IAPCO is pleased to announce a new two-year Destination Partnership with Meeting Destination Vienna, represented by the Vienna Convention Bureau, commencing 1 January 2026.
This partnership welcomes Vienna into the IAPCO Destination Partner community, further strengthening a global network of leading convention bureaux that work strategically with IAPCO and its accredited Professional Congress Organisers (PCOs).
The agreement reflects IAPCO’s core tenet that partnerships between destinations and professional conference organisations are a vital part of the successful delivery of professional meetings and events. Effective collaboration between PCOs and convention bureaux allows for aligned, city-wide approaches that result in stronger outcomes for clients, local communities, and international delegates.
As a Destination Partner, Vienna will work closely with IAPCO’s global community and contribute to several key initiatives. This includes joining the judging panel for the IAPCO Partner’s Emerging Leader Award, which recognises emerging industry talent. Vienna will also host an upcoming IAPCO Advisory Board Meeting – an opportunity to deepen engagement with local leaders and showcase the city’s world-class capabilities.
Vienna joins a cohort of internationally recognised destinations that collaborate with IAPCO to champion best practice, support knowledge exchange and elevate professional standards in conference organisation. The partnership also provides strategic access to IAPCO’s accredited PCOs, who deliver more than 21,000 meetings and conferences annually, and in 2024, generated an estimated €17.87 billion in economic impact.
Reflecting on the partnership, Sissi Lignou, President of IAPCO, said: “We warmly welcome Vienna to the IAPCO Destination Partner community. Their professionalism, creativity and commitment to innovation make them a natural fit, and we look forward to the value this partnership will bring to our members and the wider industry.
“Our Destination Partners help ensure PCOs have direct access to senior decision-makers within leading cities. This partnership strengthens the connection between Vienna and our global membership, supporting our shared ambition to deliver exceptional meetings and events worldwide. We also know from other destinations, that when a convention bureau includes an IAPCO accredited PCO at the very early stages of bidding, the chance of winning that bid increases.”
Anita Paic, Director B2B Management and Vienna Convention Bureau at the Vienna Tourist Board, emphasised Vienna’s proven strengths as a meeting destination for organisers and their clients.
“Vienna is proud of its close ties with professional conference organisers worldwide. Working with IAPCO further underlines the city’s strong standing as a high-quality meeting destination. We look forward to sharing our story with the global leaders in professional conference organisation and to using this partnership as an important platform to highlight Vienna’s unique capabilities, amenities, culture and ambitions. Building on this year’s IAPCO Council Meeting as an initial milestone, we are excited to deepen and expand this cooperation. We look forward to creating tangible value for organisers and their clients and to shared success with IAPCO.”
Established in 2013, the IAPCO Destination Partnership Programme now includes 11 convention bureaux worldwide. Each partner contributes unique strengths that support IAPCO’s mission and the long-term advancement of the global meetings and business events industry.
About MEETING DESTINATION VIENNA AND THE VIENNA CONVENTION BUREAU
Vienna's meeting industry is represented by the "Meeting Destination Vienna". It is based on the service quality and expertise of the same and is communicated by the Vienna Convention Bureau (VCB), a department of the Vienna Tourist Board. VCB acquires congresses, corporate meetings, and incentives.
Founded in 1969, it is supported by the City of Vienna and the Vienna Chamber of Commerce. In 2024, Meeting Destination Vienna set records across the board with 6,619 congresses and corporate events and around 671,000 participants. Every ninth overnight stay in the city in 2024 was attributable to meetings, highlighting the central importance of congresses and corporate events for Vienna. They strengthen the business location and contribute to the added value locally.
Vienna as a meeting destination is therefore included in both the Visitor Economy Strategy of the Vienna Tourist Board, as well as in the strategy "Vienna 2030 - Economy & Innovation" of the Federal Capital Vienna. According to the latest available rankings from the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA, #1) and the Union of International Associations (UIA, #2), Vienna is one of the world’s leading meeting destinations. The exceptional meeting infrastructure, the high service quality of the meeting service sector as well as the cultural attractiveness of the city are all factors that contribute to Vienna’s top position.
The Vienna Convention Bureau has no members but is itself a member in the leading umbrella organisations and associations for the national and international meeting industry: ACB, AMCI, ICCA, PCMA and UIA.
Visit: https://meeting.vienna.info/en
