services and equipment
  • Event monitoring and evaluation
  • Protocol services
  • Scholarship management services
  • Destination and tour management through our in-house Travel Bureau
  • Sponsorships recruitment and exhibition sales



RESULTS

FPD has hosted 98 Conferences attracting 137 457 delegates and provided more than 10 000 scholarships to make our conferences accessible. In this context FPD conferences promote The FPD Conference Department supports FPDs Organizational Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that covers: