The Need to Be There

The Meeting program offers visitors a wide range of choices, including conferences, exhibitions, and various initiatives. Every day, dozens of guests from all over the world are invited to share their thoughts and experiences on important issues across multiple fields. To ensure this happens smoothly, an efficient organizational machine is needed, along with a team of people dedicated to keeping everything running smoothly.

Paolo Zambelli is one of the volunteers in the External Relations Department, the office responsible for ensuring the well-being of all guests, both famous and less-known, during their stay at the Meeting in Rimini. From hotel selection to transportation, from welcoming to guiding guests at the fair, everything falls under the jurisdiction of this department, and every name, piece of information, or unforeseen event must be recorded. Paolo is from Romagna, an engineer who currently works in healthcare, and he tries to carve out a bit of his vacation time for his "unmissable appointment." "I discovered the Meeting thanks to my parents, who took me there as a child, and I remember enjoying playing on the escalators of the old fairgrounds. During high school, I started volunteering with my friends, and in college, I helped with the pre-meeting. A few years ago, I started volunteering again and have held many roles, but even if my colleagues or tasks change, the Meeting remains an unmissable appointment." The first way to experience this event is by serving, becoming part of a reality that knows no gender or age because it has the power to engage and challenge everyone.

But to bring something so complex and multifaceted to life requires a significant deployment of energy and an investment of resources. This is why the "Donaora" option is also an important opportunity, allowing the collection of contributions, both large and small, and, most importantly, enabling all those who value the Meeting to give something to help the event continue to thrive and grow.

The years go by, but what still makes Paolo's eyes light up is the sight of so many young people and adults engaging in the challenge of volunteering, which provokes a strong response in him: "Even when I’m stuck in the office, I don’t feel isolated because the hostesses and stewards are so dedicated that they become our eyes and ears. Their stories fill our days, and through them, we experience the Meeting. I believe that the Meeting is not just an event, but the people who participate in it." These are people driven by the search for meaning and the need for goodness, a need that does not end in a week at the end of August but accompanies the journey of every individual.