Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO
Partners in Congress Organisation (PCO) is a privately held, full-service Professional Congress Organiser based in Maastricht that plans and executes medical, scientific, corporate, and governmental congresses across Europe, serving European professional societies with end-to-end event management and ongoing secretariat services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersMaastricht, Netherlands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO does
Partners in Congress Organisation B.V. (PCO) is a privately held, full-service Professional Congress Organiser headquartered in Maastricht, Netherlands, founded in 2010 (originally as Pauwels Congress Organisers, rebranded in June 2023 following its founder's retirement). The firm specializes in end-to-end congress and event management for European medical, scientific, corporate, and governmental clients, delivering everything from preliminary planning, budgeting, venue selection, and programme/speaker coordination through to participant registration, abstract handling, exhibition management, hotel reservation, accreditation processing, on-site coordination, and post-event evaluation. PCO operates a portfolio of 30+ ongoing society secretariats and annual congresses across 16+ European countries (including Netherlands, France, Germany, Norway, Portugal, Italy, UK, Ireland, Romania, Poland, Switzerland, Greece, Sweden, Belgium, Croatia, and Spain), with marquee events such as the European Vascular Course (2,000+ attendees from 50 countries), the 29th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Biomaterials (~1,000 participants), and the European Veterinary Dental Forum.
The company's technology stack is built around bespoke administrative systems developed in-house, including an online participant registration module with payment processing, an abstract submission and reviewer portal, an integrated hotel reservation system, exhibition handling modules, a custom mailing/newsletter/certificate/survey distribution system, and an Online/Hybrid Congress Platform supporting live streaming, pre-recorded presentations, digital poster sessions, and virtual exhibitions. PCO holds Erkend Congresbedrijf (Certified Professional Congress Organiser) status, re-certified in 2024, and is anchored by Preferred Supplier arrangements with Universiteit Maastricht and a long-standing relationship with MECC Maastricht.
PCO's revenue model is project-based professional services: clients contract either full A-to-Z congress organization or modular service packages (e.g., registration-only, abstract handling-only), with multi-year recurring engagements typical for ongoing society secretariats. Pricing is custom-quoted per project and not publicly disclosed; the firm explicitly does not operate on a commission basis (any commissions it secures accrue to the client). The company maintains a 9-person core team of project managers plus freelance project managers and hostesses, and is privately owned by three individuals (Ilona Vermeeren, Susan Verkou, and Lahdy Lauvenberg) with no external institutional investors.
Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO
- Legal name
- Partners in Congress Organisation B.V.
- Website
- https://pcopartners.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Partners in Congress Organisation (PCO) is a privately held, full-service Professional Congress Organiser based in Maastricht that plans and executes medical, scientific, corporate, and governmental congresses across Europe, serving European professional societies with end-to-end event management and ongoing secretariat services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Congress Organisation Services
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Corporate Meeting & Conference Planning (Internal/External) (THAHACAB), Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK), Registration, Housing & Travel Desk Services (Delegate Logistics) (THAHACAJ), Virtual/Hybrid Conference Production & Platform Management (THAHACAM), Onsite Operations & Event Staffing Management (THAHACAL), Government & Public Sector Congress & Summit Planning (THAHACAC)
Keywords
Where Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Maastricht
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Congress Organization Services: Full-service professional congress organization for medical, scientific, corporate, and governmental events. Services include planning, registration, venue management, speaker coordination, sponsorship handling, exhibition management, and on-site coordination. PCO explicitly states they do NOT work on commission basis - all commissions benefit the client.
- Ongoing Secretariat Services: Continuing administrative support for professional societies including member administration, board meeting organization, AGM preparation, and member/sponsor communications.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Full-service A-to-Z congress organization |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Modular/custom service packages |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Partners in Congress Organisation (PCO) is a full-service Professional Congress Organiser based in Maastricht, providing end-to-end congress and event management for medical, scientific, corporate, and governmental clients across Europe. Services span planning, budgeting, venue selection, programme/speaker coordination, sponsorship, accreditation, participant registration, hotel reservation, abstract handling, exhibition management, and on-site coordination. Clients can engage PCO for complete A-to-Z organisation or select modular service packages.
Product overview
Partners in Congress Organisation (PCO) is a full-service Professional Congress Organiser (PCO) based in Maastricht, operating across Europe. The company offers a unified suite of congress and event management services, encompassing advisory services (planning, budgeting, venue selection, communication, programme/speaker coordination, sponsorship, accreditation) and operational modules including Participant Registration, Hotel Reservation, Abstract Handling, Exhibition Handling, and an Online/Hybrid Congress Platform. The core offering is the comprehensive congress organisation service, which clients can engage in full (A to Z) or in selected portions. PCO also operates a proprietary custom mailing system for newsletters, certificates, and surveys.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- European Veterinary Dental Forum grew from 250 to 500+ attendees in 5 years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- MPIminorIndustry membership organization for meeting and event professionals. Provides networking opportunities, industry resources, and professional development for PCO staff.
- Maastricht Convention BureauminorLocal destination marketing organization for Maastricht conventions and meetings industry. Supports PCO in promoting Maastricht as a congress destination.
- Rotterdam PartnersminorRotterdam convention and meetings bureau partnership for cross-promotion of Rotterdam and Maastricht as European congress destinations.
- Universiteit MaastrichtcorePreferred Supplier status for the university. PCO organizes congresses at university facilities and provides event management services for academic conferences.
- MECC MaastrichtcoreLong-standing relationship with the MECC Maastricht convention center for hosting large-scale congress events. Staff have prior experience at MECC.
- Emilio Perez Graphic DesignminorGraphic design agency responsible for PCO's visual identity and design work. Located in Geleen, Netherlands.
- 3W MediaminorWebsite design and realization partner responsible for PCO's web presence and digital platforms.
- Jonathan Vos PhotographyminorMaastricht-based photographer providing professional event photography for congress documentation.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kenes Group: Global Professional Congress Organiser headquartered in Switzerland, specializing in medical, scientific, and professional associations. Highly comparable to PCO's niche as a society-focused PCO serving European and international medical organizations.
- C-IN: Czech Professional Congress Organiser providing association management, congress organization, and hybrid event services across Europe. Comparable mid-sized PCO serving European scientific and medical societies.
- Congrex Switzerland: Association management and Professional Congress Organiser serving European medical and scientific societies. Directly comparable in offering full-service secretariat and congress organization to association clients across Europe.
- KIT Group: Germany-based Professional Congress Organiser focused on medical and scientific associations. Closely comparable in service portfolio (registration, abstract handling, hotel reservation) and European medical-society client base.
Broad incumbents
- BCD Meetings & Events: Large global corporate meetings and events agency with growing association PCO capabilities. Competes for European association and corporate event mandates, though its core strength is corporate rather than scientific society work.
- MCI Group: Large global events and association management firm offering full PCO services across multiple verticals and geographies. Overlaps with PCO's association/congress work but operates at significantly larger scale with broader corporate and association portfolio.
- GL Events: Global integrated event industry group combining venue management, exhibition services, and congress organization across Europe. Overlaps with PCO's on-site operations and venue coordination but operates at very different scale as venue owner.
- AIM Group International: European-headquartered congress organizer and event management company serving associations, corporations, and healthcare clients. Comparable in serving medical associations but with much broader geographic and service scope than PCO.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO social profiles
Digital presencePartners in Congress Organisation - PCO compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO
What does Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO do?
Partners in Congress Organisation (PCO) is a full-service Professional Congress Organiser based in Maastricht, providing end-to-end congress and event management for medical, scientific, corporate, and governmental clients across Europe. Services span planning, budgeting, venue selection, programme/speaker coordination, sponsorship, accreditation, participant registration, hotel reservation, abstract handling, exhibition management, and on-site coordination. Clients can engage PCO for complete A-to-Z organisation or select modular service packages.
Is Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO a public or private company?
Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO founded?
Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO based?
Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO is headquartered in Maastricht, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Congress Organization Services are the primary driver. The others are ongoing Secretariat Services.
Who are Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kenes Group, C-IN, Congrex Switzerland and KIT Group. Broad incumbents are BCD Meetings & Events, MCI Group, GL Events and AIM Group International.
Does Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO have an API?
No public API is recorded for Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO.
What industry is Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO in?
Partners in Congress Organisation - PCO's product category is Professional Congress Organisation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHACAA, Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies), with a secondary code of THAHACAB, Corporate Meeting & Conference Planning (Internal/External). Its NAICS code is 56192.