From 21st to 24th of May 2020 AEGEE’s alumni association Les Anciens will have its General Assembly in Madrid. The organising team of Almudena, Sergio, Alberto and Ricardo as well as LA Secretary Stefanie are working hard to create a great event. Find out more about it in this interview. By the way: all AEGEE alumni can apply, join the event and can as well become Les Anciens members!
GT: Why did you decide to organise this event?
Organising team: Les Anciens Secretary Stefanie Kraut was the one suggesting Madrid as a place for this assembly. In the past we had a lot of fun there, and she believed we could create an interesting event, as well as enjoy the weather, the open atmosphere and all the possibilities of a big city. The other organizers, many of us originally from Madrid, accepted her proposal, and we are very grateful for this trust.
GT: How many people can participate?
Organising team: Taking into consideration the previous experiences, we have decided to fix a maximum of 50 people. We estimate that it is likely that the number of participants may increase in comparison with previous General Assemblies, because getting to Madrid is not complicated nor expensive and the temperatures will be surely high.
GT: When is arrival and when departure day?
Organising team: The Assembly Sessions will take place on Friday and Saturday. Our program will start on Thursday, as a welcome day, and will finish on Sunday; but, in case somebody arrives earlier, we may be able to join them for some pre-event activities.
GT: What is the cultural programme? Which interesting places will the participants see?
Organising team: Madrid offers a wide range of experiences. We are planning to have two basic city tours around the city centre: Habsburg’s Madrid and Bourbons’ Madrid. Another thematic tour will be available for people who show interest. We will have alternative proposals for Sunday, like some of the best art galleries, the biggest royal palace, an Egyptian temple, the biggest urban park and a great Tapas and Cañas tradition. Even not far away from Madrid there are very attractive medieval world heritage cities.
GT: What will you do in the evenings?
Organising team: We are in contact with different well-known restaurants and pubs to ensure that all the participants enjoy the whole event. Madrid is a city that never sleeps, and after dinner those that want to carry on will be able to party until 4 am or even 6 am. We will also arrange an AEGEE night, inviting members or former members of AEGEE-Madrid and other antennae.
GT: Where will the participants be lodged?
Organising team: We have already researched many of the hostels and hotels in a specific neighbourhood of the city, selecting the best options and creating a list. That list has been already sent by e-mail to all the LA members and posted on the Facebook event wall. I would recommend to book an accommodation as soon as possible, because at the moment many of the tourist are booking the available rooms.
GT: How much is the participation fee?
Organising team: We are planning to reserve a free-of-cost meeting room, but we will receive the confirmation just 20 days in advance. That means the price could vary in the last stage. That is the reason why we are going to require 100 Euros per participant to cover meals, activities and have funds for a hypothetic meeting room payment. Any money left would be given back to the participants.
GT: What else should the participants know about the event?
Organising team: We will provide more information about the needs of the people who are travelling to Madrid on the Les Anciens Facebook group, where we already created the Madrid event. You could just send us a friend request and we will be happy adding you to the group. For any questions, you can add Sergio Recuero Martinez and text him. Stefanie will be also available for receiving questions and enquiries. We are very happy to show you the city. Just join the Assembly and show us your interests. We are looking forward meeting you in Madrid at an amazing event!
GT: Can you tell us a bit more about the members of the organising team?
Organising team: Almudena has been linked to AEGEE for several years. Firstly as member of AEGEE-Madrid, but she is also a co-founder of the last AEGEE-London generation and a former subcommie in the UK. She is still well connected to AEGEE-London. One of the best big-thinkers, she is always ready to lead, help, and achieve best quality.
Sergio has been very active in his local antenna, AEGEE-Madrid, from 2007 to 2014. As a long-term AEGEE-Madrid board member and active member of the Culture Working Group, he was highly active in Spain organizing events with his positive-fun, improvisational-organised personality. He also joined many events in the network, where he was a great participant, giving a lot of personality to events. He is glad to be honorary member of AEGEE-Madrid since 2015. He will be one of the city guides of the event.
Ricky is a legend for many former AEGEE-Madrid members. He was the core of the antenna during a whole decade. And he is highly motivated to make you all feel immersed in Madrid, and show you hidden corners, history and legends. A helpful person who has much to share.
Alberto is the most veteran AEGEEan; he participated in the foundation of AEGEE-Zaragoza, the revival of AEGEE-Sankt-Peterburg and several European events, including the LA General Assembly in Costa Brava not long time ago. Now he is based in Madrid, and his experience is and will be very useful.
Stefanie is the most active member of Les Anciens in our team; surely anyone who has participated in one of the last LA events has met her. In the organizers group, she is the head of this General Assembly and the central Europe representative. Also, she has delivered a great job in her local, AEGEE-Heidelberg. A positive, pro-active coordinator, and a good friend.
GT: Have you also been active in Les Anciens already?
Organising team: As LA members, some of us will have our first experience organizing this LA General Assembly. On the other hand, others have been active part in the board and in the organization of meetings, and even in other LA General Assembly not long time ago. That means that we will be able to combine the experience of some of us with the illusion and freshness of the rest.
Event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/543684243155262/
Images: Region of Madrid
