How would you summarize the company philosophy of Kenes?
Over the past five decades, Kenes Group has established and maintained its winning reputation as a global meeting and association management provider. Recognized as the world leader in meeting planning, Kenes Group is a global Professional Congress Organizer (PCO) dedicated to medical and scientific events. Kenes Group boasts a long-standing client base of some of the world’s foremost organizations and associations, with more than 100 returning and long-term clients. Our mission is to empower knowledge, further quality learning and create collaborations through professional events, communities, and educational programmes.
How did Kenes experience the pandemic period and how do you expect the congress sector to develop in the near future?
The industry was hit badly, worse than anything else that had happened before. However, our industry is resilient, and at Kenes, we were evidence of that; we worked together to go through these tough times, sharing resources, experiences, knowledge and moving forward as one. This is one of the most important aspects of the meetings and events industry – working together. Future meetings will evolve and will not be the same as they used to be. Since there’s no replacement for getting people together in-person, the goal of these events will be the networking and socializing aspect alongside education. Education, on the other hand, will continue to be the main focus for virtual events, which are here to stay.
In February, you were in Florence on the occasion of the IAPCO Council Meeting: what did it mean for you and for IAPCO to return to Florence after the success of the IAPCO Edge Seminar 2018 and above all after two years of only online meetings?
It was wonderful to be able to travel and meet with the Council face to face, especially in the beautiful city of Florence. While ‘virtual’ is here to stay and we will continue to communicate a lot online, seeing people and spending time together is unbeatable. The meeting was highly successful, and we managed to experience Florence and its offerings, getting many ideas on how we can better support our clients who are scheduled to come to the city with their events. It was fantastic to come back to the city after my last visit with our IAPCO Edge Seminar in 2018, which was also an immense success.
What’s the strength of Florence as a destination for your sector?
What sets Florence apart is its rich history and truly being an open-air museum and a perfect backdrop for events taking place in the city. Congress venues and hotels also have their own characteristics, adding to the experience of congress participants. The city is easy to reach for international delegates, and once they make their way to the city, they can easily move around as every- thing is either walking distance or an easy bike ride or a tram ride away. It’s important for events to have a character, and in Florence, that’s easily achieved. Funnily enough, I can share that my first ever event with Kenes (many years ago) was actually held in Florence, so the city holds a special place in my heart.
When and how did the collaboration with FCB start and evolve? What does it mean for a PCO of your caliber to partner with a convention bureau?
The meeting industry is a people-oriented industry. Therefore, relationship building is a crucial component of successful events. For many years, there has been a fruitful relationship between Kenes and Florence CVB. The FCB provides us with credible information and support with different local stakeholders. We cannot thank them enough for their ongoing partnership and support.
What was the significance of the ‘New insights from Florence: Firenze Convention Bureau for Kenes’ online event held in June 2021?
The event served as a great refresher of what’s going on in the city, and all the work that has been done during the pandemic. It was great for our team to know about the safety measures in the city, and how we can return to Florence with better and more impactful meetings.
