Lviv Runs an Online Marathon to Raise Awareness for Ukraine

Sub-Title:
Two fundraising initiatives were launched: grant funds to support Ukrainian students in the tourism and MICE industry, and means of protection for military doctors
Magazine:
25th Apr, 2022
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On April 19, Lviv Convention Bureau held an online marathon “GMID-2022. United for Ukraine”. The event was dedicated to Global Meetings Industry Day, which is celebrated annually. The celebration of GMID-2022 was another opportunity to remind international partners that russia is currently waging war against Ukraine.

During the marathon, there were two fundraising initiatives:

  1. Grant Fund to support Ukrainian students studying tourism and the MICE industry abroad. The gathering is organised by the largest association of the meeting industry MPI.
  2. Means of protection – first aid kits, turnstiles, bandages, helmets, walkie-talkies for military medics. The gathering is organised by the National Scout Organization Plast in Lviv.

The online marathon included two panels:

  • Events that create peace
  • Lviv and the conference industry during the war

In the first part, Krzysztof Cieluch, CEO of Celuch Consulting, spoke with Dorota Wojtczak, Marketing Director of Live Age, Michał Czerniak, CEO of BRILL AV MEDIA, Michał Michałowski, Senior Partner of KDK events and Sofiya Kayinska, Acting Director of Lviv Convention Bureau. It was about the role of events in the modern world, about how events can bring peace.

Michał Michałowski noted that events are the best opportunity to disseminate and receive information, and a great opportunity to acquire new knowledge. It is at events that people learn the most. Dorota Wojtczak stressed that no company can exist without events nowadays, as they are part of brand communication, building new contacts and finding customers. Michał Czerniak added that online events today are a very useful new tool that can attract even more people.

Sofiya Kayinska told us that during events we learn from others, we get to know others, we look for something in common that unites us, we better understand each other’s culture and values, which in turn creates peace. Michał Czerniak continued that events are a personal connection. During events we get acquainted, make friends. We are blurring the borders between countries.

The Meetings Industry Speaks with One Voice in Support of Ukraine

In the second part, the conversation was between representatives of the Lviv conference industry, who became volunteers during the war. Acting Director of the Lviv Convention Bureau Sofiya Kayinska asked about how the industry was transformed. The speakers were: Denys Rynsky, founder of the largest industry conference “Event Industry Forum”, event director of Emily Resort and head of Global Events; Yulia Stefanyuk, managing partner of the Just Lviv it and FESTcatering projects; Inna Klyap, founder of the So good company event agency.

The participants spoke about their experience, shared memories from the first days of the war, talked about how the work of their teams is organised now, what challenges they faced and what they will do after the victory.

Denys Rynsky said that from the early days of the war he was present at the railway station, because it was where there was the greatest need to help people fleeing the war. He immediately published a message to his friends, the inventors, who needed to gather at the railway station and organise their work. In the first days of the war, about 60,000 people came to Lviv. It was a crazy flow that needed to be put in order. Denys' team organised lines to the helplines, set up a security plan, arranged rooms for mothers and children, and set up a food point. Later, a volunteer café and humanitarian staff were also opened. Now, Denys' team has set up the NGO "Volunteer Hundred", which deals with humanitarian aid by working with 7 cities in Ukraine.
 

An Unexpected Visit to Lviv in 2017

 
Yuliia Stefanyuk spoke about the work of a catering company that now provides food and territorial defence to internally displaced people. Yuliia recalled that at the beginning of the war, all 20 restaurants in the chain where she worked were closed. The kitchens were empty, yet there was a lot of produce. So that it would not disappear, the cooks decided to prepare food for those who needed it. It all started with 500 servings a day. Later, the representatives of the World Central Kitchen learned about the initiative and decided to strengthen the work of Yuliia's team. They helped financially with the cooking equipment. Currently, they are jointly preparing 30,000 servings a day, serving 64 shelters in Lviv.
 
 
Inna Klyap shared that before the war her team was preparing to attend the Events Industry Forum, had signed contracts to organise spring events for her clients, and was also preparing for the spring-summer festival season. With the outbreak of war, all plans changed. Inna and her team got together to create the railway station navigation to help people who were navigating Lviv for the first time, where to go and where to stay. They donated their festival equipment to the station for the installation of heating points, and also helped people who were stuck in queues at the Polish border. Now Inna is preparing a project for women, where there will be an opportunity to acquire practical skills in tactical medicine during the war.
 
During the second panel, LCB also spoke with the Honorary Ambassador of Lviv Andriy Bazylevych, who is the former Chairman of the Ukrainian Medical Society and the president of the World Federation of Ukrainian Medical Societies. Andriy Bazylevych told how international medical associations and organisations were helping Ukraine with medicines and medical equipment. He also talked about the opening of field hospitals, training for medical students and joint initiatives to hold medical conferences in Lviv.
 
 
 

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