The International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) is proud to announce Nuria Fernández Roldán, Online Education Specialist at Kenes Group, as the winner of the IAPCO Innovation Award 2025 for her visionary work in transforming medical education through artificial intelligence.
IAPCO President Sissi Lignou presented the 11th annual IAPCO Innovation Award – which is supported by IMEX and recognises those who push the boundaries of what is possible, and then take action to bring meaningful change – at the prestigious IMEX Frankfurt Gala Dinner on 21st May.
This year’s award-winning project, AI-Powered Simulation Training: Mastering Sensitive Discussions on Weight Management, is a breakthrough online course hosted on UNLOK Education, Kenes Group’s digital learning platform.
This short course is designed to help healthcare professionals navigate emotionally sensitive conversations with patients living with chronic conditions like Type 2 Diabetes. This fully digital, self-paced course blends emotionally engaging actor-led simulations with real-time emotional recognition AI.
Nuria Fernández Roldán said that by analysing facial expressions, tone of voice, and engagement levels, the course which is only 15 minutes long, provides personalised feedback on verbal and non-verbal communication, empowering healthcare professionals to navigate complex conversations with greater sensitivity.
“We saw the potential to use emotional recognition AI to help healthcare professionals handle conversations with their patients more sensitively and without judgement.
“This technology provides an opportunity for self-reflection and growth in a way that traditional training does not,” said Fernández.
Launched at the Advanced Technologies and Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD) 2024 Congress, the course has already trained over 300 medical professionals worldwide, with participants praising its innovation and human-centric approach.
Kenes Group continues to lead the way in integrating AI into professional healthcare training with plans to expand into more patient and clinicial scenarios.
In presenting the award, Sissi Lignou said Fernández and Kenes Group are a great example of working to raise the standards of professionalism across the meetings indsutry, which is the mission of IAPCO.
“This innovation truly represents the best of what our industry can achieve when we lead with compassion, creativity, and purpose,” said Lignou.
For more information about the IAPCO Innovation Award and this year’s winning project, visit: https://www.iapco.org/education-and-training/awards/innovation.html
