AIPC Launches Start-Up Lab

AIPC, the International Association of Convention Centres, has announced the launch of its Start-Up Lab. This new initiative creates a platform for interaction between the global AIPC community of convention centers and start-up companies offering cutting-edge solutions for the next generation of organised events.

The avalanche of new ideas and solutions for organised events, often launched by completely new companies, does not stop. At the same time, convention centres are continuously searching for innovative ways to enhance service levels, develop new products and services and delivering unique experiences to their customers.

The AIPC Start-Up Lab has the ambition to be a bridge between those two worlds by providing a very limited number of start-ups the possibility to showcase their solutions in an interactive way to a global audience of convention centres. The goal is indeed to create a kind of incubator, allowing to test new products and services in a collaborative way.

Companies who want to become part of the Start-Up Lab will go through a clear selection process – overseen by the Board of Directors - focusing on the potential value the proposed solutions can provide to convention centres and their customers. This also means that the scope is not limited to solutions for digital events – it is really about the value created, whether it concerns catering, security, operations or any other aspect related to managing convention centres.

“We believe this is a great way to provide new and additional value to the AIPC Community. Our members will receive unique insights in a selection of innovative solutions and the collaborative element will allow the start-ups to bring their value proposal to the next level”, says Peter King (pictured above), CEO of the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Center (MECC) and Board Member of AIPC.

Start-up companies interested in joining the AIPC Start-Up Lab can do so by contacting the AIPC Secretariat via secretariat@AIPC.org.