The Ambassador Project was created as a partnership between Bologna Congressi Spa and the Policlinico Sant'Orsola Malpighi hospital for the purpose of promoting Bologna at a national and international level through a city-wide network encompassing the main organisations and institutions and representatives of commerce, industry and associations. The network aims to create the synergies needed to promote the image of the city and to identify authoritative figures capable of promoting Bologna as a venue of excellence for congress activities and event organisation.

Together with the renovation and extension of the congress facilities of Bologna Congressi Spa, this initiative will support professionals working at the hospital interested in organising events at a national and international level.

The new Bologna congress centre and the Ambassador project were officially presented on 22 April 2008 by the Vice Chairman of Bologna Congressi and Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Bologna Bruno Filetti and by the Director General of Azienda Ospedaliera Sant'Orsola Malpighi Augusto Cavina in the presence of Mayor Sergio Cofferati, who gave an address underlining the importance of the project and the interest in the city's administration in developing the congress sector as a source of added value for the city's economy.