The INSEAD Alumni Association Lebanon has a unique anatomy; officially there are over 320 registered alumni (mostly MBAs) but over 50% do not actually work in Lebanon: a large number work in the GCC area and commute to Lebanon on weekends where their families live. Another category includes alumni who work across the region or where the NAA is not very active. They prefer to be registered under their permanent address. Attendance and participation depends a lot on the time of the week and the period of the year. But usually Fridays are the most convenient for everyone and there are peaks during the various holidays.
Activities all year long
The Association organises around a dozen events each year: on average nine breakfast or lunch debates where one or two speakers are invited to dis
cuss a hot issue or a relevant topic, usually by suggestion and validation. Sometimes ad hoc gatherings are organised when a professor happens to be in the region.
Breakfast events take place from 8:00 to 9:30 am (sharp) to assure participants that their day will not be sacrificed; occasionally we organise lunches depending on the preference of the invited speakers; on average up to 40 alumni participate. Typically the debates are alumni exclusive to allow the speakers and participants to express freely their opinions.
We also organise two networking drinks, one in December and another in June to welcome newly graduated or recently relocated alumni.
Global INSEAD Day (GID)
The GID culture and tradition have picked up pretty well at the association; for the 2013 inaugural event we organised a fantastic party at a landmark beach location in the heart of Beirut themed “Beach du Soir” attended by around 300 people; in 2014, the theme was “Factory 68” to relive the true spirit of the 60’s as a message of flower power, peace and love.
The GID raised more awareness among the fresh graduates and increased the participation rates membership enquiries. It has also reinforced the prestige of INSEAD at large. For each GID we have also prepared a five to ten minutes reel posted on Youtube to allow attendees to remember the good moments and to promote the following year’s event with alumni and sponsors.
The Ball in the Camp
The Association has also a tradition of organising approximately once every three years (last one in 2012 and next one scheduled for GID 2016) a large two-part event: in the morning a series of lectures by INSEAD professors around a global or regional topic attended by participants from the public and economic scene with large press coverage and buzz. In the evening an INSEAD ball (Black tie and evening dress) is organised. These are usually large scale high-end events that require mobilisation at least nine months in advance and they build the culture of joint efforts and effective organisation and execution among the members.
Get in touch with us the next time you are in Lebanon!
