ICCA (The International Congress and Convention Association) signed an agreement with IAPCO (The International Association of Professional Congress Organisers) on 21 October at the ICCA Congress in Abu Dhabi. The agreement aims to provide mutual support to one another in promoting advocacy in the meetings and events industry.
The two organisations committed to advancing the meetings industry and working together to advocate for the value of business events. and will also work together to create a PCO capacity-building programme recognizing the need to support the development and sustainability of the meetings industry in underserved areas.
“ICCA is thrilled to embark on this new partnership with IAPCO, which promises to herald a new era of collaboration between our organisations,” said Senthil Gopinath, CEO of ICCA. “We are looking forward to developing exciting new programmes and coordinating on resources and workshops aimed at building capacity for our members in targeted destinations throughout the world.”
“This partnership with ICCA reflects our shared commitment to advocating for the value of business events and empowering professionals across the globe,” said Sarah Markey-Hamm, president of IAPCO. “Together, we are not only strengthening the meetings industry but also ensuring its sustainability by building capacity in regions that need it most. We look forward to combining our expertise to create impactful programs that elevate standards and bring lasting benefits to emerging destinations. The two organisations will conduct research to determine specific locations where capacity-building would be most effective and have the most impact. Planned programmes 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.”
“In order to truly increase the professionalism and capacity of meeting professionals across the globe, it is essential that IAPCO leverages mutually supportive partnerships with other industry organisations,” said IAPCO CEO Martin Boyle. “Such is the case with our new MoU with ICCA. Together, we will focus our energy on identifying organisations in key underserved regions and then build and deliver professional development programmes suited to their needs. Pairing ICCA’s global database with IAPCO’s targeted PCO training and development, I am confident we will be able to achieve great things.”
The two organisations will conduct research to determine specific locations where capacity-building would be most effective and have the most impact. Planned programmes 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.