Published on 01/10/24 – Noticia extraida de Study Travel Magazine
This issue, Pablo Martínez de Velasco, President of Spanish agency association ASEPROCE, introduces a new image and board for the association, and talks about an award win that highlights the importance of the secondary sector to membership business.
What has ASEPROCE been up to over the last 12 months?
Between 2023 and 2024, 15 new members joined the association and three agencies left. ASEPROCE has changed its corporate identity modernising it and moved to a new office at the end of 2023 in a modern business center. ASEPROCE won the StudyTravel Secondary School Award Agency Association 2024, marking the second time they have received this award. Last November, the XI ASEPROCE Workshop was held with a record number of schools, agencies, and suppliers participating. The date for the next workshop is October 31, 2024, as always in Madrid. ASEPROCE has new collaboration agreements with key suppliers in the sector. The General Secretary, Marta Galea, stepped down and was succeeded by Cristina Rivaya.
ASEPROCE won the ST Secondary School Award, Agency Association this year. How important is the high school sector to ASEPROCE members? Is it an ever-growing part of business for members? What does winning this award mean to the association and its standing in the high school placement sector?
Winning the ST Secondary School Award Agency Association is an important honour for ASEPROCE. The secondary school market is crucial to our members and constitutes a growing part of their business. This award highlights the quality and dedication of our members, enhancing our reputation and motivating us to continue to improve our services.
There was a slight decline in outbound agency business in 2023 for ASEPROCE members. Did it recover towards the end of the year? How has 2024 performed so far?
2023 was a rather unusual year regarding client behaviour for ASEPROCE members. Summer programmes were not in high demand, and academic year clients took longer to decide compared to previous years. Overall, sales have not increased this year.
Last year, ASEPROCE said it was working to address challenges with accommodation. Have there been any improvements here? Are there any there any other challenges members and students have experienced recently?
There are still challenges with finding host families, especially in Ireland and the USA. Additionally, some schools are now requiring agent clients to sign a direct contract with them, which we believe makes little sense and creates an inconvenience for the agencies as well.
You welcomed a new board last year and set about establishing several working groups to address various objectives. How effective have these working groups been so far?
So far, we have received very good responses and results from the working groups we established. We have been able to set guidelines for best practices between schools and agencies, which we hope will have a significant impact. Additionally, the groups have addressed various internal matters of the association effectively.
What plans do you have for ASEPROCE’s XII event in October?
The XII ASEPROCE Workshop will be held at the end of this month in Madrid, and we are aiming for the highest attendance to date. We’re on the right track! We hope to create a great atmosphere like in previous editions and to build stronger ties with our partners.
15 new members have joined the association in the last 12 months
What does the association have planned for the next year?
We are focused on conducting a thorough market study to present to the relevant authorities and finally achieve the specific regulation we still lack. Additionally, we aim to host the first ASEPROCE Congress, including everything related to the industry. We also plan to organise more workshops segmented by programme type, countries, etc. And, of course, we strive to increase our membership to strengthen our influence. Moreover, we will continue to work against unfair professional competition and bad practices in our industry. It is crucial for schools to work exclusively with legally established agencies, as this would greatly help us ensure everyone operates with the same rights and obligations. This is also essential for defending the rights of students.
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