The Unbroken Emergency Summit’s mission is to connect with, and mobilize, international organizations that can contribute to the construction of Lviv’s Unbroken Rehabilitation Centre.
Ukraine is in the midst of a dire humanitarian crisis due to the Russian invasion. In response, Unbroken, in conjunction with the Lviv City Council and the Lviv Convention Bureau, is holding the Unbroken Emergency Summit in Lviv, Ukraine, Oct. 29-31 in hopes of galvanizing support for the organization’s Lviv Rehabilitation Centre. The center includes a children’s department, a new surgical center for wounded soldiers and civilians, and cultural and sporting rehabilitation facilities for the country’s people who have been displaced due to the conflict. The Summit organizers also hope to use the meeting to fast-track the acquisition of training, equipment, funding and personnel to operate the facility at a high enough level to meet the demand.
And the demand is large, and growing in Lviv, which is the furthest Ukrainian city from the front line and closest to NATO member countries. According to the Summit website, the city has already processed 5 million internally displaced people, 30,000 injured (including 20,000 amputees). It currently hosts more than 150,000 displaced persons.
“Our needs and gaps in managing the injured, and the civilian displacement, are so significant in scale that only through international collaboration can they be met,” the organizers state on the Summit website. “It requires new collaborations, new partners, who can deliver these resources — or who can convene the communities who can.”
The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) recently issued a call to its members to consider supporting the summit, saying, “The global business events industry is about bringing together people with purpose to lead social change that advances the quality of life for everyone. As an industry, we fully support the Ukraine nation and those who remain committed to doing whatever it takes to stem this maelstrom of violence.
“Now, more than ever, the world must come together. We, as a global industry, are prepared to do more. As the Ukraine nation works to emerge from this crisis, the global PCMA community stands ready to assist in support of a renewed economy and social transformation.”
In addition to PCMA, the organizers are partnering with a wide range of industry organizations, from the Australian Business Events Association to Destinations International to ICCA, IMEX, the Joint Meeting Industry Council (JMIC), Meeting Professionals International (MPI), SITE and ASAE.
There is no registration fee, though the organizers do suggest a donation to the Unbroken Kids Department would be welcome.
Organizers say the city is relatively safe as there are no active hostilities or military presence — other than soldiers who are there for rehab or to visit with their families — and hotels, restaurants and public transport are all functioning normally. However, they can’t guarantee total safety for attendees because the country is still in an active phase of the war.
To learn more and to register, go to unbrokensummit.com.
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