The International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) announced the organization is joining forces with the City of Athens through a new Destination Partnership completed during IBTM World 2021.
Earlier today, IAPCO President Ori Lahav and IAPCO CEO Martin Boyle joined Vagelis Vlachos, CEO of the Athens Development & Destination Management Agency (ADDMA), to sign a two-year Corporate Partnership Agreement while visiting the This is Athens IBTM kiosk.
As an official IAPCO Destination Partner, the City of Athens will strengthen its relations with the international community of Professional Congress Organisers through IAPCO’s highly accredited network of PCO members. ADDMA will leverage its international brand, This is Athens, to showcase the city’s dynamic growth. Athens has emerged during the last several years as a top-rated, socially-conscious and sustainable destination for meetings and events.
Martin Boyle, CEO of IAPCO, said, “At IAPCO, we believe in long-term partnerships that align with our mission to raise the standards of service in the meetings industry through continuing education and interaction with other professionals. Having collaborated with many of the meetings industry stakeholders in Athens through individual projects, it makes sense that we now solidify a more strategic, long-term partnership. Athens as an IAPCO Destination Partner, now empowers us to do so and we very much look forward to facilitating mutually beneficial engagement across our communities.”
Vagelis Vlachos, CEO of ADDMA, added, “This is an important milestone in the implementation of the city’s strategy, not only to promote Athens but to improve quality of life and sustainability for our residents. The meetings industry will play a vital role in these efforts. That’s why we are working so hard for Athens to be among Europe’s top 10 meetings destinations within the next two years. Through our cooperation with IAPCO we have a great opportunity to showcase the new face of Athens, its specialized infrastructure and unique forward-thinking heritage.”
ADDMA is a public company owned by the City of Athens supporting the city’s mission for tourism, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. Athens is IAPCO’s eighth Destination Partner, along with Dubai, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Japan, Melbourne, Rwanda and Toronto.
IAPCO (International Association of Professional Congress Organisers) is the leading international accreditation association for professional conference organisers. Its mission is to raise the standards of service among its member organisations and other sectors of the meetings industry through continued education, connection and support.
IAPCO, today, represents 138 members comprised of over 10,200 professional congress organisers, meeting planners and managers of international and national congresses, conventions and special events from 40 countries.
