IAPCO CEO Martin Boyle, ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath and IAPCO President Sarah Markey-Hamm. Photo source: ICCA
The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) recently signed an agreement with the International Association of Professional Congress Organizers (IAPCO) to provide mutual support to one another in promoting advocacy in the meetings and events industry.
The agreement was signed during the ICCA Congress in Abu Dhabi in late October where the two organizations committed to advancing the meetings industry and working together to advocate for the value of business events.
ICCA and IAPCO will also work together to create a PCO capacity-building program recognizing the need to support the development and sustainability of the meetings industry in underserved areas.
“We are looking forward to developing exciting new programs and coordinating on resources and workshops aimed at building capacity for our members in targeted destinations throughout the world,” said ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath.
IAPCO President Sarah Markey-Hamm said the partnership with ICCA reflects the association’s shared commitment to advocating for the value of business events and empowering professionals across the globe.
The two organizations will conduct research to determine specific locations where capacity-building would be most effective and have the most impact.
“We look forward to combining our expertise to create impactful programs that elevate standards and bring lasting benefits to emerging destinations,” said Markey-Hamm.
Planned programs include workshops and other educational sessions designed to target professionals in the area for development and ultimately advocate for the value of DMCs and PCOs.
On his part, IAPCO CEO Martin Boyle added that pairing ICCA’s extensive global database with IAPCO’s specialized PCO training and development programs will deliver impactful and transformative results.
“Together, we will focus our energy on identifying organizations in key underserved regions and then build and deliver professional development programs suited to their needs,” he said.
