A new president takes reins at IAPCO

The International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) has a new president in Sarah Markey-Hamm, CEO of ICMS, who has taken over from Ori Lahav of the Kenes Group.

Markey-Hamm’s two-year tenure as IAPCO president follows a one-year stint as president-elect, which under her leadership has provided strong representation for IAPCO in the Asia Pacific region.

A driving force in the events industry, Sarah also holds influential positions in several industry organisations, including having been chair of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and a board member of the Business Events Council of Australia (BECA).

Meanwhile, the Annual Meeting and General Assembly of IAPCO also saw the election of one returning council officer and one new one, namely Sissi Lygnou, CEO of AFEA Travel Congress Services, and Nicola Testai, CEO of OIC Group.

Lygnou, who has been re-elected as a council officer, will continue to chair IAPCO’s newly formed advocacy committee and the marketing task force.

Testai, who is new to the IAPCO Council, brings 10 years of experience heading OIC Group, one of the first PCOs in Italy, and will aim to contribute to IAPCO’s objectives in his role as council officer.

IAPCO CEO Martin Boyle expressed delight at the new tenures of the members of the IAPCO Council and highlighted the association’s strong position with 100% membership retention, more new membership applications than ever before, and a balance sheet that enables reinvestment in programmes to meet the future needs of accredited members.

"Under Sarah’s leadership, IAPCO will develop exciting new initiatives that continue to deliver on our mission of raising the professionalism of the meetings industry globally," Boyle remarked. " Exciting times lie ahead for IAPCO and our community.”