How the Athens Promise Aims to Raise the Profile of the Events Industry

Signing and promotingThe Athens Promise to your network helps to raise awareness of how meetings contribute to destinations’ bottom lines. Photo: Adobe Stock

Commonly cited as the birthplace of democracy, Athens, Greece, was the ideal setting for some of the most important voices in the global meetings industry to come together in February at the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) Annual Meeting & General Assembly. In addition to four days of education and networking, the conference gave birth to a new program designed to empower meetings industry stakeholders to raise their voices as one. IAPCO has partnered with PCMA, the AMC Institute (AMCI), and the International Association of Convention Centers (AIPC) to launch The Athens Promise, a cross-organizational commitment to strengthen the voice, visibility, and standing of the global meetings and events industry.

This new initiative is designed to bolster current advocacy efforts with engagement from local stakeholders around the world. “What started as a conversation at our event has now become a global invitation. We are asking every person who works in, supports, supplies, or benefits from the meetings and events industry to add their voice,” Sissi Lignou, President of IAPCO, said in a press release announcing The Athens Promise.

The leaders of AIPC and AMCI were equally bullish on the potential of The Athens Promise to raise the profile of the business events industry. “We are getting behind this initiative because making real change requires more than the voice of one organization, one country, or one part of the industry. It is about all of us,” Sven Bossu, CEO of AIPC, said in a press release announcing the new initiative. “The promise is simple: to stand together, speak more clearly, and help the world better understand the value our industry creates every day.”

The Athens Promise also serves as a pointed reminder of the economic significance of the business events industry. Tina Wehmeir, CMP, CAE, president and chief executive officer of AMC Institute pointed to the event industry’s role as an economic powerhouse — and how The Athens Promise can serve as a powerful reminder of how meetings contribute to destinations’ bottom lines. “The meetings and events industry is a powerful driver of economic progress, innovation, professional development, and social connection. It supports communities, strengthens industries, creates jobs and delivers lasting value in destinations around the world. Our collective voice has power,” she said.

“The Athens Promise is not designed to reinvent advocacy; it is designed to help more people take part,” Sherrif Karamat, President & CEO of PCMA and CEMA, said in the same press release. “Across the global meetings and events industry, associations and leaders are already doing extraordinary work. The opportunity now is to empower the wider community to carry that message further, into their own markets, their own communities, and their own conversations.” Convene talked to Meghan Risch, PCMA’s chief of staff and vice president of corporate communications, to find out more about how PCMA members can participate in The Athens Promise to ensure that their voices matter as much as their budgets.

Empowering the Wider Community

“We look at The Athens Promise as a reinforcement to our vision, which is to drive global economic and social transformation through business events,” Risch told Convene. “We are engaged because a fragmented voice is a weaker voice, and our purpose commits us to building a shared narrative for the value of business events.“

The Athens Promise has the potential to make a powerful impact on decision-makers because it’s a call to action for everyone who works in business events, not just event planners and association professionals. Involving more of the workers and volunteers who contribute to the business events economy shows just how many people are invested in the success of our industry. “A policymaker doesn’t just hear from an association — they hear from multiple stakeholders, for example, a venue manager in their district, a supplier who employs their constituents, an events strategist who delivered a measurable economic impact to their community,” Risch told Convene. “Every voice we add makes the opportunity and action harder to ignore.”

The sense of shared purpose is already translating into action, according to Risch. “Grassroots efforts take time to build speed — and we are not easing up. What’s promising is where the message has traveled: media coverage in the Netherlands, Germany, and Latin America, and even public support from Greece’s Ministry of Tourism. That’s the signal that matters most: people carrying it into their own markets, not simply signing and moving on.”

The energy massing behind The Athens Promise brings to mind the last time that the events industry’s biggest associations united for a common purpose. “Five years ago, we were working to prove we could gather safely. A year ago, we were rebuilding. Today we have the data, the track record, and — for the first time — four global associations collaborating with the same goals. That alignment doesn’t always happen, so this is our opportunity to drive awareness and ultimately action,” Risch said.

After signing the Change.org petition and verifying their email addresses on IAPCO’s website, a critical part of the process in order to be part of the official tally of events industry stakeholders, The Athens Promise signatories will have access to IAPCO’s campaign resources. The Athens Promise promotion kit includes social media assets such as the “I have signed” graphic as well as banners to add to email signatures and websites to spread the word to their professional networks. “Signing is only the beginning. Start where your influence already is active: engage your chapter, collectives, and circles,” Risch said. “Advocacy is strongest when it’s collective and local — that’s where this promise actually turns into policy.“

You can add your signature to the Athens Promise here.

Kate Mulcrone is Convene’s digital managing editor.