The ITechLaw 2022 European Conference in Zurich
The ITechLaw 2022 European Conference in Zurich
Interview with Jessica Smith, Senior Director, Global Events at MCI USA
Jessica, Zurich had the honor of hosting the ITechLaw European Conference in its anniversary year in 2022. Hand on heart, did the event meet all your expectations?
Absolutely. I felt that the 2022 edition captivated attendees like almost no other event before. Just like the rest of the players in the events industry, we are continuing our efforts to get back to normal operations following the pandemic. The options we were offered in Zurich in terms of networking were really exceptional and extremely helpful.
About ITechLaw
ITechLaw is a leading international association of attorneys whose aim is to provide information on unique legal matters related to the development, production, marketing, acquisition and use of information and communications technology. It also offers members from six continents a forum for the exchange of ideas and international networking.
Zurich is an economic hub and among the most important centers for information, communications and finance technology in Europe. That makes the city on the Limmat the perfect location for a conference.
Why did you choose Zurich as your venue?
We mostly focus on places where a number of ITechLaw members live or that are seen as important places in the tech industry. Both of those things are true of Zurich. We were able to combine our conference with a visit to Google, whose largest development center outside the US is located on Limmatquai. We were also able to drop in to see other companies: for example, Lindt told us all about the groundbreaking activities at the major chocolate company. Another big attraction for us was that Zurich is an accessible city: all the places we wanted to visit during our conference were easy to get to on foot or by public transport.
What was the primary goal of the conference in Zurich?
We always focus on the same key issues: networking and training. We were able to fulfill both. Because they come from a lot of different countries, comparing experiences is really beneficial for them.
What was your experience of working with local partner companies and Zürich Tourism?
After the worst of the pandemic was over, the renovation of the Convention Center opened up a new option in Zurich for events of our scale. The fact that we even heard about this at all was thanks to the Zürich Tourism Convention Bureau. And that wasn’t all: for every question we had, we got an answer back straight away that met our expectations or even exceeded them.
From your point of view, what was the highlight of the conference in Zurich?
My personal highlight was the packed spectator stands when I walked into the hall on the first day. We managed to put together a program that really captured people’s attention. The Convention Center also offers an incredible view of the lake. I could hardly get enough of it. The food was also great. When people talk about Switzerland, they're often concerned about prices, but I think that misses the point that the quality is usually higher than anywhere else in the world.
Zurich Convention Center
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Spectacular view of Lake Zurich
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Easy to reach by public transport
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Maximum capacity: 4,500 persons
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Climate-friendly meetings
Was there anything that didn’t quite go to plan?
At first, we had difficulty finding the right venue for our final evening. Most places were better suited to companies bigger or smaller than ours. But then we found a gallery for avant-garde art. So out of an initial problem came an incredible experience – and yet another positive memory that attendees will associate with Zurich.
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