# Biggest and best International Fundraising Congress?

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2006/10/22/biggest-and-best/
- Published: 2006-10-22T23:00:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The Resource Alliance has just held its 26th annual conference – the International
Fundraising Congress – in the Netherlands with its biggest ever audience.**

Nine hundred and twelve delegates attended from more than 50 countries – just over
100 from the UK, but others from as far apart as Argentina, The Philippines, Ghana,
Poland and Australia – to go to more than 100 different sessions with 50 different
speakers over the course of three days.

The opening plenary was by Kavita Ramdas of the Global Fund for Women with her inspiring
story of raising $20m.

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Among the new features this year was a series of five Big Issues sessions, put together
by Tony Elischer. These presentations were linked with the themes of Inspiration,
Connection, Speed, Reinvention and Attitude.

Each gave four of the best speakers and practitioners from around the world to speak
for 10 minutes on their chosen topic within the theme of the session. For example,
at the Reinvention session, Tim Hunter of the NSPCC chose to reinvent face-to-face
and telephone fundraising, and Richard Radcliffe of Smee and Ford wanted to reinvent
legacy marketing. The message was very much ‘we need to think about how to reinvent
fundraising to make sure it survives into the future’.

But as well as the speakers, delegates were given the chance to air their views 
and ask questions of the panel at each of the sessions, making them fully interactive.

 * **[Fundraisers to experience 'shop floor' CSR at International Fundraising Congress](https://fundraising.co.uk/2007/06/26/fundraisers-experience-039shop-floor039-csr-international-fundraising-congress/)**(
   26 June 2007)
 * **[Why I’m really looking forward to go to IFC](https://fundraising.co.uk/2007/10/30/why-i039m-really-looking-forward-go-ifc/)**(
   30 October 2007)
 * **[Young fundraisers group to source new ideas and speakers for IFC](https://fundraising.co.uk/2007/12/01/young-fundraisers-group-source-new-ideas-and-speakers-ifc/)**(
   1 December 2007)