Do you want to discover how the AEGEE Fair will look like at Spring Agora Bergamo? In that case you are reading the right article. The AEGEEan interviewed the organisers to show you how the next fair will look like, its scenario, its protagonists and also what kind of work lies behind all the preparation. To gather all this information two people have been interviewed: Salvo Schillaci, Fair Manager for the Public Relations Committee (PRC) and Lisa Gregis, Agora Fair responsible for AEGEE-Bergamo.

Salvo Schillaci, Member of AEGEE-Catania and PRC Fair Manager.

The AEGEEan: Many participants of Agora Bergamo probably know what the AEGEE Fair is, but not all of them. So, what is a fair and, in your opinion, which are the main reasons of organising it?

Salvo: Can you imagine a place where you’re able to meet the most active AEGEEans? Well, I do and its name is the AEGEE Fair. The fair is the place where you find the actual core of AEGEE with all its projects, committees, coordination teams and working groups. A brand new world of perspectives and possibilities where you can enrich you cultural background. This is the meaning it has to me, since the very first moment I joined the organisation. At my first Agora in Patra, I didn’t know the European greatness that lies behind AEGEE-Europe, but when I saw this world in front of me I was astonished. It was incredible and then when I realised that I could be part of it…Well, you know the rest of the story!

Who is the Fair Manager and the people involved in its organisation?

Salvo: The Fair Manager is the bridge between those who want to join the fair, which means the bodies, and the fair itself, the landmark for all those who want to say something about the fair. The Fair Manager actively collaborates with the Fair Responsible of the hosting antenna, prevents any problem and ensure the success of the event. This year I’ve been lucky, because a lot of people supported my work and I want to thank all of them: Gerardo Garcia Diaz and Mayri Tiido (PRC Speaker and Vice-Speaker), Gabriele Nicotra (PR Manager of AEGEE-Catania) and Lisa Gregis (Fair Responsible of Agora Bergamo). Without their “ausilium et consilium” my work would be way more difficult and nearly impossible.

Lisa Gregis, current Network Commissioner and AEGEE-Bergamo Fair Responsible

The Fair is always a collaboration between local organisers and a body of AEGEE-Europe, in this case the Public Relations Committee. How difficult is it to organise everything from a distance?

Lisa: The fair is just one of the pieces of the collaboration between different bodies, in fact the entire Agora is an event organised by different groups of people. For instance I’m not the only one working on it, since I have two amazing team members: Andrea and Ambra. As you said in this case, the cooperation is between local organisers and the PRC. We are working especially with Salvo who is the Fair Manager and we are very well connected. We are in daily communication and we are also able to have fun while working. I’m very happy we are working together, because I think he really understands the needs of the two sides: local organisers and AEGEE bodies.

The magnificient Donizetti Theatre, in front of which the AEGEE Fair will take place. Inside it Agora Bergamo will begin.

When and where is the fair going to take place?

Lisa: The fair is going to take place at the Bergamo city centre, on the first day of the Agora, May 18th, at 3 pm. It will be the first activity of the Agora. The place is very beautiful and it’s in front of the Donizetti Theatre, where the Opening Plenary and Opening Ceremony will take place. It’s a public open space and we will be enjoying also the city centre while attending the Agora Fair.

The open space where the fair will be held.

 Usually the fair was taking place on the second day of the Agora, this time it will be on the very first day. Why?

Lisa: We wanted to save time and try to do things differently. We thought that it could be a good way to start the event, since the fair is a moment during which people can meet, discuss and share opinions. We didn’t want to put the participants in a closed space since the beginning.

How many AEGEE bodies will be present at the fair? Can you give us a spoiler about what they will organise?

Salvo: There will be around 20 AEGEE bodies, with great projects for all the AEGEEans. I’m not a spoiler guy, I don’t want to be mean, but making a list would take so much time and this article would be a booklet. That’s why we edited one: by downloading it you can get a little preview of what is waiting for you.

AEGEEans participating at Agora Kyiv Fair

What do you expect from it and why should people visit the stands?

Salvo: Like I already said, the fair is to me the fresh start for all the AEGEEans already active on a local level,
but that also want to become even more active on the European one. So, for all the AEGEEans with great expectations and projects, for all the AEGEEans who want to be something more: this fair is addressed to all of you! I feel so lucky because from my point of view I can just see a huge family I joined two years ago, while I was wandering at my first Agora and now I’m giving my best to make all this happen again. My hope is that among you there will be another curious AEGEEan, ready to get close to us, to fall in love with our dream.

Excluding AEGEE bodies, which partners will be there? Why should we visit those stands?

Agora Fair banner. You can see the partnership of the Municipality of Bergamo.

Lisa: There will be the University of Bergamo and some of the sponsors which helped us organise the Agora. The Municipality will be there in order to let you discover all the places you can visit in the surroundings of Bergamo. And last, but not least, something
very cool: ten computers will be there in order to let you play some video games.

Finally, will it be open only to Agora participants?

Lisa: The Agora Fair is open to everyone who wants to take part in it. We also printed some promo materials and we invited all the students of the University of Bergamo.

Here you can find the Facebook Event.

Written by Mattia Abis, AEGEE-Cagliari 

Can you imagine your life without meat? Have you tried becoming a vegetarian for a few days or even more, a week? Didn’t you feel much lighter, healthier and stronger at the same time? If you haven’t tried it yet, AEGEE-Leuven gives you the best opportunity to challenge yourself. Being at its second edition, “Days without Meat” is trying to help all the AEGEE people to eat less meat, more vegetables and healthier foods. We talked with Tom Etienne, Main Responsible for the campaign, and we found out more about this year’s edition. So, quit eating that chicken drumstick and join the campaign! It might change your lifestyle completely.

The AEGEEan: To begin with, when was this campaign first created? 
Tom: Days Without Meat is a Flemish citizens’ initiative, so from the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, that exists since 2011. Last year, AEGEE-Leuven set up a campaign in the AEGEE Network for AEGEEans to participate in. This year, we hold the campaign for the second time in a row.

What is the purpose of this campaign?
We aim to raise awareness on the ecological effects of our meat eating habits. According to several studies, our livestock’s share in greenhouse gas emissions is around 15%, although some say it’s a lot more. #AEGEEsDWM is not a plea for vegetarianism, but it does aim to reduce our meat consumption and replace it with more sustainable alternatives.

When does this year’s edition take place?
This year, the campaign takes place from the 10th of February until the 26th of March, forty days in total, not counting Sundays.

Is there a follow-up from the campaign? Are the results going to be published or sent somewhere?
The campaign is organised on two different platforms. The first one is the Facebook event, and the second one is the dagenzondervlees.be website, where you can sign up and indicate on a calendar your eating habits. The website then calculates how much you’ve saved on your carbon footprint. At the end of the campaign, we will have saved a lot, which of course, we’ll let people know.

Do you plan to also organise an event during this campaign? If so, please give us a few details about it.
The campaign is our main event in itself, but because the period includes the EPM in Leiden, they will incorporate it in their catering. We will be there at the AEGEE fair as well.

How many people have joined the campaign this year in comparison to last year?
At this moment, we have around 140 participants on Facebook. On the website, 55 people have signed up. This is slightly less compared to last year, but that doesn’t mean we cannot save more!

What would be the main benefits from joining this campaign?
Aside from the AEGEE spirit of many young and engaged Europeans working together for a better and more sustainable world, there is also your own health as a giant benefit. Eating less meat can be very healthy, especially if you take care of what you replace it with. Of course, joining the campaign sends the clear message that #AEGEEcares.

Do you plan to organise other related health campaigns in the future? Tell us a few words about them.
Just like last year, the campaign is sort of a step to our SU with AEGEE-Tilburg, which has a sustainable theme.

As a conclusion, what would you suggest to people who can’t live without meat?
‘Bitch, please’. We all know meat is very tasty at times, but also that, I repeat, we’re not asking you to ban it completely. Replace it once in a while, and you’ll be off a lot cheaper, healthier and more sustainable. You too can live without it a couple of days per week, it’s not that big of a deal. Just join #AEGEEsDWM and show that #AEGEEcares!

Written by Gabriela Geană, AEGEE-București

Let’s be honest. One of the favourite moments during the Agora is the Fair and this year the Public Relations Committee teamed together to deliver another amazing Fair. The AEGEEan interviewed them to discover the plans they have.

The AEGEEan: Can you tell us a little bit more about the team?

PRC Fair Team: The active and enthusiastic team of Fair Managers consists of a mix of designers and PR consultants, Ksenia Lupanova (AEGEE-Moskva), Jelena Stankovic (AEGEE-Beograd), Dimitra Amorgianou (AEGEE-Kastoria), Réka Salamon (AEGEE-Aachen) and the Speaker Team of PRC, Panagiotis Barlampas (AEGEE-Athina). We have all attended Agorae and AEGEE Fairs before and we were full of ideas about turning this event into something that would give a lot of visibility to the European level of AEGEE and would get a lot of members active.

The AEGEEan: Normally we have one or two fair managers, what pushed the PRC to apply as a team?

PRC Fair Team: The AEGEE Fair is an effective tool of internal public relations. We wanted to take on the challenge as a team because if a team is responsible for different fields (communication, creative director, community managers, action managers and a team coordinator) we can ensure that the Fair itself will be carried out perfectly. It is always helpful to have more heads with more ideas, sharing our experiences and combining our skills etc. We are actually considering to apply as PRC for Fair Managers for the upcoming Agorae as well to ensure a proper knowledge transfer regarding the organisation of the event.

 The AEGEEan: In the very first mail you sent to the Network you used a lot of hashtags. Can you explan us why?

PRC Fair Team: We love hashtags! Already the Summer University promotional campaigns are using a lot of hashtags and as social media is a key element of public relations these days, we decided to integrate  also this element into the Fair thematics to give a modern look and possibly more online visibility.

 The AEGEEan: What is the idea behind the #ChooseUrColor campaign?

PRC Fair Team: The name aims to refer to both the new idea of colour-coding the bodies – aligning it with the new Visual Identity of AEGEE, which was also a PRC project from the very beginning – and also to the fact that the elections of our new European board and a lot of other positions are going to take place in Patra. Delegates are invited to choose the AEGEE body/candidate they like!

The AEGEEan: What is going to be the major feature of Agora Patra fair?

PRC Fair Team: Besides the colour-coding of the bodies? Yes. The #FairHangout is a brand new idea for the Fair. We are going to place couches in the middle of the Fair room and have parallel discussions with 4-5 bodies. The idea is to provide an informal space for discussing things that could interest the Fair attendees, like intercultural communication or education and sustainability.

The AEGEEan: Will you introduce major changes?

PRC Fair Team: The idea of the AEGEE Fair as a platform for getting AEGEE members informed and interested in the thematic work on the European level – is going to stay the same as always. We are only trying to improve it in a way that the Agora newbies have a better understanding of the layout, and the opportunities present. Also, we are focusing more on the visual part, as the visual memory of people always works better. With bigger logos for bodies, clear navigation by a presentation screening and the colourful templates, it will be easier to integrate new members in the work of the European level!

The AEGEEan: Can you give an advice for people who are going to attend the fair for the first time ever?

PRC Fair Team: Maybe watch the presentation about the Fair which will be shown on the wall at the entrance. It will explain the colour-coding of the Fair, the work of PRC and will also present the different bodies from the Fair booklet! Other than that, look out for the #FairManagers and feel free to ask them any time you feel lost. Don’t be shy, ask people behind the tables and look for the body or project that interests you the most. And enjoy!

The Sports Working Group (SWG) is preparing for this autumn by encouraging antennae to take part in interesting events such as the MOVE Week and Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) while also preparing for Autumn Agora Zaragoza and the upcoming elections for the SWG. In this interview the members look back on the last year.

Sabina Begic has been the PR responsible, Ángel Rodríguez has been the speaker, Özgun Kaplama has been focusing on FR, and Patricia Anthony has been the secretary of the SWG since October last year.

How has it been to be part of the SWG Board?

Patricia: It has definitely been a challenge but very rewarding as well. When SWG was created in Agora Enschede it was difficult to start a Working Group from scratch, but with the board of this past year it has developed a lot! Motivation was high in the beginning, and I hope to see the same happening for the next board – developing SWG even more.

Sabina: It was challenging and exciting. We started highly-motivated, had an enthusiastic and friendly team. During the year a few things changed in the board, so that also influenced us and our work.

Özgun: Very good for me. In SWG I learned that sport is not only sport. There are some sports events focusing on civil rights and social problems. This is a really nice opportunity to work on these problems from the perspective of sports.

Ángel: Many things have been done in the last year, it was really active at the beginning, but with time the members of the board became less active. I have learned many things about sports projects in Europe and met people from special organisations that fight for the evolution of social and civil rights in society. During this past year I have become active as volunteer for sporting events in my city and in AEGEE events, so it has opened my eyes and I have learned more how to focus on helping people.

What were the highlights?

Sabina: For me definitely the organisation of AEGEE Games together with AEGEE-León, and our Skype meetings with Daniel García Rodriguez from León.

Özgun: During Statutory Events’ Fairs, I could discuss with some people about the vision of fighting problems through sports. It was a nice experience.

Patricia: Developing different ideas that SWG can do for AEGEE and for the European youth. It has been amazing to see the working group grow.

Ángel: Meeting Adam Wide, a 60-year-old man who has more energy that a lot of AEGEE members… which is very difficult in my opinion.

What has been the most difficult part?

Sabina: The disappointment after finding out that we needed to cancel the AEGEE Games.

Özgun: Sometimes you cannot agree on a certain subject because of different opinions and different lifestyles but it is how you learn the most in volunteer work.

Ángel: Keeping the spirit on the European level is difficult when you do not have your mates by your side to discuss about the Working Group.

Patricia: Working together in a team that does not meat regularly and working across cultural borders is definitely a challenge. It continues to be a fight to activate AEGEE members on the European level and it was sad to see that events with great potential such as the AEGEE Games or International Day Against Homophobia could not be realized. However, the ideas are there and they will not get lost so hopefully it can happen next year!

Would anyone like to continue being in the board?

Özgun: Yes! I want to because I think I have many things to do for SWG.

Sabina: Yes, very much!

Ángel: I would love to continue, but it is time to end my PhD and I cannot focus on it while being in the board of SWG.

Patricia: After 1,5 years in the Sports Working Group I think it is time for some new people in the board other than me. However, I will continue as a member and help out as much as possible to see the projects that we have been working on will become reality.

Why would you encourage others to become part of SWG?

Ángel: To understand that AEGEE is more than fun and traveling, and show to them that Europe needs volunteers to improve the society and make life easier for people with difficulties of all kinds.

Patricia: Because being a part of a Working Group is an experience where one can learn a lot and develop skills such as creativity, teamwork, learning about cultural differences and so on. In the board there is a need for many different skills, and thus there have been difficult times, but I have really enjoyed working together with Ozgun, Angel and Sabina during this past year!

Özgun: It is a new part of your AEGEE experience. It gives you a nice start on the European level and it is great for those who love sports. Sports events are not only about physical activity, they can also help us create a better future.

Sabina: Because sports are the best tool to connect healthy activities, possibility for establishing contacts very quickly, to provide uncomplicated get-togethers, overcome language barriers and cultural reservations.

Written by Patricia Anthony, Secretary of the Sports Working Group

The Agora is approaching and that means it is time to elect the Comité Directeur (CD) again. One of the passionate AEGEE members who hope to move to the new CD house in Brussels is Szabina Hellinger from AEGEE-Budapest. The AEGEEan took the time to interview her and to hear about her plans, but first let us introduce Szabina to you.

Besides being a 24-year-old AEGEE-Budapest member, The AEGEEan can inform you that she is spending her time on Erasmus in Bologna (Italy) at the moment. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Educational Studies on the Eötvös Loránd University, and now she is finishing her Masters there in the field of Adult Education, specialising in the lifelong learning process. As if that were not enough, she also has a BA in Italian linguistics and culture.

Because of her studies Szabina has experience with volunteering not only in a retirement home but also with the Hungarian Red Cross, mostly around Christmas accepting the donations for children, and when she arrived to Bologna she joined the Italian Red Cross as well. “I find volunteering my “drug”, because I see how huge successes can be achieved with small actions and how a lot of happiness can be brought, therefore I want to get and give more,” is what Szabina says about her habit of volunteering.

The AEGEEan: Why do you want to become a member of the Comité Directeur?

Szabina: I have a different attitude about it. I would put into the focus not myself, but AEGEE, meaning it is not about being a CD member, but about what I can offer to the association by my work, and the Agora will decide if it is needed or not. True, being in CD interested me since I became active but I did not dare to apply because of my lack of experience. First I thought that it was indispensable to work to get the knowledge and get the experience which is required to be effective for the association. Now after two years I have spent on the European level, I feel I am ready to accomplish the tasks of a CD member.

There are three people from AEGEE-Budapest hoping to go to Bruxelles. What makes your local such a strong local, and what does this “competition” mean in your eyes?

AEGEE-Budapest is a very strong and supportive local and they showed that in Autumn Agora Budapest. Its biggest strength is the family atmosphere, they are really open minded and welcoming to every member without making a difference between newbies, oldies or those who are there only for the Summer Universities (SUs). Since there are a lot of members, they also motivate each other with their enthusiasm – this is also evident by the number of our members active on the European level.

About your second question: it is a really funny coincidence that there are three of us from the same local running for CD. I am more than proud of my antenna because of it, but this “competition” – the way you call it – in my eyes is not different than the one we have with the other candidates, because for me it does not matter where we come from but what we want to achieve, having the same aims, and most importantly, where we want to go.

You have been involved with Project Teams and Working Groups in many ways, but can you please explain your history with them a bit?

On my first professional event in AEGEE (which was the Summer University Project School 2010) I got to learn about WGs and Projects. After going home I started checking out if there is something related to education, since this is one of my biggest interests. I found the Education Working Group (EWG) and I wrote to the former speaker (Jorge Miguel) a shy e-mail with my motivation and interests, and I got a warm welcome as an answer. After this I was the EWG’s HR responsible for half a year, and I represented it on the Autumn Agora Skopje 2011. I am really grateful for the EWG because it gave me many possibilities for work related to my studies, but mostly to unleash my potential.

During my work in the WG I met Diana Yolova, speaker of the Higher Education Days Project, who was talking to me about the project and made me really motivated in it, so I joined. Since that I am the PR responsible, and I represented it on the Spring Agora Enschede 2012, Autumn Agora Budapest 2012, and I will be the envoy of this PT at the Spring Agora Rhein-Neckar 2013 too. Currently we are focusing to the recognition of the non formal education and researching about the Bologna process (leaded by Avgustina Vasilieva).

How do you believe the cooperation can be strengthened between European level bodies?

There are some Working Groups and Projects which have similar topics, just from a different point of view, with or small differences; I would like to encourage them to organise a common event, research or program to help each other, giving each other new ideas or point of view, improving each other and themselves. Moreover I would like to encourage bodies and members to start new Working Groups or Projects according their interests.

The second step of this would happen through the members, because if we want to achieve our goals we need to catch them at most basic level, one by one, since they are the association’s future. The Fair is a perfect forum for it, but it does not reach those members who are not participating in the Agora or EBM. I would encourage the locals to promote the projects and WGs, and at the same time bring the European level closer to the members through the bodies.

There are many WGs and PTs who have trouble with activating members. What is your opinion about this and how would you help them? 

Motivation is one of the biggest problems not just for PTs, or WGs, but all the bodies, meaning not just getting new members but keeping the old ones active. To catch new members, the Fair is a great opportunity, improving their PR materials, but as I mentioned above I would also reach out to those members who are not participating. I would also strongly collaborate with the Network Commission since they have the strongest relation with the locals.

Second step would be helping in their internal HR. I would strongly collaborate with the board of a WG and PT highlight the HR responsible, encouraging them to hold personal meetings as much as possible, like on Statutory Events, or in the CD house, because Skype meetings are useful for working, but not so much for teambuilding.

You have been the Fair Manager once yourself, and mention strengthening AEGEE fair in your program. How do you think this should be done?

Obviously I would cooperate with the Fair Manager(s) as much as possible, with the Speakers too, since this is the main forum where all the bodies can represent themselves in the same time, as mentioned above. I would cooperate with the bodies asking about their needs not just in a material way but also in the sense support. I would hold a meeting before the Fair where their needs could be discussed and I would have a feedback session after it discussing their difficulties, successes, and most importantly their recommendations for improvement.

In case you are elected, you will probably be working with members who have been working together for a year already. What is your opinion about this?

First of all I admire their work and I am sure I could learn a lot of them. It would be a huge opportunity for me to receive and benefit from their experience and knowledge. But we cannot create,  improve and develop without adding anything new. Even a small change can grow into an innovation and every year is a new possibility to prove it. In case I am elected I think we could have a strong collaboration and I could provide CD with some fresh ideas.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København

Some people say that it is not possible to really get to know the spirit of someone through the social networks. However, it can be easy to be nice, kind and close on the other side of the screen, even if there is some distance. The AEGEEan had the chance to talk to Olga Rivero, a cheerful Biotechnology student from AEGEE Oviedo,  who has been elected as the new AEGEE Agora fair manager. Will she manage to modify our souls genetically and use her smile to make us even more human?

This is your minute of glory, go ahead Olga!

Hello, I’m 21 years old and I study Biotechnology. I’m doing the last months of my degree, since I’m planning on finishing University in June. I’ve been an AEGEE member since September 2010 and active from the very first minute on. AEGEE came into my life when I was going through a tough moment, and it was like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I was totally stunned by its freshness and spirit and, from that moment on, I knew it was going to become such an important thing to me.

Imagine we don’t belong to AEGEE. We have never heard of it. How would you explain to us what being an Agora fair manager means?

I would say that I am the main organiser of a “project’s market”, or an “idea’s market” from the biggest interdisciplinary youth organisation in Europe, and that my task is to provide everything they need for the people of the European bodies presenting their work to the rest of the members who are interested in it.

How are you planning to fascinate people attending the fair? Or is it a secret?

We are still starting to plan what the venue will be like where the Fair will take place, but my team (Anna Gots from Comité Directeur and Monica Olesinska from the Chair team) and I will do our best to make it look really attractive so that no one would hesitate to participate in it!

Three adjectives that should describe your performance in the Agora…

I think this is something that all the people who go to the Fair should answer after the Agora…

Anything personal, passions, obessions, your own way of understanding the World…that you would like to extend to your new role?

I guess my way of understanding the World is almost the same as that of any other young person now. It’s not the best time for being a student or starting looking for a job but thanks to stuff like AEGEE, taking the chance of exploring new and different opportunities doesn’t seem so risky and frightening. And that’s something that I want to transmit to all the AEGEE people: there’s nothing to fear of about becoming a member of a Working Group or a Committee if you like their future projects and what they’re doing when they explain it during the Fair!

Have you read about how former AEGEE fairs were done in the previous years? Anything you would like to keep on doing? Something you will not repeat?

I’m planning on leading the way of my predecessors for organising everything, but I’m also trying to add some personal details that I believe were missed at the Fair so far. I really don’t want to change anything specific, I just want to make the Fair grow a little.

We want to wish Olga good luck and give her thanks for having shared with us some of her time. Keep on shining!

Photos courtesy of the interviewed.

Written by Ana Valiente, AEGEE Tenerife

Léa Charlet is no stranger to AEGEE and no stranger to The AEGEEan since she used her great photographer skills during Agora Enschede and Agora Budapest for the magazine. However, for EBM Valletta Léa will have to put the camera aside just a bit because she will be busy focusing on the AEGEE fair for which she has become responsible of.

Léa is 23 old from Versailles but has been part of AEGEE-Paris for quite a while and she is also the president of that particular French antenna. Now she is doing her Erasmus in Bologna. She will have the same tasks as former AEGEE fair responsibles have had in the past Agorae, the only thing different is that she has less people to think about.

The AEGEEan: Congratulations on being selected fair manager, why did you chose to apply for the position?

Léa: I saw the open call first, but didn’t think I was suited for it. Later, the secretary general of the Comité Directeur Lucille Rieux talked to me about it, and kind of convinced me to apply for it.

I take it as a way to learn new things, since I never did something like that before.

Stressed, because I don’t want to mess up, so until the fair is finished and successful I could not be really happy or proud about it.

A lot of things, but especially to meet different and interesting people, and there’s a lot of them in AEGEE. Every new project drives you to work or to know new people. I only hope to be able to do everything for my studies.

The AEGEE fair has been struggling to get attention from participants of the Agora, do you have any ideas how to attract them to the fair?

I have some ideas but we didn’t talk about it yet with Anna Gots (CD responsible for the fair red.). One of them is maybe to have a drawing competition on a huge paper on a wall in the area of the fair, however, since we don’t know yet the exact configuration of the room I can’t tell if it will be possible.

I’m writing the open call for the bodies of AEGEE, which will be sent during this week.

The AEGEEan would like to congratulate Léa on being selected as  fair manager and wish her good luck with her preparations.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København

Bernice

It has been a while since we published news about EBM Valletta so The AEGEEan grabbed the opportunity to have a little chat with one of the main coordinators, Bernice Saliba, about the process so far.

When asked about how it is going with the organisation, the answer is that the organisers have now formed the teams with sub-commissions and distributed the different tasks. Every team has started their preparations so they are slowly gearing forward to increase the amount of their work, and AGORA Budapest will definitely be a strong boost.

The organisers are working hard on the preparations of the event itself, and cannot reveal any big secrets yet! However, what Bernice can inform us about is that she has personally been in contact with His Honour the President of Malta’s office, and that he has granted AEGEE-Valletta his patrimony for the event. Bernice has been working in PR and marketing along with another board member who is chairing the sub-com, Martha.

Furthermore, the organisers are in contact with Members of the European Parliament and people who work for the European Union in order to arrange the best debates within the EBM for the participants, and besides the Patrimony of the President of Malta they have also already achieved support from various ministries and the representative of the EU Commission in Malta.

It is obviously a good thing that AEGEE-Valletta is already doing well with their preperations for the event, because there is the possibility of reaching big popularity in terms of applications when that time comes. AEGEE-Valletta is so prepared that they are already now looking to find the best accommodation as possible, while discussing any back up plan that might be needed for any situation.

If this does not answer all the questions you may have about EBM Valletta then come to the AEGEE fair in Agora Budapest (only for official and extra participants). AEGEE-Valletta considers the AEGEE fair an excellent opportunity to meet AEGEE people, hear about their expectations, and promote the event itself.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København

At Spring Agora Enschede, The AEGEEan editor Patricia Anthony received the nickname ”AEGEE fairy” by fellow editor of The AEGEEan, Szabó Kata. A nickname that will stick, since she is taking up the challenge again. But this time, she will be joined by former “fairy” and current Financial Director of AEGEE-Europe, Anna Gots, as well as by the new “fairy” in town, Szabina Hellinger.

As you might know, there is usally only one Fair Manager for the AEGEE Fair, but motivated applications, experience and innovative ideas made the chair team decide on having two for the upcoming Autumn Agora, in Budapest. Secretary of the Agora Sygrit Andringa, who is also involved in the organisation, explains it by saying: “We believe that thanks to the experience of Patricia and the fresh new insight of Szabina, combined with all their enthusiasm and involvement in AEGEE, they will make a great team. Considering that the organisation of the AEGEE Fair can take quite some time and effort, we think it will be nice and good to have a team that can share ideas, tasks, workload, responsibilities, enthusiasm and motivation. “

Both Patricia and Szabina have got experience from the local as well as the European level, being members of the Sports Working Group (Patricia) and the Education Working Group (Szabina), among many other things.

Anna Gots - EBM Izmir fair manager

The AEGEEan talked to Anna Gots about the process and the idea behind it:

The AEGEEan: Why did you choose to have two Fair Managers instead of one?

Anna: We all agreed that Szabina and Patricia would be the perfect combination of experience and willingness for improvement and development, with very high motivation and a bunch of new ideas, able to put the Fair on a higher and more advanced level of organisation. Moreover, it’s always more fun to work together!

In your opinion, how will this affect the Fair?

In my opinion, it can only enrich the Fair, make it more dynamic, maybe a bit more sophisticated in terms of implementation of more ideas at the same time, and definitely an improved one. It is an interesting experiment and I’m looking forward to see what will come out of this!

You have been a Fair Manager before. How can you use this experience to help the preperation of the AEGEE Fair in Budapest?

Well, I’ve already shared all my templates for the relevant open calls and email. That’s how I’ve contributed to the technical side of the organisation. But actually, now I see myself contributing more in tackling once again the important questions that should not be forgotten when dealing with the participants and the local organisers and in making sure that all the previous comments and concerns related to the organisation of the Fair in general are being taken into account this time.

The AEGEEan also talked to Patricia and Szabina about being the selected AEGEE Fair Managers together.

Why did you apply to become Fair Manager?

Patricia Anthony - Fair Manager Spring Agora Enschede

Patricia:  Because I believe that I have many ideas that I began developing for Agora Enschede and which still have room for improvement. Moreover, I tend to engage a lot in the things that I do, so I became Fair Manager the first time around, in Enschede, I really liked the opportunity to get to know the Working Groups, Project Teams, Commissions, etc. even better than I already do.

Szabina: Because I have many ideas for the Fair and loads of motivation. I have participated in two Agorae, where I have seen the Fair’s role in the association’s life, since this is the forum where the members can discover all the Projects, Working Groups and locals of AEGEE. Moreover, the bodies and the members can get to know each other personally, which can be a huge help in making the first steps for a future cooperation.  I would like to help in every possible way, so that the bodies can represent themselves, catching the attention of as many members as possible and making AEGEE bigger and even better than it already is.

What do you think about the decision of having two Fair Managers?

Szabina: I am more than grateful about it since Patricia has a lot of experience in this topic, which is obviously the biggest help that anybody could have asked for in organising such a thing. Moreoever, after discovering how many things need to be done, I can now fully understand the decision of the chair. Having a team of two people opens up for the possibility to divide the tasks, so that we can focus on less things, but in a deeper and more thorough way.

Patricia: I cannot describe in words how happy I am with this decision. I am first of all happy that motivated members such as Szabina have the interest of becoming the Fair Manager! And second of all, there’s the division of tasks. When I applied to become Fair Manager for the second time around, I had a discussion with myself, back and forward, if I had the time to do it, but in the end, I decided that I would regret it if I didn’t apply. I was pleasantly surprised with the decision of the chair team. As Szabina says, that makes it possible to divide the tasks between us and therefore increase the quality even more.

How has the work been so far?

The new "fairy" Szabina Hellinger - Fair Manager Autumn Agora Budapest

Szabina:  More than perfect, at the beginning we divided the tasks, which has been a big help in doing our best for you! As you might have noticed, we have opened the application for the bodies to participate, and we are really looking forward to read your application for the Fair, and even more to meet you there, because you, the participants, are one of the most important pillars of the Fair! So see you there!

Patricia: I received a boost of motivation when the results arrived to my inbox – the news of Szabina and the fact that we were going to work with Anna made me confident from day one that this was going to be good, and it is! So far, we have managed a lot, discussing into tiny details what we want to do with the Fair, preparing the co-operation with the Public Relations Committee (PRC) for the AEGEE Fair booklet, and issuing the open call. Furthermore, I am quite sure that I will become even more motivated when receiving applications from the different bodies and locals with exciting projects, so I can’t wait!

The three ladies all agree that the magic recipe for the upcoming Fair is to combine the ideas and improvements of the previous Fairs and to add their own personal “fairy dust”, all confident that the outcome will be great! However, they cannot emphasize enough how much the success relies on the participation of the bodies, locals, delegates, visitors, envoys and more.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København

The feature picture is from the Fair at Spring Agora Enschede, taken by The AEGEEan photographer, Léa Charlette.

ACT will be there, PRC will be there, EaP will be there, but the question is: “Will you be there?”. All these abbreviations might create a question mark in your mind. “What is EaP?”, “What is PRC?”, “What is ACT?” are all questions that you could be left with right now. How can you find the answer? Go to the AEGEE fair!

Of course The AEGEEan could simply tell you that EaP is the abbreviation for the Eastern Partnership Project, ACT is the abbreviation for the Action Agenda Coordination Team, and PRC is the abbreviation for the Public Relations Committee, but that does  not fully answer the question “Who are they?”. It is not often that you get to ask questions, meet the people behind the Network Commission, or have the courage to go and talk with the CD members, but if you are one of the lucky Agora participants, then you will get the opportunity to do just that. How? By attending the AEGEE fair!

The AEGEE fair is organised by CD responsible Guillermo García Tabarés and AEGEE fair manager Patricia Anthony, in close cooperation with AEGEE-Enschede and the chair team. It will take place on May 2^nd, from 10 AM to 13 PM. During those 3 hours, the participants will have the opportunity to hear grasping stories about the twin antennae bond between AEGEE-Beograd and AEGEE-Istanbul, play “Who wants to be a millionaire?” with the Network Commission, learn about the opportunities of joining the Eastern Partnership Project or the Human Resources Committee, and about how to become a journalist or proofreader for The AEGEEan. In total, there will be more than 25 bodies present at the AEGEE fair, ready to answer your questions.

The AEGEE fair booklet – Coming to a computer near you

The AEGEEan was created by the PRC, so it was an obvious choice for us to work in close cooperation on the booklet for the fair. We understand that Agora participants will already be busy reading booklet after booklet, but hope that you will also take the time to read about who will be present at the AEGEE fair. The booklet includes information about (almost) each stand, what they will do, and who will be there to answer your questions. It required a lot of hard work from the AEGEE fair team, the presenters, proofreaders and especially Network Commission candidate Réka Salamon, who took the responsibility of leading this project and making sure that each page of the booklet catches the eye and attention of the reader.

The fair is part of the AEGEE opening festival, taking place on May 2nd, from 10 AM  to 14 PM (The AEGEE fair is between 10 and 13). Now four hours may seem like a lot, but when you have to register for the Agora, take part in breaking records, visit different stands and reunite with AEGEE friends, then four hours quickly slip away. So think about it, read the booklet, and prepare yourself for an opening festival that will be legen…dary!!!

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København