Dubai has won a bid to host the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) Annual Meeting & General Assembly in 2017. The annual event brings together approximately 100 of the world’s most influential conference organisers from 40 countries, who collectively manage approximately 7,000 meetings per year with a combined annual economic impact of over $5 billion US dollars.
Dubai’s hosting of the key meetings industry event was announced at the recently concluded IAPCO Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal. The winning bid was spearheaded by Dubai Business Events (DBE), a division of Dubai Tourism which serves as the city’s official convention bureau, in close partnership with local IAPCO members Meeting Minds and MCI Dubai. Key tourism industry stakeholders Emirates and Madinat Jumeirah also played a key role in securing the AGM.
Commenting on the win, Steen Jakobsen, Director of Dubai Business Events, said:
IAPCO, the leading authority on professional congress organisation worldwide, is the universally accepted benchmark for quality and excellence within the international meetings industry. By welcoming IAPCO members to Dubai in 2017, local tourism industry stakeholders will also have the opportunity to build relationships with key meetings decision-makers, and showcase their products and services first hand.
Commenting on Dubai’s bid, Michel Neijmann, current President of IAPCO, said:
Medhat Nassar, CEO Meeting Minds Experts, the Dubai headquartered IAPCO member company, added: “IAPCO offers a unique quality assurance platform recognised by association, corporate and government clients, through applying a strict Quality Control process for its members. Winning the bid to host IAPCO 2017 is an excellent recognition of the Dubai meetings industry and a vote of confidence by highly influential Professional Conference Organizers in 40 countries.”
“We are truly delighted by the outstanding support extend by our bidding partners Dubai Business Events, MCI Dubai, Emirates and Madinat Jumeirah, which has been instrumental in putting forward this successful bid,” he added.
