The IMEX Challenge Slovenia will strive to blend environmental objectives with social causes and leave a sustainable legacy for the host community. The official partners – the Slovenia and Ljubljana Convention Bureaus, Go.MICE Congress and Marketing Agency in conjunction with the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association and the Draga Centre, have created a meaningful project whose effects will continue long after June 2012. Other local partners supporting the project are Kompas DMC, Grand Hotel Union and Jezeršek Catering.
The idea is to build a beehive within the grounds of an institute for mentally and physically disabled children and adults, the CUDV Training, Occupation and Care Centre in Draga, by Ljubljana. This is set in a beautiful natural environment at the edge of Ljubljansko Barje (the Ljubjana Moors) – the largest Slovene and southernmost European wetland, which has been proclaimed a Nature Park and protected as a Natura 2000 site.
IMEX Challenge 2012 will give 15 international volunteers the opportunity to join the local host team, staff and patients of CUDV in constructing the bee colony from scratch over the three days of the event. The future goal of the IMEX Challenge Slovenia is for those residing in the centre to be responsible for the bees' upkeep as well as potentially understand how to create revenue from harvesting and selling the honey. As beekeeping has a long tradition and is widespread in Slovenia, this project can also serve as a best practice case that could be at a later stage implemented in other similar institutes both across our country and abroad.
More information are available at IMEX Challenge Slovenia webpage.
Watch the IMEX Challenge SLOVENIA video.