The success of any event organized by O.I.C. can be attributed largely to the experience and professionalism of the management team led by Anna Rita Bonamici (President), Roberto Bucciarelli and Irene Serio (Executive Directors) and Andrea Tomagnini for Scientific Press.

O.I.C. : MORE THAN A CONGRESS, AN EVENT
Interview with Anna Rita Bonamici (President);
Roberto Bucciarelli and Irene Serio (Executive Directors) of O.I.C.

Anna Rita Bonamici, how would you explain to an outsider what your company does?
Our vocation is undoubtedly towards the impeccable organization of high-level conventions - mainly medical, but also institutional. We like to recall one exceptional event: the 1999 meeting between Heads of State and of Government in Florence, attended by Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Massimo D'Alema - or again the 2003 Foreign Ministers' meeting in Riva del Garda. Nonetheless, medical congresses remain one of our most-favoured areas, partly because they are undoubtedly those which leave their mark most deeply on the towns where they are held: they bring with them the prestige of being the place where the discoveries of the most famous names in medicine are announced, and at the same time they set all the economic ganglia of the town in motion: hotels, restaurants, museums and shops. We have calculated that on average each delegate leaves around 300-350 euros a day in the town where the congress is held. A type of tourism which is both "ornamental and useful", therefore, a demand which should be met and further stimulated. For this reason we are the untiring promoters of Italy in general and Florence in particular as the ideal location for international conventions too.

Roberto Bucciarelli, can you illustrate your international vision of the world of congresses?
We organize congresses all over the world: events in Australia, South Africa and Argentina as well as in China, the United States and Brazil, or anywhere we are asked to do so. Working in an international environment is certainly stimulating and broadens our 360° vision of the world of congresses even further, but we are happiest when we work in Europe, and above all in Italy because, although we are fully-fledged 'intercontinental' operators, we prefer serving the prestige and the economy of our own country and the city where our headquarters is located: Florence can accommodate even the largest conventions thanks to the Fortezza da Basso complex, which is constantly increasing its capacity: in 2000, there were over 14,000 registered participants for the World Congress on Lung Health, and over 20,000 people stayed in Florence to follow it. A major challenge, just as we like it. And a source of enormous satisfaction for us.

Irene Serio, you define congresses as Events too. Why?
They are above all an event. Because it is not enough just to find suitable meeting rooms or the best multimedia and technical tools: our work involves constantly injecting creativity and innovative ideas which give each congress a unique and unrepeatable identity of its own. We have been leaders in the sector for over thirty years, but the best way to celebrate our successes is to pursue ever new ones: the future is our biggest challenge. In our job what we can do in the future is much more important than what we have already done: we like our customers to cruise along on the calm seas of our experience, but setting sail together for new horizons is something we like even better, guided by the philosophy our company has always had: all you need is that extra idea, then there's no such thing as impossible.