As a founding partner of the agency then known as Albena, Nahid Nayyeri began organising and coordinating conferences and events at national and international level. At that time, she also participated in the launch of the Confindustria Young Entrepreneurs Group in Livorno.
On the strength of her experience, Nayyeri set up the ARA Congressi conference organisation and linguistic services agency, aimed at public bodies, private companies, universities and trade associations.
Ara Congressi continues to be the industry benchmark in the provision of conference and linguistic services. Having survived the impact of COVID almost unscathed, the agency has gone from strength to strength, offering solutions that respond to the needs of B2B and public bodies and agencies.
The QUALITY of our work:
Grande professionalità e disponibilità nel trovare insieme le migliori soluzioni per il raggiungimento degli obiettivi posti
Over 10,000 Days of meticulous event preparation and organization.
Sempre veloci e precise nella traduzione di documenti da legalizzare. Molto professionali
Translation and interpreting services for conferences, meetings, seminars and events.
(by Francesca Bardino).
Fill in all the fields about the Event, Trade Fair, Conference or Congress you would like to organise.
WE’LL DO THE REST!
CEO, Nahid Nayyeri, CEO, Nahid Nayyeri, has been working in the events industry since 1986 and founded Ara Congressi in 1991.
Q: Who is Nahid Nayyeri?
A. If I had to describe myself, I’d say I’m basically a curious person. Curiosity and the quest for new ways play an important role in my work too.
I’m a citizen of the world and perhaps this derives from my origins, my father was Persian and my mother was of Italian-Swiss origin, and also from living overseas as a young girl. I’ve taken advantage of and put into practice everything I’ve seen and learned.
Q. How did you start working in events?
A. I’m often asked this when I talk about my work experience at conferences and I always answer in the same way, because it’s the truth… it all started over a cup of tea. I was having tea with 2 friends, when one suggested that it would be a great idea to work together. Each of us had our own experience of different aspects of the events sector, so it seemed natural to pool our know-how and set up a company for organising conferences and events.
It’s strange to think that something that came about in such a light-hearted way should’ve become such an important part of my life.
Q. Tell us about the origins of Ara Congressi.
Q. In 1990, one friend decided to change jobs and the other moved to Milan so I decided to continue on my own. I can’t deny that I was initially quite apprehensive but I believed in what I was doing and I set up ARA Congressi. I’ve never looked back!
Q. Where does the name Ara come from, what does it mean?
A. Here, I have to mention my father again. My father came to Italy to attend the Naval Academy, where he became an officer. Like all sailors, he was fascinated by the stars and he would often point them out to me when we were out sailing. So, the name of a constellation was the natural choice when I was choosing a name for my agency. I wanted something short, easy to understand and at the beginning of the alphabet: hence the choice of the constellation Altare, ARA in Latin, a small constellation visible in the southern hemisphere.
Q. Who inspired you and maybe still inspires you now?
A. I’ve always been inspired by women, by those stubborn, hard-working women who fight day after day to assert themselves and prove their worth.
Who inspires me today? Anyone who puts forward an idea or a tiny detail or a phrase that inspires me to improve myself and my work.
Q. How do you feel about working for prominent figures and entities at a national and international level? The organisation of President Carlo Azelio Ciampi’s visit to the event in Massa comes to mind, or the interpreting service at the UN event in Turin…
A. Working on the organisation of the visit of the President of the Republic Ciampi was very exciting; it was challenging both from an organisational point of view, the protocol had to be faultless, and from an emotional point of view… without a shadow of a doubt the most fascinating event I’ve organised in many years!
The interpreting service carried out for the UN World Forum in Turin was different. 36 of our interpreters translated the various meetings for 2,500 participants, an organisational machine that did not allow for the slightest error, given that the interpreters often had to move from one room to the other.
When organising international conferences, it has been a privilege to work for leading experts, such as Professor D. Teece, when he gave his keynote address at the Scuola Superiore S.Anna, or as part of the organisation of the 2019 ESPO conference for the Brussels-based European Sea Ports Organisation and those organised for the University of Pisa, such as International Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics (ESEE 2022)
I am very proud to have worked for such high-profile personalities and to have contributed to the success of events such as these.
Q. Can you describe the best event of your career at Ara Congressi?
A. The best event is the one that is yet to come!
Q. The worst?
A. Have there ever been bad events?!? Not that I can recall!
Q. What aspect you like the most about your job?
A. Contact with people, but that’s only one part… I also love the organisational aspect. It’s what makes every little detail work and everything slip into the right gear and the event runs so smoothly that onlookers say: “Organising an event looks easy, anyone could do it!” When someone tells you that organising an event doesn’t seem that complicated that means you’ve done a good job… and that the organisation of the event has been perfect!
A. And what do you least like?
A. The most boring part doesn’t involve the conference industry. Reviewing translations, such as financial statements, calls for an obsessive attention to detail to say the least… With all those numbers!
A. What advice would you give to young people who are preparing to embark on this career?
Q. I recommend they believe in themselves and make use of their natural abilities and talents, as well as availing themselves of a good education. Organising an event is a bit like when you invite people to your home… you try to make them feel welcome and anticipate their wishes so that their recollections of the event are positive and uplifting.
A. Plans for the future? Do you have any secret wishes?
A. Organise many, many more events… My dreams? Too many to put into just a few words.
