The R&D Management Conference is a highlight in the year for many working in this discipline – a chance to meet up in person and discuss new and emerging ideas in your field.

Each year the conference team changes, but the learnings from previous events is passed on to give them as much support as possible. Valentina Re is the Professional Conference Organiser, working closely with the Conference Director Andrea Piccaluga.

We took an opportunity to ask her about life ‘behind the scenes’.  

Bridging the gap

Valentina says: “Our job is to support conference hosts in envisioning and planning the event. Since the hosts change each year, we help ensure that best practices are carried forward, keeping a sense of continuity while allowing each conference to reflect the host’s unique vision.

“I mostly work behind the scenes, so my interactions with delegates are limited. But when I attend the conference, I always enjoy meeting people in person.

“My background is in hospitality and events, but working with academia sparked a real passion for research and science more in general. That led me to do a master’s in Science Communication, and now part of my job is helping researchers and institutions bridge the gap between academia and society, making research more accessible, engaging, and impactful.

“I work to ensure that knowledge doesn’t stay confined to academic circles but reaches the people and organisations who can truly benefit from it.”

When not working on the R&D Management Conference, Valentina’s main job is Executive Director of IFERA (International Family Enterprise Research Academy), a non-profit academic association that encompasses an international network of academics, researchers and other stakeholders, dedicated to the advancement of family business research.

“We also run an annual academic conference,” she says, “but my role there extends beyond event management.”

^{Photos from the 2023 R&D Management Conference. Credit: Pablo De Olavide University}