December in Rome was a Convention to remember! We had over 180 participants from 77 countries and all five Olympic continental regions. Of those participants, 47% were women. Participants were MEMOSian graduates and current students, representatives from Olympic Solidarity, VIP guests from sponsor organizations and local supporters, past and present Professors, and Directors – often individual attendees holding one or more of these titles!

MEMOS Professors, past and present

Here is a vey brief recap of the Convention:

We were welcomed to Italy with a Welcome Cocktail hosted by Tre Emme Sport on the evening before the Convention officially started.

A welcome to Rome by Tre Emme Sport

Day 1 started with a recorded welcome message from President Kirsty Coventry and in-person welcomes from Joanna Zisper-Graves, Associate Director of Olympic Solidarity, Milena Parent, Director of MEMOS English, David Cabello-Manrique and Carlo Mornati, the Secretary General of CONI and Secretary General of the EOC.

Joanna Zisper-Graves from Olympic Solidarity, Carlo Mornati the Secretary General of CONI and Secretary General of the EOC, MEMOS in English Director Milena Parent, and the first Director of MEMOS Jean Camy

Host Sylvain Leclerc of the MEMOS Task Force kept the audience entertained and informed as he introduced various segments and presenters of the Convention throughout Day 1 and 2. The MEMOS Task Force is a group of MEMOSians who volunteered to work together to organize a convention by MEMOSians, for MEMOSians. The Task Force was made up of: Vita Balsyte, Paulo Ferreira, Sylvain Leclerc, Mariana Quintanilla-Sligar, Ana Croger, and Brigitte Berry – the MEMOS Community Manager.

After welcome speeches, Olympian and MEMOSian Gévrise Émane was welcomed to the stage to present her keynote speech: “From Individual Excellence to Collective Commitment: Reinventing Yourself for the Challenges of Modern Sport” which was followed by a 15-minute question and answer series with MEMOS in French Co-Director Mathieu Winand.

Following MEMOS Success stories by Maha Zaoui (Tunisia) and Donald Rukare (Uganda), the crowd welcomed Javier Eduardo Villarreal Doldan of Argentina to the stage for his keynote speech, “Aligning AI with Olympic Values: Practical Lessons from the Field.” This keynote was also followed by a 15-minute question and answer series with MEMOS in English Director Milena Parent. We ended a fantastic first day with three more MEMOS Success stories by Dr. Dana Shubat (Syria), Ana Paula Gonzalez Horn (Mexico), and Natalia Patricia Sanchez (Argentina).

Our second day of the Convention really showcased the diversity of the MEMOS experience and MEMOSian’s impact on sport around the world. Starting with the newly announced Olympic Solidarity Impact Award (read more here), the Convention then split into three groups. Attendees had the option to choose from different topics such as Governance, Major Sports Events as a Pathway for Long-Term Athlete Development, Sports Tourism, Driving Social Change Through Sport, Building Sustainable High-Performance Systems and more. Each panel and networking session was hosted by MEMOSians and often included one of our much-respected Professors and Tutors.

That evening, the MEMOS Convention Dinner was an event unto itself. We were bused into the Trastevere district of Rome for dinner at a classical Roman meal at Restaurant Fieramosca. The entire meal was delicious, and we were entertained by live music and the best company and conversation. There was even a little bit of a dancing module.

There had to be a good reason to get up early after a day like that. The 3^rd and final day of the Convention started with an early morning bus ride into Rome. The entire group of MEMOS Convention attendees were ushered into a secure area for front-row viewing of the Milano Cortina Torch Lighting in Rome. There were speeches, the Torch Lighting Ceremony and THIS!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Executive Masters in Sports Organizations Development (@memosioc)

We were also treated to a warm hello from President Kirsty Coventry Attendees were able to enjoy the rest of the day at CONI’s Olympic Center Giulio Onesti, enjoying the incredible grounds and beautiful weather, talks on the history of the training center, the presentation of the Olympic Solidarity Impact Award by President Kirsty Coventry, and more.

@ IOC

This event was made possible by our supporters. Olympic Solidarity has been an endless champion of MEMOS from the beginning, 30 years ago, to today. Without your support, MEMOS would not exist. CONI, another participant from 30 years ago to today. Thank you for making this Convention in Rome possible. To the European Olympic Committee, your presence and support made the MEMOS Convention even more memorable. Lollipop Signs: by Moving Products, your art and products wowed us all. Thank you for the backdrops, the signs, and more! Tre Emme Sports, our local hosts and organizers of the entire MEMOS Convention. Thank you for bidding on this project and working with us to make this event such a joyful success. Tre Emme is managed by MEMOSian Marco Mazzi. Marco and his team managed the invoicing, the welcome cocktail, the hotel, logistics, and the much-loved Convention Dinner.