ECCV Client Story

Author: Rosseta Tourgeman

Company: Ortra

The European Computer Vision Association (ECVA) chose sunny Tel Aviv as its destination for the 2022 European Conference on Computer Vision (ECCV), bringing internationals from over 76 countries to Israel for the most important European conference on computer vision technology and science. Over 6,000 researchers, scientists, and so forth were granted the opportunity to meet other industry experts to discuss the future of computer vision, AI, machine learning, and more.

Organizing such a complex conference in Israel is a big challenge from many aspects, but during the time we were operating, we faced even more significant challenges than expected.

Israel is a small country, and its conference and hospitality capabilities might be unfamiliar. The entrance to Israel requires visa confirmation to quit a few nationalities. An event this significant in scope and scale required efficient collaboration between four organizations simultaneously: ECVA, ECCV, Tel Aviv University, and Tel Aviv CVB.

Managing an intricate program with multiple sessions – workshops, tutorials, poster presentations, demos, and more- required different handling. And on top of that and out of the blue, COVID-19 broke out, shaking our whole universe and leaving us facing dilemmas, such as postponing the original conference date and uncertainty about the number of attending participants.

Additionally, we had to devise a solution for those wishing to join the conference from afar by establishing a virtual platform.

First and foremost, during times of uncertainty, it was essential for us to provide our clients with peace of mind that we were here! We connected closely with the international organizing committee, making it clear that we are always on standby for the opportunity to bring the project back to life.

Finally, when the pandemic showed signs of regression, we quickly set a new date for the conference and were ready to jump in! We held periodical meetings with the various committees, diving into the bits and bytes in every aspect to provide the best solution we could offer between suppliers and venues. We were receptive to our clients with anything and everything – from small details to significant changes.

Obtaining friendly and transparent communication between all external parties kept us focused on investing time to learn the conference components and needs. We provided innovative solutions and a high-standard interactive virtual platform and invested time and energy to personally conduct long meetings with venues and suppliers/vendors, giving the utmost attention to everything up until the last moment.

Managing such a massive number of internationals would have been impossible without our dedicated team, which provided 24/7 service to all attendees. We assisted with almost 400 visa requests, initiated contact with attendees who might have difficulties due to unfamiliarity with the conference destination, and offered assistance in booking flights, accommodations, transfers, and even tours. We were attentive and happy to provide every question with an answer within 24 hours. We also provided constant updates on the conference's Twitter account, updating our followers with every service and assistance we offer.

To provide attendees with the ultimate Tel Aviv experience, we negotiated the best prices with a wide variety of accommodations throughout Tel Aviv, ranging in price and star rating, knowing the importance of a perfect hospitality experience. Hotels were chosen with a particular emphasis on proximity to the cities' hot spots, restaurants, shopping areas, beaches, and other attractions.

For maximum comfort, we provided about 50 shuttles daily to and from the conference venue to the different parts of Tel Aviv so that our guests could stress less and spend more time enjoying the city.

Nothing was left to chance, and no stone was left unturned!

ECCV 2022 TLV was a major success! Participants from all over the globe were thrilled for the opportunity to visit Israel (some for the first time) and see that our charming country was way beyond their expectations. It was an incredible collaboration with the Tel Aviv CVB, leading to over 300 group tours around Israel and over 450 hotel rooms booked in Tel Aviv. We worked tirelessly with 20+ suppliers/vendors, each bringing something unique to the table, ensuring that this would be a conference to remember. Even our lunch supply was in abundance, so we donated what was left to a non-governmental organization that helps people in need.

Ortra managed 60 workshops, 13 tutorials, two tracks of in-person presentations (virtual presentations were accessed via the platform), two exceptional keynote speakers, two mentoring events (a brand-new component for ECCV), six demo sessions held within the exhibition, hundreds of poster presentations and one industry track –all as a part of ECCV’s extensive program. In parallel to the conference, a comprehensive professional exhibition was held with leading companies such as META AI, GM, Mobileye, Applied Materials, BOSCH, Google, HUAWEI, AMAZON, Hailo, Samsung, Snapchat, Baidu, Apple, GPU Hub, WSC sport, Dataloop, Weights & Biases, Telus International, Clear ML, 3dMD, iMerit, scale, RAFAEL, and more.

ECCV gathered an astounding amount of diversity, with attendees from over 76 countries, bestowing participants with valuable insights, perspectives, and experiences. We made it a top priority to guarantee that all voices were heard and that everyone felt welcome regardless of their identity.

As event planners, we know that the best way to open a conference is to host a welcome reception party – and we indeed went all out for ECCV! Our welcome reception event at the historic Tel Aviv Port entertained over 1,800 attendees who danced the night away along the Mediterranean Coast. We were joined by the Israeli Minister of Tourism, who came to this memorable gathering to welcome everyone to our city personally. The crowd was partying all night long! Many attendees also shared that it was the best party in ECCV history!

An abundance of praise from participants was received throughout the week-long event, including numerous posts on social media comparing ECCV2022 to previous conferences and highlighting the striking difference in the organization's quality.

The organizing committee was pleased to receive many positive and enthusiastic reactions complementing the conference content and organization. These comments are due to Ortra’s advanced level of care, determination, diligence, and attention across the board.