The International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) convened its 2026 Annual Meeting & General Assembly, which brought together 200 senior leaders from 36 countries at the Megaron Athens International Conference Centre.
Held from February 25 to 28, the summit set strategic priorities and professional standards for a global industry that had delivered over 23,000 events in the previous year alone. The assembly featured high-level support from the Greek government, including Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogianni and Athens’ mayor Haris Doukas.
Under the theme “The Odyssey Reinvented”, the programme used the metaphor of a modern journey to explore how human qualities like leadership and resilience remained fundamental despite rapid technological shifts.
IAPCO’s president Sissi Lignou also noted that the gathering served to harness the power of professional meetings to create lasting global impact, focusing on storytelling, strategy, and personal development.
The event was a collaborative effort between four major Greek organisers – AFEA Congress, CONVIN, ERA Congresses & Events, and ERASMUS Conferences & Events – alongside the This is Athens – Convention & Visitors Bureau, and represented a unified push to position the city as a sustainable and smart destination for international congresses.
