IAPCO Council convened in Thessaloniki, Greece, from 21 to 24 February 2026 for its first in-person Council Meeting of the year.
Hosted by the Thessaloniki Convention Bureau and supported by Grand Hotel Palace | Thessaloniki, the official Council meeting hotel and venue, the gathering brought together IAPCO’s global leadership at the outset of a dynamic year for the association and the international meetings community.
The meeting provided an important platform for Council to prepare for the IAPCO Annual Meeting & General Assembly 2026 in Athens, while also setting strategic direction and momentum for the year ahead. At the same time, it highlighted Thessaloniki’s growing profile as an emerging destination for international congresses and association meetings, supported by strong local alignment across the city’s meetings, hospitality and tourism ecosystem.
Across four days, the programme combined strategic Council discussions, stakeholder engagement and destination discovery, offering a well-rounded perspective on Thessaloniki’s strengths as a business events destination. Council sessions took place at Grand Hotel Palace, Main Sponsor of the Council Meeting, whose support and hospitality provided an excellent setting for focused dialogue, exchange and forward planning.
At destination level, the programme reflected the collaborative leadership of the Thessaloniki Convention Bureau, Main Host of the meeting. Significantly, all sponsors and supporters of the Thessaloniki programme were members of the Thessaloniki Convention Bureau, underscoring a strong collective commitment to elevating the city’s position within the global congress and events landscape.
The programme also incorporated a carefully curated destination discovery element, designed to give Council members first-hand insight into Thessaloniki’s cultural depth, hospitality offering and strong sense of place. Culinary and experiential components, including Chef Stories, added an authentic local dimension and reinforced the city’s ability to combine professional excellence with memorable delegate experiences.
The stakeholder dimension of the meeting came fully into focus on 24 February at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, which hosted the stakeholders session and provided the setting for dialogue, exchange and co-creation around the future of congresses. The session brought together a strong cross-section of Thessaloniki’s destination ecosystem, including the Thessaloniki Convention Bureau, Thessaloniki Concert Hall, HELEXPO, the National Exhibitions & Conferences organiser of Greece, Aegean Airlines, the official international carrier of Greece, the Region of Central Macedonia, the Thessaloniki Tourism Organization, the Vocational Training Institute of Tourism, the Professional Chamber of Thessaloniki, the Tourist Guides Association of Thessaloniki & Northern Greece, the Thessaloniki Hotels Association, the Macedonia-Thrace Travel Agencies Association, and the European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations.
Together, these engagements positioned the Thessaloniki Council Meeting not only as an internal leadership gathering, but also as a strategic forum connecting international PCO leadership with destination stakeholders to explore collaboration, strengthen market readiness and support the future development of the meetings and congress industry.
The Thessaloniki Council Meeting also served as an opportunity for IAPCO to align leadership priorities for 2026 and to continue strengthening relationships with destinations that share the association’s commitment to excellence, education, collaboration and long-term sector development.
IAPCO also acknowledges with appreciation the valued support of Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Allegro Restaurant, Makedonia Palace Hotel, ON Residence Hotel / Olympus Naoussa Restaurant, Chef Stories, VDL Audiovisual, Stefanos Tsakiris Photography, and Aegean Airlines, whose contributions enriched the overall programme and delegate experience.
