2022 AIPC Academy – A unique experience

After an absence of one year, we were delighted to welcome participants from 9 countries to the 2022 edition of the AIPC Academy, taking place in Brussels.

The participants went through a week-long programme of lectures, workshops, team challenges and networking, focusing on the challenges they face as future convention center leaders, making it both a comprehensive and unique experience. Key topics touched upon were business development, sustainability, risk management and technology. Some of the amazing speakers we had included Ben Wielgus (Head of Sustainability at Informa), Oscar Cerezales (Chief Strategy Officer at MCI) and Steve McKenzie (Executive Vice-President at Ungerboeck). We also brought in senior leaders from the RAI (Amsterdam), Swiss Tech Convention Center (Lausanne), Marina Bay Sands (Singapore) and CCIB (Barcelona) to share their views on how convention center management is evolving and best practices to apply.  And the discussions continued during the coffee breaks and lunches, providing the participants opportunities to have in-depth discussions with these industry thought leaders.

By Friday, the group was both inspired and exhausted. Next to all the insights on the topics covered, everybody agreed that the most important outcome was the ability to discuss with colleagues, share ideas with senior industry leaders and create a new network of friends to call. Exactly what face-to-face meetings are all about.

Here more about the Academy experience from the participants in this short video: watch the video here!