Mathias Posch: Providing Education to Professionals Through Conferences

Ladderworks is a publishing platform of diverse picture books and online curriculum with the mission to empower over a million kids to become social entrepreneurs. Our current series features interviews by our interplanetary journalist Spiffy with inspiring Social Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Builders, and Changemakers who are advancing the UN SDGs.

Spiffy here with the scoop on the entrepreneurial leaders of Planet Earth. As the only interplanetary journalist stationed on this blue planet, I’m thrilled to present this galactic exclusive with Mathias Posch, the president of International Conference Services. Let’s learn what’s happening at International Conference Services and how Mathias is making a positive impact in the world.

Spiffy: Hi Mathias, thanks a million for talking to me today. Tell me, what challenge are you addressing through International Conference Services?

Mathias: Thanks for having me, Spiffy! We work with leading experts in various fields to provide education to professionals through conferences, webinars, teaching courses, etc. Our education is worldwide and aims to share best practices around the globe and understand challenges that some are struggling with. We make sure that money is no barrier to the education we provide as we offer various platforms, rotate our meetings around various regions and align our fees with the World Bank country classifications. Furthermore, we make sure that we have gender and regionally balanced committees and speaker lineups. In addition to education we also build communities and partnerships within specific fields which lead to research collaborations and sharing of knowledge beyond our events.

Spiffy: What motivates you to do it?

Mathias: Education is a great multiplier; the more you share it, the more change you can make. It is also a great equalizer, raising underprivileged groups up. I see so much good coming out of bringing people together that truly want to make a change in their field and I feel we are an important catalyst for that. Through our work we can also influence how people connect and with whom and therefore promote equality and inclusion.

Spiffy: What is the impact of your work?

Mathias: "Bringing people together to change the world" is the stated purpose of our company. By connecting the brightest minds in various fields with each other, fantastic advances are made. We work with Cancer Researchers and doctors for example, and through sharing their best practices and researching new treatments, thousands of lives could be saved. We also work with human rights activists, lawyers and policy makers. The connections they have built were fundamental to lifting up marginalized groups and improving the lives of people. Through our influence on forming committees, recruiting speakers and designing programs, we are also able to give a voice to people that usually are not being heard.

Spiffy: Tell me about a recent organization milestone or initiative. What impact does it make on your audience/community?

Mathias: We just launched an academy for lactation consultants. For years we have provided lectures and online seminars to certified lactation consultants (breastfeeding consultants), improving the lives of mothers and babies around the globe. We have done this with a focus on accessibility and affordability and consistently reach a diverse audience from every corner of the world. Unfortunately there were still entry barriers into the profession. Some of those were financial and geographical barriers. Our company has therefore launched an online academy that provides an extremely affordable option for anyone/anywhere to get their base education and certification for lactation consultants.

Spiffy: Is there anything else you would love to tell our audience?

Mathias: Through my work I have seen how important international collaboration and networks are to provide equal opportunities and equal care around the globe. I understand that our profession sometimes causes a lot of travel (when in person meetings are held) and this causes carbon dioxide emissions. However, it would be a huge loss if these conferences would stop having a global reach as it would have a negative impact on the important international networks that are formed, and eventually on patient care in many countries. When looking at the SDGs it is important to see that all 17 are important and as much as we need to make sure we address all of them accordingly, we sometimes have to weigh them against each other for the greater good.

Spiffy: Thanks for speaking with me today, Mathias—it’s been an honor!

Mathias Posch is Chairman and President of International Conference Services (ICS). With its Headquarters in Vancouver, Canada and branch offices in Toronto, New York, London, Vienna, Barcelona, Singapore and Tokyo, the company manages conferences around the globe as well as Online Education in various medical and scientific fields. He is a respected industry expert and former President of the International Association of Professional Congress Organizers (IAPCO). (First published on the Ladderworks website on August 22, 2023.)

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of Ladderworks LLC.

© 2023 Ladderworks LLC. Edited by Shikha Tandon. Spiffy’s illustration by Shreyas Navare. For the Ladderworks digital curriculum to help K-3 kids advance the UN SDGs, visit Spiffy's Launchpad: Creative Entrepreneurship Workshops for K-3 Kids and their caregivers here.