IPG Spring Conference 2024 Casablanca

The conference city was the bustling, economic and commercial city of Casablanca, Morocco.  A lovely up to date city of North Africa situated on the Atlantic Ocean with charming districts, such as the French inspired Art-Deco district, one of the largest medinas in Morocco, and the splendid Hassan II Mosque situated on a promontory overlooking the ocean. The conference venue was the Hayat Regency Casablanca, across from the medina and on the edge of the Art-Deco district.

For early bird arrivals, the overall program started with dinner at Rick’s Café. Set in a courtyard style mansion, this restaurant transforms a storied film set into the reality of a charming restaurant. This venue set the tenor of the conference by turning a dream developed over a number of years into the reality of bringing together IPG and LEX Africa members for the first, and hopefully of many, joint conferences.

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The event started on the evening of Wednesday, April 24, with a welcome dinner at the hotel, where IPG and LEX Africa attendees were able to catch up with old friends, extend their welcome to new delegates, candidates as well as observers and start new acquaintanceships with the delegates of LEX Africa.

Thursday was the principal meeting congregation of IPG and LEX Africa, with panel discussions covering a wide range of topics, including a session on doing business in Morocco, renewable energy in Africa, challenges and opportunities for M&A involving African parties, African arbitration, and competition law and corporate governance.  The day concluded with a gala dinner at the Cascade Restaurant, located overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, which concluded with dancing and hobnobbing for all.

Friday was the annual meeting of IPG. It was a great pleasure to see the expansion of IPG with the admission of six new members, one in the accountancy sector, AMA Corporate Solutions B.V., from The Netherlands, and five in the legal sector, Oracle Solicitors, from the United Kingdom, Labib Law Firm, from Tunisia, 360 Law Firm, from Denmark, The In-House Company, from the United Arab Emirates, and Rime Advocatfirma DA, from Norway.  IPG was also pleased to host two observer firms, Consultorias & Auditorias USSA, Columbia, and The Access To Civil Justice Institute ACJI, Slovenia. Of some note was the charming talk during the annual meeting by Tahir Shah, a British author, journalist and documentary maker living in Casablanca, author of the bestselling book “The Caliph’s House.”  

At the annual meeting, there were updates on the redesign and relaunch of the IPG website, a recruitment update, and the announcement of the next conference of IPG, scheduled for October 17-20, 2024 in Edinburgh, Scotland.  After the General Meeting there was an afternoon visit to the Hassan II Mosque and a brief sightseeing drive to more distant parts of Casablanca. Dinner was at the DAR DADA restaurant located in the vicinity of the Hassan II Mosque, which was another charming courtyard style home converted to a lively restaurant, complete with a wide array of Moroccan food delights and belly dancers, all for the great amusement of IPG participants.
During the meeting, the spouse program included a day trip to Rabat, with visits to the Kasba Oudaya and the Kasbah Mosque, Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and a cooking class to learn how to prepare a delicious couscous dish.

IPG wishes to thank Bendura Bank AG in the Principality of Liechtenstein for sponsoring the event.
After the formal conference, there was an extension option for Marrakech, which provided a brief introduction to this beautiful city located about three hours south of Casablanca, which many of the IPG delegates enjoyed as part of their visit to Morocco. Some participants opted for the real desert experience at Desert Camp Agafay where camel ride, fire eaters  and traditional music animation were on the programme.

We are looking forward to seeing everybody again in Scotland for the IPG Autumn Conference.