Accomplished professional with over 15 years of experience in association management, specializing in complex educational and event programming, project management, and business development. Since 2021, she has led the International AIDS Society (IAS) conferences, including the AIDS Conferences, the IAS Conferences on HIV Science, and the HIV Research for Prevention Conferences, demonstrating her passion and expertise in global health and large-scale event leadership.

Elisabeth Kasilingam is a distinguished leader in the European health advocacy community, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the European Multiple Sclerosis Platform (EMSP) and Vice President of the European Patients’ Forum (EPF). With a career spanning over 15 years, she has been instrumental in advancing the quality of life for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other chronic conditions through strategic, impactful projects and policy initiatives.

A seasoned professional with over 20 years’ experience in the meetings and association sector, particularly within the scientific and medical fields. As Head of Communication & Engagement, I bring a strategic yet human-centred approach to digital communication, meeting design, and stakeholder engagement. I’m passionate about innovation and anything that blends creativity and rigour in the complex world of medical associations.

Christian-Claus Roth has been employed at Novartis Pharma since 2001, in different roles of increasing responsibility. After his studies in Business Administration he started his career with the International Pharmaceutical wholesaler GEHE Pharma Handel GmbH and later Celesio AG, in Germany. From there he moved to the Novartis Pharma affiliate in Bern, Switzerland, where he set up the congress and event department for the Swiss market, shortly later being promoted to the Global Headquarter in Basel with responsibility for the Pain and Urology Areas as International Congress Manager, with additional responsibility later for the Bone area.

On April 6, 2017, Christian Zaum was elected by the City Council of Düsseldorf as the Commissioner for Law and Order. His current areas of responsibility include the Office of Economic Development, the Legal Department, Law and Order Department, the Health Department, the Office for Statistics and Elections, as well as the Compliance Office.

Prior to his election as Commissioner, Christian Zaum worked as the Managing Director of the CDU City Council Group in Düsseldorf, and before that in a leadership position in the insurance industry. Christian Zaum studied law at the Universities of Passau and Würzburg. He completed his legal clerkship and second state examination in Düsseldorf and Stellenbosch, South Africa. 

David Matusiewicz is Professor of Medical Management at the FOM University of Applied Sciences and Dean of Health & Social Affairs. He heads the research institute ifgs and is co-founder of the CIBE Center for Innovation, Business Development & Entrepreneurship. As a business angel, he invests in technology-driven start-ups with his DXM Group (family office). He is also an advisor and member of the supervisory board of numerous digital companies. Matusiewicz is one of the best-known voices in digital health in Germany - as a keynote speaker, moderator, editor, columnist and author. 

David is one of the most renowned keynote speakers in the context of digital transformation. His main topics are digital health, digital medicine, digital work and digital economy. With over 15 years of speaker experience, he illuminates his topics from both a scientific and a practical perspective. His style is edutainment or sciencetainment with a high level of audience interaction. His presentation is often seen as the highlight of the respective event by the participants.

Jens Ihsen is Managing Director of Düsseldorf Tourismus GmbH/Visit Düsseldorf and Director at Düsseldorf Convention. With over 11 years of experience in sales in the international hotel industry, including with renowned chains such as Deutsche Hospitality, Swissôtel and Meliá Hotels International, he has made a name for himself in the industry. 

Over the past four years, he has successfully managed the marketing and relocation of congresses and conferences in Düsseldorf. As Managing Director of Visit Düsseldorf since 2024, he has also been responsible for establishing the city of Düsseldorf as one of the top destinations in international city tourism.

Maria Kofidou has been Managing Director of Düsseldorf Congress GmbH since 2019 and has extensive experience in venue management. Prior to joining Düsseldorf Congress, she held various management positions in the international trade fair and event industry. Maria Kofidou is known for her strategic leadership skills and has a clear focus on implementing sustainable and future-oriented business models. Under her leadership, Düsseldorf Congress has established itself as a pioneer in sustainable event planning.

Margarita Velcheva serves as Manager Continuing Education at Kenes Group, bringing with her over a decade of experience. She is deeply passionate about crafting innovative, rigorously designed, and financially sustainable medical education initiatives that significantly contribute to enhancing patient care.

Milo Vergucht is Association Expert at Flanders Convention Bureau, helping leading academics, specialists, and entrepreneurs to bring international conferences to Flanders. He guides local stakeholders through every step of the bidding and organisational process, while connecting international associations with the right partners and expert stakeholders in Flanders. Beyond flawless execution, Milo supports the creation of positive, long-term impact… ensuring conferences leave a legacy that resonates with delegates and local communities.

Prof. Dr. med. Stephan Martin has studied human medicine at the universities Essen und Düsseldorf. After his postdoc fellowship at the Harvard Medical School in Boston he specialised in internal medicine, endocrinology and diabetology. 

His current position is the director of the West-German Centre of Diabetes and Health and chief physician for diabetology of the Catholic Hospital Group Düsseldorf. He has published more than 180 peer review papers in different fields of medicine. His current scientific interest is the development of new forms of medical care, including telemedicine, to prevent and treat chronic diseases with lifestyle interventions. 

He received several scientific awards as the Frerichs-Prize of the German Association for Internal Medicine, the Ernst-Friedrich-Pfeiffer Prize of the German Diabetes Association and the Bennigsen-Foerder-Prize of the state North Rhine-Westphalia. In 2020, he received the North Rhine-Westphalia Health Award for his telediabetological care model TeDia. In addition, he was awarded the Order of Merit of North Rhine-Westphalia in 2024 for his commitment to diabetes research.

Peter is the founder of Inspire2Live, the only global patient advocacy organisation with professional volunteers. In his role as patient advocate, Peter connects patients, researchers, clinicians, industry, payers and regulators to further cancer research, treatments and care. He does this by lobbying public authorities, healthcare organisations, insurance companies and research institutes. Peter organises congresses and gives lectures and talks to enable the global patient and societies to fight cancer whilst improving quality of life of patients and their loved ones globally. He writes articles and books on these topics. Peter is a long-time researcher of the medical-industrial complex, a network of interactions between healthcare stakeholders which does not always have the needs and interests of the patient at heart. This needs to change.

In October 2012, the Free University of Amsterdam awarded Peter with an honorary doctorate for his work connecting researchers across the medical-industrial complex globally. Peter is married to Marjolijn. They have 2 sons; Milo and Jaron and a grandson; Joshua.

Stefaan De Corte is the founder and Managing Director of LAUREA, a Brussels-based agency specialised in medical and scientific learning, communication, and advocacy. He supports subject matter experts and international healthcare organisations in designing live learning experiences and digital content that strengthen professional practice and shape policy across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. His work spans medical associations, research institutes, and the life sciences industry, creating learning journeys and advocacy campaigns that engage professionals, stakeholders, and policymakers. Before founding LAUREA, Stefaan was a macro-economic policy advisor at Belgian and European level and a business consultant. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Engineering from the University of Leuven and a Master’s in International Association Management from the University of Brussels.

Silke Weerts is Director Association Solutions at MCI Germany and an experienced conference and association professional, specializing in the strategic development of associations and consultancy on impactful international initiatives. As a board member of the German Convention Bureau (GCB) and a thought leader in the meetings and events industry, she contributes to shaping its future direction. With extensive expertise in PCO and AMC services and an innovative solutions-oriented approach, she helps organizations strengthen engagement and create lasting value. Silke is passionate about shaping meaningful experiences and guiding associations through change to remain resilient and future-ready while delivering impact for members, sponsors, and partners.