Odyssey for a Great Event: The Journey to Designing Impactful Local Events

About Erasmus +:
Have you ever wondered how a single experience can change the way you see the world? A
few years ago, I joined my first Erasmus+ project, not realizing how much it would shape the
way I see the world, the way I interact with people around me and the way I imagine my own
future. What started off as a simple curiosity about traveling and international exchanges,
quickly grew into more heartfelt experiences: meeting people from across the world,
discovering new cultures, and realizing that we can learn as much from each other as from any
textbook, all in an informal and fun way. Each Erasmus+ project I took part in gave me not
only information, but also friendships and a type of confidence that still guides me to this day.

When I look back at each project I attended, what I value most is not just the skills that I slowly
developed, but the shift in perspective that I gained, and the relationships I formed with other
people. Erasmus+ formed the way I see communities and the way I approach, not just
challenges, but life experiences. The second I arrived in Ivancice, Czechia, for Odyssey for a
Great Event in March 2025, I already knew that this week would bring something really
meaningful. What I didn’t expect was how practical, and impactful it would be for everyone
involved.

Ivancice:
Arriving in Ivancice, I immediately felt welcomed. The Mladiinfo CR team made sure that
every participant arrived safely at the accommodation, greeting us all with positive energy.
Beyond that, there’s something about friendly locals, a small town and easygoing pace that
makes you feel at home right away. Like many smaller towns, Ivancice with its old streets,
local traditions, and small community, doesn’t always offer enough youth-led events to bring
fresh energy and new ideas. Sorrounded by beautiful hills and countryside, it feels both
welcoming and calm. From the feeling of the town, you could understand what Odyssey for a
Great Event wanted to address. One of the ideas was to give young people the skills,
confidence, and tools to create events that matter and involve the community.

Our training took place at the Leisure Center Horizont, a space that was both comfortable and
practical, where we could work, share ideas, and laugh together. The Leisure Center had a large

and bright space with an interior garden, that added to the lively atmosphere. We shared rooms,
which made it easy to get to know each other, and spent most of our time in the common rooms
provided: activity room, coffee break room and dining room.

Day 1: Getting to know each other…
As everyone settled in, the first day was all about getting to know each other. The group was
formed of participants from the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Ukraine, Poland, Bulgaria, and
Romania. This made for a diverse and exciting mix. We played name games a lot and got to
know more about each other through fun quizzes. Participants with more experience were
invited to suggest energizers, which I believe helped give a taste of what it means to lead and
organize events. It was a great start to the week, helping everyone feel comfortable and ready
to participate.

Towards the end of the day, we went and explored the town and its surroundings. We met locals
and got a real sense of the community we would later be creating events for. It was inspiring to
see the town and try to understand its people’s interests, and what would make an event
meaningful for them. The night included learning how to dance traditional Czech dances with
professionals and eating plenty of traditional food such as: Chlebicky, Horalky, Kofola,
Olomoucke tvarzuky etc.)

Day 2: Where does SWOT come from?
On the second day, we focused on building our communication skills through a fun but
challenging robot game. The game really got us thinking about how we share and receive
information.

Later, we worked in small groups to explore ways to understand and connect with our target
audience. This helped us see events from the participants’ perspective. We also did a SWOT
analysis, looking at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges of our event ideas.
The day ended with lively brainstorming and planning sessions, where everyone’s ideas were
welcomed, and we could start shaping the events we hoped to create. During the night, we had
a 3- country intercultural night where we listened to presentations about Romanian traditions,
enjoyed Polish food and understood more about the beauties of Slovenia.

Day 3: Meeting the experts
On the third day, we traveled to Brno, where we met with event management experts from
different fields like public administration and NGOs. Each of them shared stories, tips, and
lessons learned from their own experience. They encouraged us and motivated us toward
clearer picture of what it really takes to organize events that turn out well. We explored how
accessibility and diversity play a role in events, sparking some honest and meaningful
conversations.
In Brno, some of us stopped also at the Mladiinfo CR center, which made us feel closer to the
organization and its people. We ended the day back at the center, where we got to enjoy live
Bulgarian music and a thoughtful presentation about Ukrainian culture during the intercultural
night.

Day 4: Goals and Volunteer Appreciation
We kicked off the day with an interactive workshop on Bloom’s Taxonomy, turning theory
into practice by setting real goals for our events. We had a chance to meet an expert in this
field, who helped us understand more about what happens behind the scenes of an event.
In the afternoon, we headed outside for a sporty session all about volunteers. We had to design
our own volunteer on a large piece of paper, and then talk about how to appreciate, motivate,
and celebrate them. Later we had to involve them in all sports activities, some of them including
jumping the rope, juggling and rope walking. It was interesting having to jump the rope while
holding a large piece of paper where my volunteer was drawn on. We had to always include
them. It was active, fun, and a nice reminder that no event works without them.

Day 5: Event Day
During the fifth day it was finally time to make our event happen. In the morning, we learned
how to measure the impact of events and think about what success really means.
The rest of the day was all about bringing the event we planned to life. We all had a role, some
of us worked on social media promotion, others designed posters and spread them around the
town, while the rest handled logistics (like arranging tables, chairs and making food). All the
preparation led up to the big moment: Mezikulturni vecer (or in English Intercultural Evening)

in Ivancice, the event we had been planning together since the beginning. While the event itself
wasn’t a very big hit among the locals, maybe because of various reasons, for the team it felt
like a success. Having no experience with event organizing before, meant some mistakes could
be made, even so, at the end of the day our event was completed.

Day 6: The last Project Day
The final day was about turning inspiration into action. Everyone worked on plans for their
own local events, pitching their ideas to “investors” and getting feedback to improve them.
Every team had to brainstorm and lay out an idea of an event that would benefit their local
home communities, an event just like the one we had the previous day.
This day was emotional to say the least for most of us, it meant it was the last day we would
all be gathered up in this formation, working together for a common goal. As people often say,
it’s always hardest to say goodbye when something good comes to an end. After a full week of
learning and laughter, that feeling was very real.

Looking back, Odyssey for a Great Event was more than just a training course, it was an
experience thar brought people, ideas, and cultures together in a small town that suddenly felt
like the home of wonderful memories. We didn’t just learn skills about event planning or
communication, we discovered what it’s like to play your idea out and understand what it takes
to have a real successful event. Leaving Ivancice was a bittersweet moment, saying goodbye
to the people and the moments we shared was difficult. At the same time, I felt proud of what
we had achieved and excited to take the skills to my local community.

The article was written by Daria Grosu, a volunteer in the Mladiinfo ČR community and a participant in the project Odyssey for a great event!