Christoph Tessmar elected as the new President of the ICCA

The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) has appointed Christoph Tessmar as its new president. The election took place during the General Assembly at the 65th ICCA Congress, which was held in Panama City from 8 to 11 November 2026. Tessmar is Director of the Barcelona Convention Bureau and already brings experience of working within the association: he has served as Treasurer on the ICCA Board since 2025. He succeeds Marta Gomes, whose four-year term is coming to an end.

In his new role, Tessmar will help shape ICCA’s strategic direction. His priorities include representing the interests of the congress and events industry on the international stage, building strategic partnerships and further strengthening the global network of members. ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath welcomed the decision and emphasised how important cross-border cooperation is for the sector. Together with Tessmar and the Executive Board, the aim is to further strengthen ICCA’s position as the global voice of the business events industry. The association also aims to raise the profile of the economic and social benefits of international association conferences.

The 2026 congress was held under the theme “CrossWorlds: The Crossings We Bring, The Crossings We Choose”. In terms of content, the event focused in particular on collaboration across geographical, economic and sector-specific boundaries.