In our earliest work the UIA quickly recognized the importance of international meetings and congresses to international association life. This recognition has led to a decades long engagement with what is now known as the meetings industry. UIA also initiated the first international meetings of this industry, which led to the creation of a number of trade groups including AIPC, AIIC, AITC and IAPCO.

UIA currently offers collaboration and partnership with entities in the meetings industry in the form of an Associate Membership. The main focus of this collaboration is to promote networking between association and industry bodies.

In addition, the UIA also offers Associate Members a range of services and support:

• An exclusive early copy of UIA’s International Meetings Statistics Report
• Online access to UIA’s International Congress Calendar and, with a Premium Membership, to the Yearbook of International Organizations
• A copy of the UIA’s Survey on Meetings of International Organizations
• 10% discount on custom reports such as our new Destination Reports
• Invitation to participate in Online Masterclasses
• An invitation to participate in UIA's Associations Round Tables
• Opportunity to post relevant news on the UIA website
• Option to maintain Members’ own page on the UIA website, linked from the Associate Members' Directory
• Support from UIA in networking with international associations by customized contact data delivery
• Option to order a customized data-streaming in constantly updated live data feeds on organizations and their meetings
• Invitation to participate in UIA’s training sessions
• An option to receive professional advice about networking opportunities with associations (available on request)