I had the honor to be the General Chair of the 4th edition of the IEEE International Mediterranean Conference on Communications and Networking (MeditCom), which was held in Madrid (Spain) from, 8th to 11th July. From the moment I saw all the final manuscripts uploaded right before the deadline, I was foreseeing a very special conference, with not only a committed organizing committee but also committed authors and speakers. And it was indeed the case!
The conference was held at Hotel Emperador, conveniently located in the Gran Vía, at the center of the beautiful, historic and vibrant city of Madrid. Madrid is a lively cosmopolitan and friendly city where everyone feels at home. The attendees were welcomed on Monday with a reception at the sky-bar on the terrace of the hotel, with a roof-top scenery overseeing the city landmarks, including the cathedral and the Royal Palace. That was for many attendees the first occasion to taste a bit of the Spanish cuisine, as well as our renowned hospitality, and enjoy the nice company after well beyond the sunset in this 1,200 square meter terrace that offers spectacular 360º-views of the Madrid skyline. It was also a perfect occasion to try the colorful Spanish fans that every attendee received.
From the same conference venue, the attendees were invited to enjoy a complimentary guided tour on Tuesday to discover some emblematic spots such as Plaza de España, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace, and the cathedral. The conference attendees enjoyed the nice stories and explanations of the official tourism guides and took many group photos, even a “feet selfie” that is a must in the “Km 0” of Madrid (the departing point at Puerta del Sol from where kilometers are counted in every road in Spain) if you would like to ever come back to Madrid.
The social program reached its peak on Wednesday, with the conference banquet organized at the Real Casino de Madrid. A historical palace and a piece of art in itself, it was founded in 1836 and it is recognized as an outstanding monument with special protection by the Spanish government since 1993. The attendees were offered a menu designed by the prestigious Spanish chef Paco Roncero, that holds two Michelin Stars. In 2020, he was recognized for the first time as one of the 100 best Chefs in the world by the prestigious international list The Best Chef Awards. During the dinner, we enjoyed a Flamenco show, with Spanish guitars and dancers.
The conference was remarkably well attended with over 160 registrations. The IEEE MeditCom 2024 program featured five outstanding keynotes and one panel, in which industry leaders and prominent academics shared their vision of the future of wireless communications and networks. The 15 technical sessions and five workshops presenting research results were complemented by tutorials on hot topics in communications and a special event organized by IEEE ComSoc WICE and YP.
All in all, the IEEE MeditCom 2024 in Madrid has been an unforgettable experience. We discussed, learned, and made new friends that we hope to see next year in another successful MeditCom, bringing together researchers and visionaries in academia, research labs, and industry from all over the world to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. I am very grateful to IEEE ComSoc for entrusting us with the task of organizing this conference, to the amazing team of organizers and volunteers, the speakers who shared their knowledge, our patrons (Huawei, Viavi, and UC3M), and the attendees that chose to spend these nice days with us. You all have made IEEE MeditCom 2024 a memorable conference.
