The high-profile international events are planned for 2024-2028, and include the prestigious International Pathogenic Neisseria Conference at Palazzo dei Congressi from March 31-April 4, 2025, bringing top experts in research on infectious diseases. Almost 500 participants are expected, for an impact on the territory of almost one million euros, thanks also to the commitment of Rino Rappuoli, Scientific Director of Siena’s Biotecnopolo Foundation, Mariagrazia Pizza, Professor of Microbiology at the Imperial College of London, and Chiara Azzari, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Florence, who worked to promote the city as a venue to host the event.
It is no coincidence that Rappuoli, Azzari and Pizza were awarded the Florence Ambassador Award by the Municipality of Florence, a recognition given every year to personalities from the academic and scientific world who contribute to bringing Florence to the world and the world to Florence. They received the recognition for having brought IUMS 2024 to Florence (with Azzari having been awarded for another congress won previously), the Congress of the International Union of Microbiological Societies, of which Professor Rappuoli is the current president-elect. President of Destination Florence, Jacopo Vicini, underlined the significance:
“The victory of this candidacy, the thirteenth in a single year, is not only a great source of pride for us professionals, but above all, it is further confirmation that enhancing and investing in the precious human capital of our academic-scientific community is fundamental. The candidacy was promoted by three Ambassadors whom we had the pleasure of rewarding in the 2022 and 2023 editions of the Florence Ambassador Award for the awarding of two other conferences. This is an excellent example of how both their and our daily work brings lasting benefits that are tangible and significant for the whole city, even after years”.
According to a Gaining Edge report for 2022, Florence is the first Italian city to leverage its intellectual capital index, a testament to the work carried out by Destination Florence with the scientific-academic community to bring conferences to Florence. According to the GEAR data from March 2023, Florence has its local intellectual leaders in the governing bodies of 60 international associations, which is key to engaging high-profile meetings.
