Key lessons learned from organising an international project event

Organizing an dissemination event in the framework of an international project is both a rewarding and demanding task. It requires careful planning, strong coordination, and effective communication among project partners and stakeholders. Differences in cultures, professional backgrounds, and organizational practices add complexity to the process, making international event planning more challenging.

In May 2026, the nine partner universities of the Erasmus+ ENRICHER hubs project jointly organized a dissemination event in Chișinău, the capital of Moldova. The Green Tourism Innovation in Action event brought together universities, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, and international partners to share practical experiences, best practices, and insights into sustainable tourism.

As the project manager representing the lead partner, I supported the hosting partner university in planning this event. In this article, I share my thoughts on the key factors to consider when planning and organizing an international dissemination event.

Designing an engaging, multicultural programme

The planning of an event can be compared to the process of building a house, which requires a wide range of professional competencies and seamless collaboration (Wallo & Häyrinen 2022). It is also important to understand the event environment and its key stakeholders (Bowdin, Allen, O’Toole, Harris & McDonnell 2011).

We started planning the event half a year before. This was especially important, since the partners in international projects have different official holidays and schedules for academic year. Our target group of the event was clear: external stakeholders from the tourism industry in our project’s target countries Moldova and Georgia as well as students and staff from higher education institutions.

We designed a three day event, including a stakeholder seminar day, a workshop for partners and a full day excursion. As every project partner needed to contribute to the programme, we organized an online information session for speakers to ensure that speakers have clear instructions regarding practical matters, such as presentation submission deadlines.

Lessons learned: Avoiding an overly intensive and tightly packed programme allows sufficient time for discussions and interaction. In hindsight, more time could have been allocated to the group work sessions and to sharing different perspectives. Roundtable discussions and facilitated interaction with participants to gather insights from the audience, would also have provided valuable opportunities for engagement.

Creating a memorable experience through collaboration

Effective communication is key to the success of any event. In international events, it is especially important to provide participants with a detailed travel information package that includes information about the country, culture, and host city, as well as practical details about the venue, transportation, accommodation, and contact information for assistance if needed.

During the event, local students staffed the information desk, created video content for social media, arranged interviews with project partners, provided technical support, and presented the results of their business challenge competition to the audience. Their involvement in the event was a win-win situation, providing valuable learning experiences for the students while contributing to the event’s success.

Things do not always go as planned. In such situations, improvisation, creative problem-solving, and resilience are essential. Diplomacy and networking skills can also prove invaluable. During a visit to a partner university, I was unexpectedly asked to give a speech to the rector. With the right attitude and a friendly smile, I was able to handle the situation to my own satisfaction.

Dinners and excursions are opportunities to get to know people better, and shared experiences foster greater awareness of cultural activities (Bowdin, Allen, O’Toole, Harris & McDonnell 2011). We connected cultural activities with local tourism and offered an opportunity to explore local cuisine and a winery as part of the cultural programme.

Reflection and celebration should not be forgotten

At its best, events can be seen as leadership projects reaching the targeted output together with others (Wallo & Häyrinen 2022). Analyzing the feedback and reflecting on the experiences with all co-organizers is essential: what went well, what was successful, what was challenging, and what could be done better or differently? These insights can be invaluable when planning future events.

Organizing an international event and coordinating multiple tasks often involves a great deal of work that remains invisible to participants. However, without the efforts of a team an event is not possible. Effective teamwork, combined with careful planning and experience are the keys to success. Remembering to celebrate the collaboration is always recommended.

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