The People Behind HEPCon
Researchers, engineers, and conference organisers who have been on both sides of the registration desk.
Why Our Background Matters
HEPCon is built by people who have chaired sessions, maintained Indico instances, and tried to keep thousands of physicists, engineers, and students in the right room at the right time.
Google cares about expertise and so do conference organisers. Below you’ll find the academic and professional background of the core team, plus a short history of the events we’ve helped run.
Dr. Martin Vassilev
Founder & Product Lead
Background: PhD at Plovdiv University, Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics.
Conference experience: Has worked with organisers of high‑energy physics, engineering, and university research meetings to improve attendee experience, sponsorship visibility, and registration flows.
Martin leads HEPCon’s development, positioning, messaging, and product direction—making sure the app solves concrete problems for programme chairs, conference offices, and sponsoring institutions.
Boris Toromanov
Software Engineer
Background: Software Engineer, specialised in distributed systems and offline‑capable mobile applications.
Conference experience: Technical lead for digital tools at multiple Indico‑based events in particle physics and astrophysics, including abstract submission integrations, schedule APIs, and live‑update dashboards.
Boris is responsible for HEPCon’s data model and the Indico/ConfTool importers that map large timetables into fast mobile and web agendas.
Dr. Alexander Penev
Software Engineer
Background: Associate Professor, PhD at University of Plovdiv "Paisii Hilendarski", Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics.
Conference experience: Member of programme committees for topical conferences in high‑energy physics and data analysis; regular convener at collaboration weeks and training schools.
Alexander ensures that HEPCon stays aligned with the practical needs of scientific conveners and early‑career researchers who rely on the app on‑site.
Conference Support Team
Onboarding & Event Operations
Background: Mix of former conference office staff, early‑career researchers, and software engineers with practical experience in on‑site operations.
The support team handles data imports, QA of timetables, and live‑day assistance, making sure your app reflects reality even when the schedule changes minutes before a plenary.
Conference Involvement History
HEPCon grew out of real conference needs. Before launching the product, the team helped run and support events such as:
- Detector and electronics workshops (200–400 participants, heavy Indico use)
- Large HEP collaboration meetings (800–1,500 participants, multiple parallel tracks)
- Topical schools for PhD students and postdocs (offline‑first requirements)
- University research days and poster sessions across STEM faculties
- Indico‑based conferences integrating external registration and payment systems
- Hybrid events where remote attendees relied on the web agenda for navigation
That experience shapes every design decision in HEPCon: from how we display LaTeX and author lists to how we handle offline access in difficult venues.