ASIA – An Indian Professional Congress Organiser (PCO) has become the latest country to join the International Association of PCOs (IAPCO), bringing the membership to 41 countries.
 
And with the addition of new members KW Conferences based in Gurgaon, India and Convention Linkage based in Chiyoda-ku, Japan, IAPCO now boasts 116 members.
 
As with all member applications, entry criteria is strict, with site inspection appraisal visits taking place in both cases. Roslyn McLeod from the IAPCO Council took the trip to India to review the AIPPI (International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property) ExCo and Forum 2011 in Hyderabad at which 662 delegates from 69 countries participated. “All those to whom I spoke were highly complimentary about the various staff with whom they dealt with at KW Conferences”, said McLeod. “I did not encounter one criticism. Their performance was seamless despite the fact that they had to move social events due to predicted rain following on storms and floods. They will make a good member of IAPCO and bring credit within India due to their high standing.”
 
Michel Neijmann from the Quality Committee and IAPCO Council, undertook the audit of World Sleep 2011, organised by Convention Linkage, in Kyoto, at which 2,596 delegates attended from 37 countries.
 
Two other applications for membership have been rejected this year, and seven remain pending.
 
The IAPCO was founded in 1968, is registered in Switzerland and represents more than 110 professional organisers, meeting planners and managers of international and national congresses, conventions and special events from 41 countries. IAPCO members organise in excess of 6100 meetings annually, totaling some 2.24m delegates and representing an economic impact in the region of €3.63bn.
 
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