What an extraordinary journey it has been in Athens!
It was a true honour for AFEA Congress to be part of Team Athens, working alongside fellow Greek PCO offices to welcome the global IAPCO community to our city.
As a proud member of the Athens Local Organising Committee, AFEA Congress was honoured to welcome the global community of IAPCO, bringing together some of the most renowned organisers and key stakeholders of the global meetings industry from across the world, to the IAPCO Annual Meeting & General Assembly 2026, hosted under the inspiring theme “The Odyssey Reinvented.”
The event opened with a warm welcome from Master of Ceremonies Hazel Jackson, followed by remarks from IAPCO President and AFEA Congress CEO Sissi Lignou, welcoming delegates to Athens in her dual capacity as President of IAPCO and member of the Local Organising Committee, marking a particularly meaningful moment for Athens and for our team at AFEA Congress.
We were also honoured by the presence of Olga Kefalogianni, Minister of Tourism of Greece, representing the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, and Haris Doukas, Mayor of Athens, whose opening remarks highlighted the importance of the global meetings industry and its impact on destinations worldwide, demonstrating the strong support of key destination stakeholders for the international meetings community.
Throughout the programme, delegates engaged with a fantastic line-up of speakers, moderators and facilitators, alongside inspiring keynote sessions that explored innovation and the future of our industry. Highlights included discussions on the power of storytelling in designing meaningful meetings, how local experiences can resonate on the global stage, and why innovation in a rapidly evolving world must remain guided by empathy, purpose and authentic human connection.
The programme also featured impactful conversations such as The Dialogues, where industry leaders and delegates collaborated on practical solutions to some of the sector’s most pressing challenges, reinforcing the power of shared insight and global cooperation.
During the Annual Meeting, the community also celebrated excellence across the profession with the presentation of several awards and scholarships, recognising both industry leaders and emerging talents, shaping the future of professional congress organisation.
A key moment of the General Assembly was the election of Jason Yeh (GIS Group, Taiwan) as IAPCO President-Elect, who will assume the Presidency in 2027, continuing the Association’s strong tradition of global leadership.
Looking to the future, the community also celebrated the announcement that Cairo will host the IAPCO AM&GA in 2028, while the traditional flag handover marked the transition to our next hosts in Mumbai, India for IAPCO AM&GA 2027. The event was delivered with the valued support of destination stakeholders including This is Athens-Convention & Visitors Bureau and many partners who embraced and supported this important initiative.
As Athens passes the baton to Mumbai, we are proud to have contributed to an inspiring edition of this global gathering, together with our Local Organising Committee partners Convin SA, ERA Congresses & Events, Erasmus Conferences & Events S.A.
Our sincere thanks also go to all partners and supporters who helped make IAPCO AM&GA Athens 2026 possible and contributed to the success of this global gathering.
Thank you to the entire IAPCO community for making Athens 2026 a truly memorable chapter of our shared journey.
