From November 1st until 5th, the 53rd ICCA Conference and General Assembly will take place in Antalya, Turkey. This year, the General Assembly will vote for a new President of ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) since Arnaldo Nardone will step down after having completed his four-year term. Handan Boyce, General Manager of the Halic Congress Center and former General Manager of the Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau, will stand for the Presidential election.
Handan Boyce, courtesy image
“We have achieved a huge amount so far but there is always a long way to go with many new areas to discover. ICCA is our community and we can still reach new heights for ourselves personally, as professionals, in our business and in recognition for our industry at large,” Handan explains, adding that this is her mission.
In 2006, Handan Boyce took over the first leadership role within ICCA and was elected ICCA Mediterranean Chapter Chair, one year later she was appointed to the Board of Directors of ICCA representing the destination marketing sector. In 2010, Handan became a Management and Finance Committee member and the 3rd Vice President of ICCA.
Handan Boyce has been working in the meetings industry for many years and went for its development and advocacy on both an national and international levels. In 2003, she took over the position as General Manger of the Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau. In this role, she cooperated with sector partners as well as with local and national governments and institutions and pioneered the development of Turkey’s meeting industry. For example, there has been considerable growth in the number of ICCA members in Turkey with an increase of nearly 300% –from 13 members in 2003 to 47 members at present.
Accepting the position of General Manager of the Halic Congress Center in 2011, Handan Boyce held a new role in another distinctive sector within the meetings industry: venue management. She expanded her experience in this field by also becoming an active member of AIPC (International Association of Convention Centres).
Through the various leadership positions in different sectors of the meetings industry, Handan Boyce has collaborated with national and international associations, meeting management companies and suppliers. She is also the founder of the Turkish Meeting Professionals Association, MPI Turkey Club, honorary member of the Turkish Hotelier and Investors Association, member and trustee of the Tourism Development and Education Foundation of Turkey and board member of Istanbul CVB.
For more information and details about Handan Boyce’s vision and objectives, please visit her official web page www.handanboyce.com.
