Historic success for the 18th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
The 18th edition of the World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (WCEE), held at the Allianz MiCo Convention Centre from 30 June to 5 July, ended with great success. Organised by the International Association of Earthquake Engineering (IAEE) in collaboration with the Italian National Association of Earthquake Engineering (ANIDIS) and Fondazione EUCENTRE, the event was managed by AIM Group.
The objective was clear: to create a historic edition that would completely renew the Conference in terms of format, offer and participation. The previous edition, held in 2020 in a hybrid format due to the pandemic, had already marked a turning point, but this year’s Conference exceeded all expectations.
With more than 4,250 delegates from 82 countries, a large exhibition area realised for the first time, rich scientific content and a memorable social programme, the event was a true triumph, achieving all its objectives.
A high level of engagement and interactive participation by delegates characterised the Conference:
- High-quality scientific content and strong community involvement: Only 12 faculty speakers gave masterclasses, while over 160 technical educational sessions were run by the delegates themselves, with almost 4000 papers presented and moderated by 340 convenors.
- Monitor presentation: an area with 30 monitors for live presentations by the paper’s author, with two moderators and the possibility of direct interaction with the audience, for more than 160 sessions over the 5 days.
- Interactive experience: The “Seismulator”, a shaking platform, allowed participants to experience first-hand the vibrations of an earthquake (of three degrees) and then compare with those felt in buildings constructed according to earthquake-resistant standards and equipment.
- Field experience: Technical field visits were organised to the underground transport tunnels and infrastructure, the EUCENTRE test laboratories, the JRC-ELSA test laboratory and the ATM (public transport company) control room.
For the first time, a large area was dedicated to exhibitors, who numbered over 110. Previously, the number of sponsoring companies present with a stand was less than 10, whereas this edition saw strong support from industry partners.
The social programme was equally memorable, with several highlights:
- Welcome Cocktail: 1,700 delegates attended the opening event at MiCo.
- Evening at La Scala Theatre: To make the Conference truly memorable, an exclusive evening was organised at La Scala Theatre. For one evening, the world-famous temple of Opera closed its doors to the public to welcome only Conference delegates to one of the first performances of Puccini’s opera Turandot, under the avant-garde direction of David Livermore. The 1.800 guests enjoyed a special and unique experience of the Conferencein Milan.
- Conference party: On the final evening, 1.300 guests were entertained by a live band at the Super Studio Maxi in Milan.
- Table football tournament: Over 30 teams participated in more than 60 matches, promoting team building and networking among delegates.
- A Conference anthem, titled Fighting Against Time, was written and performed at the Opening Ceremony and broadcast during the lunch break.
WCEE2024 has a solid commitment to sustainability:
- Recycled materials: Recycled polyester lanyards, natural cotton bags and certified recycled paper badges.
- Digital alternatives: Digital programmes, conference apps and electronic certificates of attendance to reduce the use of printed materials.
- Food for Good: Surplus food from coffee breaks and lunches was collected and donated to local charities through the Food for Good programme.
- Supporting young people: 50 tickets to the performance at La Scala were offered to opera schools to support the training of young students by allowing them to attend the performance free of charge.
“The 18th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering was an astonishing success, generating enthusiastic feedback from its 4000+ participants representing 82 nationalities. Returning to Italy for the first time after 50 years, the event featured radical changes to the past; a technical programme proposed and run by the scientific community itself, the use of monitor sessions instead of posters, the presence of 110 exhibitors from the industry, an opera evening at La Scala, a lively party instead of a traditional Gala Dinner. It all worked perfectly, exceeding even the most optimistic of expectations from those of us who were engaged in the three-year-long, very intense planning and preparation activities. We have now set a new model and standard for future editions of this Conference, which is held every 4 years in different countries worldwide, and we should all feel very proud of such an accomplishment”, says Prof. Rui Pinho – Chair of the Organising Committee.
The 18th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering marked an extraordinary chapter in the event’s history, demonstrating a concrete commitment to innovation, participation and sustainability.