Tributes paid to Gonzalo Perez Constanzó

Industry tributes have been paid to former IAPCO president and long-time industry advocate Gonzalo Perez Constanzó, who passed away at the German Hospital in Buenos Aires on 26 May. He had battled with cancer for a few years. A statement by IAPCO said: “We shall remember Gonzalo as a great champion of IAPCO and our mission, a man that has given so much to our association. “Gonzalo was a much respected industry professional whose career spanned over three decades and began under the tutorage of Jorge Castex in Argentina. From there he moved on to work for the World Bank in New York before returning to his roots and continuing on his earlier path in the organisation of international association meetings in Spain and South America. “Gonzalo has championed the profession of Professional Congress Organisers at all stages of his career. Not only was he a leader, pioneer and champion for the profession, he was a true diplomat and ambassador, always smoothing troubled waters and finding the best solution to many sides of an equation. “IAPCO was one of Gonzalo’s great passions and he brought all of his qualities to the association – no matter in which role. He joined the faculty of the IAPCO Annual Seminar in Wolfsberg in 2006 and has spoken at numerous IAPCO seminars around the globe. His dedication to share his vast knowledge and inspire the next generation of PCOs was exemplary and motivated those around him.” In 2009 Gonzalo joined the IAPCO Council on which he served until 2016, including his term as president (2012-14). He helped enable the IAPCO Strategic Planning to be initiated and instigated the Albert Cronheim Scholarship, which has since given many young conference professionals from economically disadvantaged countries the opportunity to participate in IAPCO education. The IAPCO tribute continued: “While Gonzalo shall be remembered as a great professional and a champion for IAPCO, his greatest qualities were those of being a friend and mentor. Many of us have stories of the great times we were able to share with Gonzalo and the incredible impact he left on our careers and our lives.”