On Thursday of last week, Vienna welcomed the global mediation and negotiation community for the CDRC Vienna – The IBA-VIAC Mediation & Negotiation Competition.
The event began with the 4th IBA–VIAC CDRC Vienna Mediation Conference 2026, “Building Momentum in Mediation: The Institutional Edge and the Breakthrough” which brought students, practitioners, academics, and mediation leaders from across the world to exchange ideas on the future of mediation, the evolving role of institutions, and the impact of AI.

The spark of the day burned even brighter into the evening at KNOETZL’s traditional Wine Tasting Reception overlooking Vienna’s historic First District. It was a delight to reconnect with long-standing colleagues, welcome new faces, and celebrate the collaborative spirit that makes the CDRC community so unique. We, at KNOETZL, love being part of such a vibrant community.
As a fun crescendo to the evening, we gathered to watch Austria take on Spain in the FIFA World Cup. While Austria didn’t come away with the win, it was a pure joy to experience the match alongside colleagues from around the world, and we especially appreciated everyone who cheered for Austria! Of course, we gave our Spanish friends a special dispensation!

Thank you to everyone who joined us. We wish all the CDRC teams the very best of luck in the remainder of the competition!