ICCA and AMC Institute Bring Association Management and Global Leaders Together in Panama

Panama City

The participation of AMC Institute leadership at the 65th ICCA Congress in Panama City will bring the association management company community into closer dialogue with destinations, venues and other international meetings stakeholders.

ICCA and AMC Institute (AMCI) are strengthening their collaboration through the participation of AMCI leadership in the 65th ICCA Congress, taking place in Panama City, Panama, from 8–11 November 2026.

The collaboration will bring together two communities with complementary roles in the international association meetings ecosystem, creating opportunities for association management companies, destinations, venues and other business events partners to exchange perspectives on the priorities and challenges shaping global meetings.

Ahead of the Congress, AMCI’s Board of Directors will convene in Panama City for its autumn board meeting before joining the wider ICCA Congress community for the official Opening Ceremony on Sunday. Many Board members will remain throughout the Congress, taking part in knowledge exchange, panel discussions and networking alongside more than 1,000 business events professionals and representatives of an expected 100+ international associations.

The partnership also reflects the theme of this year’s Congress, #CrossWorlds, which explores connections across sectors, geographies and professional communities, and considers how those relationships can strengthen the global meetings industry.

The scale of the AMCI community underlines the potential significance of that connection. AMCI represents more than 180 member firms across 16 countries, collectively managing more than 3,300 associations and serving 3.3 million individual members worldwide. Together, these organisations represent more than $1.9 billion in association revenue.

Bringing AMCI leadership into the ICCA Congress environment therefore creates a direct link between the association management company community and the destinations, venues and other partners responsible for attracting and delivering international association meetings.

Dr. Senthil Gopinath, CEO of ICCA, said: “CrossWorlds is about exactly this kind of connection; bringing communities together who don't always share a room, but absolutely share a mission. Having AMCI's leadership join us in Panama is a powerful signal of how closely our industries are intertwined.

Association management companies steward the day-to-day success of thousands of associations worldwide. When their leadership sits at the same table as our members, everyone gains a sharper, more complete picture of what it takes to deliver world-class international meetings.”

For ICCA, the presence of AMCI leadership provides a route to a more detailed understanding of the operational realities facing associations and the companies that manage them. For AMCI and its members, the Congress offers direct access to the international meetings ecosystem in which their association clients make decisions about destinations, venues and global partnerships.
 

Tina Wehmeir, CEO of AMCI, said: “For AMCI, participating in ICCA Congress puts our leadership directly into the international meetings ecosystem that our member firms and the associations they serve engage with every day. Our members work closely with associations that make decisions about where and how their global meetings take place.

Being alongside the destinations, venues and partners shaping that ecosystem creates a valuable opportunity for insight-sharing, collaboration and stronger relationships across the industry.”

The collaboration is grounded in the recognition that the two communities bring different but interconnected forms of expertise. Association management companies provide an in-depth understanding of the priorities, challenges and operational requirements of the associations they represent, while ICCA’s global network brings together destinations, venues, meeting management organisations and solution providers involved in delivering international meetings.

The Congress will consequently provide AMCI leadership and members with opportunities to engage directly with association executives, destination leaders and business events professionals from more than 80 countries. Their participation will also bring the perspective of the AMC community into discussions around the trends and pressures affecting the way associations manage international meetings and work with partners around the world.

The choice of Panama as the host destination adds another dimension to the collaboration. Panama City will provide the setting for the AMCI Board meeting as well as the ICCA Congress, bringing international association leaders and business events stakeholders together in a destination that has positioned connectivity at the centre of its identity.

Gloria De León, Minister of Tourism, Panama, said: “Panama has always been a natural meeting point, connecting oceans, cultures, people and ideas. Welcoming AMC Institute’s leadership to Panama City alongside the ICCA Congress reflects exactly who we are as a country: a global hub where connections happen and opportunities are created.

When leading international communities choose Panama to meet, exchange ideas and build the future together, they strengthen not only their industries, but also our position as a world-class destination for meetings and conventions. Panama is ready to welcome the world and to bring the world together.”

The 65th ICCA Congress is being hosted in Panama City with the support of PROMTUR Panama, highlighting the destination’s commitment to bringing global association leaders and the wider business events community together.

Against the backdrop of #CrossWorlds, the participation of AMCI leadership positions the Congress as a meeting point not only for destinations and suppliers seeking to understand the international association market, but also for association management professionals whose day-to-day work provides a direct view of what associations need from the global meetings ecosystem.

The collaboration between ICCA and AMCI thus places the relationship between association leadership, management companies and their global partners firmly within the Congress conversation — connecting the organisations that shape meeting strategy with the people and destinations responsible for turning those strategies into international events.
 

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