Mumbai. The 2nd edition of India Association Congress (IAC) was held successfully on 24th an 25th August 2012 at Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai, India. The two day program witnessed panel discussion on various subjects like Role of Association in nation Building, future directions for India’s Associations Sector, fostering great connection with member and Stakeholders engagement & role of events, opportunities and challenges for international associations, recruitment and retention for associations, etc.
Some of the eminent industry leaders including Prasant Saha, Chairman of India Association Congress; Dr. K R Gangadharan, President of the International Federation on Ageing; Dr Ashok K Gupta, Padma Shri Award winner & a renowned reconstructive Plastic Surgeon & Vibhav Kant Upadhyay, Chairman, India Center Foundation et al graced the occasion with their presence.
Commenting on the occasion, Prasant Saha, Chairman of India Association Congress advised the Associations, “Communication plays a major role in building and sustaining an Association. Also, it is important to realize that this is a time to move forward and clarify each doubt at the first in order to have a fruitful result. IAC advices to adapt upcoming technology as your right hand power at every step to ensure accurate result within specified time limit. For better representation bring in new blood as it has more potential and an urge to rise and catch up the sky if in case they miss to do so they will still be among the stars.”
The IAC 2012 witnessed industry veterans addressing the issues of concern related to an association like: lack of capability to innovate in terms of program delivery role of association in nation building, a decline in membership, and a lack of capability to innovate in terms of program delivery, etc.
Vibhav Kant Upadhyay, Chairman, India Center Foundation, compared the old world functioning to today as he said, “Associations are pillars of democracy. The world is a confused place today. Definitions we have created are all artificial and systems we have in place have been created some 250 years ago. At that time, aspirations were very limited and natural resources were unlimited. Today, aspirations are unlimited and natural resources are limited.”
He further said, “India cannot ‘cut and paste’ the same models as is being used in other parts of the world. We have to understand the limitations and advantages of India and create a new model that maps our aspirations to resources available. The point of nation building is to address what kind of nation we want to build.”
Dr. Ashok Gupta (Padma Shri), Association of Plastic Surgeons of India cleared the myth around nation building. He said, “Many people believe Nation Building is evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Although Tata’s and Birla’s have been emphasizing about CSR since long, but CSR in India is still at a very nascent stage. Companies & Associations need to understand that a construction of healthy population leads to healthy nation.”
With the huge response garnered in the second edition of IAC 2012, the 3rd edition of the conference on 23rd and 24th August 2013 promises to be bigger and better, with several parallel sessions, exhibition and award ceremony.
