IELA held its Winter Seminar in Zurich from 16-20 January, under the theme “building the future of exhibition logistics”.
39 students representing 38 member companies and 24 different countries were in attendance, 50% of which had less than three year’s experience in the industry.
The focus was on nurturing the next generation of event professionals, and the event featured dedicated speed netwokring sessions, as well as a day in the snow.
There were 11 lectures, three case studies, a role-play session and a fairground tour, taught by IELA professionals and external speakers.
A new task force emerged from the after-hour campfire session, to support the IELA sustainability guidelines objective.
Among the speakers were Christina Beuth (Head of Traffic Management & Logistics Department, Messe Frankfurt Venue GmbH), who discussed the challenges and needs of large venues to ensure a functional supply chain before, during and after an event
Rowena Arzt (Director of Exhibitions, WZF) also gave insights into the workings of organisers and their requirements not only for a fluent logistics concept but for the whole planning process for international trade shows.
Nadya Gerstgrasser, of Schenker & CO AH, commented: “‘I would advise all operative managers to take part in the Winter Seminar. It is especially useful for those who don’t
have much experience in this field, yet (like me). The seminar made it possible for me to understand the process flow in the exhibition field.”
The next edition of the Winter Seminar will take place in January 2021.
