New IAPCO Council Officers elected and President-Elect confirmed at 2026 AM&GA in Athens

The new Council of the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) was announced today at its Annual Meeting & General Assembly (AM&GA) 2026 in Athens.

Jason Yeh, GIS Group, Taiwan was voted in as President-Elect by IAPCO members in the General Assembly today. He will serve for a one-year term, before becoming President at the AM&GA in 2027.

Ginerva De Bellis, Oic Group, Italy, Benoit Dubuisson, Downtown Europe, Belgium and Jessica Ferguson, Arinex, Australia, have been declared as new members of IAPCO Council, nominated from the membership. Giulia Sarri, AIM Group International, Italy was ratified by Council as replacing Nicola Testai.

They will join the exiting members: Sissi Lignou (President) AFEA Congress, Greece; Jason Yeh (President Elect) GIS Group, Taiwan; Jimena Ruiz, Business Travel Consulting, Mexico; Stephen Noble, The Conference Company, Australia/New Zealand; Ajay Bhojwani, MCI Middle East, UAE.

Co-Opted Members include: Alexandros Terzis, (Emerging Leader Committee Chair) ERA Congresses and events, Greece and Amit Saroj, IA Meetings, Singapore (AM&GA 2027 Host).

President Sissi Lignou will serve for another year, after which she will become the Immediate Past President for one year.

IAPCO acknowledged and thanked the outgoing Council members, Limor Cunia, and Ellen Franck, with special thanks given to Sarah Markey-Hamm, who has served on Council for eight years and in multiple capacities most recently as Immediate Past-President and chair of the Quality Committee.

Lignou said: “Volunteering for Council is a huge commitment that requires time, energy and a can-do spirit which all have given in abundance.  Without such volunteer Council members, IAPCO would quite simply not be able to do such vast and important work for our members. 

“Thank you to Sarah who has dedicated many years to IAPCO. Many initiatives she started will have a enduring legacy for IAPCO,” said Lignou.