New Caledonia launches Specialist PCO Scheme

New Caledonia has stepped up support for the meetings sector with the creation of a new Specialist Scheme for professional conference organisers.

Modelled on New Caledonia’s successful scheme for travel agents, the new program offers a range of benefits and rewards for PCOs while providing increased backing for their clients.

Its introduction represents the next phase in New Caledonia’s strategy to further develop its business events industry. It follows last year’s appointment of a dedicated Sydney-based Business Development Manager for the MICE sector, who launched a new sales drive and helped put New Caledonia on track to double event bookings for 2007.

New Caledonia Tourism Australian Manager Diane Moynihan said the new Specialist PCO Scheme would offer exclusive benefits to participants and boost support for events staged in New Caledonia.

“The scheme gives PCOs a whole range of advantages including preferred status on famils, value-ad rewards for clients, support for client site inspections and exclusive offers from suppliers,” Ms Moynihan said.

“We’ll offer promotional and marketing support, corporate referrals from our Australian office, education and information, and access to the best industry rates and special offers.”

To join the scheme, PCOs need to arrange a sales meeting with New Caledonia’s Business Development Manager, participate in an educational visit to New Caledonia, and either have confirmed a New Caledonian event in the past three years or confirm one within two years of joining.

The new scheme is backed by an expanded section on the New Caledonia website where specialist PCOs can log-on to access exclusive offers and rewards, the latest industry news, product and venue information, and a range of services and tools.

“New Caledonia is in an ideal position to serve the conference and incentive industry, offering western-standard infrastructure in a tropical island location, just 2 hours from Brisbane or 2½ hours from Sydney,” Ms Moynihan said. “Plus, it offers a unique combination of Melanesian culture and French lifestyle, like nowhere else in the world.”

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