From the outset, Athens as a destination was part of the conference evolution. The opening ceremony had a clear destination message, with Greece’s Minister of Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, underlining IAPCO’s conference as a vote of confidence in the city’s meetings industry: “Athens is a city where ancient heritage meets world-class infrastructure and renowned hospitality.” In the same notion, Mayor Haris Doukas positioned the capital’s ambitions in terms of connectivity, infrastructure, and the push to become a more sustainable, resilient and smart city – exactly the issues PCOs deal with every day. As Martin Boyle, IAPCO CEO, put it, “Athens showed exactly what can be achieved when a host city comes together behind a unified vision.”
Stop one: story as a management tool
The opening reception at the Acropolis Museum was described as the “first stop” of the modern Odyssey, with exploration, discovery, and reconnection under the Parthenon. The symbolism of a journey filled with challenges and long-term goals ran through the programme’s emphasis on storytelling.
The first keynote by Aggeliki Kosmopoulou resonated with delegates because it translated an abstract concept, “meaningful meetings”, into an organiser’s practical checklist of creating conditions for participants to be heard; favouring listening over constant activity; allowing silence; designing smaller, more intimate settings when you want real engagement. “You are not in the business of organising events; you are in the business of creating conditions that bring transformation,” Kosmopoulou said.
Storytelling in the IAPCO context meant realising what PCO’s have achieved so far, where they stand and what is expected of the new meeting models in this new world. With the value of every meeting increasingly scrutinised, transformation takes centre stage.
Stop two: leadership, AI and the profession’s “new map”
After the self awareness of day one, day two and three presented the profession’s current challenges and set the direction for the way forward, especially around AI and governance. The conference’s ‘Dialogues’ format, with quick scene-setting followed by small group work, quick reporting, and even voting on whether an issue deserved a task force, was highly appreciated by delegates. The hosts were very aware they were being assessed by peers and they passed with flying colours: “When your delegates are the very people who design meetings for a living, expectations are naturally high,” said team Athens.
AI came up as a governance issue: who owns the decision, how you stay GDPR-safe, and how you keep transparency intact. A second conclusion was about identity, as PCO’s can’t keep promising ‘flawless delivery’; the profession is being pushed by clients and complexity to act as strategic co-producers, sharing risk, insight and outcomes.
The most animated format, however, was unquestionably “Industry Jeopardy – The Odyssey Edition”, moderated by Kenes’ Ori Lahav. An honest, current, unscripted and rapid Q&A. With leaders from AIPC, ICCA, PCMA and AMC Institute on stage, the session dealt with industry anxieties, such as inclusion and safety in venues, advocacy beyond our own industry, what “professional standards” should look like when business models are shifting, and why empathy still refuses to be automated.
One of the strongest takeaways for me was that the speakers spoke about trust more than they spoke about tools. If AI is a leadership advantage, it is because it can speed up decisions, not because it replaces judgement and responsibility. As a delegate said: “Not AI-first, but AI-responsible.”
Sustainability moves from “nice to have” to governance
IAPCO used the Athens meeting to launch its Sustainability Strategy, an IAPCO Sustainability Award supported by Business Events Australia, and a preview of the IAPCO Sustainability Toolkit, due for full release in March 2026. President Sissy Lignou explained: “Sustainability is no longer a choice, it is a strategic imperative. This strategy represents IAPCO’s commitment to lead with structure, accountability and action.”
The award went to K.I.T. Group for the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025, with finalists including ESCRS Congress 2025 (MCI Switzerland) and 5th ISHF 2025 (Conference Partners International). Fourteen nominations from nine IAPCO member companies is evidence that sustainability capability is becoming globally distributed rather than limited in a handful of “usual suspect” markets.
Stop three: the Odyssey within
By Stop 3, the Odyssey metaphor stopped being a theme and became a lesson. “Inspired by the Odyssey, this year’s Annual Meeting inspired our community on the importance of the journeys our industry creates, and the achievements that happen when people come together,” said Lygnou. In a faster, tech-centred world, the voyage matters more than the destination because what delegates remember is how the experience changed them. For PCO’s, that shifts the job from ‘delivering an agenda’ to designing a journey. “Over the next 12–18 months, PCO’s will need to move further beyond conventional conference structures and focus on more engaging, flexible, experience-driven meetings,” said team Athens.
The closing stretch peaked with Dimitris Papanikolaou and his daughter Aria, in a session on autism, resilience and belonging. It was the kind of keynote that makes a room go quiet, not because it is sentimental, but because it is real. Aria’s message, was clear: “No one suffers from autism (or any other difference) as much as they suffer from exclusion.” For PCO’s, this lands close to home as accessibility and inclusion are key by default.
Governance, awards and what comes next
The General Assembly voted Jason Yeh (GIS Group, Taiwan) as President-Elect, alongside new Council appointments and acknowledgements of outgoing leaders. IAPCO also recognised professional excellence through its awards programme, including the Driving Excellence Award – Emerging Leader, presented to Cheryl Choy (International Conference Services, APAC).
After Athens, IAPCO’s next steps were announced. AM&GA 2027 will be hosted in Mumbai, India, at the Jio World Convention Centre, and IAPCO has already announced Cairo, Egypt for AM&GA 2028 under the theme “Rise As One – Partnering for Growth.”
For more information on IAPCO, visit https://www.iapco.org