Anette Granlund, chair of the local Swedish ICOC Committee, opened the conference 16 June 2011 with a welcome to the 300 delegates and ICOC General Secretary Dennis Dodds gave a short introduction to the ICOC.
After the welcomes Alberto Boralevi gave an interesting opening lecture “Table Carpets, a Bridge between East and West, A Link between Carpets and Textiles”.
Later during the Opening Ceremony Stefano Ionescu and Alberto Boralevi were both rewarded with the McMullan golden medal and award for stewardship and scholarship in Islamic Rugs and Textiles. The McMullan Award is given by The Near Eastern Art Research Center.
At the end of the Opening Ceremony Ambassador Hans Blix, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told about his interest for carpets and showed up as a dedicated rug collector.
