About the Event:

INCON Partner: International Conference Services

Event Name: The International Congress on Neuromuscular Diseases (ICNMD)

Dates: Oct 25 – 26, 2024

Location: Perth Australia

Website: https://icnmd.org

THE BACKGROUND

The International Congress on Neuromuscular Diseases (ICNMD) is a premier scientific medical meeting aimed at offering attendees an updated view on neuromuscular disorders while fostering international collaborations and networking. Historically, the success of the congress in terms of attendance and sponsorship was heavily influenced by the respective Local Organizing Committee (LOC) or Congress Chair. This decentralized approach made it difficult to predict outcomes and resulted in fluctuating statistics and inconsistent delegate satisfaction.

ICS was hired as the Professional Congress Organizer (PCO) for ICNMD starting in 2016 to stabilize the event and drive long-term growth.

THE CHALLENGE

Prior to 2016, ICNMD faced several structural hurdles that threatened its sustainability:

■ Declining Frequency: The congress was a quadrennial (every four years) event, which led to a loss of momentum and dropping attendance figures

■ Fragmented Focus: The program focus alternated between two distinct disciplines (Neurology and Muscular Diseases), leading to a fragmented identity for the congress

■ Outcome Unpredictability: Heavy reliance on local committees meant that organizational knowledge was often lost between

cycles, leading to inconsistent delegate and sponsor experiences

ICS SOLUTIONS

To reposition ICNMD as a leading global meeting, ICS implemented a multi-year strategic overhaul focused on three primary objectives:

■ Increase Meeting Frequency: Shifted the congress from a quadrennial to a biennial (every two years) schedule to maintain consistent engagement with the scientific community

■ Unified Scientific Program: Combined the two alternating disciplines into every congress to provide a comprehensive, clear focus for both delegates and sponsors alike

■ Standardized Excellence: Reduced reliance on the LOC by establishing centralized management processes, ensuring a high- quality, predictable experience regardless of the host destination

THE OUTCOME

Since ICS assumed management, ICNMD has seen a significant upward trajectory in its key performance indicators:

Attendance Growth:

■ Attendance increased from 800 to 1,450 delegates, representing an 80% increase

■ The congress has maintained steady participation levels, even navigating the shift to a virtual format in 2021.

Sponsorship and Exhibition Success:

Instead of fluctuating with the local economy, sponsorship revenue has shown progressive growth with each edition under ICS management:

■ 2016: 40% increase in revenue over the prior congress

■ 2018: 73% increase in revenue over the prior congress

■ 2021: 32% increase in revenue over the prior congress

■ 2022: 13% increase in revenue over the prior congress

■ 2024: 10% increase in revenue over the prior congress

Digital Innovation:

ICS introduced an event app to enhance delegate experience, resulting in high levels of engagement:

■ 58% of registered delegates accessed the app.

■ Over 6,400 page views and 2,362 unique views during the event.

■ The app facilitated 607 leads captured for exhibitors and numerous delegate-to-delegate connections

CONCLUSION

By implementing a strategic biennial schedule and unifying the scientific focus, ICS has transformed ICNMD into a financially and educationally successful meeting. The transition to a centralized PCO model has strengthened the Society’s involvement in the conference and perfected the event experience for sponsors and delegates alike. With a robust marketing engine and a focus on digital integration, ICNMD continues to be a strong, resilient event with high sponsor retention and a bright future for its 2026 edition.