New Zealand industry hails leading international role for Jan Tonkin

Jan Tonkin

Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) congratulates Jan Tonkin on her new role as president of the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO).

“This prestigious position reflects Jan’s high standing in the world of professional congress organising,” says CINZ Chief Executive, Sue Sullivan.

Jan Tonkin is the founder and managing director of Auckland-based The Conference Company, and now takes on a two-year term as head of the world’s leading professional conference organisers’ association, IAPCO.

“As an industry we are very proud of Jan’s achievements. In 2014 Jan was recognised with the CINZ Outstanding Contributor Award for her work and dedication to fostering professional excellence in New Zealand,” Sue Sullivan says.

“She has always been a driving force in our industry, pushing for the highest standards, implementing new trends and technologies, and giving her time generously to mentoring our next generations of professional conference organisers.

“Jan is an exceptional New Zealander who will help take our country onto the world stage and make a significant contribution globally,” Sue Sullivan says.

The company Jan founded, The Conference Company is a full-service meeting planner with offices in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and extensive operations in Australia. The Conference Company became IAPCO’s first and only New Zealand member in 2002.

Jan says it is an exciting time to be stepping into the position. "Our business is undergoing a period of intense change, as new technologies bring about the commodification of traditional services and the diversification of meeting formats. And the role of the meeting planner is also shifting, from logistician to a more strategic partnership. IAPCO’s role is to help manage and lead that change. We do that by bringing together the best insights, ideas and strategy, passing them on to practitioners, and in turn, their clients.”