ABPCO
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersKettering, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
ABPCO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ABPCO
- Legal name
- Association of British Professional Conference Organisers
- Website
- https://abpco.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ABPCO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Association Services
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK), Professional & Certification Expos Organizers (THAHABAD), Employee Recognition, Awards & Incentive (Internal) Events (THAHAIAM)
Keywords
Where ABPCO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kettering
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
ABPCO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Subscriptions: ABPCO generates revenue through annual membership fees from individual professional conference organiser members, industry members and partners, academic members, and allied members. Membership is renewed annually and provides access to resources, networking, and professional development.
- Event Registrations and Training Fees: Revenue is generated from paid training workshops and educational events. For example, the ABPI Code training course is priced at £120 for members and £240 for non-members. Some events are free for members.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | ABPI Code Training - ABPCO Member |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | ABPI Code Training - Non Member |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | ABPI Code Training - ABPCO Member (May session) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | ABPI Code Training - Non Member (May session) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Roundtable - Non Member |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Festival of Learning 2026 - Terrarium Workshop add-on |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
ABPCO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ABPCO is a UK professional membership association for conference organisers in the association and not-for-profit sector. It sells annual memberships, paid training courses (such as ABPI Code and Venue Contracts workshops), an annual flagship conference (Festival of Learning), an annual Excellence Awards programme, and a unique tendering/RFP matching service that connects event clients with member organisers.
Product overview
ABPCO (Association of British Professional Conference Organisers) is the UK's leading professional body for event organisers in the association and not-for-profit sector. It operates as a membership-based professional association rather than a software product company. The organization offers membership services, a comprehensive events program (including Coffee & Chat sessions, Training, Roundtables, Look & Learn visits, and the flagship Festival of Learning), the ABPCO Excellence Awards, a tendering/RFP service, and various committees and taskforces for member engagement. The organization focuses on promoting excellence, sharing knowledge, and collaboration among professional conference organizers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ABPCO Professional Membership Annual membership for professional conference organisers in UK associations and not-for-profits (Full and Associate Members), plus Industry Members and Partners (venues, suppliers, destinations) and Academic Members (universities and students). Membership provides networking, resources, training, accreditation and access to the tendering/RFP service.
- ABPCO Festival of Learning The Association's flagship annual educational conference bringing together event professionals to connect, collaborate and learn, held at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham, with paid delegate registration and sponsor packages.
- ABPCO Excellence Awards Annual awards programme (with categories such as Best Event by an Agency PCO, Best Event by an In-house PCO, Best Partnership, Industry Supplier of the Year, Best Member Engagement and Student of the Year) that recognises excellence in the UK association events sector and accepts paid award entries.
- ABPCO Training Programmes Paid professional development courses including ABPI Code training (£120 member / £240 non-member per delegate; £100/£200 for the May 2026 session) and the Venue Contracts Workshop, plus Neurodiversity in Events training and other workshops.
- Find an ABPCO Organiser (Tendering and RFP Service) A unique tendering and request-for-proposals matching service that connects event clients with ABPCO-member professional conference organisers, available to organisations seeking PCOs in the UK association and not-for-profit sector.
Companies that use ABPCO
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ABPCO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ABPCO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CventcoreCvent is a Technology Partner for ABPCO's Festival of Learning 2026 and ABPCO runs a Cvent User Group for members who use Cvent event management software. Cvent CONNECT Europe 2026 is listed as an ABPCO event.
- Visit BelfastminorVisit Belfast is listed as an ABPCO Industry Partner, supporting the association and its members.
- ICC (International Convention Centre Belfast)minorICC Belfast is listed as an ABPCO Industry Partner and serves as the venue for the ABPCO Excellence Awards 2026 on 10-11 December 2026.
- Northstar Meetings GroupminorNorthstar Meetings Group is listed as an ABPCO Industry Partner, supporting the association.
- Nottingham VenuesminorNottingham Venues is listed as an ABPCO Industry Partner and serves as the venue for the Networking Supper at the Festival of Learning 2026.
- James Hallam LtdminorJames Hallam Ltd is listed as an ABPCO Industry Partner and provides insurance expertise for ABPCO webinars on event insurance.
- Manchester CentralminorManchester Central is listed as an ABPCO Industry Partner and was the venue for the ABPCO Excellence Awards 2025.
- Whitespace Exhibitions LtdminorWhitespace Exhibitions Ltd is listed as an ABPCO Industry Partner and hosted ABPCO Social Drinks at Confex 2026.
- Excel LondonminorExcel London is listed as an ABPCO Industry Partner, Conference Lunch Sponsor for the Festival of Learning 2026, and venue for International Confex 2026 and The Meetings Show 2026.
- Royal Armouries, LeedsminorRoyal Armouries Leeds is listed as an ABPCO Industry Partner and Event Sponsor for the Festival of Learning 2026. Winner of the Best Partnership Award 2025 (with UKREiif).
- Liverpool Experience Campus (LEX)minorLiverpool Experience Campus is listed as an ABPCO Industry Partner and Student Supporter for the Festival of Learning 2026.
- Harrogate Convention CentreminorHarrogate Convention Centre is listed as a Refreshments Sponsor for the Festival of Learning 2026.
- Full Circle Events & ExhibitionsminorFull Circle Events & Exhibitions partnered with ABPCO at The Meetings Show 2026 (stand B22) and Rebecca Towell won the 2025 Industry Supplier of the Year Award.
- GESminorGES is the Networking Supper Sponsor for the Festival of Learning 2026.
- MICE ConciergeminorMICE Concierge is the Newcomers Reception Sponsor for the Festival of Learning 2026.
- SEC (Scottish Event Campus)minorSEC is the sponsor of the Agency PCO and In-House PCO meet-ups and Networking Breakfasts at the Festival of Learning 2026.
- Inclusive DigitalminorInclusive Digital is the Media Partner for the Festival of Learning 2026.
- Hilton Birmingham MetropoleminorHilton Birmingham Metropole is an ABPCO Industry Member and hosts the Roundtable: Exploring the Future of Association Awards (October 2026) and the Look & Learn: Women Teachers' Consultation Conference.
- InterContinental London - The O2minorInterContinental London - The O2 is the venue for Cvent CONNECT Europe 2026 (ABPCO event).
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ABPCO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Cvent: Leading events management software platform and ABPCO's core technology partner. Included as a peer because it co-hosts events with ABPCO (Cvent CONNECT Europe) and runs the ABPCO Cvent User Group, though its core business is enterprise event software rather than membership services.
- Informa: Major global events and exhibitions operator (Informa Markets / Informa Connect). Included as an adjacent peer because Informa Connect organises association and professional conferences — competing indirectly with ABPCO member PCOs for the same conference clients.
Direct peers
- AEO (Association of Event Organisers): UK-based trade association for companies that organise exhibitions and events. Highly comparable to ABPCO as a UK-headquartered events-association peer, although AEO focuses on exhibition organisers rather than association conference organisers.
- BVEP (Business Visits and Events Partnership): UK umbrella partnership representing the business visits, events, and meetings sector to government. Comparable to ABPCO in providing industry advocacy and representation for the UK events ecosystem.
- ESSA (Event Suppliers and Services Association): UK trade association representing event suppliers and services. Comparable as a UK events-sector professional body serving a complementary stakeholder group (suppliers) to ABPCO's PCO members.
- MPI (Meeting Professionals International): World's largest association for meeting and event professionals, offering membership, education, and certification. Directly comparable to ABPCO in providing community, training, and professional development for events professionals.
- PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association): Global professional body for convention, conference, and meeting management professionals. Closest analogue to ABPCO in mission (advancing the events/meetings profession), though PCMA operates globally rather than being UK-scoped to association PCOs.
- SITE (Society of Incentive & Travel Executives): International society dedicated to the incentive travel industry, with a similar membership-association model offering education, certification, and networking. Adjacent to ABPCO in serving events professionals with shared community and education services.
- MIA (Meetings Industry Association): UK association for the meetings industry, providing accreditation, training, and advocacy for venues, agencies, and suppliers. Directly comparable to ABPCO as a UK-based meetings/events professional body.
- IAEE (International Association of Exhibitions and Events): Global professional association for the exhibitions and events industry, offering education, certification (CEM), and advocacy. Comparable to ABPCO as an events-sector professional body, though broader in scope and international.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ABPCO social profiles
Digital presenceABPCO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ABPCO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
ABPCO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ABPCO 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 ABPCO
What does ABPCO do?
ABPCO is a UK professional membership association for conference organisers in the association and not-for-profit sector. It sells annual memberships, paid training courses (such as ABPI Code and Venue Contracts workshops), an annual flagship conference (Festival of Learning), an annual Excellence Awards programme, and a unique tendering/RFP matching service that connects event clients with member organisers.
Is ABPCO a public or private company?
ABPCO is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ABPCO founded?
ABPCO was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ABPCO based?
ABPCO is headquartered in Kettering, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does ABPCO make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are event Registrations and Training Fees.
Who are ABPCO's main competitors?
Others on record are Cvent and Informa. Direct peers are AEO (Association of Event Organisers), BVEP (Business Visits and Events Partnership), ESSA (Event Suppliers and Services Association), MPI (Meeting Professionals International), PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association), SITE (Society of Incentive & Travel Executives), MIA (Meetings Industry Association) and IAEE (International Association of Exhibitions and Events).
Does ABPCO have an API?
No public API is recorded for ABPCO.
What industry is ABPCO in?
ABPCO's product category is Trade Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHACAA, Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies), with a secondary code of THAHACAK, Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services. Its NAICS code is 81392 and its SIC code is 8600.