Application Process

Who is eligible to join?

ABPCO Full and Associate Membership is only open to conference and event organisers. Membership is on an individual, not company, basis. ABPCO welcomes applications from individuals within conference and event organising agencies, and from in-house organisers working within public sector, corporate or non-for-profit organisations and associations.

Friend Membership is open to those who are no longer actively working as conference or event organisers (eg retired professionals, those on career breaks) or those who work in other sectors of the meetings and event industry.

Entry Level Membership is open to students both under and post graduate or those wishing to move into the conference and events industry from another sector.

Corporate Membership is open to conference and event industry supply organisations and is the only level of membership which is for organisations rather than individuals.

Membership Categories

There are five categories of membership plus an Honorary category which is by invitation only:

  • Full Membership
  • Associate Membership
  • Corporate Membership
  • Friend Membership
  • Entry Level Membership

Full Membership

Eligibility:

  • A minimum of 5 years' experience in the organisation of all services required in the preparation and running of conferences, seminars and/or other meetings
  • A minimum of 2 years as a proprietor, partner, director or senior manager of a conference organising business or as the director or senior manager of a conference organising unit attached to a professional or trade association, educational institution, official body, or corporation

Benefits:

  • Voting rights within ABPCO
  • Attendance at all ABPCO meetings (free of charge), professional development seminars (discounted rates apply), Annual Conference and Fam Trips
  • Access to ABPCO confidential members-only mailing list
  • Inclusion on the list of full ABPCO members given to potential new clients and receipt of other business leads and enquiries
  • Authorisation to use the designation 'Full Member of ABPCO' when used in conjunction with the member's name ie on business cards and personal correspondence only, not on corporate communications of any kind
  • Representation on the Business Visits and Events Partnership, a collective of all industry bodies involved in business tourism for the purpose of influencing change through the legislative process
  • Access to ABPCO's strategic alliances with other professional associations including MPI's UK and Ireland Chapter, offering discounts to ABPCO members to attend their events
  • Access to specialist services through our partnerships with VAT and insurance experts

Subscription - £300.00 + VAT per annum

Associate Membership

Eligibility:

A minimum of 2 years' experience in the organisation of all services required in the preparation and running of conferences, seminars and/or other meetings.

Benefits:

  • Voting rights within ABPCO
  • Attendance at all ABPCO meetings (free of charge), professional development seminars (discounted rates apply), Annual Conference and Fam Trips (fee appropriate to membership status)
  • Access to ABPCO confidential members-only mailing list
  • Access to Full ABPCO members for advice and consultation
  • Authorisation to use the designation 'Associate Member of ABPCO' when used in conjunction with the member's name ie. on business cards and personal correspondence only, not on corporate communications of any kind
  • Representation on the Business Visits and Events Partnership, a collective of all industry bodies involved in business tourism for the purpose of influencing change through the legislative process
  • Access to ABPCO's strategic alliances with other professional associations including MPI's UK and Ireland Chapter, offering discounts to ABPCO members to attend their events
  • Access to specialist services through our partnerships with VAT and insurance experts
  • Progression to Full Membership once satisfying the relevant criteria

Subscription - £200.00 + VAT per annum

Corporate Membership

Eligibility:

Open to conference and event industry supplier organisations including:

National Tourist Organisations, Destination Marketing Organisations, Convention Bureaux, purpose-built Convention Centres, Hotels and other venues, Industry suppliers.

Benefits:

  • Listing in the membership section of the ABPCO website
  • Use of ABPCO Corporate Member logo on all marketing material
  • Opportunity to contribute towards articles in business and trade media on issues facing our industry thereby raising your profile as a thought-leader
  • Access to ABPCO's strategic alliances with other professional associations including MPI's UK and Ireland Chapter, offering discounts to ABPCO members to attend their events
  • Access to specialist services through our partnerships with VAT and insurance experts
  • Opportunity to host or contribute to ABPCO events and to create bespoke ABPCO showcases such as Fam Trips
  • Opportunity to network with ABPCO conference and event organiser members and potential members through our events programme and social networking presence on Facebook and Linked-In
  • Opportunity to offer ABPCO Members discounts on your products and/or services
  • Reduced rates at ABPCO training and educational events including ABPCO Annual Conference
  • Representation on the Business Visits and Events Partnership, a collective of all industry bodies involved in business tourism for the purpose of influencing change through the legislative process
  • Discounted Advertising, Sponsorship and Exhibition opportunities

Subscription - £1500.00 + VAT per annum

Friend of ABPCO

Eligibility:

Open to those who are no longer actively working as conference or event organisers (eg retired professionals, those on career breaks) or those who work in other sectors of the meeting and event industry.

Benefits:

  • Opportunity to network with ABPCO conference and event organiser members and potential members through our events programme and social networking presence on Facebook and Linked-In
  • Representation on the Business Visits and Events Partnership, a collective of all industry bodies involved in business tourism for the purpose of influencing change through the legislative process
  • Access to ABPCO's strategic alliances with other professional associations including MPI's UK and Ireland Chapter, offering discounts to ABPCO members to attend their events
  • Access to specialist services through our partnerships with VAT and insurance experts
  • Progression to Full or Associate Membership where applicable once satisfying the relevant criteria

Subscription - £50.00 + VAT per annum

Entry Level Membership

Eligibility:

Open to students both under and post graduate or those wishing to move into the conference and events industry from another sector.

Benefits:

  • Opportunity to network with ABPCO conference and event organiser members and potential members through our events programme and social networking presence on Facebook and Linked-In
  • Access to ABPCO members for networking and career progression
  • Representation on the Business Visits and Events Partnership, a collective of all industry bodies involved in business tourism for the purpose of influencing change through the legislative process
  • Access to ABPCO's strategic alliances with other professional associations including MPI's UK and Ireland Chapter, offering discounts to ABPCO members to attend their events
  • Progression to Associate Membership after two years providing criteria is met

Subscription - £50.00 + VAT per annum

Application Process

Full and Associate applicants should complete the online membership application form.

On the membership application form, applicants should nominate two people who are familiar with their conference organising activities (one a client/committee chair and one a venue). Referees should be able to provide a fair assessment of the applicant's capabilities.

Upon submission, the form will be sent to ABPCO Association Manager, Nicola Kayes, who will acknowledge receipt immediately. Applications will be reviewed by the Executive Director and referees will be contacted. Applicants will normally be notified of the outcome of their application within 4 weeks of receipt.

Those wishing to apply for Corporate, Friend or Entry Level Membership should complete the Corporate, Friend or Entry Level Application Form.

Subscriptions

Subscriptions are invoiced annually by the ABPCO Executive Office.

Multiple Memberships

In August 2010 ABPCO introduced a discount for those organisations wishing to have multiple Full and Associate members. After the first member, each additional membership approved in either of these categories in 2010 will enjoy a discount of 20% on the relevant subscription for the first year of membership. For further details please contact Lesley Maltman on lesleymaltman@abpco.org.

Membership Commitment

ABPCO's activities are governed by the Chairperson and Executive Committee.

All members are encouraged to participate actively in the running of the Association by attendance at meetings, by making a personal contribution wherever possible to activities such as research projects, seminars, etc and by generally promoting the name and work of the Association.