By 
First time in Italy
The basis of the success is the teamwork put in place by OIC Group, Firenze Convention Bureau, Firenze Fiera, and the Municipality of Florence
Florence.- New success for Florence in the congress field: the Tuscan capital has won another prestigious international congress in the field of medicine, the European Congress of Immunology (ECI EFIS) which will take place from 5 to 8 September 2027. It will be the eighth edition of the three-year event promoted by the European Federation of Societies of Immunology (EFIS), one of the most important conferences in the world in the field of basic and clinical immunology, which has attracted on average to each edition over 3,000 people – in the pre-Covid period – in the organizing city.
As evidence of the important teamwork put in place by OIC Group, Firenze Convention Bureau, Firenze Fiera, and the Municipality of Florence to win the congress, the candidacy of Florence was clearly the most voted by the delegates of the European immunology societies, with 25 votes against the 9 of Madrid, in a competition in which Geneva and Krakow also participated, thus becoming the first Italian city to host the ECI EFIS, which in the past was held in Paris (2006), Berlin (2009), Glasgow (2012), Vienna (2015), Amsterdam (2018), Belgrade (2021, in virtual mode), and which in 2024 will be held in Dublin.
OIC Group, leader in the organization and management of international congresses in the healthcare sector, has put to good use its relationships in the field of immunology with European societies and with SIICA, the Italian company hosting the congress that will make available its panel of scientists for the elaboration of the scientific program. OIC has also coordinated .
The Municipality, for its part, has also supported the operation by guaranteeing delegates free access to prestigious locations such as the Civic Museums. Florence Chamber of Commerce and Fondazione Cr Firenze, in turn, contributed from an economic point of view.
“We managed to bring the 2027 edition of ECI EFIS to Florence – says the president of Destination Florence Convention & Visitors Bureau Federico Barraco – thanks to a great teamwork between public and private: a work that is allowing us to acquire many congresses, and the success related to ECI EFIS is one of our best results, given the importance of the conference at European and global level, even more evident today for the importance assumed by immunology in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. It is the confirmation of what we have been saying for some time: in Florence we operate as a real system, and the results are visible. For the future we must be able to continue on this path of collaboration”.
“We are really happy to have brought a great event to Florence – says Nicola Testai, CEO of OIC -, a great success achieved thanks to the synergy of all the actors and thanks to the relationship work of OIC, which is core PCO of SIICA and ECI EFIS, and will organize the next congress in Dublin in 2024 in addition to the Florence congress in 2027”.
“The award of this important world congress, which will take place in September 2027 at the Fortezza da Basso – says Lorenzo Becattini, President of Firenze Fiera – represents support for the reception of delegates, competitive rates for hotels, catering and transfer services, communication support before, during and after the event, together with an economic contribution to be re-invested in suppliers of the city supply chain important victory for the entire supply chain of the Florentine meeting industry, and lengthens the list of prestigious international events that have chosen our facilities, which …
“Another important result is the result of a work of planning and relaunching the sector that has never stopped – declares the councilor for Fairs, congresses and tourism Cecilia Del Re – and that now allows us to give legs to the restart of the post-Covid congress in Florence.
After the stop imposed on the sector and the difficulties experienced by many companies, winning events of this level is essential not only for companies and related industries, but also as a decisive element to combat hit-and-run tourism and bring visitors to Florence with a greater average stay and attention to our city. The congress is a world that will continue to exist even in the digital age, after surviving the pandemic because it is the result of meetings, comparisons and a human exchange that can never fail every time we debate crucial and important issues that we have the pleasure of hosting in Florence”.
