IABC's earliest roots were in the United States and Canada, in localized organizations for editors. The first major attempt to create a national voice for US editors was in 1941. Robert B. Newcomb called together representatives of six associations of industrial editors to form the National Council of Industrial Editors Association (NCIEA).

NCIEA later changed its name to NCIE, the National Council of Industrial Editors. The society became the International  Council of Industrial Editors (ICIE) in 1946 when the Canadian Industrial Editors Association (CIEA) became an affiliate.

Establishment of a permanent headquarters in Akron enabled ICIE to broaden its range of activities to include seminars, research reports, briefings and study tours. The organization also compiled an extensive bibliography of the literature on industrial journalism and established a records and reference library in 1952 at Oklahoma A&M College (now Oklahoma State University).

In June 1970, the ICIE and the American Association of Industrial Editors (AAIE) merged. The new society was christened the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). In its first year of operation, IABC had 2,280 members and a budget of approximately US$100,000. In September 1974, the Canadian association joined IABC.

IABC has had members in Europe since the 1970s. The first chapter in Europe (IABC/UK) was founded in 1979, and it remained the only chapter until the 1990s.

In 1984, as part of a strategic effort to focus attention on international development, the Europe/Africa Region was formed. Membership in the region remained static for several years, with just 80 members in mid-1988. In 1991, the region took a giant step forward with the charter of IABC/Southern Africa.

Since 1988, membership in Europe and Africa has grown significantly. Two chapters (Netherlands and Slovenia) have come and gone, but as of 2004, the region is well-established and growing with chapters in the UK, France, Brussels, Russia and Switzerland.

You can read the full history of the association in the IABC Member Handbook.