Many of us will meet soon in Faro and we are looking forward to hearing your opinions. Even if you cannot join, there will be food for thought.
It is really great that this year’s topic and location seem to have proven popular before we even begin, with the Interpret Europe conference becoming fully booked in no time.
When 150 people from diverse regions of Europe, as well as from South Korea, Brazil, Kenya, and the USA, gather for the next Interpret Europe conference in April, the Faro Convention and its significance for natural and cultural heritage will be the central focus.
Open space
Even before the conference gets fully underway, we will welcome members and non-members to our first IE open space session – a participant-driven forum where we will come together to explore the questions that matter most to us. Whether your passion lies in advancing heritage interpretation practice or strengthening the way our membership organisation functions, this method of working invites you to step forward, voice your ideas, and collaborate with others who care just as deeply.
How do we make Interpret Europe even more resilient and impactful together – for ourselves as members and for more and better interpretation across Europe? Bring a theme you want to discuss and develop with others.
Open space thrives on the belief that the people who show up are the right people, the topics that emerge are the ones we are ready to tackle, and the outcomes depend on the collective energy we bring. Here, you are not just a participant but an active co-creator, free to move between discussions, propose themes, challenge assumptions, and shape practical results. Your curiosity, commitment, and willingness to engage are the driving forces behind what we discover – and the impact we create together.
The open space forum will take place on 16 April 2026 at 14:00-17:00. Make sure to book a space and come along if you will be joining us for iecon.
(This year’s IE General Assembly will be digital and will take place in May instead of in this usual pre-conference spot.)
Developing the Faro Declaration
On the last day of the conference, full of inspiration, new ideas and thoughts from numerous presentations, workshops, study visits and conversations during the breaks, we will come together in a plenary session. Your input and active participation will be needed here too! Organised by our colleagues from MIK Małopolski Instytut Kultury in Krakow, we will gather and discuss what we’ve learned from these days together, which will hopefully culminate in a final document – the IE Faro Declaration – that will give the Faro spirit a new boost.
Let us carry the light of Faro into the world spreading how interpretation can enhance the value of heritage for people and societies not only in European democracies.Join the team!
Do you have ideas for future conferences? Do you see yourself getting more involved in the IE events team? We are looking for one, or several, volunteers to help take on some of the tasks involved in managing the IE annual conference. The idea would be to shadow a little this year to understand more about what is involved with a view to taking on more responsibility.
If this sounds like something you could get your teeth into, please make contact with Bettina either by email or in person at iecon.
Bettina Lehnes is IE’s Event Coordinator. She can be contacted at: bettina.lehnes@interpret-europe.net.
To cite this article: Lehnes, Bettina (2026) “Open space for your voice at iecon”, Interpret Europe Newsletter Spring 2026, p. 32–33.
Available online: Interpret Europe Newsletter Spring 2026.
