See the Congress Registration page, at the Congress website.
With the closure of professional paper acceptance, the full Congress agenda is now being prepared, and it will be available soon. Meanwhile, we are also in the “sweet spot” for airfares.
Planning Your Visit
Note that the Official Carrier for the IPMA World Congress is Star Alliance; depending on your departure city, there can be significant discounts in airfares if you book your ticket soon. Prior news items have pointed out that most European cities have direct connections to Heraklion (spelled several different ways) Crete, rather than stopping over in Athens. This reduces your cost (the Athens airport taxes are high) and saves time.
The Congress venue is in Hersonissos, several dozen kilometers to the East of the Heraklion, Crete, airport. A bus departs from the airport each 30 minutes, and costs € 4. See the local transport information at the Congress website.
The Congress facility is part of the Creta Maris Beach Resort , just to the North of the fishing village of Hersonissos. The resort sits on a long sweeping bay of sandy beach and crystal clear water. The lodging rates negotiated by our hosts, PM Greece, are far better than we have found in our normally competitive websites. We do recommend arriving early for the Congress, rather than staying later, because Crete tends to reduce transportation, lodging, restaurants and shops after the end of October. See the Accommodation booking page, also containing many interesting photos, at the Congress website.
Background About Crete
For those who have not yet been to Crete, it is one of the nicest of the many wonderful parts of Greece. Crete also has a unique atmosphere remaining from the Minoan Empire, which predated Greek prominence (perhaps by 1500 years). Some say that Minoan traders roamed then-unknown parts of the World, seeking the crucial elements of the Bronze Age, Copper and Tin. If true, they were the arms merchants of 4000 years ago. Egyptian armies depended on Cretan Bronze for their successes–as did many of their adversaries.
One author claims to have found a 2000 BC Tin mine in the USA’s Great Lakes region, with thousands of tons shipped down the Mississippi River and back to Crete, via Greenland, Iceland, the Azores, and then into the Mediterranean. In addition to the obvious attractions, such as the reconstructed Knossos, home of the legendary (or factual) Minotaur, there are many other delights, ranging from unique Cretan foods, flowers, herbs, and wines. Not to mention the excitement of driving on Crete’s roads. Many of us plan to arrive early, to see the Museums in Heraculon, and the less-visited Minoan ruins further away from the tourist areas.
The Minoan Empire was an artistic, peaceful, merchant/seafaring matriarchal society–dominated by women. Interesting that today the airport code is HER. Some say that when the volcano at Thera (Santorini) blew, it wiped out the North coast of Crete–together with its harbors, palaces, and villages. That volcano also inspired, according to Egyptian hieroglyphics, the original story of Atlantis.
The 26th IPMA World Congress will be held on one of the most popular islands in Greece, at an exclusive 5 star Convention and Golf resort where the dialogue for the advancement of academic and professional project management will meet 5,000 years of history, idyllic beaches and a bouquet of fascinating parallel activities. Mark your calendars and plan to attend the 2012 IPMA World Congress on Project Management. For information, visit www.ipma2012.gr.
Crete is the largest island in Greece. Next to being the home of the first European civilisation – the Minoan civilization dating 5000 years ago, the island offers mountains and sandy beaches which belong among the finest in the world. Crete has a mild Mediterranean climate and the conference participants will have the opportunity to taste one of the oldest and most tasty gastronomic traditions in the world and to enjoy the famous Cretan hospitality.
The 26th IPMA World Congress is being organized by the Network of Project Managers in Greece (PM-Greece), the Greek member association of IPMA, in cooperation with the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), under auspices of the Hellenic Ministry of Infrastructure. The Chairman for the 26th IPMA World Congress is Dr. John – Paris Pantouvakis, Associate Professor, Director of the Department of Construction Engineering & Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering, NTUA, Athens, Greece. Professor Pantouvakis can be contacted at