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SPRING 2023

A strategy to attract conferences

An Advisory Board of the Florence Academic Leadership Programme (FALP) has been established. Chaired by Florence’s mayor, Dario Nardella, the goal is to up the quality of congresses that choose Florence as their event venue. The list of conferences booked to be held in the Tuscan capital over the next few years is impressive and provides a superb foundation for the board’s future efforts.

Investment in human capital with the scientific and academic communities marks the way forward in attracting international events that choose Florence as a venue for their events. Mayor Nardella notes that success in attracting large-scale events to Florence results in a boost to the economy, which permits strategic scheduling on a long-term basis. Via the vital work of the city ambassadors, some of whom make up the Advisory Board, energies can be grouped together to further elevate the caliber of congresses, conventions and events that the city aims to attract, which ultimately is to the advantage of all involved. The city’s administration has a central role to play in this endeavour.

“The research and education system is crucial in determining the future prospects of our city,”

explains the President of the University of Florence, Alessandra Petrucci.

“Reinforcing research and creating professionalism as a driving force contributes towards making Florence a preferred destination for conference tourism.”

The creation of an advisory board is another step in ensuring Florence’s role as a major player on the international circuit of congressional venues, which then provides positive ramifications for the city as a whole. A synergic relationship between the city council and the University of Florence is a vitally important strategic step forward in fortifying the city’s attractiveness as a top venue.

Nicola Testai, CEO of OIC Group, was appointed as a new member of the IAPCO Council on February 9, following the IAPCO General Assembly (International Association of Professional Congress Organisers), which recently took place in Jerusalem.

IAPCO unites professional congress, conference and events organizers across the world, ensuring that rigorous standards are upheld by its members via continued training and development, quality monitoring and re- views through the IAPCO Quality Committee.

Nicola Testai is currently the only Italian member of the IAPCO council, which highlights Italy’s opportunity to demonstrate the professionalism and competence of its conference organizers.

“It’s very important that Italy has regained a position at the highest levels of professional congress organizers internationally,”

comments Testai.

“I am honoured to be part of this important international association and I shall try to contribute in the best possible way to continue IAPCO’s objectives, along with the other council members of the team,” remarks Nicola Testai. “It’s fundamental that we continue to reunite and to prove once again the resilience of the events industry, regardless of the unstable economic period that we’ve been experiencing for a while across the world.”

With an entrepreneurial background, Testai has been at the head of OIC Group for 10 years. OIC Group is one of the first PCOs in Italy, whose core business is event and conference organization and management.

With an active role in the world of international associations, Nicola is also Vice-President and PCO representative for Federcongressi&eventi, the top-level national association that represents public and private companies, which carry out activities connected to congresses, conferences and seminars and events.