OIC at 50: A Florentine Legacy Shaped by Territory, Innovation and Women

Fifty years shaped by territory and by women. The historic Florentine company OIC is celebrating its 50th anniversary and today stands as a leading player in Italy’s meetings industry, organising more than 500 events every year in over 60 countries.

Founded in Florence in 1975, when the meetings industry in Italy was still in its infancy, OIC has grown into a solid international organisation, with a turnover of €29 million and a strong female presence across the company and in leadership roles: women account for 80% of OIC Group’s workforce.

OIC marked its 50 years of activity with an exclusive evening event attended by more than 250 guests - including clients, stakeholders and representatives from institutions and the events sector - held at the Basilica Pavilion at the Fortezza da Basso. The evening’s slogan was “With you and for you.”

“Tonight we celebrated our deep connection with the Florentine territory,” said Annarita Bonamici, founder of the company, together with her daughter Irene Serio, now CEO of the Group. “We shared a successful entrepreneurial story alongside the culture and identity of Florence as a privileged destination for events and congresses.”

“Fifty years of history are not celebrated by looking only to the past, but above all by having a clear vision for the future,” said Irene Serio, CEO of OIC. “We will continue to innovate, to work closely with our territory and to bring Florentine excellence to the world of events.”
 

“A special thank-you also goes to Helios, a Florentine organisation linked to the Meyer Children’s Hospital,” Serio added, “with whom OIC also collaborated on the occasion of Helios’ 30th anniversary, strengthening the value of the institutional and solidarity-based relationships built over time.”

The event was held under the patronage of Destination Florence Foundation and the City of Florence. Firenze Fiera hosted and supported the initiative as main partner, renewing a long-standing collaboration that for decades has helped position Florence as a benchmark destination for major national and international events.

A celebration that successfully brought together art, identity and relationships in the heart of Florence - the city that for 50 years has accompanied and inspired OIC’s success.

Founded in 1975 in Florence, OIC Group was among the first Professional Congress Organizers (PCO) in Italy and today represents an international point of reference in the Meeting Industry. With a vision that combines local roots and a global reach, the Group designs and creates events, conferences, communication campaigns and training courses for the healthcare, scientific and association world.

With a consolidated presence in Florence, Milan and Brussels, over 100 professionals and an average of 500 events managed every year all over the world, OIC Group continues to invest in human capital, technologies and entrepreneurial vision, to place every client, and every idea, in the right light.

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