Vision of the Future – feedback from delegates at 2011 World Congress

Feedback / Responses
Regional Matters
-Asia Pacific: positive feedback about appointment of regional co-ordinator
-West Asia & Africa: reconsider region (ie. divide region and move parts to other regions)
Education
-Programmes: missing in Europe (like seen in North America).
-Need stronger IT, and marketing could be introduced
-Use of webinars by staff including recorded versions
-Advertise current education courses put on by members to all worldwide members
-To put people on other member courses
Sharing Knowledge
-Sharegroups in North America are successful withgood information flow
-Soft skills sharing across all regions
-Attend meetings for other regions
-Share information between regions
-Listing of areas of expertise internationally on website.
-International sharegroups (HR, marketing) to be set up
-Knowledgebank of general questions and answers to be created
Communications
-Info should flow at staff level – not just at partner level because they share common problems. Staff are the future of company.
-Sharegroup for staff members from all over the world.
-Education of staff at home about AGN.
-Membership Manual: have a session at next World Congress to go through this document
Creating Knowledge
General
-AGN has the necessary infrastructure; there is no need to spend more money; we should use what we have already
-Create a list of recommended professionals in each country from other areas of business for clients eg:
-lawyers
-M&A
-Property agents
-Insurance brokers
-Enhance ability to service clients by gaining knowledge of international area.
-Find way to give clients access to other areas of expertise (all firms have this) – but what is an expert? Put industry forum together and use it to check if person is reliable or an expert.
-Any firms that have contacts with lawyers should be passed on to IEO for next legal services meeting
-Other organizations have lawyers as members
Taxation
-More co-operation on tax surveys.
-All regions should have similar tax surveys as the European region.
-ITC: transfer pricing would be a high topic which this committee could get more involved in
-Niches strengthened – tax lawyers
General Membership Matters
-Complete referral network around the world
-It is important that members deliver results; don’t just look at turnover for a firm to be a member; also look at niche markets.
-Raise profile to outside world
- Share information about clients (if allowed). Private area in website to help this. Information should include which country and what industry
-More engagement in AGN infrastructure (for one firm country) /
Will be discussed at 2012 regional meetings
Euroboard to consider in their January 2012 meeting
Uncertain as to what reference to IT means; marketing is different from country to country. AGN Marketing Guide exists and is promoted thru the monthly marketing tip included in each Worldwide Update.
Currently on IEO task list
IEO will again enquire of members and when advised, inform membership thru the monthly update.
Greater possibility of this happening after application of point above.

A webinar could achieve this.
This has started to happen already and will continue to be encouraged.
Regional Committees will be encouraged to do this.
Database of expertise already exists on the international website – regular encouragement to update information there carried in monthly Worldwide Update.
Blogs can be set up to cover these elements.
As the point above
Partners receiving information should ensure it is disseminated within their firm – this is encouraged in both the AGN Marketing Guide and monthly Worldwide Update.
Can use resources created above.
AGN Marketing Guide encourages this.
International Board to considerwhether this should be on the agenda.
International Board considers this regularly at each of their meetings; recent expenditure to enhance in-house infrastructure necessary to provide additional resources in Asia Pacific region.
Will be encouraged at 2012 regional meetings.
This is achieved in many different ways both from within AGN (eg attending meetings, being part of committees, generally being active within the organization) and outside of AGN – eg training courses.
To be activated in conjunction with the point immediately above.
Probably no further legal services meeting will be held.
So does AGN – a niche area to be worked upon.
Regions will be encouraged to do this.
Regions will be encouraged to do this.
To be considered by the ITC.
The same comment applies as in the previous section.
Referred work is growing annually – statistics given in the international website.
This has been part of the Strategic Plan since its inception and is embodied in the current Vision of the Future; realization takes time.
The AGN Marketing Guide assists in this respect.
Two unsuccessful attempts to capture this information have been undertaken in the past. Member firms are just not willing to share this information.
Firms put in as much resource as they can, given their sizes. Encouragement to do more comes from various directions.

Word / projects / VoF / feedback and responses table