More than 280 international language travel professionals gathered
at Madrid’s Husa Princesa Hotel in April for the 23rd IALC Annual General
Meeting and Workshop. The largest IALC meeting ever drew delegates
from 120 study abroad agencies in 27 countries and 59 IALC language schools
in 21
countries and proved a fitting tribute to IALC founder Alberto Sampere.
The 2006 IALC Workshop was hosted by the Estudio Sampere Spanish language school group. Juan Manuel Sampere and Carmen Escolar-Noriega put together an exceptionally imaginative evening programme, kicking off with a welcome reception at the famous Bernabeu Stadium, home of the Real Madrid “Gallaticos”. After a tour of the trophy room, pitchside and player dressing rooms, the guests enjoyed drinks and tapas in the VIP area with views across the stadium.
On Friday evening, Estudio Sampere celebrated its 50th anniversary with an exclusive reception at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum of Fine Art. Guests, including members of the Estudio Sampere staff and family, enjoyed a private tour of major art works through the centuries before a cocktail reception in the museum’s wonderful atrium foyer. On behalf of the Sampere family, Juan Manuel Sampere welcomed guests and thanked the staff and agencies of the five Estudio Sampere Spanish language schools in Spain and Ecuador for their enormous contribution to the schools’ 50 years of success. Friends and family paid tribute to Alberto Sampere, founder of Estudio Sampere and IALC, and Renato Borges de Sousa, co-founder and honorary life member of IALC, presented Juan Manuel with a plaque commemorating his father’s achievement:
Alberto Sampere
1929-2005
Founder
International Association of Language Centres
In gratitude for his visionary leadership in creating our Association
At the end of two days of business meetings, the hard-working delegates and their companions were invited to the Florida Park Cabaret Theatre in Retiro Park for the annual IALC Gala Dinner featuring a stunning virtuoso flamenco performance.
In his official speech, IALC President David Diplock thanked the agencies for
attending the workshop and for their cooperation with IALC schools. Carmen Escolar-Noriega
and Juan Manuel Sampere were congratulated for their outstanding organisation
of the meeting. Wolfgang Graser, director of Good Hope Studies in Cape Town and
host of the 2007 IALC meeting, presented a DVD of the Cape Town highlights delegates
will see next year. Guests then adjourned to the bar and the dance floor where
the IALC party continued until the early hours of Sunday morning.
Fam trips
There was more to come for some agency delegates, as they set off from Madrid
on Sunday morning to other parts of Spain on fam trips organised by IALC Spanish
schools. One group travelled to Barcelona to visit abcCollege in the fashionable
Catalan city, home of Las Ramblas, the Sagrada Familia and Park Guell. Other
groups travelled with Estudio Sampere to the historic university city of Salamanca
and pretty Andalusian coastal town of El Puerto de Santa Maria. Escuela de Idiomas
Nerja, Malaca Instituto and La Brisa hosted a joint fam trip to the charming
seaside town of Nerja and bustling city of Malaga on the Eastern Costa del Sol.
Feedback
“The truth is that this has been a very enriching experience for us. Both Patrick
[Mueller] and I believe in the quality of the IALC member schools and for this
reason we will continue wherever possible to have IALC membership as one of the
selection criteria for our partner schools."
Osmira Amaiz - StudyGlobal, SPAIN
“It was one of the best Workshops I have attended.”
Daniela Maccolini - COMING, Italy
“Thanks to all of you in hosting the IALC workshop in Madrid and doing such a wonderful job of it. You have shown that family-run enterprises are still possible and in fact may survive very successfully even in this new and ever changing millennium.”
Rebecca Brincat - B.E.L.S., Malta
“Thank you very much for your power and very hard work at this time! It was really very nice Workshop!”
Grigory Ugarov - OPEN WORLD, Russia
“This workshop and the fam trip in Salamanca were perfect. Many thanks to
all the staff. Looking forward to a fruitful collaboration.”
Marc Chevallier - COMPTOIR DES HORIZONS, France
“The IALC meeting in Madrid 2006 has been a great success. It was as much
the AGM, the participation of the members and the topics discussed, as the
objectives achieved that showed IALC to be the most important organisation
for independent language schools worldwide.”
Luis Carrion - Escuela de Idiomas “Nerja”, Spain
“Thank you once more for an unforgettable IALC Workshop! Though we had a lot of work, you managed to find something special not only for the sports enthusiasts but also for the ones interested in culture!”
Ruth Bardolatzi – STUDIOSUS REISEN Munich, Germany
"Thank you for a wonderful fam trip. It was so great!!!! I fell in love with Malaga."
Natalia Krivich, Langford Travel, Russia.
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