Kenes Group
Kenes Group is a Geneva-headquartered, family-owned global Professional Conference Organiser and Association Management Company, founded in 1965, serving 100+ medical and scientific associations with end-to-end congress management, association management, and CME/CPD services across 18 offices on four continents.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1965
- HeadquartersGeneva, Switzerland
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Kenes Group does
Kenes Group is a Geneva-headquartered, family-owned Professional Conference Organiser (PCO) and Association Management Company (AMC) founded in 1965 in Tel Aviv by Gideon Rivlin. The company delivers end-to-end congress and association services to over 100 long-term medical and scientific association clients, including planning, registration, accreditation, marketing, sponsorship, exhibition, and financial management, and has executed more than 4,300 conferences in 100+ cities serving over 220,000 participants annually. Beyond traditional PCO services, Kenes operates a Continuing Medical Education (CME/CPD) division accredited by EACCME, an Association Management practice serving 28+ global associations, and a portfolio of 40+ proprietary "Original Events" in life sciences such as ATTD, AD/PD, WHAHC, ICLE, and N&G.
The technology stack is anchored by two in-house platforms: VirtuOz, a customisable virtual and hybrid event platform that has won multiple Eventex Awards, and UNLOK Education, an AI-powered video library and personalised learning platform that won the IAPCO Driving Excellence Innovation Award in 2022. Kenes has layered additional AI features on top, including a facial recognition system for participant photo albums, an AI-powered registration kiosk, an AI Abstract Submission Helper using machine learning, and a 2025 commercial AI training course that won the IAPCO Innovation Award. The company monetises through six professional services and licensing streams (PCO, AMC, CME/CPD, Original Events, VirtuOz technology licensing, and Sponsorship & Exhibition) on a quote-based, multi-year contract model.
The company is privately held and family-controlled, with leadership transitioning in 2022 from Dan Rivlin (now Executive Chair and Chief Vision Officer) to CEO Ori Lahav, and a 2025 CFO hire from the Mobileye/UVeye ecosystem. Kenes operates 18 offices across four continents with regional HQs in Geneva, Amsterdam, and Singapore, and has pursued active inorganic moves including the 2022 acquisition of EXPOELEARNING, the 2024 Bostrom strategic alliance, and the INTERPLAN partnership in German-speaking markets. Sustainability is institutionalised through ISO 20121:2024 certification, UN Global Compact and Net Zero Carbon Events signatory status, and the Kenes Forest reforestation partnership with Treebytree.
Kenes Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kenes Group
- Legal name
- Kenes Group
- Website
- https://kenes-group.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1965
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Kenes Group is a Geneva-headquartered, family-owned global Professional Conference Organiser and Association Management Company, founded in 1965, serving 100+ medical and scientific associations with end-to-end congress management, association management, and CME/CPD services across 18 offices on four continents.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kenes Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Conference Organisation & Event Management Services
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Virtual/Hybrid Conference Production & Platform Management (THAHACAM), Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK), Speaker, Program & Abstract Management Services (THAHACAI)
Keywords
Where Kenes Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Geneva
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices13 records
Markets served
Kenes Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Professional Conference Organisation (PCO) Services: Full-service A-Z conference management including congress planning, destination and onsite management, registration, accreditation, marketing, sponsorship sales, exhibition management, and financial management. Services delivered across 4,300+ conferences annually.
- Association Management (AMC) Services: Comprehensive association management including governance support, strategy and planning, membership management, financial management, marketing and communications, stakeholder management, and operational support. Managing 28+ global associations.
- Continuing Medical Education (CME/CPD): Education services including CME/CPD accreditation, virtual medical education, eLearning consultancy, educational strategy, and blended learning solutions. Trusted Provider of EACCME for medical education.
- Original Events: Proprietary conference brands initiated by Kenes in collaboration with field experts. Over 40 successful meetings launched since 1982 in life science fields including ATTD, ICLE, WHAHC, N&G, AD/PD, WoM, and others.
- Virtual & Hybrid Event Technology: VirtuOz platform licensing and support for virtual and hybrid events. Technology sales and customisation services for event technology needs.
- Sponsorship & Exhibition Services: Industry liaison services, relationship management, sponsorship sales, and exhibition management. High-performing team building industry relationships supporting scientific events.
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Kenes Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kenes Group is a Professional Conference Organiser (PCO) and Association Management Company (AMC) that delivers end-to-end management of medical and scientific congresses, comprehensive association management services, and continuing medical education (CME/CPD) programmes. The company has organised more than 4,300 conferences across 100+ cities serving 220,000+ participants annually, with proprietary virtual event technology (VirtuOz) and AI-powered education platforms (UNLOK).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- VirtuOz: Award-winning virtual and hybrid events platform developed in-house, providing customizable online meetings technology
- UNLOK Education
- Kenes M+
- INTERPLAN
- Kenes Original Events
Products and services
- Conference Management (PCO)
- Association Management (AMC)
- Continuing Medical Education (CME/CPD)
- Original Events
- VirtuOz Virtual Event Platform
- UNLOK Education Platform
- Kenes M+ - Small to Mid-Size Events
Quantifiable outcome
- Delivered over 4,300 conferences in 100+ cities worldwide with 220,000+ annual participants
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Kenes Group
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kenes Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability10 records
Feature6 records
Kenes Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- BostromcoreStrategic alliance announced October 2024 between Bostrom (leading association management and professional services firm) and Kenes Group (award-winning global leader in conference and association management) for global association growth and conference innovation.
- Bella Center (Copenhagen)coreSustainability partnership for ESPID 2024 in Copenhagen integrating sustainability into every aspect of the event from travel and waste management to education, reducing the event's carbon footprint.
- TreebytreecorePartnership with Treebytree global sustainability platform for Kenes Forest initiative to restore degraded landscapes in Tanzania, offsetting business travel emissions while supporting reforestation, biodiversity, and local communities.
- United Nations Global CompactcoreKenes Group is a proud signatory of UN Global Compact - the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative, aligning strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.
- Net Zero Carbon Events PledgecoreKenes Group is a proud signatory of the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge - an industry initiative to address climate change, committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
- Gulf Circle Tours (Dubai)minorDestination Management Company (DMC) partner representing Kenes in Dubai, UAE for on-ground event support and destination management services.
- Kenes Israel (DMC)minorDestination Management Company partner for Israel operations based in Petah Tikva, providing local event and destination management services.
- PICO (Asia Pacific)minorPartner company instrumental in establishing Kenes' presence in Asia, working with local expertise for conference organisation and exhibition management in the region.
- IAPCO (International Association of Professional Congress Organisers)coreAccredited member of IAPCO with CEO Ori Lahav serving as President and multiple team members active in the association. Kenes Group received IAPCO Driving Excellence Innovation Award 2022.
- ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association)coreAccredited member of ICCA with Kenes recognised as Long-Standing Member for over 40 years. Founder Gideon Rivlin received ICCA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.
- PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association)coreTeam members active in PCMA with CEO Ori Lahav elected to PCMA Board of Directors in 2025.
- ASAE (American Society of Association Executives)minorTeam members active in ASAE, contributing to professional excellence in association management.
- EACCME (European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education)coreKenes Group is a Trusted Provider of EACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
- Good CME Practice Group (gCMEp)coreProud member of gCMEp contributing to improving health outcomes by championing best practice in CME/CPD, maintaining and improving standards, and working with critical stakeholders.
- INTERPLAN GermanycorePartnership established in 2004 when Kenes Group established global presence partnering with INTERPLAN Germany headquartered in Munich with offices in Hamburg, Berlin and Leipzig.
- AMC InstituteminorKenes Associations joined AMC Institute in 2024 reinforcing focus on quality delivery in association management.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Kenes Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Congrex Switzerland: Congrex is a Basel-based international PCO and association management company delivering full-service conference and event organisation to medical and scientific associations. It competes head-to-head with Kenes for European association congress mandates.
- Hanson Wade: Hanson Wade is a specialist life-sciences conference organiser running proprietary B2B conferences and custom events for pharma and biotech clients. It overlaps with Kenes' Original Events division in life-sciences vertical conference IP.
- MCI Group: MCI Group is a Swiss-headquartered global association, events, and meetings management company with a similarly broad PCO/AMC offering. It is the closest direct peer to Kenes in scale, geography, and service mix across association management and congress organisation.
- K.I.T. Group: K.I.T. Group is a Berlin-headquartered association management and conference organiser specialising in medical, scientific, and professional associations. Its AMC and PCO service scope mirrors Kenes' core offering in the European market.
- Conference Partners International: Conference Partners International is an Ireland-based PCO serving academic and scientific associations with end-to-end conference management. It is a direct competitor for European association congress contracts of similar scale to Kenes.
Emerging players
- Bizzabo: Bizzabo is an event experience platform offering virtual, hybrid, and in-person event technology. It competes with Kenes' VirtuOz platform by providing modern event tech to associations organising their own congresses, potentially disintermediating traditional PCOs.
Regional players
- ASPIRE (Association of Singapore Power and Industrial Robot Engineers — PCO/AMC alternate: Parthenon Events): Parthenon Events is a Singapore-based PCO/AMC focused on Asia-Pacific association congresses. It is a regional peer competing with Kenes' Singapore and Bangkok offices in similar medical and scientific association mandates across APAC.
Broad incumbents
- Cvent: Cvent is a large event management technology company providing registration, venue sourcing, and virtual event software used by corporations and associations. It competes with Kenes' technology stack (registration, virtual platform) rather than its full-service PCO offering.
- RELX (Elsevier): RELX's Elsevier division hosts major scientific and medical conferences and publishes journals for the same research communities Kenes serves through its association clients. It is a broad incumbent rather than a pure PCO competitor.
- Informa (Informa Connect): Informa is a large public events and B2B information group whose Informa Connect and Taylor & Francis conference operations include medical and scientific congresses and association services. It competes broadly across Kenes' verticals with much greater scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kenes Group social profiles
Digital presenceKenes Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kenes Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Kenes Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Kenes Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kenes Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kenes Group
What does Kenes Group do?
Kenes Group is a Professional Conference Organiser (PCO) and Association Management Company (AMC) that delivers end-to-end management of medical and scientific congresses, comprehensive association management services, and continuing medical education (CME/CPD) programmes. The company has organised more than 4,300 conferences across 100+ cities serving 220,000+ participants annually, with proprietary virtual event technology (VirtuOz) and AI-powered education platforms (UNLOK).
Is Kenes Group a public or private company?
Kenes Group is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Kenes Group founded?
Kenes Group was founded in 1965. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Kenes Group based?
Kenes Group is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Kenes Group make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Professional Conference Organisation (PCO) Services are the primary driver. The others are association Management (AMC) Services, continuing Medical Education (CME/CPD), original Events, virtual & Hybrid Event Technology and sponsorship & Exhibition Services.
Who are Kenes Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Congrex Switzerland, Hanson Wade, MCI Group, K.I.T. Group and Conference Partners International. Bizzabo is listed as an emerging player. ASPIRE (Association of Singapore Power and Industrial Robot Engineers — PCO/AMC alternate: Parthenon Events) is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Cvent, RELX (Elsevier) and Informa (Informa Connect).
Does Kenes Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kenes Group.
What industry is Kenes Group in?
Kenes Group's product category is Professional Conference Organisation & Event Management Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHACAA, Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies), with a secondary code of THAHACAM, Virtual/Hybrid Conference Production & Platform Management. Its NAICS code is 56192 and its SIC code is 8600.