The
Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO) has appointed two new joint chairs at its annual general
meeting.
Emma Duffy from the Stroke Association and Sarah Byrne from
Mosaic Events step up and begin their two-year tenure as joint chairs of the
association.
The online AGM was attended by more than 60 ABPCO members,
who joined to hear details of the association’s recent successes as well as
plans for the future.
On her appointment, Duffy said: “Sarah and I look forward to
working with the membership over the coming two years as we deliver a strategy
that will see ABPCO continue to strengthen its position at the heart of the
market. We are an incredibly strong
community, and we want to continue attracting new members as we demonstrate our
value in the years ahead.”
Duffy and Byrne also outlined their focus for the
association based on five key pillars:
- Membership
growth to 200 members by 2027
- Organisational
growth to £200,000 income per annum by 2027
- Being
more mindful of the niche segments and specialist skills amongst the membership
and providing appropriate content, resources and support to meet their needs
- Amplifying
ABPCO’s external voice through communications, knowledge sharing and research
- Being
recognised as the voice of PCOs in the UK, with a focus on important issues
such as EDI and sustainability
Alongside these goals, the new chairs and executive board,
supported by task forces made up of members, will continue to focus on ABPCO’s
core values:
- Delivering
excellence
- Providing
learning
- Celebrating
belonging and achievements
Outgoing chairs Barbara Calderwood and Mike Smith discussed
their achievements over the last two years and in particular the success and
legacy of the inaugural Festival of Learning, which attracted more than 200
registrations for 30 sessions across seven days in December 2021.
Byrne thanked Calderwood and Smith for their commitment and
hard work to ABPCO over the last two years. “The association has gone from
strength to strength under their leadership, which is something Emma and I look
forward to continuing.”
The 2022 ABPCO Excellence Awards date has also been
announced as 8-9 December – destination and venue details to be advised.
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
