HAPCO & DES: Sissi Lygnou Elected President of Greece’s Professional Congress Organizers

HAPCO’s new president, Sissi Lygnou (left), during the association’s annual congress.

The Hellenic Association of Professional Congress Organizers & Destinations Events Specialists (HAPCO & DES) has appointed Sissi Lygnou as the president of its new Board of Directors, following its annual congress that took place between April 12-13 in Athens.

Lygnou, who has been on HAPCO’s board since 2007, previously served as the association’s secretary general. She is the CEO of AFEA Travel and Congress Services and counts more than 20 years in the meetings industry. Since 2009, Lygnou has represented AFEA in the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) and has participated in many IAPCO committees and working groups, representing the international body as a speaker and trainer. In February 2021, she was elected as a member of IAPCO.

The new Board of Directors of HAPCO & DES is as follows:

Honorary President
Irene Tolis, ERA Congress & Events

President
Sissi Lignou, AFEA Travel & Congress Services

1st Vice President
Panagiotis Podimatas, PODIMATAS AUDIOVISUAL

2nd Vice President
Maria Papadaki, EVENT MAKERS

Secretary General
Antonia Alexandrou, CONVIN SA

Treasurer
Dimitris Paliouras, GLOBAL EVENTS

Members
Irini Toli, ERA Congress & Events
Zenia Kerasidou, MEGARON ATHENS, International Conference Centre
Costas Karageorgakis, ETS EVENTS & TRAVEL SOLUTIONS
George Kiagias, OPTIMUM GREECE
Maria Papapanagiotou, KEGM Tourist & Conference Enterprises SA Congress World
Evangelos Pantos, GRAND HYATT ATHENS

Alternate member
Thanos Marinoglou, MD CONGRESS

HAPCO was established in 1996, aiming to bring together professional congress organizers (PCOs) and companies from the whole range of services and products of the conference market on an institutional level as well as represent them.