WONIPA 2017 World Conference

Event Details:

Event Date: 26th – 29th September 2017 – 4 consecutive days, including arrival day and an optional tour day on the last day

Event Title: The 36th World Conference of Nitrocellulose Producers and the 11th WONIPA General Assembly, hosted in 2017 by Nobel NC Europe. WONIPA stands for the Worldwide Nitrocellulose Producers Association, and its purpose is to promote the nitrocellulose industry and promote responsible action in the area of product care.

Where: The 2017 Conference event was held in Edinburgh in the conference facility of Hilton Edinburgh Carlton, where the delegates were also accommodated and enjoyed their Welcome Dinner on the Arrival day. The Scotch Whisky Experience was booked for the Day Two Dinner plus a tour and tasting, and the Conference Farewell Dinner was held at the Queen Anne Room at Edinburgh Castle.

Format: For the main two day conference event, Day One combined the WONIPA General Assembly with Technical Meetings for Association members. On Day Two, the conference event was open to all members and their guests. Running in parallel to the two full days of conferencing, Maximillion organised a programme of tours and authentic Scottish experiences for members, guests and partners alike. These included a tour of Edinburgh in a vintage red Routemaster bus, a visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia, the Real Mary King’s Close subterranean ghost tour in Edinburgh’s Old Town, and a visit to Stirling Castle. The day after the main Conference, those delegates who were staying on had the opportunity to join an optional visit to Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, and to discover malt whiskies at Deanston and Glengoyne distilleries!

Who Took Part:

An international group of 47 guests, comprising Statistics and WONIPA Members, their Suppliers and Guests coming from Europe, the Far East and South America. There was also a contingent of accompanying persons.

 

What They Wanted:

An event organiser to suggest and co-ordinate all aspects of the meeting and social programme, including the following elements:

  • Venue research, liaison and booking
    • Hotel research and rate negotiation
    • Unique dinner venues city centre
    • Food & drink: coordinating with the selected venues
  • Delegate management:
    • Online registration
    • Online payment
    • Pre-event communication
    • Guests arrival meet and greet
    • Transfers: coaches, executive cars, vintage bus tour
    • Post-event communications
  • Event management
    • On-site Event Management presence and support on each Conference day
    • Management of the programme of tours, trips and tastings
    • Photography

What We Did:

Maximillion was tasked with the full project and event management of the 2017 conference from initial venue search, liaison and booking, through ensuring the behind the scenes smooth running of each Conference day, to post-event delegate communication. Our involvement spanned a period of five months in total, with a total of three full-time Maximillion staff involved during each stage of the process.

Coupled with this, a key responsibility on this conference project was to work closely with, and remain accountable to the Nobel NC Europe senior management representatives. They oversaw proceedings, with the aim of hosting a highly successful conference that would exceed the expectations of the delegates and guests attending, and provide them with experiences that showcase the best in Scottish hospitality and entertainment. An objective which we can confidently say was reached through the event management support and expertise that Maximillion provided, in partnership with Nobel NC Europe.

What They Said:

“The WONIPA Conference is an annual event and is organised by one of its members. Recent events have been held in Germany , Russia, China and Thailand.

Thanks to the professionalism of the Maximillion Team and their close working relationship with the Nobel NC Europe team the event in Edinburgh was a fantastic success. The planning of the event programme and the attention to detail to cover the needs of the global audience was not easy, but the final event fully met everyone’s expectations. In fact, many of the attendees and guests commented after the Farewell dinner at Edinburgh Castle that this was the ‘Best Ever’ conference.

Thank you Maximillion Team for your excellent efforts and we will certainly contact you for any future events”. Gwilym Hughes, Managing Director – Nobel NC Europe