Contact ABPCO
Tel: +44 (0)1386 858 886
Our members tell us that they join, and remain, as ABPCO members because our values are at the heart of everything we do. We really try to bring the association events community together to promote and encourage excellence, share, learn and collaborate.
Belonging – we help you to build your networks with other like-minded professionals and industry and give a platform for asking for advice and sharing best practice. See a snapshot of what our members think here
Excellence – we have a robust accreditation process, which ensures professionalism within the community. ABPCO membership is a mark of quality and recognised as a sign of excellence, and our annual awards recognise excellence within our community.
Learning – we help to raise our members’ standards of professionalism and event planning skills by offering many engaging learning opportunities both in-person and virtually.
On a wider note ABPCO work hard to have an ‘industry voice’ and to increase the profile and recognition of the conference organising community.
Interested in joining? Please click here
ABPCO membership is considered the Quality Mark amongst clients looking to seek the services of professional conference organisers and increasingly those seeking to recruit quality individuals to in-house roles. The ABPCO brand is a recognised sign of excellence in the meetings and events sector. We recognise skills and experience by offering accreditation through peer assessment, irrespective of academic qualifications. ABPCO accredited members must demonstrate significant experience at a senior level before attaining full PCO membership.
The ABPCO Excellence awards give wider recognition to our members; these are an excellent way to increase the visibility of your association conference. The Excellence Awards celebrate the very best the industry has to offer.
ABPCO are proud to profile their members, through initiatives such as full page profiles on the web site, use of LinkedIn and twitter. Full members are also represented on the board and we have a Joint-Chair initiative to ensure that we give equal visibility to our in-house members and agency PCOs.
Members are entitled to post job adverts on the ABPCO website at no cost, helping you to reach the best applicants. With a high volume of traffic to the site, active social media channels and regular news updates, the ABPCO website has become a hub to attract the best in the meetings industry, helping you save time and money by profiling new vacancies to a qualified audience at no charge.
ABPCO events, which are free to members, offer unique and valuable networking opportunities with industry peers on key topics affecting conference organisation. ABPCO is the only UK association dedicated to the individual needs of the professional conference organisers. ABPCO provides a forum to share best practice, network with industry peers and benefit from collective experience. There are opportunities for professional and personal development via informal and more formal sessions.
ABPCO’s industry members and partners are made up of some of the UK’s leading venues, convention bureau and suppliers in the conference industry. We encourage networking and provide opportunities for PCO members to interact with other members at our events and also online via our LinkedIn group and other social networks.
Many associations utilise our 'Find an organiser' service to help sign-post them to a PCO, which can be an invaluable source of new business. You are also eligible for a 10% discount on Hiscox events insurance, and 15 minutes of free VAT advice with an industry expert.
ABPCO members agree to abide by our code of conduct, requiring ethical behaviour at all times, this ensures the integrity of the brand as a mark of distinction and shorthand for a quality service.
The new ABPCO website is packed with useful content, we will continue to add to this content to provide our members with all of the tools they might need to stay abreast of the latest thinking and to save time and effort with useful guides and collateral relevant to our membership community. We also use the forum to update members on relevant industry knowledge, to help support with current logistical and macro-economic challenges. The content is available onlyto members - please ask heatherlishman@abpco.org if you would like more details.
We have developed a position as the leading voice of the PCO, working in partnership with other industry bodies, including the BVEP (Business Visits and Events Partnership) to drive change for the better in the meetings sector and ensure that PCOs are recognised for their expertise and value to business. We pioneered the award-winning Conference Cloud campaign calling for free wi-fi for conference delegates and continue to participate in industry debate representing the interests of organisers for example with the #Living Wage4Events campaign and have partnered with Positive Impact to promote a sustainable events industry. There are also opportunities to join an ABPCO task-force to help progress a range of topics relevant to our community
Our mandate is to advocate the latest technology, education, networking and best practice principles. ABPCO recognises the increasing impact of technology on how meetings and conferences are organised and delivered. We pioneered the award-winning Conference Cloud campaign calling for free wi-fi for conference delegates and offer a series of events, dedicated to taking the fear factor out of new technologies and equipping ABPCO members with the know-how to make the most of the latest thinking.
As a professional conference organiser, having first-hand knowledge of venues and destinations is no doubt an important part of your role. ABPCO members are regularly invited to attend bespoke familiarisation trips, tailored to their needs.
ABPCO are delighted to offer an on-line members' forum - ask for advice or recommendations and share your experiences with the focused community
