The International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO), the global professional association for congress and event organising companies, has opened applications for the third edition of its Asia-Pacific Emerging Leaders Programme, developed in partnership with the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) and delivered exclusively to employees of IAPCO member companies across the Asia-Pacific region.

As reported by Meetings & Conventions Asia, the 2026 programme comprises six online leadership modules delivered between July and September, targeting participants typically with three to five years of industry experience. Modules cover leadership, governance, financial strategy, stakeholder management, communication and decision-making, with participants also building professional networks across the global IAPCO community throughout the programme.

The programme culminates in the Jan Tonkin Scholarship, named after former IAPCO president and New Zealand business events professional Jan Tonkin MNZM. One participant will receive complimentary registration, accommodation and return flights to attend the IAPCO Annual Meeting and General Assembly 2027 in Mumbai.

Martin Boyle, CEO of IAPCO, said: "Workforce development is one of IAPCO's highest strategic priorities. As our industry continues to evolve, investing in people is essential to ensuring its long-term resilience, professionalism and global impact. Partnerships with organisations allows the creation of leadership pathways that identify talent early, develop capability and strengthen the future of the meetings profession across multiple regions."

Stephen Noble, IAPCO council member and chair of the IAPCO Training Academy, said the programme is designed to create a sustained leadership pathway rather than a one-off training initiative, pointing to the return of previous scholarship recipients Pooja Menon and Shimal Jaykant as programme moderators as evidence of long-term impact. Noble described this as a cycle of learning, leadership and contribution, where participants go on to support others and raise capability across the profession.

Alana Bicknell, director of sales at NZICC, said the continuing partnership equips emerging professionals with skills, confidence, and the international perspective needed to drive the sector forward.

Earlier in 2026, IAPCO extended the emerging leaders model to Latin America through a new partnership with FIEXPO, reflecting the association's stated intention to build a consistent global pipeline of future industry professionals across multiple regions simultaneously.