You are planning to host events after the war. Considering the lead time for international congresses, are you bidding for congresses? We are grateful to those conferences and congresses that decided to move their 2022 meetings to next year. It is a tough time for all Ukrainians and sometimes it is not the time to ask our local community to start the bidding process. Many people are working and volunteering, doctors are treating injured military and civilians … On the other hand, when will be the time if not now? That’s why we are bidding for the years 2023 to 2026. We are checking to which conferences and congresses we have contacts or started communication last year and we will resume our work with bidding. Right now, we have a unique experience of working during the war. Some people decided to organize online conferences to support Ukrainian science and search for new options of cooperation.

Lviv is located in the west of Ukraine. What is the situation like? We feel relatively safe in the west. The city became a hub for humanitarian help. Helpers gather here and disperse later to cities in need. It is a meeting point for volunteers, the place for diplomatic missions and international journalists, and of course it is a provisional home for temporarily displaced persons. Some of them stay for a few days and think about living in that region or going abroad, some of them think about starting a new life in Lviv. Businesses from the east are trying to continue working in the west. We know that we need to build relationships and communication now, so that we can benefit from results later.

What is the situation in the rest of Ukraine, in convention cities like Kyiv, Odesa and Mariupol? Kyiv is still standing and fighting. It is the capital of Ukraine or, as we say, a capital of freedom. People even live in subway stations because these are among the safest places in the city. The two cities Bucha and Irpin also suffered a lot. Just recently, the Russians retreated from these cities and we saw horrible photos – the result of their stay. Dead bodies of civilians in the streets, burnt and destroyed infrastructure ... unimaginable pain. Odesa is fighting for itself even though it is being attacked from the sea. I hope you will have a chance to see the beauty of this city as well as the beauty of Lviv. Mariupol is completely destroyed. It will take many years before the city is cleared of bombs and rebuilt. Without humanitarian aid and green corridors, the Russian army took the lives of many people. They do not care who they kill, whether it is a child, a woman or a soldier.

Are you in touch with your colleagues at the Kyiv Convention Bureau? What do they tell you about their situation and infrastructure? We are not in touch with the Kyiv Convention Bureau, but we have contact to the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine. Of course, Kyiv is under attack. Hopefully, the infrastructure will be rebuilt soon. Ukraine is a member of the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) and belongs to the Central European Chapter (CEC). How important are ICCA and the CEC chapter these days for your city and your country? Belonging to ICCA means being verified by associations and organizations worldwide. We share the same values, aims and standards. Being a member of ICCA means counting on the support of your colleagues who share knowledge in peaceful times and give support during the war. If it weren’t for Gorazd Cad, we wouldn’t be so visible, I think. Conventa Trend Bar was the first platform where I spoke with event pros about the war. And at that moment, we realized we have a voice in our industry and can spread information. If it weren’t for Karina Grützner, we wouldn’t be connected and have this interview. It was also important for us that the ICCA board suspended Russian memberships. Our regional director Tamara Bernstein was in contact with us and informed me about the board’s decision after they received my letter to suspend Russia. If it weren’t for Krzysztof Celuch, maybe there wouldn’t be “GMID United for Ukraine” marathon … personal contacts, getting to know each other, are very important in this world.

What does your (working) day look like? From the beginning of the war, I joined the team of the Lviv Tourism Office where we launched the Lviv Media Center which later became the Ukraine Media Center. For a month, half of my day was about helping journalists from over the world, the other half was about connecting with our international colleagues from the industry, writing official letters and organizing the work of a convention bureau. Now I am slowly getting back to my main work, but it is still a challenge for me to start writing bids again – many people are volunteering, healing people – it seems it is not the time for conventions in Ukraine. But it one of the peculiarities of our industry that events have lead times of two to three years. It is scary to write about things that can be destroyed any minute. It overwhelms me to see and read about the support of the world. I am proud to be Ukrainian and share knowledge about Lviv and about Ukraine. The Lviv Convention Bureau team continues preparing information about the current situation and planning the future. You are only 30 years old. How are you coping with this extraordinary situation? I took up my new job at the Lviv Convention Bureau in September 2018 without any tourism background and I started in January of this year as Acting Director – learning by doing was my method. Books about crisis management do not prepare you for managing convention bureaus during a war. Our industry plans several years ahead. Maybe that is what helps us to think about the future and not be stuck in the moment. And of course, nothing of that would be possible without our defenders, who give us strength, hope and confidence that we can plan our future activities.