First Impressions and Experiences in the Professional Congress Organisation (PCO) world – Including Tips for Newcomers!

PCO is not one task that stretches from the beginning of planning to the end of the congress, nor is it the thousands of emails and calls that must be made during that time. PCO is about not losing track and not overlooking anything – that is the real challenge a PCO faces.

Last year, I began my role as a junior project manager at the Berlin office of CPO HANSER SERVICE and would like to share my first impressions and provide tips for other newcomers. Entering the world of Professional Congress Organisation can be an exciting and challenging experience. As a newcomer, you will be exposed to a fast-paced environment where attention to detail and effective communication are crucial.

Congress organisation is dynamic. It’s crucial to write everything down and take notes. No mass invitation email will be fully answered, no document released without revisions – keeping track of everything and following up at the right time is not part of the job – but rather the job itself. For this, I have found four key steps:

1. Timelines and Timetables – A continuous to-do list that allows you to check off tasks (partially) as well as declare follow-up dates and clarify responsibilities is a clear must have. Use both a list and a calendar tool to be reminded at the appropriate time. You must include start and end dates for tasks, setting clear guidelines and deadlines while warning of upcoming tasks in due time, allowing you to follow up on them. Following up also means checking and reviewing. No one can remember the exact point where an email conversation stopped or what was discussed in a meeting three weeks ago without proper
2. Documentation – A structured order and email system is essential for a PCO. It’s better to write down too much than too little, better to file every email than to miss information. For me, it has proven useful to thoroughly document work steps and processes. Not every task occurs daily – some not even monthly. To ensure the work process meets the principles of reliability, validity and legitimacy, it must be well documented. This also saves time and mental effort, allowing all team members to easily read into a topic and allowing you to embrace
3. Teamwork – Know your team and build relationships. It is crucial to outsource responsibilities and tasks to others as any congress is too big to be handled alone. You need to know their strengths and weaknesses as well as your own. Networking is an important aspect of the PCO industry. Cultivate good relationships with colleagues, clients, vendors and industry professionals. These connections can be invaluable, especially when you need to
4. Take care of yourself – The job can be demanding, so it’s important to manage stress and maintain a healthy work-life balance to reliably maintain mental effort. Take breaks when needed and find time to recharge.

Overall, congress organisation is varied with hectic and more relaxed phases, where no workday is the same as the other. As a PCO, you don’t work alone; you are a team player and a part of something bigger. Coordination with colleagues, stakeholders and clients is indispensable, as everyone must turn in the same direction. Congress organisation is dynamic but also repetitive. Besides planning, meetings, correspondence and reviews, careful filing and documentation play a significant role in understanding workflows. Much of the work today is done by programmes or artificial intelligence. A newcomer should be able to quickly get an overview, not lose track of various parallel tasks and still keep an eye on the big picture. No algorithm can do that.

Trishan Spohr, Junior Project Manager, Congresses | CPO HANSER SERVICE