Beyond the meetings.
The people. The moments. The connections.

Before you arrived

17:45 · On foot from the Royal Olympic · 18:00 Acropolis Museum

Where Athens begins

You set off on foot from the Royal Olympic Hotel, past the Temple of Olympian Zeus, and began where Athens begins: at the foot of the Acropolis, with the ancient city under our feet and the Parthenon framed in glass.

20:00 · Black Duck Garden

One table

In the garden of the Museum of the City of Athens, you sat down as colleagues from across Europe and, for the first time, became one table.

09:00 · Royal Olympic Hotel — the annual working session of EAPM, with delegates from its member associations. And yes, between the sessions, we danced.

What the Assembly decided

18:00 · Bus tour & Plaka

The city at dusk

As dusk fell, the landmarks lit up one by one. You arrived at dinner the way Athens is best approached: slowly, and on foot.

20:00 · Dionysos

Dinner with the view

Dinner opposite the illuminated Acropolis, with the most famous view in the world.

09:00–14:00 · National Gallery of Greece — 240 participants explored how the Pay Transparency Directive is becoming national law, and what it changes in practice.

The speakers

Maria KolokythaPresident, GPMAPay transparency is not just pay, it’s about fairness, it’s about trust, it’s about our people.

Niki KerameusMinister of Labour and Social SecurityPay transparency is no longer a question of if, it’s a question of how.

Berna ÖztınazPresident, EAPMBuilding fairer workplaces is not something we can achieve through regulation alone.

Chryssiis PoulakouKeynote · employment lawyerIt was the employee who had to prove the difference and now it’s the employer that has to explain its decision.

Mark van ZonKeynote

Anne PhelanKeynote · reward expertThere’s no one knocking on the door of HR to ask a question. They’re going to go straight to their manager.

Bashar KilaniKeynote

The panel · Pay Transparency: From Obligation to OpportunityFacilitated by Meg Dunphy

With Stefanos Chaniotakis, Konstantinos Takos, Georgia Kalemidou and Leonardos Papagiannoulis.

If HR departments do not seize the opportunity now, they’re just going to be left with just doing the administration.Konstantinos Takos, panel

Key takeaways · six messages from the day

Quotes as spoken at the conference. Full review in GPMA Pulse, issue 101.

Meet the speakers →

What happens next · pay transparency

1. 10 May 2023The DirectiveThe EU adopts Directive (EU) 2023/970 on pay transparency.
2. 7 June 2026EU deadlineMember states were due to transpose the Directive.
3. 6 July 2026Greece legislatesLaw 5316/2026 is published.
4. 16 Oct 2026You were herePay Transparency in Europe, at the National Gallery.
5. 1 Nov 2026Rules apply in GreeceThe core employer obligations take effect.
6. 7 June 2027First reportsGender pay-gap reports from employers with 150+ people (250+ yearly after that).
7. 7 June 2031Wider reachFirst reports from employers with 100–149 people.

Dates for Greece as published for Law 5316/2026; reporting dates follow the Directive. Check national rules in your own country.

Watch again

Fair & Square: Live from Athens

The whole conference in 15 minutes · presented by Eleni & Theo (AI voices)

Conference recap

The day at the National Gallery

The speakers

Key moments from each talk

The panel

The voices of the panel speakers

14:30–20:00 · Saronic Gulf

Across the sea to the Athens Riviera

Hours of conversation far beyond the conference halls, with a golden light on the way back.

On board · Wellbeing

Movement, breath & presence

Forty minutes of movement, breath and presence, led by Vasiliki Efraimoglou.

On deck, the dancing never stopped.

Friday night, all together on board the Grande Bounty.