CONVENTA EXPERIENCE 2016 by KONGRES MAGAZINE

• Its great value for money.

WHY CONVENTA

• You can meet and network with key meeting industry players of SE and Central Europe and emerging destinations. • One2One meetings will give you a chance to get personal. • You will experience first-hand the South-East European hospitality. • You can build and position your brand with Conventa yearround promotion.

NEW EUROPE EXHIBITION FOR MEETINGS, EVENTS & INCENTIVE TRAVEL

www.conventa.info

Conventa Addendum

CONVENTA IS NOT JUST A TWO-DAY TRADESHOW; IT IS MUCH MORE THAN THAT! Conventa strives to unite the region and year after year presents its professional face to the international meetings market.

text by Miha

Chief organizer of the Conventa

decade back the region of South East Europe did not feature heavily in the thoughts of the international meetings market. Then seven years ago Slovenia, one of the smallest countries in this region, initiated the idea of regional marketing with the aim of positioning the region on the international meetings map. It was quite an ambitious plan for a small Convention Bureau and a small marketing agency to achieve, one they set out to do through a meetings show. With each passing year of Conventa, however, each trade show has contributed to the growing success of the region. Conventa is not just a two-day tradeshow; it is much more than that. It is a marketing campaign running 365 days per year. It is also an event that remains alert to how important it is to understand client needs, market developments and market trends. Year after year it delivers on its promises to hosted buyers and exhibitors at the only meetings show where they are treated equally.

Through popular education sessions provided by world industry leaders the Conventa trade show also contributes to the professional development of individual suppliers, destinations and countries, but most importantly to the South East Europe region. Over the years that it has been taking place Conventa has attracted and hosted 1716 meeting planners interested in the region, all of whom could personally experience the product, the people and the pleasure of South East Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s destination gems. Conventa strives to unite the region and year after year presents its professional face to the international meetings market. The results received from hosted buyers and exhibitors attending the shows bear testament to its continued success. We look forward to seeing you at the 8th Conventa in January 2016!

What you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know about Conventa Only at Conventa an investment of 55 EUR brings hosted buyers a VIP treatment worth 1.200 EUR.

Conventa is always the first! The first to open the trade show season, that is.

In six years Conventa hosted 753 exhibitors and 1.436 hosted buyers. Over the years 17.240 one2one meetings were held during the show.

The farthest distance a hosted buyer will travel to come to Conventa 2015 is 7.690 km.

The number of countries meeting providers come from doubled over the years.

The idea of Conventa was not born while drinking coffee, but while drinking beer.

It takes around 3200 wooden crates to set up all the Conventa stands.

Conventa Addendum

DISCOVERING NEW EUROPE WITH CONVENTA The organisers of Conventa believe in new, different, charming and yet undiscovered meetings destinations. Because of this, Conventa is the first trade show to represent on international market the destinations of South, Central and Eastern Europe, also known as New Europe. text by

nce the term New Europe described all of the countries of Eastern Europe or the former Eastern Bloc. Despite the many stereotypes this region now offers exceptional conditions for the meetings industry. Stunning nature, rich cultural and historical heritage, excellent accessibility, affordability, a number of new convention centres, hotels and fresh creativity puts New Europe among the freshest and most desirable convention destinations out there. Emerging meetings destinations of New Europe are thus waiting to be explored. But what falls under emerging meetings destinations? Lisa A. Grimaldi, Senior Editor at Northstar Travel Media, defines them as: • Destinations that are just discovering how meetings, incentives and exhibitions can further boost a country’s economy • A country with newly developed infrastructure for hosting events • A country that, due to its strong economy, is developing a domestic meetings markets and even expanding its group business regionally and overseas

A majority of Conventa’s exhibition floor remains reserved for the South East and Central European meeting providers; the rest is now also open to all emerging destinations that represent a novelty on the international meeting market. Only a few hours from Frankfurt or London lies a half of Europe that is open and waiting for you to explore it. This trip will be full of positive surprises, meetings with new convention bureaus, new meeting venues and service providers, and last but not least opportunities for new connections between East and West, North and South. Join us in discovering NEW European meeting destinations at Conventa 2016!

The organisers of Conventa firmly believe that it is necessary to go beyond the outdated ways of thinking and start with new forms of integration and cooperation. For them, New Europe is associated with the fundamental professional values of the meetings industry, with youth, energy and creativity that radiate from the destinations represented at Conventa.

Conventa Experience Conventa is not only a trade show that offers providers a business-oriented platform to develop individual business relationships with targeted meeting industry audiences in a cost and time efficient manner, but it is also a meeting point of New Europe filled with energy, warmth and great hospitality. It is a place where personal experience is what matters most, where business flourishes, knowledge is acquired and a good time is guaranteed.

You’ll get the whole package: trade show, educational modules, social programme, fam trips and more. In seven years 888 exhibitors from 17 countries and 1,702 hosted buyers from 45 countries have conducted 20,668 meetings at Conventa. Do you dare to try this new trade show experience? Join the crème de la crème of the meetings industry from 21 to 22 January 2016 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. More on www.conventa.info

Conventa Addendum

CONVENTA 2009 – 2015 RESULTS SEVEN years or results 1.716 HOSTED BUYERS FROM 45 COUNTRIES 899 EXHIBITORS FROM 17 COUNTRIES 21.160 BILLATERAL TALKS / 17.079 ONE2ONE PRESCHEDULED MEETINGS

The development of Conventa:

2007

• First Simex, predecessor of Conventa show • The first trade show hosted 35 exhibitors and 40 hosted buyers • Development of One2One system for pre-scheduling meetings

2008

• 50 exhibitors and for the first time over 100 hosted buyers • Decision to expand the project across borders • First catalogue Meet in SEE

2009

• The launch of the Conventa brand • Over 3000 One2One meetings • The start of Academy Conventa

2010

• Exceeding 100 exhibitors • Conventa starts to recognise outstanding achievements by granting awards • The launch of the Meeting services spot

2011

• 23 % more exhibitors from 9 SEE countries • The launch of Conventa Wild Card programme • Conventa Hall of fame award granted for the first time • Record number of hosted buyers (271) • Conventa wins Sustainable Stand Award at EIBTM • Introduction of Eco day and Eco Village • Conventa hosted first IMEX-MPIMCI Future Leaders Forum

2012

• 10 SEE destinations presented at the show • Conventa TV – broadcasting live for the first time • The launch of Conventa mobile site • Conventa hosts Meeting Star Awards for the first time

2013

• Expanding the borders – Turkey joins Conventa exhibitors • Hosting SEEPCO meeting • Celebrating 5 year anniversary – Conventa give me five! • Inside award granted for the first time at Conventa • Introducing Conventa mingling

2014

• Introduction of 6 Es (Experience, Engagement, Education, Emotions, Energy and Entertainment) • The largest number of international meeting planners in the history of the show (over 200) • The highest quality hosted buyers (62,78 % were rated as good or excellent by exhibitors) • Congress destinations were presented in the highest number so far (12) • A record number of pre-arranged meetings (3.158) • The best and most extensive educational program was offered (over all 3 days) • First Conventa Ambassador

2015

• For the first time Conventa invites emerging destinations of New Europe • Congress destinations presented in the highest number so far (15) • Adding another E to the mix • Introducing Conventa Valley • Exhibitors at Meeting Services Spot get their own One2One system • More media partners than ever

Conventa Addendum

01 Conventa Academy 02 Future Leaders Forum 03 Conventa in the picture 04 Conventa in the picture 05 Welcome reception at Grand Hotel Union 06 Kevin Kelly – „Xceptional Execution - the key to breakthrough in the meetings industry“ 07 Conventa Exhibitor – Roomz Graz 08 Ljubljana’s Dragon on Harley motorcycle 09 Conventa After party sponsored by Kongres Magazie 10 Conventa Catalogue 11 Prize draw at Lunch 12 Conventa Experts Corner 13 Ljubljana Fam trip 14 Meeting friends at Conventa 15 Conventa team

Conventa Addendum

THE 7TH CONVENTA 2015 SURPASSED ALL EXPECTATIONS • largest number of international meeting planners in the history of the show (over 200) • highest quality hosted buyers (66.7 % were rated as good or excellent by exhibitors) • congress destinations were presented in the highest number so far (15) • the organisers took a record number of pre-arranged meetings (3.365) • the best and most extensive educational program was offered (over all 3 days)

SATISFACTION SURVEY RESULTS

HOSTED BUYERS SHARED

With new dimensions, new opportunities and a new personal best, the seventh edition brought to Ljubljana the highest number of international meetings planners and meeting providers in the history of the show.

Hosted buyers felt welcome at Conventa The main reason hosted buyers attend Conventa trade show are one2one meetings between exhibitors and buyers. Almost 89% of hosted buyers that attended Conventa 2015 said their participation absolutely met their expectations.

EXHIBITORS SHARED Main reasons for attending Conventa are One2One meetings The core of the show, One2One meetings, is also the main reason why 92.3% of exhibitors decided to attend the seventh Conventa. More than half of exhibitors said their participation absolutely met their expectations!

“61.5% of Conventa exhibitors would absolutely recommend this trade show to their meeting industry colleagues!” Great number of meetings On average exhibitors had a total of 34,5 meetings. More than half of exhibitors had 1-5 quality business leads.

“Conventa team, you know how to keep a promise and organise an event which can meet all exhibitor needs. Congratulations Conventa team, you’ve done a great job!” Conventa 2014 exhibitor

“72.3% of hosted buyers said they feel welcome at Conventa!” FAM trips offered an unforgettable first-hand experience of the destination The offer presented at the show was confirmed on fam trips, post tours to different meetings destinations in the region where hosted buyers experience the meetings offer firsthand. Hosted buyers were most satisfied with Ljubljana (5) and Portorož (5), followed by Bled (4,82), Kranjska Gora pretour (4,75) and post-tour (4,67) and Zagreb (4,40). All in all, the fam trips were extremely educational and remain an important part of the Conventa experience. *Rating: 5 – Excellent, 4- Good, 3 – Adequate, 2 - Poor, 1 – Very Poor The possibility of placing future business in the destination, hotels, venues The organisers hope the 2015 edition was successful in promoting the SEE region as a great meetings destination. Looking at the survey results the organisers of Conventa are optimistic. Hosted buyers that attended the 2015 show stated that in the future they are most likely to place business in the destination (4.41) and likely to place business in the hotels presented at the show (4.0). Ratings: 5- Very likely, 4 - likely, 3 – Moderately likely, 2 – Slightly likely 1 – Not at all likely

Conventa Addendum

HOSTED BUYERS ABOUT CONVENTA “I would like to warmly thank you for giving me the opportunity to discover both your wonderful city of Ljubljana as well as attend Conventa. It was really a great experience and I am very enthusiastic about all I have seen, heard, tasted and experienced. I can’t wait to come back and to bring ESC sub-specialty congresses to Ljubljana!” Valérie Thiollet, Specialty Congress Production, European Society of Cardiology (2014)

“The fact that I come to the Conventa show and find all the partners in the region at the show, means I can do in an hour, maximum two days, what would take me five days or even more to do as I would have to travel among other countries in the region. So in this way I can bring the South East European countries together; all the partners are at the table and I can seal the deal in a couple of hours.” Linda Pereira, Senior Partner and CEO of the L&I Communications Group (2011) “Conventa is a top quality event to meet prime partners at. The trade show lets you know the potential South East Europe has to host future meetings.” Efrain Pardo, HelmsBriscoe, Czech Republic (2012) “As a professional meeting planner I’m being continuously asked for something different, value-centred. I firmly believe that South East Europe can provide answers to many of these needs. Go there and check it out. I know you will be more than satisfied!” Patrick M Delaney, Director at Ovation Global DMC (2012) “I would like to thank you for the invitation to be your guest in the city. I know I postponed my visit for a long time, but I am glad I was there. You are great people, with an amazing and charming approach, and you made me fall in love with the country, city, and the people. I am glad I made the decision to stay here for an extra 2 days so I could also walk around and have 1 or 2 more meetings. I am sure I will be able to bring congresses to you - you are unique.” Eyal Halevy, Paragon Group, Switzerland (2014)

I was delighted to attend Conventa - one of the best-organised events. Everything was outstanding: people, business opportunities, attractions, networking, food, wine. The highest quality in a small country. Congratulations! I will come back with my clients! Malgorzata Maleszewska, MICE manager, FCM Travel Express, Poland (2015) Thanks to exceptionally good organization, content, meetings and most of all attitude of whole team around Miha Kovacic, Slovenia is becoming leader and leading destination of Southeast European region in tourism. Michal Šíma, IITours, Czech Republic (2015) I have attended many ‘hosted buyers events’ during my many years of organizing meetings and events for the Telcos in Europe, but this was one of my best, may be The Best. Terje Tondel, Managing Director, ETIS (2015) “I would like to thank you all ( staff & management ) for the great efforts and cooperation that shown during Conventa 2015.Without your good arrangements and high ethics this event would not succeed … actually I enjoy a lot with program and team building activities .. As well Ljubljana is a great distention. I made a lot of business contacts and friends. Thank you so much. Hope to see you again next year! Wish you all the best and Good luck!” Rasha Mashal, General Manager, Creative Tours –Part of Al-Munjed Group, 2015

Conventa Addendum

BOOSTING NEW EUROPE THROUGH THE CONVENTA WILD CARD New European countries are one of a new breed of destinations attracting interest from the meeting and events industry. To present the entire region of New Europe with a wide range of meeting industry providers, the Conventa trade show from 2011 onwards offers meetings industry providers coming from countries with a lower trade per capita the opportunity to apply for the Conventa wild card. 8 The Conventa wild card programme is designed to help new or emerging meeting providers to enter the global meeting industry market and therefore increase the competitiveness of the entire region of New Europe. The Conventa free wild card in the past focused on South East European countries and granted the meeting industry providers coming from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey, who had never before exhibited at Conventa, an opportunity to present their offer at the Conventa show free-ofcharge. This was a chance for the winners to build important contacts through pre-scheduled appointments and numerous networking opportunities at Conventa, thus building potential partnerships for the future. In 2015 Conventa opened the wild card programme to all New European countries with a lower trade per capita.

The Novi Sad Fair – Congress Centre Master, Serbia “We met hosted buyers with real buying power at Conventa and learnt about our competitors and best practices in the meeting industry.” Dragana Baturan of Novi Sad Fair

2012

SC MC Transylvania SRL, Romania

Conventa wild card winners through the years

2011

The Tourist Service Municipal Enterprise, Bulgaria “Winning the Wild Card Programme presents a great opportunity for a small DMC like us to make itself known and promote a “product” that deserves to be exposed in the MICE business. When it comes to promotion, our work is endless! Participating at a trade show like Conventa in only “accelerating” the process!” Jean Michel Corbet, SC MC Transylvania SRL, Romania Fortuna Trade Tours, Bosnia and Herzegovina

“Winning the Conventa wild card gave us the opportunity to learn about the global meetings market and exchange best practices with other participants.” Stoyan Lazarov of the Municipal Enterprise.

“Participation gave us the chance to present our products and services to potential clients and make new long-term business cooperation (and follow-up after attending Conventa), as well as present new packages to our already existing partners which are exhibiting at Conventa.” Mili Bijavica, Fortuna Trade Tours, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Conventa Addendum

2013

2015

“The Wild card programme gave us a chance to explore the market outside of Serbia. It gave us a chance to connect with both clients from the region and our colleagues from the meeting industry in order to expand and improve our services.” Milena Čolaković, Zira Hotel Beograd

„Carnet de Voyage tailor made Croatia is very proud to be selected as Conventa wild card winner for 2015. Although Carnet de Voyage is a new brand on the market, we appreciate that Conventa team recognized our potential and fresh approach to our clients. It is a great push forward for our agency. We believe Conventa 2015 is beginning of a great friendship and partnership.“ Katarina Marić, Managing Director at Carnet de Voyage

Zira Hotel Beograd, Serbia

ExploringMacedonia.com, Macedonia “Conventa, as the leading business-to-business event in the area, is a valuable opportunity for every business tourism oriented company from the region. We are glad that Conventa supports and gathers industry professionals at an event that is building tradition, know-how and expertise for a global competence of the South East European region on the business travel world map. We perceive Conventa Wild Card Programme as an outstanding possibility to increase our brand awareness not only to Exploringmacedonia.com as a tourism portal, but in general for Macedonia as the unexplored MICE destination in the region. Following Conventa in the last years, we really appreciate the opportunity to be the first Macedonian PCO on Conventa broadening the networking possibilities and enriching Conventa’s regional list of participants.” Despina Kozarovska, Exploringmacedonia.com

Caranet de Voyage, Croatia

Thessaloniki Convention Bureau, Greece “Participating at a trade show like Conventa is an outstanding opportunity to take advantage of the platform that Conventa offers to us to increase brand awareness in order to place Thessaloniki in the international map of the MICE industry .” Efi Koudeli, General Manager of the Thessaloniki Convention Bureau Tourist organization of Budva, Montenegro

2014

Tourist Organization of Subotica, Serbia “We perceive the Conventa Wild Card Programme as an outstanding possibility to increase the awareness of Subotica as the unexplored, emerging MICE destination in the region. To present our offer to the wide audience of international buyers in only two days is something that we could only dream of but could not afford. With the Conventa Wild Card Programme we can put Subotica on the business travel world map.” Branka Banjanin, Subotica Tourist Organisation Radon Plaza hotel, Bosnia and Herzegovina “Wild card gave us a possibility to establish ourselves as a permanent exhibitor at Conventa in the upcoming years.” Ðenan Riković, Radon Plaza Hotel

“The Tourism organisation of Budva is very pleased to gain the opportunity to present the region of Budva municipality as an attractive and interesting destination for congresses, meetings and incentive trips organisers. We share Conventa’s philosophy that face to face meetings provide the best and most effective way of informing prospective buyers and media about the destination and the possibilities it offers in terms of hosting events of any kind. Since Conveta represents one of the most important events of its kind in this part of Europe, we hope that our participation will help us accumulate more interest in Budva as a MICE destination.” Jelena Gluščević, Manager at Tourism Organisation of Budva

Conventa Addendum

CONVENTA AWARDS OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS CONVENTA HALL OF FAME AWARD

Conventa wants to encourage stakeholders in the field of tourism to contribute to the development of the meetings industry of South East & Central Europe through their work, knowledge and ideas. With the “Conventa Hall of Fame” award organisers annually recognise an individual who, through his or her extraordinary and invaluable efforts, has made a significant mark and has affected the development of the meetings industry.

The Conventa Hall of Fame award went to: Tomaž Krušič, CEO of Intours DMC (2015) Andrea Leitner, Director of Conventionland of Kärnten (2014) Barbara Vajda, former Director of the Ljubljana Tourism (2013) Bogdan Lipovšek, Director of Union Hotels (2012) Nikica Račić, Director of Croatian Convention Bureau (2011)

AMBASSADOR OF CONVENTA

In 2014 the Conventa Academy for the first time honoured a promoter of Conventa and granted him the title of ‘Conventa Ambassador’. The award was dedicated to Conventa’s longstanding partner and the greatest ambassador of the trade show, Rok Klančnik (1966 - 2013). From the beginning Klančnik took care of the promotion of the trade show as Head of the Slovenian Tourist Board representation in Brussels and he was the greatest ambassador of Conventa. The first international ambassador of Conventa was Timo Heinaro from the Finnish Agency Fincentive. The second international ambassador in 2015 was Paul Kennedy, MBE Director and Owner of Kennedy Integrated Soultions.

MEETING STAR AWARD

Since 2012, Kongres Magazine, media partner of Conventa, has been acknowledging outstanding contributions in the field of marketing communication of destinations, congresses, events and meetings industry suppliers in South East Europe. The Meetings Star award is a visible recognition of creativity, knowledge and effort based on team-work and experiences that brought clear and measurable results.

Winners in 2015

Istanbul – Top Destination of 2014 Salzburg Congress – Top Convention Centre of 2014 Park Hyatt Vienna – Top Luxury city meeting hotel of 2014 Crowne Plaza Belgrade – Top Premium city meeting hotel of 2014 Hotel Bellevue – Top Luxury resort meeting hotel of 2014 Valamar Lacroma – Top premium resort meeting hotel of 2014

Winners in 2014 Prague - Top Destination of 2013 Cankarjev dom - Top Convention centre of 2013 Metropol Palace Belgrade - Top Luxury city meeting hotel of 2013 Kempinski hotel Zoografski - Top Premium city meeting hotel of 2013 Kempinski Palace – Top Luxury resort meeting hotel of 2013 Hotel Dubrovnik Palace – Top premium resort meeting hotel of 2013

Winners in 2013

Ljubljana, Graz and Zagreb – The Best SEE Meetings Destinations of 2012 Hotel Esplanade (Zagreb) - Luxury city meetings hotel of the year 2012 Hotel Dubrovnik Palace - Premium meetings hotel of the year 2012 Kempinski Palace Hotel Portorož - Luxury meetings resort hotel of the year 2012 Grand Hotel Union Executive - Premium city meetings hotel of the year 2012

Winners in 2012

Miloš Milovanović, Serbia Convention Bureau Kongres Marketing Personality of the year 2011 Centre of Business Tourism, Daniela Kos - Meeting Industry Marketing Agency of the year 2011 Anže Čokl, Bohinj Park EKO Hotel - Young Meeting Industry Creative Professional of the year 2011 Jezeršek House Catering, product campaign Taste the world - Best Overall Product Marketing Campaign of the year 2011

Conventa Addendum

10 FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CONVENTA EXPERIENCE 2.

A closed event that is an essential meeting point of cherry-picked buyers and New European meeting providers.

A trade show organised in a cost- and time-efficient manner.

Never just a number. An individual approach is what Conventa swears by. You will find the personal touch at every step of the way.

A place filled with energy, warmth and great hospitality!

Pre-scheduled Oneto-One meetings were you get to know every potential business partner in person.

Personally experiencing meeting destinations on fam trips.

Social events where exhibitors and hosted buyers can mix and business match even further in a more relaxed atmosphere.

Educational modules tailor-made for exhibitors and hosted buyers.

Friendly and professional Conventa staff available to every guest 24/7.

10.

Tradition, trust, high standards and high satisfaction rate. In seven years 888 exhibitors from 17 countries and 1,702 hosted buyers from 45 countries have conducted 20,668 meetings at Conventa.

Conventa Addendum

CONVENTA MEET BUSTER

MYTH: CONVENTA IS THE WORLDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S VERY FIRST TRADE SHOW. PARTLY CONFIRMED: Conventa is always the first - the first to open the annual trade show season, that is, as it is traditionally organised every January.

MYTH: OVER THE YEARS CONVENTA HAS HOSTED AROUND 1,000 HOSTED BUYERS AND FACILITATED 10,000 MEETINGS. BUSTED: In seven years Conventa has hosted 888 exhibitors and 1,702 hosted buyers. Over the years 20,668 one2one meetings have been held during the show.

MYTH: CONVENTA HELPS MEETING PLANNERS AND MEETING PROVIDERS SAVE MONEY. CONFIRMED: Only at Conventa does an investment of 55 EUR brings hosted buyers VIP treatment worth 1,200 EUR, while exhibitors pay only 9 Euros for a lead, which is one-tenth of the price paid by the exhibitors at other major trade shows.

MYTH: CONVENTA ACCEPTS ONLY MEETING PROVIDERS FROM SOUTH EAST EUROPE. BUSTED: In 2015 Conventa also opened its exhibition floor to meeting providers coming from New Europe and immediately attracted exhibitors from Greece, Azerbaijan and Russia.

MYTH: COFFEE AT CONVENTA IS ON THE HOUSE. CONFIRMED: Conventa invites all guests for a good cup of coffee. In 2015, around 2,500 cups of coffee were served by the Bernardin Group Resorts & Hotels.

MYTH: CONVENTA IS A HOSTED-BUYER DRIVEN SHOW. CONFIRMED: Conventa is solely a hosted-buyer driven show where each exhibitor on average concludes 24 One2One meetings with quality hosted buyers.

MYTH: THE NUMBER OF DESTINATIONS AT CONVENTA HAS NOT INCREASED OVER THE YEARS. BUSTED: The number of countries meeting providers come from has doubled over the years.

MYTH: HOSTED BUYERS AT CONVENTA ARE ALWAYS THE SAME. BUSTED: Every year around 82 % of buyers are new at Conventa.

MYTH: IT NEVER SNOWS DURING CONVENTA.

BUSTED: The idea of Conventa was born in a more relaxed atmosphere, not while drinking coffee, but while drinking beer!

BUSTED: Conventa loves winter time. Did you know that in Ljubljana the snow is typically at its deepest on January 25, with a median depth of 12.5 cm, and that the depth exceeds 30.9 cm only one year out of ten? The snowiest Conventa was the 5th Conventa.

MYTH: CONVENTA EXHIBITOR STANDS ARE MADE OUT OF WOODEN CRATES.

MYTH: ONCE IN A WHILE PEOPLE ALSO FALL IN LOVE AT CONVENTA.

MYTH: THE IDEA OF CONVENTA WAS A STRATEGIC DECISION MADE AT A PARTNERS MEETING.

CONFIRMED: Conventa stands are made of wooden crates from naturally dried domestic pine that are being re-used each year. It takes around 3,200 wooden crates to set up all of the Conventa stands.

MYTH: CONVENTA STRIVES TO BE AS SUSTAINABLE AS POSSIBLE. CONFIRMED: Conventa is fully committed to reducing the negative environmental impacts of the trade show by implementing sustainable practices that add value to every participant and to the local community. In 2011, Conventa won the Sustainable Stand Award at EIBTM.

MYTH: HOSTED BUYERS AND EXHIBITORS ARE SATISFIED WITH CONVENTA. CONFIRMED: On a scale from 1-5, average satisfaction with the show is 4.42 (hosted buyers) and 4.27 (exhibitors).

MYTH: HOSTED BUYERS TRAVEL SHORT DISTANCES TO COME TO CONVENTA. BUSTED: The farthest distance a hosted buyer travelled to come to Conventa 2015 was 7,690 km.

CONFIRMED: Conventa is a matchmaking platform in every sense of the word. A hosted buyer from Italy who met a buyer from Russia at Conventa 2015 is now getting married to her in Slovenia.

Conventa Addendum

WHY EVERY SERIOUS MEETING PLANNER SHOULD TRY FOR A HOSTED BUYER STATUS AT CONVENTA In 7 years 1,702 hosted buyers from 45 countries have attended Conventa in search of the new and as yet undiscovered meetings destinations of New Europe.

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

In 2016, meeting planners will be able to meet face-to-face with the more than 140 meeting providers from New Europe coming to Conventa to present their meetings offer.

THE NUMBERS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

The satisfaction survey conducted after Conventa 2015 showed: 21.6 pre-scheduled meetings per hosted buyer on average 34.5 actually realised meetings throughout the show and social events per hosted buyer 4.29 out of 5 rating of hosted buyers’ satisfaction with the content of the meetings 4.35 out of 5 rating of hosted buyers’ satisfaction with networking opportunities 5 out of 5 rating for 2 out of the 6 fam trips organised for hosted buyers

CONVENTA OFFERS THE FULL PACKAGE Conventa Experience = Endless business opportunities + Emerging destinations + Education + Entertainment + Energy + Emotions The hosted buyer programme is a VIP, tailor-made programme carefully put together to satisfy even the most demanding of meeting planners’ needs. All meeting planners have to do is apply for the programme. The Conventa team does the rest - planning, booking and organising. No fuss, no muss.

Almost 89 % of hosted buyers said that their participation absolutely met their expectations. Did your participation meet your expectations?

HOSTED BUYER STATUS OFFERS : Complimentary air ticket

Economy return ticket from selected destinations within Europe.

Overnight accommodation

In one of the Ljubljana’s finest congress hotels.

On-ground transfers

Airport, venue, hotel.

Gourmet meals

The best catering companies present their culinary masterpieces at working lunches & evening receptions.

Networking opportunities

All the Conventa social gatherings are designed in a way to bring together exhibitors and hosted buyers and offer them new opportunities for networking in a more relaxed atmosphere.

One2One meetings

Personal itinerary of appointments that can be pre-scheduled.

Fam trips

Study tours to different meetings destinations are organised before and after the show. It’s a personal experience of the destination one simply must have in order to understand the destination in full.

New knowledge

Fresh educational modules organised throughout Conventa are a great way to acquire new knowledge and catch up with the trends in the meetings industry.

Support of the Conventa team

A professional team always ready to make hosted buyers feel like they’re at home.

Meeting planners can apply for hosted buyer status at www.conventa.si/hosted-buyers.

88.9 % yes, absolutely 11.1% yes, partly

Three quarters of hosted buyers agreed their itinerary fully met their business objectives. Did the itinerary meet your business objectives?

74.6% yes, absolutely 25.4% most likely

In the future, hosted buyers will highly likely place business in the destination. How likely are you to place future business in: (1 – not at all likely, 5 – very likely)

The destina- The hotels tion 4.41 4.19

The venues 4.00

The activities 4.02

Conventa Addendum

A SIMPLE GUIDE TO MAXIMUM EXPOSURE AT CONVENTA Conventa offers 365-day marketing support to all those exhibiting at the show. The basic steps to increasing visibility and creating a buzz before, during and after the show are: CONVENTA GAINED NEW DIMENSIONS AND WELCO MED THE NEW WORLD

WELCOME RECEPTION

ACADEMY CONVENTA

MEETING STAR AWARD

7 TH NEW EUROPE EXHIBITION FOR MEETINGS, EVENTS & INCENTIVE TRAVEL

CONVENTA, SEVEN YEARS OF SUCCESSFULLY CONNECTING THE REGION

21. 01. 2015

CONVENTA 2009 - 2015 IN NUMBERS

1702 Hosted Buyers from 45 countries 888 Exhibitors from 17

countries

20,668 one2one meetings 137 Journalists / 87 Media partners 4.27 Overall satisfaction with

show (exhibitors on a scale 1 - 5)

4.42 Overall satisfaction with

Katja Jemec

show (hosted buyers on a scale 1 - 5)

Conventa, New Europe exhibition for meetings, events and incentives, has opened its doors today. With new dimensions, new opportunities and a new personal best, the seventh edition brings to Ljubljana the highest number of international meetings planners and meeting providers in the history of the show.

CONVENTA 2016 Don’t miss the leading business-tobusiness event for NEW EUROPE! See you in Ljubljana, at Conventa, from 20 to 21 January 2016.

into the project over the years, the decision to remain a boutique show and the personal approach Conventa swears by, has placed the show among the top European events for the meetings industry. Zdravko Počivalšek, Minister of Economic Development and Technology of the Republic of Slovenia said: “Over the past six years, Conventa has proven to be the leading businessto-business event in the meetings industry in the region, and the best event for meeting prime partners in the MICE business.” Continue on next page -->

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Miha Kovačič, Director of Slovenian Convention Bureau and Organizer of Conventa: “The 7th edition calls itself New Europe and it comes big. More than 130 exhibitors from 15 countries are presenting their offer to more than 160 carefully selected hosted buyers from 31 countries. Although we exceeded all expectations, Conventa is all about quality, not quantity.” From the outset Conventa has strived to connect the region and encouraged the growth of Central and South East European meetings industry. The hard work put

The slogan of Conventa is Explore, Meet, Create. With a reason. Conventa offers you fantastic opportunity to explore the New Europe, Meet solution providers from the region and Create new relationships that will enable you to offer new programs to your clients. Miha Kovačič, Exhibiton Organiser

COMPANY DESCRIPTION in One2One system and the Conventa Catalogue Write a good presentation of your company that will help you establish quality contacts with hosted buyers and will contribute to your successful performance at the trade show.

Only a few hours away from Frankfurt or London lies half of Europe that is open wide and is waiting for you to explore it. This trip will be full of positive surprises, meetings with the new convention bureaus, new meeting venues and service providers and last but not least opportunities for new connections between East and West, North and South. Gorazd Čad, Head of Marketing

ADVERTORIAL - Good practice example in the Conventa Catalogue Show you’ve got what it takes! Select an example of good practice that will highlight your advantages. VIDEO INTERVIEW: Conventa Chat Room Become a TV star and be the guest of a 120 second interview recorded in a studio at the event. The video will reach a wide audience, as it will be distributed across all of the Conventa and Kongres magazine’s channels.

Enjoy in discovering NEW European meeting destinations at Conventa 2015!

Join the #Conventa online conversation and stay updated on the latest news!

SHORT INTERVIEW – Who is Who at Conventa Generate further interest in you and your company. Give interesting and fun answers to the questions in the ‘Who is Who at Conventa’ section of the catalogue. NEWS in Conventa Daily Introduce yourself in the print and digital version of Conventa Daily, the trade show newspaper that is read by every participant.

7th EXHIBITION FOR MEETINGS, EVENTS & INCENTIVE TRAVEL 21 - 22 january 2015

21.240

One2One meetings

VOLUME IX, ISSUE 1 // JANUARY 2015

years of SUCCESS

SPECIAL ISSUE CONVENTA CATALOGUE

ADVERTORIAL Conventa Guide in the Conventa Catalogue Short and sweet: thematic presentations of partners and their offer.

years of results

887

exhibitors from 17 countries

1.686

hosted buyers from 45 countries

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW – Voice from the Top Share your thoughts and opinions. Choose the in-depth interview where meetings industry leaders present their own story of success. ADVERTORIAL – different options to choose from A little promotion goes a long way, from destination presentations and product presentations to classical PRs and ADs. The Conventa catalogue is the best publication to attract further attention and maximize your presence at Conventa.

ISSN 1 8 5 5 - 8 6 1 5

9 771855 861009

www.kongres-magazine.eu

Exhibitors at Conventa are granted special discounts for all of the above mentioned services, while the Conventa team will gladly offer them free advice and help with preparing their individual marketing mix. For further information please write to gorazd@conventa.info.

Conventa Addendum

IS IT WORTH IT? RETURN ON INVESTMENT OF EXHIBITING AT CONVENTA In 2015, more than 55 percent of exhibitors said their participation absolutely met their expectation and more than 60 percent of them would recommend the show to their industry colleagues! A tradeshow is a marketing and sales investment. As with any investment one should expect a return on investment. This table includes a series of simple tools to assist exhibitors in planning for a trade show and to measure performance in delivering a return-on-investment of exhibiting at Conventa.

ROI OF EXHIBITING AT CONVENTA ROI CRITERIA

INDICATOR

RESULT

ACTIVITY 2016

SAVING MONEY

On average an exhibitor gets 15 sales leads.

Conventa guarantees 250 hosted buyer contacts worth 3,250 EUR.

With stricter criteria for hosted buyers Conventa will generate more profitable contacts.

SAVING TIME

Time needed for preparation and checking the contacts (60 minutes per meeting).

An exhibitor conducts on average 22 meetings and therefore saves 60 hours of precious time

Increasing the number of meetings with an additional calendar

ALMOST NO ADDITIONAL COST

Little additional costs for attending the show.

Exhibitor package includes fully equipped exhibition stand, meals and entrance to networking social events.

Upon request Conventa ensures special accommodation prices for exhibitors.

CHERRY-PICKED BUYERS

Exhibitor survey results show that 14 % of meetings are fruitful.

A minimum of 2.5 meetings are successful, which means per exhibitor a business worth 54,540 EUR.

Strict criteria for meetings planners to be granted hosted buyer status.

YEAR-ROUND PROMOTION - DIGITAL

Statistics of the web page (monthly).

Views: 9,500 Unique visitors: 7,450.

Integration of exhibitor’s stories on Conventa page and social media channels.

YEAR-ROUND PROMOTION - DIRECT

Statistics for direct marketing (yearly).

Open rate: 141,000 Unique opened: 55,000.

Integration of exhibitor’s stories in e-marketing campaigns.

FREE NETWORKING

Cost of Social networking.

All social events that bring together exhibitors and hosted buyers are included in the package.

VIP entrance pass for additional representative.

FREE EDUCATION

Cost of Education.

Educational programme is free of charge.

More tailor-made educational modules extended over three days.

INTEGRATED MARKETING

Media publications, media partners, Kongres/Conventa TV.

In seven years more than 70 media and 140 journalists have visited Conventa.

Exhibitor promotion through Conventa media partners. Onthe-spot exclusive interviews.

BUILDING YOUR BRAND THROUGH THE CONVENTA BRAND

Loyal partners and exhibitors.

98 % of exhibitors return to Conventa.

Co-branding with Conventa – extensive promotion.

Conventa Addendum

PARTNERS ABOUT CONVENTA

The Ljubljana Tourism & Convention Team, as well as the whole destination, perceives Conventa not only as an established regional Show, but primarily as The Experience of New Europe. Next year, our city holds the prestigious title of ‘European Green Capital 2016’, which gives us the privilege to further enhance Ljubljana’s reputation as a fresh destination and a hub for creative ideas. We recognize the high value of the Conventa Show by endorsing its development and contributing to its originality as an important partner since its very beginning, adding that over the years it has evolved into one of the most relevant regional meetings industry business events on the European market. Through Conventa’s constant growth, which also embodies quality and innovation, we recognize our partnership as one of our major marketing projects at the destination level, which helps in boosting Ljubljana’s brand and visibility on the international meetings industry market and wider. PETRA STUŠEK, Managing Director, Ljubljana Tourism

“After Conventa’s 7th year the CD Congress Centre recognises this exhibition as one of the key events of its kind by reason of its location (venue located in our home town of Ljubljana) and high quality, with a distinctive mark of being environmentally friendly and highlighting a part of Europe (New Europe) which previously was not so well recognised in the world of the meetings industry.” , Congress & Event Management, CD Congress Centre Ljubljana.

‘’Conventa offers many new opportunities and by that it unlocks new sources of business connections. Let’s face it - no type of advertising can be a substitute for face-toface meetings and the Conventa concept of offering this is a simple and most effective one. Conventa changed the MICE world in Slovenia!’’ , General Manager, Union Hotels

“We have collaborated with Conventa from its very beginnings. The seventh show in a row, it speaks of tradition and development, especially regarding geographic expansion to South-East Europe, this year for the first time among the convention services providers from Greece, Azerbaijan, and Russia. We are deeply honoured that each year it has taken place at our venue, the GR - Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre. Here we present ourselves with our exhibition space, promoting the largest convention centre in Slovenia with 20 multipurpose halls. Actually, we are ahead of other providers, because buyers get to discover us live as the Conventa venue. At the same time, they can see our innovative sustainable stands, the building blocks of Conventa. It is a system made of wooden boxes that has been remarked upon in the meetings industry as a huge opportunity for decreasing costs and creating unique sales and marketing opportunities. The model of the stands already won the Sustainable Stand Award at EIBTM 2011, a global meetings & events exhibition, and it became one of the finalists for the prestigious AIPC Innovation Award 2015. Conventa = GR!” IZTOK BRICL, M. Sc. Econ., CEO, GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre

“The Conventa Trade Show has been known among key providers and clients of business or congress events at the European and global level for a long time. The annual event, whose reputation grows by the year, particularly among the professional target public, is a meeting place for more than one hundred providers of congress services in South-Eastern Europe and clients from right across Europe and the world. The Conventa trade show is one of the key business events of Slovenian tourism, which places Slovenia at the top of professionally organised events and thus strengthens the image of the country as an excellent host of important business and tourist events. In 2016, when the Conventa trade show will again be held in Slovenia’s capital, the sustainable aspect of the show will be another factor in the positioning of the event and Slovenian tourism, which is acquiring a special importance. Some years ago, the organisers of the Conventa realised that the orientation of the event towards sustainable development and marketing is essential for the attainment of the desired image among the domestic and foreign public. The commitment to going green will have added significance in 2016, when Ljubljana will hold the title of the European Green Capital. The Conventa trade show again proves the importance of personal communication between providers and potential clients, which remains indispensable, despite growing digitalisation.” , MSc, Head of the Tourism Division at SPIRIT Slovenia

TH NEW EUROPE EXHIBITION FOR MEETINGS, EVENTS & INCENTIVE TRAVEL

Explore the emerging destinations of Europe over a cup of coffee

THE BOUTIQUE MEETINGS MARKET IS BACK AND THIS TIME IT’S PERSONAL Once you’ve seen what CONVENTA can do for you in two days you’ll never want aything else.

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20 - 21 JANUARY 2016, Ljubljana—Slovenia