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Kenes' Innovation wins IAPCO's Innovation Award 2022

from The PCO - June 2023

from The PCO - June 2023, page 35

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Nia Zárate Angarita receiving the award on behalf of her colleague Audrey Alloul, Chief Digital Officer at Kenes Group. The award was presented by IAPCO President, Sarah Markey-Hamm

IAPCO’s Annual Award, supported by IMEX, recognises Kenes Group’s Unlok Education as the most innovative solution

Kenes Group, a leading global meetings and events organiser, is announced as the winner of the 2022 IAPCO Innovation Award for its Unlok Education platform at a gala Awards evening on Wednesday, 24th May at the IMEX 2023.

The Innovation Award judges picked Unlok Education as the most innovative new product or service in the meetings and events industry in 2022 from the nominations submitted.

Audrey Alloul is the current Chief Digital Officer, in charge of the recently created Digital Department at Kenes and, subsequently, the development of Unlok – the visionary online educational platform for healthcare professionals. Audrey has been part of Kenes for over 17 years holding several leadership positions.

Unlok Education is an AI-powered video library that integrates several technologies into an easy-to-navigate, crossspecialities learning space. The platform allows healthcare professionals to access Continuing Medical Education (CME) - accredited content from Kenes’ Original Events, the Global Education of Medicine and Science – GEMS Association, and other leading medical organizations.

Unlok Education was created in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the cancellation or postponement of many in-person medical congresses. Kenes Group was committed to enabling a platform for medical collaboration and advancement no matter what, and Unlok Education is the result of that commitment.

Unlok Education uses algorithm-based matching systems and artificial intelligence to facilitate the knowledge exchange between users themselves and between users and speakers. It automatically generates captions and translations to 120 different languages, identifies highlights of keynotes in the speakers' speech, and accurately recommends similar content to create personalized CME-accredited learning programs based on users' searches.

Unlok Education is currently available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Chinese. The platform will be translated into additional languages in the coming months.

On winning the Award, Audrey said,

“This award represents both the recognition of 1.5 years of the Digital Team working hard to materialize a vision that is only possible thanks to our six decades of expertise and knowledge about the continuous learning journey of healthcare professionals and the momentum of our Unlok Education space – designed to be a turning point in the field of continuous medical education. We understand the great value that the IAPCO Driving Excellence Awards hold within the associative sector and it is an honour for me to receive the Innovation Award on behalf of Kenes Group and everyone involved in the Unlok Education project. Without a doubt, this accolade has already awakened significant interest in Unlok Education and I am very much looking forward to further sharing insights about it in Ljubljana, Slovenia, at the next IAPCO Annual Meeting.”

Ori Lahav, CEO of Kenes Group added,

“We are honoured to be recognized by IAPCO for our innovation in the field of CME. Unlok Education is a game-changer for healthcare professionals who are looking for a convenient, effective, and engaging way to stay up to date on the latest medical knowledge.”

Innovation is crucial to the success of any organisation

The IAPCO Innovation Award is presented annually to the organization that has made the most significant contribution to the advancement of the meetings and events industry. The award is judged by a panel of industry experts.

“Innovation is crucial to the success of any organisation and Kenes Group is a true innovator in the meetings and events industry,” said Sarah Markey-Hamm, President of IAPCO. “Unlok Education is a ground-breaking platform that will revolutionize the way healthcare professionals access CME. This brilliant innovation has created endless opportunities for professional development and cross-speciality knowledge exchange between healthcare professionals around the world. We are proud to recognize Kenes Group with the IAPCO Innovation Award.”

The IAPCO Innovation Award winner received the prestigious trophy as well as a complimentary registration and speaker’s slot to attend the IAPCO Annual Meeting in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2024.

IAPCO Driving Excellence Awards are presented annually and have long been coveted by those who seek acknowledgement for their quality and contribution to the meetings industry by IAPCO.