IAPCO will join IBTM Americas 2026 on 19–20 August, connecting with members, partners and stakeholders from across the region while championing the global value of the meetings industry.
As part of IAPCO’s strategic commitment to education and professional development, IAPCO is proud to support a timely and highly interactive session addressing one of the meetings industry’s most critical priorities: effective risk management. Jimena Ruiz, IAPCO Council Member and IAPCO Training Academy Regional Representative for LATAM, will join the expert speaker line-up to share global risk management principles and standards, drawing on insights from IAPCO’s Socio-Political Survey.
PCO Code: Great Events Don’t Depend on Luck. They Depend on Decisions.
Date: 19 August 2026
Time: 13:00–14:00
Venue: Encore Stage, Centro Banamex
PCO Code—Prevention, Coordination and Operations—examines how every decision made during the planning and delivery of an event can either strengthen or compromise its success. From venue selection and supplier management to security, technology and last-minute changes, risk exists long before an incident occurs.
Inspired by real-world scenarios from the meetings and events industry, this highly interactive session will invite participants to identify, assess and respond to risk using practical decision-making tools. Through live activities and audience participation, attendees will see how seemingly small choices can significantly alter an event’s overall risk profile.
The session will feature:
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Jimena Ruiz, IAPCO Council Member and Training Academy Regional Representative for LATAM, and Chief of Staff, BTC México
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José Bisteni, Director of Operations, B.P. Servimed
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Juan Gabriel Támez, Deputy Director of Operations, Centro Banamex
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Carlos Pérez, President, PCOMM
Using their mobile devices, participants will work through realistic event-management scenarios. Each audience decision will dynamically affect a live “Risk Meter,” illustrating how different strategies can increase or reduce the collective level of risk throughout the event-planning process.
Combining gamification, artificial intelligence, scenario analysis and live audience engagement, the session will transform complex risk-management principles into a practical, engaging and memorable learning experience.
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
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Identify the principal strategic, operational and financial risks affecting an event.
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Apply a structured approach to assessing the likelihood and potential impact of different risk scenarios.
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Use practical tools to prioritise risk-mitigation strategies.
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Understand how planning decisions influence an event’s overall risk profile.
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Strengthen a culture of prevention by making decisions based on analysis rather than intuition or experience alone.
Designed for Professional Congress Organisers, meeting planners, associations, DMCs, venues, suppliers and other event professionals, the session requires no previous knowledge of risk management—only a willingness to participate, debate and challenge the way event decisions are traditionally made.
Join us at the Encore Stage on 19 August and discover why great events don’t depend on luck. They depend on decisions.
