MICE activities is one kind of tourism business that have some challenges ranging from planning, organizing, and implementation to the reporting process. All activities in every variable MICE had a uniqueness and quit challenges such as Congress Event. Congress activities involve participation from domestic and international and are called Delegations.
Delegates are generally representatives of countries/organizations or private companies who are assigned to attend a congress event. Representatives allow a single person or more in a group of delegation. One of those groups usually has a leader with the highest profile, called the Head of Delegation.
Delegation’s experiences must be different when they came to a country of MICE destination. With that limitation of experiences and knowledge, so they need someone who could attach along the event running. This person must be knowledgeable about the city of destination and other particulars of that destination.
The staff attached is called Liasion Officer(LO) taken from English language and in formal Indonesian language says Narahubung. This guy focused on assistance for Delegation or Head of Delegation. Maybe a few people assume this profession is quite simple, comfortable, and without challenges during an event. In fact, this profession is very tight with rules and regulations and full of challenges.
SOP (Standard Operation Procedure) Liasion Officer.
The liaison Officer has SOP river to State Protocol Standard and Hospitality Service. They’re some of the SOP Liasion Officers:
- LO attached and with the assistance of Delegation or Head of Delegations from Arrival – Running Event until Departure.
- LO knowledgeable with detailing rundown such us Sitting Arrangement, Photo group Session Arrangement
- LO knowledgeable about destination, local tourism, economic – social – political – cultural issues, bilateral system among two countries
- LO be able foreign language besides the English Language when delegation needed
- LO has diplomatics skill when an un-acceptances request or other needed beyond norms
- LO be able to work with different departments such as Ground Handling, Transportation, Hospitality Desk, Police Officers, Medical, and as bridging between Delegations and other committees
- LO has skilled in observative, initiativeness, adaptiveness, responsiveness, and also checking & recheck every particular of work
- LO understands with a proper position like how to walk, in a private car, and other conditions
Source: PT. Bhatara Tunas Perkasa – SOP of Talent Management
Challanges and uniqeness of Liasion Officer
Liaison Officers have challenges and uniqueness and are almost never the same as other departments:
- Delegations without a bilateral relationship with Indonesia
- Delegations with single local language and English Language limitation
- Delegations with unstable emotion, unspecific medical record, and food allergic
- In the other hand, LO is attached to delegations so they have unlimited access to the restricted area such as VIP lounge access even to Private Jet, Police Escort, VIP cars, and other privilege
- The most interesting experiences, LO also gets local merchandise from delegation country or some tipping even in million rupiah
Lecturer of Three Years Hospitality Study Program, Sekolah Tinggi Pariwisata Bogor.