Meet the faces behind ICCA's famous First Time Attendee programme! ICCA places huge importance on giving First Time Attendees (FTAs) at the ICCA Congress a very warm welcome. Each year, just before the ICCA Congress begins, new attendees are invited to join a specialised session that aims to prepare them for success. Jam-packed full of helpful advice that is delivered from member to member, the programme has been delivered to over 3,000 delegates since it initially began and is designed with care to help them network, do business, learn, and maximise the benefits of attending their first ICCA Congress.

At the centre of the entire programme are the people we couldn’t do it without: our mentors, an amazing group of ICCA members and #ICCAFriends who are Congress veterans and want to help support and steer our newbies as they join the ICCA Family.

Sus Nygaard, International Senior Sales Manager, Bella Center Copenhagen

The meeting and event industry was introduced for me some 25 years ago while working for Scandinavian Airlines, and since then I have not left this wonderful industry and community.  Back then I was involved in developing the SAS and Star Alliance Conventions Plus program, had a close cooperation with the Scandinavian CVB’s focusing on bids. I was representing the airline on the Board of Meetingplace Wonderful Copenhagen (CVB), as well as CVB steering committees in Malmö, Gothenburg, Stockholm, Uppsala and Norway CVB.

My first ICCA Congress was in Copenhagen in 2002, when the Copenhagen Lecture was born ??. The 2021 Congress will be the 17th for me. 

I had the pleasure of serving 4 years on the ICCA Board as Chair of the ICCA Transport sector, and I am very happy that the ICCA involvement and network has stayed on after moving over to the venue sector in 2014, when I started working for Bella Center Copenhagen. Here my broad network and knowledge of the meeting industry, and association meetings in particular, is coming into good play at Scandinavia’s largest congress center. My responsibilities include multiple key-accounts, association bids, site inspections and contracting, and I am proud to have secured a significant number of association meetings for Copenhagen and the Bella Center.  I am passionate about the meeting industry and is known for enjoying networking and participating in relevant industry events.

Formally know as “Sus from SAS”, but now as “Bella Sus” ??

Privately I enjoy taking weekend trips and a long summer break on our sailing boat, and during the winter I’m a keen downhill skier, when traveling to the Alps, Dolomites or Norway. (there are no hills in Denmark).

Thank you to Sus, for being an FTA mentor! Are you interested in helping our First Time Attendees to settle in? Please email Ksenija.p@iccaworld.org to find out how you can become a mentor.

Let’s get social by using the following hashtags: #ICCANewBee #ICCAMentorBee #LetsGetBuzzing #ICCA2021