The Launch and the Signatories
The Athens Promise launched on 27 July 2026. IAPCO, the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers, created the pledge with PCMA, the AMC Institute (AMCI) and the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC).
The instrument is a public pledge. Signatories commit to advocate for the economic, professional and social value of meetings and events with governments, policymakers and media. IAPCO states that the pledge is open to anyone who works in, supplies or benefits from the industry, in any location and in any role.
Where the Promise Started
The name comes from Athens, where IAPCO held its Annual Meeting and General Assembly in February 2026. The programme ran four days of education and networking under IAPCO's president, Sissi Lignou.
"What started as a conversation at our event has now become a global invitation," Lignou said. "We are asking every person who works in, supports, supplies, or benefits from the meetings and events industry to add their voice."
Four Leadership Statements
Each partner association published its own statement on the pledge.
Sven Bossu, chief executive officer of AIPC, said: "We are getting behind this initiative because making real change requires more than the voice of one organisation, one country, or one part of the industry. It is about all of us. The promise is simple: to stand together, speak more clearly, and help the world better understand the value our industry creates every day."
Tina Wehmeir, CMP, CAE, president and chief executive officer of the AMC Institute, said: "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."
Sherrif Karamat, CAE, president and chief executive officer of PCMA and CEMA, said: "The Athens Promise is not designed to reinvent advocacy; it is designed to help more people take part. 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."
PCMA on the Shared Narrative
Meghan Risch, PCMA's chief of staff and vice president of corporate communications, told Convene what the coalition sets out to do. "We look at The Athens Promise as a reinforcement to our vision, which is to drive global economic and social transformation through business events," she said. "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."
Risch set out what a longer signatory list changes for a policymaker. "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," she said. "Every voice we add makes the opportunity and action harder to ignore."
How a Signature Is Counted
Signing runs through the Change.org petition, followed by an email verification step on IAPCO's website. IAPCO and AIPC both state that verification is what puts a name into the official tally. Both advise signatories who do not receive the verification message to check their email filters.
Verified signatories receive IAPCO's campaign resources. The promotion kit carries social media graphics and animations, an "I have signed" graphic, website and email banners, and an email-signature graphic.
Where the Message Has Reached
Risch reported the campaign's early reach. Media coverage has appeared in the Netherlands, Germany and Latin America, and Greece's Ministry of Tourism has given the campaign public support, according to Risch.
"That's the signal that matters most: people carrying it into their own markets, not simply signing and moving on," she said. She added that grassroots efforts take time to build speed.
Risch placed the four-association alignment against the sector's recent history. "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," she said. "That alignment doesn't always happen, so this is our opportunity to drive awareness and ultimately action."
Where a Signatory Starts
Risch's guidance to signatories is to begin with the circles they already reach. "Signing is only the beginning. Start where your influence already is active: engage your chapter, collectives, and circles," she said. "Advocacy is strongest when it's collective and local - that's where this promise actually turns into policy."