As a partner city in the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO), Gothenburg was asked to host the IAPCO Council Meeting in 2017. This was an opportunity for the international gathering of meeting and congress organisers to discover Gothenburg’s appeal as a city of meetings.

“We realised what great potential Gothenburg has for visitors from around the world. It was interesting to hear about the expansion plans and we can see that the city has a promising future in the meetings arena,” said Jan Tonkin, President of IAPCO.

IAPCO board members from every corner of the world held their council meeting in Gothenburg on 11–14 May. They had opportunities to see the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre as well as the other attractions of Gothenburg as a city of meetings.

“It was a wonderful experience for us all; we not only appreciated the practicality of the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre, but also the beautiful green spaces that are so close to the city centre,” said Jan Tonkin.

The fact that an established trade network such as IAPCO chose to hold their board meeting in Gothenburg is an important achievement in raising awareness of Gothenburg and building its profile as a city of meetings.

Here, Jan Tonkin and her colleagues on the IAPCO council talk about Gothenburg’s appeal as a destination for meetings.