Organiser: Round Table Cyprus
Main Event Dates: 5–9 March 2025
Let’s party on Aphrodite’s island! The heart of Round Table was beating in Paphos (Pafos) with over 400 attendees coming from over 33 countries and Goddess Aphrodite was our hostess for the RTI Half Year Meeting of March 2025.
The Location
Situated at the north-eastern end of the Mediterranean basin, Cyprus is an island rich in history and culture and full of wonderful experiences. Located on the southwest coast of the island, Pafos boasts a temperate climate and one of the healthiest lifestyles in the Mediterranean.
A year-round destination, Pafos combines crystal-clear waters, inviting beaches, ancient sites, mountainside wineries, gastronomic experiences and many more. Every corner traces the path of Aphrodite, where the ancient goddess of love and beauty once roamed. That’s why our initial motto was Let’s meet on Aphrodite’s island!
Pretours: Exploring Cyprus
Before diving into the main event, tablers and generally Round Table Family made their own island pre-tour or select some of our options. The lucky ones being in Cyprus the weekend before the HYM, enjoyed the carnival parades in Pafos and Limassol.
Some others, played golf, visited the Akamas Peninsula (National Park) or the only divided capital of the world, Nicosia or enjoyed few wines in Pafos Wines Route or followed Aphrodite’s Trail!
Tours have been available also during the main event and the sunny weather conditions allowed to 90 participants cruising to Blue Lagoon, where the brave ones swam also!
Wednesday Welcome Party
We blend a pub, a dj, the clone of Rod Stewart and a few hundreds of smashing plates and we had an explosive official opening of the RTI HYM 2025! Old friends met for a first time, circlers & tablers socialised and exchanged pins, while the dancing floor was a war zone from the smashing plates!
OPA OPA!
Thursday; Traditional Night
Buses whisked us away to a nearby venue for a traditional Cyprus Night. Except the many local dishes, the highlight has been the live bouzouki with traditional dancing, which entertained guests throughout the evening. Chris Mintoff (RTI Vice President) even danced with few glasses on his head! And of course, the belly dancers closed the night, since Cyprus is the island where the Greek entertainment blends with Arabic one!
Nation’s Night
The highlight of any RTI meeting is Nations Night. Attendees from all represented associations showcased their local delicacies, traditions, and clothing. Selections of cheeses, snacks, sweets etc and an endless variety of drinks were on display for sampling. First-time attendees experienced a sensory overload and enjoyed themselves! DJ beats were giving rhythm to the night which of course ended with a huge Zorba dance!
RTI Councilor’s Meeting and RTI HYM
The two meetings were held at the hotel hall.
The Councillor’s Meeting was not just a forum for best practice exchanges between associations but also included an impactful workshop led by RTDE 18 Wiesbaden (Round Table Germany) dedicated to Men’s Mental Health. The mental health campaign has a core importance for Round Table worldwide…let’s end the stigma!
The Half-Year Meeting got underway with fantastic support from all the Round Table Family members present. A new and livelier format was again implemented. The feedback on the work done by members worldwide, made everyone proud to be a Tabler. Besides the achivements of the Associations we heard about the works of the RTI Board. This included the launch of Tabler.Wiki and of Tabler.World app. Various motions have been voted in order to help Round Table evolve. A short banner exchange followed the meeting, with gifts and greetings shared.
Gala Night
What a better day to conclude the HYM 2025 than the International Women Day. The ONE TEAM ONE DREAM motto was more relevant than ever and thus Daniele offered to all the ladies in the room a flower! The glamour of the Gala Dinner with the voice & saxo duo, the belly dancers, the DJ and of course the Guinness World Record Holder for most glasses balanced on the head Telis, brought the Half-Year Meeting to a stylish close.
Goodbye!
Waking up on Sunday, the attendees departed for the airport with bags full of fond memories.
This event would not have been possible without an incredibly dedicated convening team. Under the Convenor Leondios Tselepos, Round Table Cyprus hosted an event that will live on in the memories of all who attended.
A quest which has been started two years ago, concluded successfully exceeding the expectations of the attendees. The convening team would like to thank you for giving us the opportunity to host this international event. We would like also to thank everyone involved in the planning & implementation of the event…especially RTI Board which trusted us and supported us all the way!
Thank you for this incredible experience! And remember that an end is a new beginning…and the countdown for RTI World Meeting in India just started! Let’s continue making unforgettable memories together!
Efxaristo!
Promotion of Event
Slogan: Let’s party on Aphrodite’s island!
Report by Leondios Tselepos — RTI HYM 2025 Round Table Cyprus