From the 15th to the 19th of October, EUROAVIA Milano hosted its first International Event, a significant step towards becoming an associate member of EUROAVIA. The event took place during the International Astronautical Congress (IAC), the largest global congress in the astronautics field, which this year was held in Milan. This unique opportunity allowed our participants to experience the congress while exploring the city of Milan.
We ensured our guests had everything they needed, providing congress tickets, hotel rooms, and meals from the first evening’s dinner on the 15th until the final dinner on the last day. We wanted to create a memorable experience, giving our participants the freedom to enjoy both professional and social activities.
On the 15th, guests began to arrive, and we all gathered for a welcome dinner at a historic pizza chain close to their hotel. Famous for its thick, tasty pizzas, the restaurant provided the perfect setting for everyone to relax and get to know each other. Some of our guests chose to rest afterward, but others, accompanied by one of our members, attended “Ape Milano,” a weekly outdoor event in the streets of Milan. It offered our guests a chance to talk, dance, and experience Milan’s vibrant nightlife under the city’s towering skyscrapers.
The second day started with breakfast at a lovely café between the hotel and the congress venue. After enjoying a traditional Milanese breakfast of croissants and cappuccinos, the group headed to the IAC, where they were free to attend conferences and explore the exhibition. For lunch, everyone received tickets to dine at a nearby restaurant of their choice.
In the afternoon, four participants attended the “Meet the Astronauts” event at our university, where four astronauts answered questions from students. The others stayed at the congress, enjoying their free time until dinner. That evening, we dined at a typical “Ristorante Pizzeria” in the Navigli district, famous for its picturesque canals. Our guests tasted traditional dishes like “gnocchi alla sorrentina” and “pasta e patate,” followed by a post-dinner gelato walking along the canals.
The third day was similar to the second, with most participants spending the morning at the congress. A city tour was planned for the afternoon, but due to severe weather, including a weather warning, we had to cancel it. Instead, we focused on the much-anticipated “Cultural Night.” After the congress, we moved to a different part of the city for dinner, where participants enjoyed a variety of Italian dishes. Following dinner, we headed to a bar where one of our members works, for the Cultural Night. The groups really enjoyed the evening, tasting food and drinks from different countries and sharing traditions from other cultures. Before returning to the hotel, our group received a wave from the balcony of our member’s parents – a delightful, quintessential Italian moment that left a lasting impression on our guests.
On the final day, we split our time between the congress and our university. In the morning, participants attended the last sessions of the IAC, while in the afternoon, they joined us for a presentation by our sponsor, NOVASPACE, a consulting company in the space sector. Our guests received event t-shirts and aerospace magazines, and we took a group photo with the sponsor to commemorate the occasion.
After the presentation, some guests chose to explore the city center, while others returned to the congress to attend the final conferences. That evening, we gathered for a final dinner at a gourmet pizza restaurant near the hotel, a strategic choice given the transportation strike that day. The pizza was delicious, impressing even our most discerning Italian guests!
Following dinner, we took a walk-through Milan’s Chinatown, the second largest in Europe, known for its vibrant cocktail bars. With the weather finally improving, we enjoyed one last drink together, reminiscing about the event and the friendships formed.
To be honest, organizing this event was not at all easy, since it was the first one for us and given the overlap with a critical period of our technical project. We had to put in a lot of effort to organize a beautiful event that would leave a good memory for everyone, but I must say that, amidst difficulties, we did it. Unfortunately, the weather was very bad (our guests had some unexpected showers) and in this period transportation strikes and delays are very frequent in Milano. But despite all that, we can say that people had a good time and enjoyed themselves, and seeing their posts after they left telling how they had made friends for life really warmed our hearts.
In the end, that’s what this kind of event is all about, and we are honest when we say it was worth all the effort behind it!
We can’t wait to meet you again around Europe!
PAS Milano