2021 was the year of adaptability for many businesses in the MICE & cultural sector, after the pandemic wave knocked our doors in 2020. It was the year that we learned to live with the virus, create and keep moving forward, regardless of the difficult circumstances. SYMVOLI Conference & Cultural Management confronted the changes that the new situation has brought upon us with dynamism, innovation, and flexibility.
Always persistent and consistent in our commitment for the onsite realization of conferences and events -since we recognize their irreplaceable human and social value of meeting, networking and experiencing, as well as their strength in local development- we have, however, successfully adopted to our changing times and ready to define a new post-COVID era for event management!
ONLINE EVENTS
Online and hybrid events composed a new, predominant element of the year that passed. Online events for SYMVOLI began with the International Conference Utopia in Art and Politics, co-organized by the MOMus-Museum of Modern Art-Costakis Collection and the University of Glasgow. It was followed by ISSUP-the Greek Chapter and two large scale online conferences, the 1st Conference of the Association of European Qualitative Researchers in Psychology (EQuiP) and the 8th Qualitative Research on Mental Health Conference (QRMH8). After a great pause for the realization of scientific conferences, EQUIP 2021 and QRMH8 proved how eager the participants were to meet with each other and exchange once again academic knowledge, opinions and generally revive the social interaction. SYMVOLI’s online platform emphasized in the networking among participants and one-to-one or group communication, with features like profile building and matchmaking.
HYBRID EVENTS
Hybrid events is also a trend that is probably going to be a popular way of organizing events after the end of the pandemic, combining the onsite experience with the online possibility. Hybrid events reduce ecological footprint and enable participants to be part of the audience of an event even if they are not able to join and attend it physically. In 2021 we organized not only hybrid conferences like the Informative and Educational Event for Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Disease or the Fourth International Khardzhiev conference with MOMus Museum of Modern Art – Costakis Collection, but also cultural events, like the Future is Handmade in Greece, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, Ministry of Development and Investments, and MOMus Museum of Contemporary Art.
CULTURAL EVENTS
Keeping the optimistic vibe, the great advances in the digital technologies, favored the cultural events, as the demand for livestreaming has brought great cultural organizations closer to the public. In addition, in 2021 SYMVOLI succeeded to obtain and overcome the goal that has set the previous year, to undertake the design and implementation of increasingly more cultural events and initiatives.
For the second year, SYMVOLI was proud to coordinate the Pan-European Empress Theophano Prize and design its Award Ceremony, which was awarded to the scientist couple who developed the first vaccine against the coronavirus, Dr Uğur Şahin and Dr Özlem Türeci. The ceremony took place in the emblematic building of Rotunda, and it was livestreamed through national television. Once again, the work SYMVOLI into this organization and the collaboration with pioneer professionals from various sectors resulted into an event that met the high standards of the meaning Theophano Foundation aims to promote, as well of the international leading personalities it hosts. Moreover, Theophano Round Table was conducted for the first time in 2021, bringing together in a panel, leading personalities from across Europe.
Furthermore, a much-loved project for SYMVOLI this year was ArXellence 2 Exhibition by ALUMIL. SYMVOLI designed & curated the exhibition of architectural proposals placed in dialogue with a monument of industrial archaeology, researched and recorded audio oral testimonies from professionals who are or have been active in the western part of the city, and introduced the voting system through QR codes for the nomination of the best proposal from the ones that were distinguished.
OPTIMISM FOR THE YEAR TO COME
The year ended with a positive vibe for SYMVOLI’s team members and for the company overall. 2022 seems like a promising, exciting, and positively challenging year and it is upon us to make it prosperous, as it will be creative for sure. Great events are already in the preparation process, new projects are being designed, and we are ready to pack our suitcases for our increasing international collaborations. Stay tuned because wonderful things are coming!
