Global Talent Acceleration Program Future Shapers Announced

November 8, 2024

submitted by AIPC

Brussels – AIPC has announced fourteen successful applicants for its 2025 AIPC Future Shapers program, which commences next month.

AIPC Future Shapers is a seven-month accelerated leadership course, which aims to propel the industry’s developing leaders to the next level in their careers, through a series of masterclasses, ideation and business case development skills and the opportunity to promote their solutions to challenges currently faced by convention centre managers.

AIPC Chairman, Greg O’Dell said this year’s participants were in for another blockbuster program that would bolster the industry and its members.

“Now in its fourth year, AIPC’s Future Shapers delivers a winning formula for preparing high achievers to grow their skills, build resilience and help shape the future of our industry.

“I know this year’s students will again embrace the program and impress venue management leaders across the globe and I can’t wait to see what they deliver on stage during the 2025 AIPC Conference at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Conference Center next June,” Mr O’Dell said.

AIPC CEO, Sven Bossu said he was looking forward to supporting the next generation of CEOs to think and act like leaders over the seven-month course.

“AIPC Future Shapers is an interactive roadmap towards excellence in convention centre management, requiring intense commitment and engagement of the participants and in return the candidates not only accelerate their leadership capabilities, they build a new global network of peers while being provided the opportunity to help shape the future of the AIPC Community.

“Each year we see benefits that continue to evolve into legacy solutions. Projects to improve client communication, streamline venue operations and enhance industry knowledge sharing and education are all at varying stages of implementation and we look forward to curating new outcomes with the year’s diverse and experienced cohort,” Mr Bossu said.

The fourteen candidates, their venues and roles are:

Name	Function	Venue	Country
Ariane Hiltebrand	Director of Sales & Marketing	Miami Beach Convention Center	USA
Barbara Békési	Marketing Manager – Hosted events	HUNGEXPO	Hungary
Benjamin Boudaud	Culinary Services Director	Cairns Convention Centre	Australia
Dave Young	Head of Production	ICC Belfast	Ireland
Giorgio Arbisi	Event Services Manager	Massachusetts Convention Center	USA
Hannah France	Manager, Research and Strategic Initiatives	Calgary Stampede	Canada
Isra Al Rahbi	Events Planner	Oman CEC	Oman
Nalinie Rajah	Assistant Manager, PR & Comms	Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre	Malaysia
Nosipho Dinwa	Training and Development Manager	Cape Town ICC	South Africa
Rita Ran	Junior Manager, Research and Strategic Initiatives	Shenzhen World	China
Simon Kong	Senior AV Project Manager	Te Pae	New Zealand
Sondie Qamata	Banqueting and Back of House Manager	Cape Town ICC	South Africa
Travis Henry	Senior Manager AV Production Services	ICC Sydney	Australia
Lugdivine Dumont	International Sales Manager	Viparis	France

The Future Shapers program comprises three main components:

Stage One – Masterclasses: Five expert-led masterclasses for education and collaboration.

Stage Two – Industry Challenge: small groups will collectively identify an industry challenge, create a proposed solution, and develop a business case for investment, which will be detailed in a white paper and published to the AIPC community.

Stage 3 – Challenge Presentation: following a two-day on site masterclass on refing the project and its pitch, groups will present their ideas to an audience of global leaders during the AIPC Annual Conference at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Conference Center, which takes place June 22–25, 2025.