AIPC is delighted to present the ninth episode of its podcast, Voices of Venues Around the World (VoVatW) — where we spotlight the people and ideas shaping the future of convention centres.
In this episode, we meet Laura Cadavid, Sales Manager at the Cartagena Convention Center in Colombia. With a background spanning retail, education, and services, Laura brings a fresh yet passionate perspective to the events industry. Though relatively new to the sector, she has already fallen in love with the global community it fosters — one where, as she puts it, “once you get in this industry, you never get out.”
Laura reflects on how her teaching experience continues to shape her role. From mentoring her sales team to guiding clients through the event journey, she embraces education as both a mindset and a tool. When this podcast was recorded last April at the AIPC Academy, she was experiencing the program as a student, after having once been a teacher herself. For Laura, empathy stands as the cornerstone skill: the ability to step into a customer’s or colleague’s shoes while still balancing her own, ensuring collaboration and respect across every interaction..
Beyond her professional path, Laura shares her curiosity for travel and culture. From her love of Italy’s “open-air museum” charm to her excitement at discovering Brussels and Ghent, she sees every destination as a chance to learn and grow. Cooking — especially desserts — is her way to unwind. Looking ahead, Laura envisions a long-term future in the meetings industry, open to wherever life and learning may take her. Most importantly, she celebrates that her inner child — who once dreamed of becoming an executive traveling the world — would be proud of the path she is walking today.
With warmth, candour, and vision, Laura reminds us that teaching is not confined to the classroom. In the world of convention centres, it becomes a way of leading, connecting, and building a more empathetic industry for the future.
