The
Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO) is celebrating a 30 per cent growth in membership.
The achievement was announced at its annual general meeting, where it also named two new co-chairs, Sammy Connell and
Pauline Beattie.
The
appointment of Sammy Connell of The National
Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers and Pauline Beattie of Conference Care, follow the
successful tenure of outgoing chairs Emma Duffy from the Royal
College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and Sarah Byrne from Mosaic
Events.
Looking
forward, ABPCO has laid out a plan to further enhance its value and reach
within the professional conference organising community. Key initiatives
include:
- Membership Growth: Exploring
target groups, honing the member value proposition, positioning, language, and
messaging to achieve a target of 200 PCOs by 2027.
- Increase
Segmentation: Working with existing members to target their sectors for
new membership.
- External Voice: Expanding
ABPCO’s reach with other partners, whilst maintaining ABPCO’s position as the
go to thought leaders for association events.
- Voice of the PCO: Creating
more opportunities for ABPCO and its members to be part of industry press and
events.
- The Place to Go for
CPD: Strengthening ABPCO’s position as the premier association for
Continuing Professional Development, especially for PCOs.
- Academic and Student
Engagement: Exploring more opportunities to connect with academics and
students through events, guest lectures, and panel opportunities by ABPCO
members.
Heather
Lishman, ABPCO’s association director, said, “Our significant membership growth
and the strong leadership team we have in place are clear indicators of a
bright future. We are excited to leverage our past successes and explore new
opportunities for growth, innovation, and professional development.”
