ICE Tbilisi: A Hub for Legal Innovation & Cultural Exchange
Redefining legal education through collaboration and human rights advocacy
The International Conference of ELSA (ICE) Tbilisi is an ambitious project designed to unite law students, young professionals, and experts from around the world to address pressing issues in human rights and criminal justice through academic sessions, workshops, simulations, and panel discussions. As part of ELSA’s Annual Human Rights Campaign (AHRC), ICE Tbilisi aims to create an impactful platform for in-depth dialogue, skill development, and cultural exchange. However, like any significant international initiative, ICE Tbilisi faces challenges during its organisation.
At its core, ICE Tbilisi is not only an educational event but also a networking opportunity. By building connections between participants from diverse backgrounds, it gives opportunities to attendees to expand their networks, share perspectives and experience, and collaborate toward a shared commitment. The social program helps these experiences, encouraging participants to form lasting friendships and professional relationships.
What’s more, young students, professionals or lawyers can share their cultural experiences and traditions from all over the world and also learn more about Georgian culture and cuisine. Networking is not only speaking about some topics but also the process of making new connections while you are preparing amazing and famous Georgian traditional meals together.
Aligning themes with global legal relevance
One of the essential steps in organising ICE Tbilisi was selecting a theme that resonates with current global issues. The Organising Committee aimed to address interesting topics” that are not only timely or timeless but also have significant relevance and impact within the field of law. This approach ensures that ICE Tbilisi provides participants with education that is applicable in the legal world.
A carefully chosen topic raises the conference’s appeal, collecting interest from both national and international participants. Participants from both domestic and foreign countries are drawn to the conference because of its well-chosen theme. Everyone who has the slightest possibility of working on the project will understand the significance of the topic, the level of societal awareness, and the level of interest it will generate. A few broad principles should always serve as our guide when defining the topic, including its aim, relevance, and expected outcomes. The project has a higher chance of success if all three of them are provided.
Crafting a memorable experience through strategic planning
The organisation of ICE Tbilisi involves numerous logistical and strategic components, from academic program development to venue coordination and social programming. However, one of the main and crucial challenges the team faces is ensuring effective promotion to reach an international audience. Given that ICE Tbilisi is still establishing its reputation on the global stage, ELSA Tbilisi must work diligently to attract participants from various countries, which is important for creating a diverse environment.
Achieving broader recognition for ICE Tbilisi within the ELSA Network and beyond remains a challenge. While successful on a national level, international acknowledgment and attracting a diverse range of participants require effective promotion. Limited visibility can impact the quality of discussions, narrowing perspectives and reducing engagement. To address this, ELSA Georgia prioritizes outreach through platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, sharing updates, speaker profiles, and program highlights to attract a global audience. Creating marketing materials aligned with ELSA’s Human Rights Campaign and the conference’s goals was a key step. Social media campaigns with engaging visuals and informative content play a crucial role in establishing ICE Tbilisi as a high-quality educational platform.
In addition to traditional social media strategies, ELSA Georgia has implemented cross-promotion efforts with other National Groups. This approach allows both parties to share their projects on each other’s platforms, improving visibility and engagement for all involved. By collaborating with other ELSA groups, ICE Tbilisi can step up on broader networks and attract a more diverse group of participants, providing experience for everyone.
Building global network through ELSA’s support
ICE Tbilisi’s success and growth depend largely on building a strong international presence, which requires support from ELSA International. ELSA International has committed to supporting its promotion and visibility for acknowledging the value of ICE. With this backing, ELSA Georgia is better equipped to overcome recognition challenges, attracting a larger and more diverse audience and establishing ICE as a key event in the global community. After all, an international background is what really sells the project.
Charting a vision for ICE Tbilisi’s future growth
The future of ICE is bright, with plans to continue refining its organizational processes, enhancing its promotion strategies, and attracting a broader audience. With practice and experience over the time, ICE is well-positioned to evolve into a respected and famous platform for education and collaboration.
By growing ICE Tbilisi’s reach and recognition, ELSA Georgia hopes to create a strong presence to support human rights and criminal justice education and advocacy in the legal community worldwide.
By Elene Utarashvili, Ani Samsiani, Irakli Polyakov
