From February 12th to 14th 2026, 23 CEMS Club Presidents from across the globe and 5 organising members from the Student Board were gathered in person at the Esade Business School in Barcelona. During the two-day conference, the Presidents had the opportunity to have an issue and solution-sharing session, network, discuss best practices and brainstorm on development and collaboration between their local CEMS Clubs.
Day 1 – A warm welcome and Corporate Partner Visit
Friday at the CEMS Club Conference was buzzing! Local CEMS Office and Student Board Reps welcomed the attendees, followed by updates from the Student Board and Executive Team.
Throughout the morning, sessions focused on the CEMS structure, Student Board initiatives, and key global topics for 2026, including mental well-being, entrepreneurship, internships, and future-ready skills. Presidents also presented their local clubs, sharing strengths, challenges, and ambitions for the coming months.
In the afternoon, the group visited Gartner for an insightful company session, gaining perspectives on career paths in sales and client service. The day concluded with a traditional tapas dinner in Barcelona, creating space for informal exchanges, collaboration, and stronger cross-club connections.
Day 2 – The CEMS Club Awards and Collaborative discussions
The second day focused on global alignment and practical collaboration. Updates from the Global Office covered governance, programme developments, rankings, curriculum changes, and upcoming initiatives, alongside insights from the Corporate Relations and Communications teams and the introduction of the StayingBee community accommodation platform.
This was followed by the long-awaited CEMS Club Awards – Best Practice, celebrating outstanding initiatives across clubs and recognizing the overall Best CEMS Club.
Shoutout to all the amazing teams who poured their hearts into building fantastic CEMS communities! You've all done incredible work!
In the afternoon, Presidents engaged in structured issue-sharing workshops built around four core discussion tracks:
- Financing of Events – fundraising models, alumni contributions, sponsorships, merchandise, and sustainable revenue streams
- Cohort Engagement – improving participation, communication strategies, inclusive events, and tools to strengthen community integration
- Corporate Partner Integration – building stronger collaboration with partners, skills seminars, workshops, alumni leverage, and career-focused initiatives
- Alumni Integration – mentoring, buddy programmes, alumni engagement strategies, and strengthening the lifelong CEMS journey
These discussions enabled peer learning, exchange of best practices, and the co-creation of practical solutions to strengthen local clubs and the global CEMS ecosystem.
Key take-aways from the CEMS Club Conference
The objectives achieved over the course of the three days were the following:
- Connect among Presidents
- Present strengths and weaknesses of each CEMS Club
- Learn best practices from the other CEMS Clubs
- Get insights & updates on the Global Office and Student Board
- Productive & fruitful discussions within teams
- Visit Corporate Partners
- Reinforcement of the CEMS values through collaboration and shared experiences
Special thanks!
The CEMS Student Board would like to thank all Presidents for their openness, energy, and commitment throughout the conference. The ideas and insights generated in Barcelona will directly support local clubs in strengthening their communities and launching new initiatives aligned with CEMS values.
Special thanks to the ESADE CEMS Office for hosting the conference and supporting its organisation, as well as to all partners and contributors who made the programme possible.
We are already looking forward to the next edition and to continuing this collaboration across the global CEMS network.
