IAPCO Driving Excellence Collaboration Award 2024 Unveiled in Barcelona

INTERPLAN Congress, Meeting & Event Management AG in collaboration with CCL Congress Center Leipzig have been announced as the winners of the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO)’s Driving Excellence Collaboration Award 2024.

The award is supported by IBTM and was presented at the Meetings Leadership Network during IBTM World on Monday, 18 November 2024, in Barcelona, Spain.

The winning collaboration related to two major INTERPLAN congresses that were delivered back-to-back, beginning on 25 to 28 September 2024 with the Annual Meeting of the German Society of Urology and continuing from 30 September to 5 October with Viszeralmedicine, a joint conference of two specialist associations (DGVS and DGAV). 

Organising the two congresses with around 6,000 and 5,000 participants at the same location one after the other required an outstanding schedule. At the same time, considerable cooperation and operational optimisation was made possible with many benefits for the wider meetings industry. The most important basis for this successful collaboration was the long-standing partnership and trusting cooperation of all those involved.

While individual concepts and requirements had to be implemented for each of the two congresses, the overarching aim was to find opportunities for synergy. 

The goal was also to organise the handover of the building as efficiently as possible between the closely-timed events, to make sensible joint use of infrastructure and to achieve sustainable outcomes. The most important step was to ensure that clients were closely involved and the requirements of both events were systematically considered from the outset and throughout the entire planning process.

Sarah Markey-Hamm, President, IAPCO, said: “We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all entrants of the Collaboration Award, who have shown remarkable dedication to innovation in our industry. This year’s winner, INTERPLAN Congress, Meeting & Event Management AG, in partnership with CCL-Congress Center Leipzig, has exemplified 'Unlocking Excellence' in congress management. 

“Their big-picture approach – balancing client needs with efficient resource use – demonstrates a forward-thinking model for our field. Their achievement is an inspirational testament to the power of collaboration in delivering seamless, high-quality experiences.”

The IAPCO Driving Excellence Awards are a trio of awards which recognise excellence within the IAPCO member community and have long been coveted by those who seek acknowledgement for their quality and contribution to the meetings industry.

The IAPCO Collaboration Award recognises outstanding contributions to the meetings industry, celebrating partnerships that go beyond traditional roles, resulting in impactful and innovative conferences.