Rather than replacing existing advocacy efforts, The Athens Promise seeks to complement them by mobilising the industry's grassroots. Photo Credit: iStock/Andrii Yalanskyi
The global business events industry has launched a new advocacy movement designed to unite professionals behind a common message on the value of meetings and events.
Known as The Athens Promise, the initiative is led by the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) in partnership with the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC), AMC Institute (AMCI) and PCMA. It calls on individuals and organisations across the meetings and events ecosystem to pledge their support for stronger advocacy at the local level.
The movement was conceived during the IAPCO Annual Meeting & General Assembly in Athens in February and was officially launched on 27 July.
Rather than replacing existing advocacy efforts, The Athens Promise seeks to complement them by mobilising the industry's grassroots – encouraging event professionals, destinations, venues, suppliers and associations to engage more actively with governments, media and other influential stakeholders.
“The Athens Promise was born at the IAPCO meeting held in Athens, where global leaders came together with a shared belief that our industry has a bigger story to tell,” said Sissi Lignou, president of IAPCO.
“What started as a conversation at our event has now become a global invitation. We are asking every person who works in, supports, supplies or benefits from the meetings and events industry to add their voice.”
The initiative comes as advocacy becomes increasingly prominent priority for the global business events sector. While industry associations have long highlighted the economic contribution of meetings and conventions, there has been a growing push to broaden the conversation to include their role in driving innovation, scientific collaboration, professional development, trade and investment.
At the same time, national industry bodies in several markets have intensified calls for greater government recognition. In the UK, for example, the Business Visits & Events Partnership has continued to press for a dedicated national strategy and stronger policy support, arguing that the sector's contribution to economic growth is often overlooked.
Against this backdrop, the organisations behind The Athens Promise say collective advocacy is most effective when it combines coordinated global messaging with local action.
“We are getting behind this initiative because making real change requires more than the voice of one organisation, one country or one part of the industry,” said Sven Bossu, CEO of AIPC.
“It is about all of us. The promise is simple: to stand together, speak more clearly and help the world better understand the value our industry creates every day.”
The pledge asks participants to support locally driven engagement with policymakers and media, reinforce the advocacy work already being undertaken by industry associations and contribute practical examples that demonstrate the value of business events in their own markets.
As part of the initiative, IAPCO will support members with advocacy resources, including the forthcoming third edition of the JMIC Global Manifesto, which is intended to help organisations frame discussions with policymakers and communicate the wider economic, professional and societal impact of business events.