CEPIC Congress 2014 in Berlin

 by Cathy Aron, PACA Executive DirectorThe CEPIC Congress was held this year in Berlin, a city of many contrasts. From the beauty of the forests, rivers and parks that take up much of the land to the remnants and reminders of the Berlin Wall and the Holocaust Memorial, you are constantly reminiscent of the conflicted history of this capital. There is an amazing amount of construction going on everywhere you turn, both reconstructing old buildings to their original grace and new architecture reflecting the new 21st century style.This was, perhaps, the perfect setting for the 2014 CEPIC Congress as we reflected on old and new ways of doing business and learned of the new technologies that will drive our industry in the future. The move to a downtown hotel location seemed a good one and the Congress moved smoothly through the 3-day event. The entire conference was held on one floor of the hotel, which made it easy for attendees to navigate.Those of us invited to the BAPLA/Virtual Images Group’s Opening Reception at the British Embassy were impressed by the modern structure of the building and all the security that surrounds it. It was a delightful evening of food and drink and catching up with old friends!The Congress itself was extremely well run and included more sessions than before. This year the sessions were well attended and a few were standing room only. Favorites were the EU Google Panel, The Bing Search Panel and From the RDI to the CIF.The annual party included a band in an outdoor courtyard at the Kalkscheune. A lovely warm night with plenty of lively conversations, food and more drinks!! Everyone seemed to have a great time.A picture-perfect Garden Party, hosted by AKG Images at their Berlin Office, was a nostalgic way to end the week Not only was Justus Göpel (Former owner of AKG, now deceased) instrumental in the establishment of CEPIC, but the AKG building, a beautiful 19th century home, housed the first CEPIC office. It was wonderful to be hosted by Katrin Göpel, Jürgen Raibel and the rest of the staff.Thanks to Sylvie Fodor and Carlos Vicente for another stimulating meeting.No word was given on next year’s location, but we will be keep you posted. You can read the CEPIC press release here.