The EFCT Summer School took place this year in Budapest, Hungary from 28th August until 1st September included, welcoming 72 students from 20 different countries.

The 2004 edition: 72 participants from 20 different countries and 44 cities

This year, the city of Budapest in Hungary, one of the ten “new” European capital cities, hosted the 18th edition of the EFCT Summer School. The seminar started on Saturday 28th August with a get together party and ended on Tuesday 1st September with a gala dinner and the presentation of the diplomas. By choosing a new European destination, EFCT aimed to show the students how new countries are positioning themselves to attract meetings and conferences.

The 72 students from European and International destinations who registered for this valuable event met at the Danubius Thermal Hotel Margitsziget, a location on the River Danube that answered the School’s requirements, for a 3-day intense seminar. Six of the ten new EU countries – in total more than 20 students from the Eastern countries - were represented among the students, and a delegation of 7 Thais participated in the sessions.

The Hungarian Convention Bureau organised the on-site part of the programme very professionally, conducted as a real site inspection in order to familiarize the students with other aspect of the profession. It also took care of the accompanying programmes and all the social events which delighted all the participants: a sightseeing tour by boat, a delicious dinner in the Spoon Café & Lounge and a wine tasting at the House of Hungarian Wines.

The dinner for the presentation of participation certificates was the occasion for students to conclude the seminar with an unforgettable memory, and gave them the opportunity to discover the Gundel restaurant, one of the famous restaurants in Budapest.

It was a great honour for EFCT to welcome to the gala dinner Mrs Ágnes Kelecsényi, Marketing Director of the Hungarian National Tourist Office and Dr Hilda Farago, General Secretary of the Hungarian National Tourist Board.

The School was a great occasion for participants to network with their peers as well as with the highly experienced EFCT teaching faculty, and to return full of energy.

The Summer School will take place next year from 27th to 31st August 2005, destination yet to be confirmed.

An unmissable learning opportunity

Over the last 39 years, EFCT has become a leading voice in the European meetings and events industry, with political influence and marketing expertise matched by a powerful educational track record. Its Summer School has become one of the pivotal events in the global meeting industry’s educational calendar.

This intensive 3-day seminar is organised every year at the end of the summer for people working in all sectors of the conference marketplace. The aim is to train professionals with the latest marketing tools and help them develop the knowledge and skills required for a successful career in conference, meeting and event management.

The Summer School is driven by highly experienced teachers from many professional backgrounds and countries. The faculty includes senior EFCT personalities and keynote speakers like Luca Favetta, Director Global Events EMEA-Asia Pacific at SAP AG and Peter Baierl, Managing Director of the European Congress of Radiology speaking about their venue selection procedures, as well as Catharina Hamilton, Partner and Founder of Hamilton Advisory Group explaining PCO’s and Core PCO’s role for making a meeting successful and Paul Flackett, Managing Director of IMEX.

Among the figures of EFCT, Airy Garrigosa from Barcelona analyses the “do’s and don’ts” of marketing a destination, Anne Wallin Rodven from Oslo gives key elements in organising successful site inspections and Christian Mutschlechner from Vienna, and President of ICCA, explains how to bid successfully.

Practical and imaginative educational sessions are complemented by hands-on demonstrations and site inspections. The programme also allows time for networking with colleagues from different cultures and backgrounds. On the final day, all students receive a Participation Certificate.