In September, MEDIACRAT organized one of the biggest corporate events of the year – the four-day Pernod Ricard Congress in Yerevan, with about 500 participants. Under the slogan ‘Make Ideas Act’, the congress focused on the need for new, inventive and effective business strategies that are especially powerful in times of crisis. The business part of the event took the form of a theatrical performance at the Paronyan Theater of Musical Comedy in downtown Yerevan.

All the action stemmed from the idea that even during a crisis there are always opportunities for business growth and development. One of the underlying themes of the congress was the life of theatrical impresario Sergei Diaghilev, one of the most successful Russian entrepreneurs of the early 20th century. His story shares many interesting parallels with the life and work of Paul Ricard, founder of Pernod Ricard. A dramatization of Ricard’s life, directed by producer and choreographer Nikita Dmitrievsky, was one of the highlights of the congress.

There were three guests of honor at the congress, each of whom gave TED talk-style lectures about different aspects of entrepreneurship. Ruben Vardanyan, founder of the SKOLKOVO business school, Golden Mask-winning theater producer Pavel Kaplevich and Pierre Gurdjian, the philanthropist behind the 100 Lives project that commemorates the Armenian Genocide, all spoke about their experiences.