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European Association Of Event Centres Elects Ilona Jarabek As President
Ilona Jarabek, CEO of the Music and Congress Centre in Lübeck, Germany, was unanimously elected president of the European Association Of Event Centres (EVVC).
– Ilona Jarabek
CEO of the Music and Congress Centre in Lübeck, Germany, and new EVVC president
The elections were part of EVVC’s annual general meeting, which took place during the Meeting Experts Conference (MEXCON) in Wiesbaden, Germany, June 20-21. Jarabek succeeds Joachim König, who held the position of president for the statutory maximum of three terms.
König is credited with establishing EVVC as a communication network for the events center industry, advancing collaborations with other associations, giving EVVC a political voice in Berlin, where he lobbied on behalf of the industry, and strengthening the cooperation with Germany’s Convention Bureau (GCB).
König also oversaw the creation of a paper on the energetic redevelopment of event centers, which will help venue operators and EVVC make the case for energy-efficiency works being done to their buildings.
In her acceptance speech, Jarabek said she intended to shift the direction of EVVC and strike out her own path, rather than merely following in König’s footsteps. She said she would maintain that which had been established, while allowing new things in at the same time.
“With its 750 locations and partners, the association is well positioned,” Jarabek said. “We have to use this strength to lend proper substance to our industry.”
Topics on Jarabek’s agenda include the expansion of EVVC’s range of services for members, the extension of its networking functions, and the challenges posed to the events industry by digitalization.
– At the EVVC AGM
Joachim König (left) and August Moderer (right) both received the title of honorary president – with congratulations from the new reigning president Ilona Jarabek (middle)
She thanked König on behalf of the EVVC for his longstanding and relentless commitment to the association since becoming president in 2009. “EVVC wouldn’t be where it is now without the work of Joachim König and his predecessor August Moderer,” said Jarabek.
Which is why the board of EVVC decided to name both men honorary presidents, marking the first time in the association’s history that such titles were handed out.