With more than 240 participants, the Luxembourg half-year conference has set a new record for November AIJA Half-year conferences. Let’s have a look back at this event which took place from 20 to 23 November 2013 in the capital of this small state located in the very heart of Europe.
As you all know it (I am sure!), in 1962, the founding fathers of AIJA incorporated our association under the form of a Luxembourg Association sans but lucratif.
Today, AIJA is a Belgian ASBL but the AIJA half-year conference which took place in Luxembourg on 20-23 November 2013 has shown there is still in the DNA of the Association a bit of the openness to the world of the small country which hosted our dear members
Those of you who were present have of course been able to attend two scientific seminars with top speakers on e-commerce (“Are you ready to launch an e-shop? Catches and pitfalls to avoid”) and shareholders activism (“Help, I am losing control! How to deal with shareholders/stakeholders activism”), but they have also been able to:
- meet the new Luxembourg Prime Minister, Mr Xavier Bettel, a former lawyer, who could still be an AIJA member (he is only 41 years old) and who opened the conference on Wednesday evening (who is next on the list for our events? David Cameron? Angela Merkel? Barack Obama?):
- discover the intriguing Cyborgs of the South Korean artist Lee Bul durig our Night at the Mudam, the Luxembourg Muse
um of Modern Art on Thursday evening (as well as the uncluttered style of a real “contemporary art” gastronomy ;-)). - the Luxembourg hospitality during the Home hospitality dinners which took place on Friday evening;
- enjoy the truly exclusive atmosphere of the Cercle Munster, a private club located in the Grund, a small village within Luxembourg-City (Lions were seen everywhere during the night!).
These are only parts of the highlights of a conference which we will never forget, and not only because of the tons of e-mails, outlook invitations, conference calls, skype calls, facebook chats, lunch meetings, on-site visits, draft budgets, draft programs, amended draft program, second amended draft programs and never-ending to-do lists, which were necessary to achieve the result which you enjoyed during 4 days.
A big thank you to all of those who have made it possible!
Greetings from Luxembourg!
On behalf of the OC of the Luxembourg November 2013 Half-year conference,
Nicolas Thieltgen