The buyer-side advisory practice focussed on the association segment aims to help the two major seller groups lock in association meetings that best suit them as well as helping destinations and venues improve their engagement with and support of association conferences, as well as delivering a better experience for the association segment.
The association advisory will also help destinations and venues hone their positioning for the association market.
“Adding Association (Buyer-Side) Advisory as a dedicated service pillar is an exciting and important development for GainingEdge,” said GainingEdge CEO, Steen Jakobsen.
“It complements our established destination and venue advisory services and strengthens our ability to support clients across the entire association business journey.
“We are very excited to bring this distinctive buyer-side perspective to the industry and help destinations and venues become more relevant, competitive and valuable partners to associations.”
The new advisory arm is being led by Thomas Reiser, who joined GainingEdge as a partner earlier this year, bringing decades of association experience with him, including leadership of multiple medical associations. Before joining the consultancy, Reiser spent almost 15 years as executive director of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
“Having spent more than 25 years leading international associations, I have been closely involved in the internal conversations and decision-making processes that determine whether a destination or venue is selected,” said Reiser.
“I have seen first-hand what association staff and boards discuss, what genuinely matters to them and what ultimately makes a bid succeed or fail.
“This new practice allows us to turn that experience into practical support and a competitive advantage for destinations and venues.
“It is not based on theory – it is grounded in what I have seen makes a real difference from the buyer’s side of the table.”
