The two organisations are already working together on sustainability initiatives for conference management, with Business Events Australia supporting both the IAPCO Sustainability Award, given out for the first time in 2025, and a sustainability tool for IAPCO members, which was released earlier this year.
The new destination partnership between IAPCO and Business Events Australia will run for two years.
“We are thrilled to be strengthening our relationship with IAPCO by becoming a destination partner, enabling us to showcase Australia’s exceptional business event capabilities through targeted content and educational programs,” said Tourism Australia’s executive general manager of industry and business events, Sally Cope.
“Building on the strong foundation of our sustainability partnership, this broader collaboration gives us a valuable platform to engage with IAPCO’s global network and ensures Australia’s diverse destinations and business events experiences are top-of-mind for PCOs around the world.”
IAPCO president, Sissi Lignou, said the expanded partnership was based on “a shared commitment to shaping the future of the meetings industry”.
“This is a partnership built on shared values and long-term purpose.
“By bringing together destination expertise, education and sustainability leadership, we are creating meaningful value for our members and contributing to the continued development of the global meetings industry.
“Business Events Australia has demonstrated a clear commitment to working with IAPCO to advance our sustainability objectives, while also creating opportunities for our accredited PCO community to engage with Australia’s exceptional business events offering.”
IAPCO has over 95 accredited member companies working in 187 offices around the world, employing more than 8,000 permanent staff. In 2025, IAPCO members delivered more than 23,500 events worth more than €17.36 billion (AU$28.16 billion).
