The Spring Agora 2016 will take place in Bergamo from the 18th till the 22nd of May. We approached the organisers, asking them to reveal us some of the details regarding the event that promises accommodation close to the airport and ideas for changes.
More than just an airport
Many AEGEEans have already experienced Bergamo airport between their connecting flights around Europe, without visiting the city itself. Now, they have an opportunity to change this. The accommodation for Spring Agora 2016 is located just 3 km away from the departure hall, which makes it easily accessible. Participants will sleep at the Exhibition Center with over 7,000 sq meters to share. Plenaries will be held just 50m away from the place, so that the participants will not have to wake up really early in the morning.
The city on the foothills of the Alps has a lot to offer, and this aspect was also put forward by The Daily Telegraph. The upper city, Città alta in Italian, offers history, traditional food in stone-made restaurants and Italian coffee for one euro. The lower city is quite student-friendly, with several bars and ice cream stalls; however, if you want to go for a party, you must travel a little bit further to the outskirts.
Fly forward for Europe
Agora Bergamo was born six years ago. “We were just five naive AEGEEans in Bergamo and we had just refunded our antenna“, explains Mauro Cattaneo, one of the coordinators of Spring Agora Bergamo 2016. The whole idea materialised in October 2014, when they submitted the candidature. They also launched campaigns related to the Agora and AEGEE-Bergamo on their webpage, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
“The title of the Agora is ‘Fly Forward’ and it stands for the belief that everyone has to look towards the future, to break new grounds and foresee the changes“, says Mauro. It is a message for the continent that needs to Fly Forward.
The recent happenings in Paris and the upcoming Climate Change Summit remind us that something has to be changed. AEGEEans are young people with new ideas and the Agora is an ideal place to put some of them in practice. Over time, they might grow into European policies – what if there is a new president of EU Council amongst the 1,300 participants.
Regarding the social programme, Mauro mentioned shuttle buses that will transport the participants to parties; the parties cannot be held in the city center because of the magistrate rules.
Some of the organisers took inspiration from the recent Autumn Agora in Kyiv, where some of the coordinators were helping. “I’ve learnt what is it like to work in a big international team, solving problems together. I liked the approach of the meetings we had everyday, always constructive and with a positive perspective towards a common goal”, says Andrea Visinoni. 
“Being prepared is an essential thing in managing activities in the context of such a big event like the Agora”, adds Roberto “Bobby” Cornetti. The biggest reward should be the smiling participants, which means that the event met their expectations. It is the biggest “souvenir” to put into luggage when coming back home from Bergamo airport.
Agora Bergamo will take place from the 18th till the 22nd of May 2016. Save the date, check the official Agora website for the latest updates weekly, and start giving a look to your flight to BGY airport!
Written by Erik Redli, AEGEE-Bratislava