KONGRES MAGAZINE MTLG2016

/08/ TOP 10 COUNTRIES TO WATCH IN 2016 Slovak Republic, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia, Romania, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia And Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece /24, 50, 80/ MEET BUSTERS Prague, Dubrovnik, Soča Valley

/49/ KONGRES FACE 2FACE Prague vs. Istanbul

/190/ CONVENTA EXPERIENCE New edition 2016

PLANNERS’ GUIDE 2016 /57/ MEETINGS STAR 2016 RANKING National Destinations 2016 Regional Destinations 2016 Tourist Destinations 2016

www.kongres-magazine.eu SPECIAL ISSUE // MEETOLOGUES 2016 // May 2016

NEW EUROPE MEETINGS INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

ENT INDEPENDS W REVIE

63

2016 EDITION

Let’s Meet in NEW EUROPE

A TALE OF TWO CITIES —

Let your business demonstrate its flare and imagination by choosing Istanbul as your next meeting destination.

Istanbul is uniquely positioned, geographically and historically, to inspire and connect people like you to a cultural backdrop of the old and new.

A tale of two cities makes Istanbul like no other.

icvb.org

READ MORE MT

OUR SELECTION

LG'S www.kongres-m eetologue.eu

Page 82 Fresh Meetologues 2016 Green Karst Schladming Košice High Tatras Tirana Upper Savinja Valley Subotica

Page 20 In Focus Who Is The Best Land Of The All?

Page 150 Off The Beaten Mice Track Trieste Tram “El Tram De Opicina” The Union Experience Nikola Tesla Experience Tatre Sherpas A Tokaj Adventure An Incentive For The Heart Padre Craft Beers

Page 52 A Sense Of Escape - Boutique Istanbul Eresin Crown Hotel 10 Karaköy Vault Karaköy Levni Hotel & Spa

Page 164 Voice From The Top Nina Erneker, Head Of Bratislava CVB Iveta Ninajova, Kosice CVB Page 170 Quick Talk Interview With Destination Leaders

GORAZD ČAD Editor of the magazine is in his profession a geographer and historian.

He united his professional education and love of discovering new lesser-known convention destinations with love and passion for the meetings industry. In meetologues he will try to share his enthusiasm with the readers.

POLONA SIMŠIČ The knowledge and experience she accumulated with organisation of advertising festivals and conferences, she successfully transfers to the meetings industry. She tells stories of the project Conventa and takes care that they are always up to date and fresh.

NATALIJA BAH ČAD An unforgettable member in the editorial board of travelogues, who at each destination adds her icing on the cake. She has insight into the soul of destinations based on many years of practical experience with the organisation of events. She is interested in everything from the history, geography and destination marketing to care for the tiny little things that make the big events.

ROBERT COTTER Alongside his work for Kongres, Rob is a regular contributor to MPI’s One+ magazine as well as MICENET Asia and Eventbiz Japan. He attends international MICE events to seek out best practice and share this with the international meetings community.

NINA OZANIĆ Young and enthusiastic member of the team has realized quite early about her love for the meetings industry. During her study she gained theoretical knowledge and is now ready to show her skills and experience the joy of the meetings industry in all its grandeur.

MYSTERY SHOPPER A professional person with min. 15 years of international experience in the organisation of congresses and knowledge of hotel and hospitality management. In addition, our examiners have verified references in the field of quality assurance of their own work in the field of meetings industry, which provides an unbiased view.

Our hidden guests are objective, fair, accurate and reliable, and well-organised and pay attention to details.

READERS

Kongres magazine total unduplicated reach of 41.200 meeting professionals.

G www.facebook.com/kongres.magazine Editor in Chief Gorazd Čad Assistant to the Editor in Chief Nina Ozanič Design Nenad Cizl DTP and Prepress Premedia, Andrej Juvan Proofreading Rob Cotter ISSN Number 1855-8615 Photo credits: archive of Kongres magazine and partners destinations The Kongres magazine is entered into the media register under sequence number 1423.

Magazine issued in January; March; May; July; September; November

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Publisher, Production and Marketing Toleranca Marketing d.o.o., Štihova 4, SI-1000 Ljubljana, t: +386 (0)1 430 51 03 f: +386 (0)1 430 51 04 v e: gorazd.cad@toleranca.eu Issue date May 2016 For the content reproduction it is required to get the written editorial consigment.

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Kongres meetologue

MTLG - MEETOLOGUES OF NEW EUROPE NEW EUROPE WITH HIDDEN SURPRISES

Gorazd Čad, Editor, Kongres magazine

GO SOMEWHERE NEW AND BEAUTIFUL

T

he fairytale landscapes and images of Montenegro really caught my attention and my curiosity was further piqued by its many charming details. My road trip across the wider region was loaded with such moments, so much so that I realised, as I continued to drive through each new and stunning territory, that on the road in front of me revealing itself was … the fresh, modern, congress world of ‘New Europe’!

After the fall of the Iron Curtain there has been a lot of change: new borders, new countries and new meeting destinations, all of which have at times been overlooked and undervalued.

Within the matter of just a few years, however, we became the experts of this new region and were enthused to discover that our New Europe is an attractive and fresh destination, one that is full of positive traits that really help define it.

Prices are kinder than in the “Old Europe”, to start with; overnight stays are cheaper, people are properly genuine and friendly and on top of all this one of the most pleasant surprises is the really high quality cuisine. Chaos on the roads and heavy crowds are more the exception than

@gorazdcad

the rule, as the populations of these countries are smaller. And meeting industry organisers are excellent hosts and are part of a pleasant community of all the key people who know each other and who share an almost missionary faith in the potential of their industry.

Getting to our region is constantly getting better too. Airline companies have been focussing on expansion to the East and have improved accessibility, bringing New Europe ever closer.

Low cost carriers can whisk you from London to Skopje in just over two hours and starting at only €30. There is a lot to discover in New Europe, and being able to discover it is now easier than ever before.

This year we have added 15 new meetologues to over 50 existing ones. Our trip covered 20 countries once known as ‘Eastern Europe’ and also including Turkey. This is already a concrete and comprehensive choice that includes a diverse range of capital cities, regional centres and famous tourist destinations, but it is not just about numbers; the meetologues are among the most read columns in the Kongres Magazine and we present them objectively, comprehensively, independently and based on real economic and social conditions.

WHAT IS NEW EUROPE?

The answer to this question is something of an unsolved conundrum. A clear definition of New Europe doesn’t exist, the most general definition being that these are the countries of Eastern Europe that was once behind the Iron Curtain. Technically this means 24 countries of Eastern Europe, adding Greece and Turkey to them.

In our Editorial, we include the fresh, energetic and lesser-known European destinations to New Europe.

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In recent times these New European destinations have been attracting unparalleled levels of media attention, and no less so as a result of their meetings industry. Congress organisers are increasingly looking for new, undiscovered destinations. Our region boasts some excellent projects as well as agencies that have a worldwide reputation and who are working to find the right formula for success on the international meetings industry scene. The leading congress cities of New Europe – Prague, Budapest, Belgrade, Zagreb, Ljubljana and Bucharest – are all breathing down the necks of the established congress cities with their time-honoured traditions. The region’s meetings industry has passed through its early childhood years – it has now reached early puberty and has all the energy that that brings!

Yes, the meetings industry destinations of New Europe are full of energy. They believe in themselves. They know what they want. New Europe can only be understood once you feel its positive spirit of infinite possibilities.

MTLG 2016 will stimulate you and renew your congress energy. Can you afford not to be part of MTLG 2016?

Kongres meetologue

HOW TO EVALUATE AND DEFINE ‘THE BEST’ FROM Meeting planners, FOR Meeting planners Key to evaluation criteria 2016

Destination evaluations are based on thorough analyses of different criteria. They have developed from interviews and surveys with over 1,200 event organisers from across Europe, work that showed us that congress destinations are comparable and helped us to form a unique model of evaluation. A mixture of factors that we have been evaluating since 2010 can affect the entire meeting experience for both congress organisers and participants.

During our years of assessment, three basic categories were formed, which are related to the size of a destination: - National Meeting Destinations destinations: with more than 150,000 inhabitants - Regional Meeting Destinations destination: with less than 150,000 inhabitants - Local Meeting Destinations destinations: with less than 20,000 inhabitants

Each category has its own standards, with important professional and other comparable criteria also playing a major role.

Listed below are the main groups of criteria that have been divided into subgroups.

A. Natural and cultural factors A

C. Tourist infrastructure C

E. Subjective grade E

B. General and transport infrastructure B

D. Meetings infrastructure D

F. F Marketing buzz 1. Destination brand perception 2. Brand and corporate identity of CVB 3. New or innovative 4. Destination advertising 5. Direct communication 6. Digital communication 7. Mobile communication 8. Content marketing 9. Events 10. Social network and community

1. Natural diversity 2. Climate and Weather 3. Social environment 4. Cultural heritage 5. Natural experience index 6. Historical sites 7. Architecture 8. Accessibility to nature 9. Sustainability satisfaction 10. Quality of ecosystem 1. Destination safety 2. Accessibility - road 3. Accessibility - air 4. Accessibility - rail 5. General public services 6. Airport 7. Public transport 8. Financial institutions 9. Internet access 10. Pollution index

1. Restaurant scene 2. Variety of bars and coffee shops 3. Nightlife 4. Leisure activities 5. Adrenaline activities 6. Sports activities 7. Shopping 8. Fun parks, casinos 9. Theatres, musical venues, cinemas 10. Tourist information system 1. History and references 2. Variety of meeting suppliers 3. Quality of meeting hotels 4. Convention and exhibition centres 5. Ratio of 4 and 5***** hotel rooms 6. Incentive programmes 7. Professionalism of meetings industry 8. Diversity of offer 9. Effective convention bureau activities 10. Support services

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1. Political stability 2. Security ratings 3. General support to meetings industry 4. Cost/Value 5. Destination competitiveness 6. Personal experience 7. Local hospitality 8. E-services 9. First Impression 10. Destination image

Kongres meetologue

WHO IS THE MYSTERY MEETING PLANNER? A professional person who has years of experience as meeting planner.

Required skills and competencies to ensure objectivity are: • Min. 15 years of international experience in the meetings industry • K nowledge of international standards and specific knowledge of control standards (DIN (Deutsche Industry Norm), and others; • K nowledge of trends in the meetings industry in both the domestic and international markets; • Identifying the specific needs and preferences of meeting planners • K nowledge of all the necessary elements for guest satisfaction (technical specifications, catering services, additional services, security etc,).

In addition, our examiners have a checked reference in the field of quality assurance of their own work in the meetings industry, which provides an unbiased view on behalf of the client and the maximum reliability of the method. Our hidden meeting planners are objective, fair, accurate and reliable, as well as being well-organised and paying attention to detail.

With different destinations we evaluate over 70 criteria that are described in detail below.

They form the final destination grade or the‚ MEETINGS EXPERIENCE INDEX‘, as we like to call it. The best destinations are annually recognised on the main stage of the Conventa Trade Show.

A. Natural and cultural factors Factors that are vital for the development of the meetings industry, because events are usually focussed on the more appealing destinations.

We grade everything from regional diversity, climate conditions and social attractiveness to architecture, historical sites and the attitude towards continual development of the market.

The whole picture gives us an image of the diversity of a destination and is an important criteria for its attractiveness.

B. General and transport infrastructure This includes analytic assessment of infrastructure and public realm tidiness, which reflects the quality of living for residents and consequently also for congress guests. In this section we test everything from destination safety to road, air and rail connections. Other important criteria include public infrastructure, the network of financial institutions, internet access and a healthy and respectful attitude towards the enviroment.

C. Tourist infrastructure Without appropriate tourist infrastructure, the development of congress tourism is nearly imposible. The assesement shows if there is an appropriate quality and accessibility of hotel capacity, restaurants, cafes and nightlife. We also grade the recreational/sport offer as a basis for incentive programmes. On top of that, the cultural offer, tourist information and destination managment are also given full assessment.

D. Meetings infrastructure For many the most important part is grading the congress capacity. In this section we evaluate the standard palette of congress providers, congress hotels, congress centres, exhibition centres and focus on their quality. We want to know the number of appropriate 4 and 5 star

hotel room providers and, above all, that the incentive offer, business attitude and professionalism of congress providers is supportive of congress services and the activities of their local convention bureau.

E. Subjective grade Within the remit of subjective grading are a number of combined criteria that include political stability, destination safety and the attitude taken to congress tourism. We also assess the ratio between quality and price, the competitiveness of the destinaton, local hospitality and the destination‘s overall image. A lot of this boils down to the personal experience of the assessors.

F. Marketing buzz Despite impressively fulfilling the other criteria, proactive marketing can be the element that sorts the good from the great. This is why we assess the development of the entire marketing infrastructure in the field of direct, digital, social and traditional marketing.

An added value of our project it that we can then offer recomendations and suggestions on the further positive development of the destinations reviewed.

After evaluation, the destinations are then assigned one of five categories as follows: 5 excellent meetings destination 4 quality meetings destination 3 recommendable meetings destination 2 average meetings destination 1 so-so

MTLG 2016 - UPDATING OF THE METHODOLOGIES

E

very year the editorial board of Kongres magazine aims to further refine the Meetologue methodology in order to assure the most authentic score reflecting the genuine situation of congress destinations.

In 2015, we added the NUMBEO index of quality of life to the existing criteria, but as in recent years the quality of congress destinations has become heavily dependent on security, this year we went a step further and have included the most relevant assessment, the Global Peace Index, in the comparison. This index has classified countries according to 24 factors, including the prevalence of violence, organised crime and

military expenditure. Norway, a country known for promoting peace in the world, is at the top of the list and closely followed by New Zealand and Denmark, with countries like Iraq, Sudan, Israel and Russia at the bottom. The research carried out for the Economist Intelligence Unit, which is associated with The Economist weekly, was supported by among others the Tibetan Dalai Lama, the former US President Jimmy Carter and the US economist Joseph Stiglitz, all three Nobel Prize winners for peace.

Also new is a more realistic application of the ICCA methodology. When classifying destinations we took into account the ten-year average 7

number of events and participants, which was compared with the actual results for the year 2015. In doing this we have produced a scale that we believe reflects the actual situation. More information about this part of the analysis can be found in the magazine.

The best congress destinations will receive a Meetings Star 2016 award at Conventa 2017, the boutique trade show for meetings, events, congresses and incentives. Furthermore, we believe our assessments are truly objective and can assist event organisers, whilst also enabling destinations to improve the areas where the current situation is not at the level it should be.

10 Countries to Watch

SLOVAK REPUBLIC

WHERE TO GO

The charm of old Europe in a newly independent European country: no crowds, no slick marketing, no mass tourism. Slovakia is full of history. You will find old castles, chateaux and strongholds everywhere! Proudly standing on rocks or hidden in the woods, they look very romantic and majestic. It won’t stay like this for long…

In numbers Slovakia is a car-country. With more than 100 cars per 1,000 people they are the largest producer of cars if counted per person.

Slovak women marry the youngest (average 24 years old) within the European Union, along with Lithuanian and Polish women.

The average Slovakian woman has 1.33 children in her lifetime. This is one of the lowest rates in Europe.

For a small country, Slovakia has an amazing number of castles: 300

BULGARIA

Štrbske pleso in High Tatras: Gateway to many favourite tours in High Tatras, whose fresh air is known to be curative.

Pribylina, Vlkolinec, Cicmany: Open-air museum villages scattered all over Slovakia.

They showcase Slovakia’s folk history, architecture and life over the past centuries.

The most ... ~~ The highest mountains are the High Tatras - Vysoke Tatry has the highest peak, Gerlachovsky štit, at 2,655 m above sea level. ~~ The deepest and biggest lake is Vel’ke Hincovo jazero in the High Tatras at 53 m. ~~ The biggest cave complex is Demanovska jaskyna in the Low Tatras. ~~ The largest castle complex in the Central Europe is Spišský hrad in East Slovakia with more than 41,000 m 2. ~~ The biggest European river island with 132,612 ha is situated in Southern Slovakia and is called Žitný ostrov (The Rye Island).

Bratislava: The most beautiful parts of Bratislava are the Town Hall, St. Martins Cathedral, the Little Blue Church and Bratislava Castle.

Banska Stiavnica: The town of silver. People built giant mines there and they used to be very rich. Even today, the town looks exactly the same as a long time ago! The entire town is UNESCO protected.

Wooden churches in Eastern Slovakia: They were built of wood without using any nails in the 15th, 16th and 17th century. From more than 300 wooden churches there are now only a few left, which are UNESCO world heritage protected.

Land that has been hidden for many years from the world, has finally blossomed in all its glory.

Although small, it offers a lot to its visitors in all seasons: primal sandy beaches, attractive ski resorts, endless opportunities for hiking, mysterious monasteries and churches, and stunning historical monuments. Modern cities and remote rural areas, where traditional, slow pace of life of its warm people has not changed for centuries. One can only hope it will remain such for a long time.

In numbers 35.000 km marked hiking trails 9 UNESCO sites More than 200 hotels and 130 restaurants on the Black Sea Sunny Beach 333 bagpipes »gaidas« has the largest bagpipe orchestra in the world Top 5

What else to do Top 5

WHERE TO GO

~~ Taste “Slovenska Bryndza” – a Slovak national food speciality made of sheep cheese and with its trademark registered within the European Union. ~~ Taste a mix of white and red Slovak wines coming from the warmer southern regions, covering Malokarpatska, Juznoslo-venska, Nitrianska, Stredoslovenska, Vycholdoslovenska and Tokajska. ~~ Cruise on a traditional flatboat on Dunajec from Cerveny klasto in the Pieniny mountains. Pienniny are an ideal destination for kayakers and a paradise for cyclists.

Are you kiddin’ me?

Slovenia vs. Slovakia. These two countries have been mixed up since their independence. Slovakia was a part of Czechoslovakia and gained independence in 1993 when separating from the Czech Republic. Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Both countries are members of European Union since May 2004.

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Black Sea Coast boasts stunning beaches and picturesque bays.

Sofia is a dynamic city of the young with interesting museums, beautiful churches and gourmet restaurants.

Rila Monastery is known worldwide for its exceptional colourful frescoes.

Bulgaria, with its predominantly mountainous territory is a paradise for lovers of white slopes with its modern ski resorts Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo.

Infinite networks of well-marked hiking trails take visitors around the lush mountain and forest landscapes Vitosha, Rile and Rodopov.

10 Countries to Watch

REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

The most … ~~ Bulgaria is a country with the oldest name in Europe. ~~ Bulgaria produces half of all rose oil, which is added to perfumes worldwide. ~~ Lactobacillus bulgaricus, the bacterium used in the production of yogurt can be found only in Bulgarian air. ~~ Bulgaria proudly holds third place in the number of archaeological monuments, behind Italy and Greece. ~~ When Bulgarians shake their head, they really think “yes”, and when they nod their head, their answer is “no”.

What else to do ~~ Enjoy the colorful atmosphere of museums and stunning Roman amphitheatre that graces the old part of Plovdiv. ~~ Climb up to the peaks of Rile and enjoy the views of the crystal Seven Lakes. ~~ Relax your body and your eyes on the Sunny beach, the most popular Bulgarian sea resort. ~~ Belogardchika rocks, extending to as much as 30 kilometers will with their unusual forms and folk stories certainly stir your imagination. ~~ Enjoy a Bulgarian folk music concert, which touches every soul deeply.

Are you kiddin’ me?

According to the old farm tradition, at a funeral usually coins are placed on the dead person’s eyes and then soaked in water. Then they give the liquid to the men to drink and then allegedly they are made blind to the faults of their own wives.

WHERE TO GO

It’s so interesting to visit a country that has so much history yet at the same time is so new to the eyes of the modern world. Macedonia is such a country; it still has an air of mystery that makes this mountainous, off-the-beaten-path place such an intriguing destination and one of real discovery.

In numbers 5th Best in Starting a Business rankings – World Bank’s Doing Business 2013 Report Over 4,500 archaeological sites are registered in Macedonia A quarter of the population lives in the capital, Skopje On 26th August 1910, Mother Teresa was born in what is now Macedonia’s capital city The country has 34 mountain peaks each at a height of more than 2,000 metres above sea-level Catfish in Macedonian lakes can reach up to 200 kilos in weight Top 5 Skopje: The Macedonian capital. It’s a vibrant place that fuses history and the modern in an elusive way, a city that tells of the Macedonian way of life across the centuries and that will leave you itching for more.

Matka Canyon: This natural treasure of a canyon with well preserved natural and geographic characteristics is a phenomenon in which a number of rare and endemic species found their escape.

Kokino: One of the most popular archaeological sites and the fourth-oldest megalithic observatory in the world.

Ohrid: known for the hot summers, this is one of the most visited destinations in the Balkans.

Ohrid and the Ohrid Lake were designated World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Bitola: one of the oldest cities in Macedonia.

Known for its unique architecture and monuments, this is definitely a highlight when it comes to visiting Macedonia.

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The most... ~~ The Millennium Cross is a 66-metre high cross, the biggest cross in the world, set at the top of the Vodno Mountain in Skopje. ~~ Macedonian opium is one of the best in the world, with 14 morphine units, compared to Turkey’s 6, India’s 7, and China’s 8. ~~ Macedonia was the first country in the world to have full access to wireless broadband. ~~ The greatest conqueror in human history was the Macedonian Alexander The Great. He overthrew the Persian Empire, defeated the Greek city-states and carried Macedonian arms to India. ~~ According to NASA, Macedonia’s Kokino is fourth on the list of the planet’s oldest observatories.

What else to do ~~ Town of Kuklica: there is a legend of the ‘stone town’ of Macedonia that brings a lot of curious explorers to this rocky outpost. ~~ Visit Strumica Carnival, which is one of the most famous annual events that takes place in the city of Strumica. ~~ Try Tavče gravče, a traditional Macedonian dish prepared with fresh beans and that can be found in almost every restaurant in Macedonia and throughout the Macedonian diaspora. ~~ Visit the Mother Teresa Memorial House, which is dedicated to the humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate and located in her hometown of Skopje.

Are you kiddin’ me?

Since becoming an independent nation in 1991, Macedonia has had two flags. Both its first flag and the current flag feature a yellow sun on a red background. The first iteration was based on a symbol found on ancient tombstones discovered in 1977 in the town of Vergina. However, Vergina is in Greek Macedonia and Greece decided to claim that they owned the copyright of the symbol. As a compromise, and to restart trading with their Greek neighbours, Macedonia changed its flag to its current one from 1995.

10 Countries to Watch

SERBIA

WHERE TO GO

A unique country, full of warm hospitality and undiscovered paths. This land of surprising contrasts can boast the natural beauty of valleys and mountains, rivers and lakes, and in its turbulent history, it has also created a rich treasure trove of culture. To its original atmosphere certainly adds the fact that this is one of a few countries in which the people entertain and party just about any night of the week - and all the way to the morning too. Join them for a shot of šljivovica.

In numbers …

5 National Parks 4 UNESCO sites 1000 mineral springs The Danube passes 588 kilometres from the east to the west of Serbia Top 5 Belgrade is a charming city with a vibrant atmosphere that never sleeps.

Zlatibor: picturesque mountains of “golden pine” pamper the visitor with its rich folklore heritage.

Guča trumpet festival is one of the most authentic festivals of folk music in the world Novi Sad, an elegant city, which is not just like that, nicknamed “Serbian Athens”.

Vrnjačka Banja is the most celebrated Serbian spa, which is also a perfect base for visiting the most beautiful monasteries.

ROMANIA

The most … ~~ Serbia is the largest exporter, as much as two thirds of (best quality) raspberries in the world. ~~ The Economist magazine has awarded the prestigious title to Belgrade “City of the Future” of Southern Europe. ~~ Cathedral of St. Sava is the largest functioning Orthodox Church in the world. ~~ The Danube, linking the Serbian east and west, is the second largest European river. ~~ Opanke, Serbian national footwear, have their place in the Guinness Book of Records: largest such shoe measures 3.2 meters in length and weighs 222 kg.

What else to do ~~ Marvel Byzantine art in medieval monasteries Manasija, Sopoćani and Studenica. ~~ Ride the known, more than 1000 km long “Danube Bike Trail” or see the romantic Serbian countryside from a horseback. ~~ Refresh in the lake in the middle of Belgrade’s park Ada Ciganlija and indulge the hedonistic nightlife in the bohemian quarter Skadarlija. ~~ In winter or summer conquer beautiful peaks of Kopaonik, the most famous mountain resort. ~~ Replenish your tired senses in one of over 50 healthy havens in thermal resorts.

WHERE TO GO

Although still regarded by many as an ‘off the beaten track’ destination, Romania is a country full of surprises, folklore and exciting places that leave long lasting impressions in visitors’ minds. Often compared to a “Latin island in a Slavic sea”, Romania features a uniquely familiar feeling of Eastern Europe with the Latin temperament and friendliness of its people. Romania is probably also the last place in Europe where you can still see unspoiled and active countryside, with the traditional rural civilisation still alive.

In numbers Romania is the ninth largest wine producer in the world.

Bucharest’s mass transit network is the fourth largest in Europe.

Romania contains 60% of Europe’s Bears.

Bucharest is the sixth largest city in the EU. The Carpathian Mountains are home to one of the largest virgin forests in Europe, with 400 unique species of mammals.

TOP 5

Are you kiddin’ me?

Bucharest: the cityscape is vibrant, with Byzantine churches crumbling next to palatial Beaux-Arts town houses and minimalist International-style blocks.

In December, the town Zarožje saw a strong increase in sales of garlic, because the mayor issued a public warning about a possible hike of the legendary local vampire Sava Savanović, when the mill in which the vampire lived according to the tale, broke.

Bran Castle (Dracula Castle): Built by Saxons from Braşov in 1382 to defend the Bran pass against Turks, the castle may have housed Vlad Ţepeş.

City of Brasov: is home to the largest Gothic church between Vienna and Istanbul.

Sighisoara: is considered to be one of the most beautiful fortresses in Europe. It is located in the historic region of Transylvania. Central Sighisoara has preserved in an exemplary way the features of a small medieval fortified city and it has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

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10 Countries to Watch

ALBANIA

The Transfagarasan: one of the most spectacular roads in the world. This exquisite mountain road took 4 years to build between 1970 and 1974 during the reign of Nicolae Ceausescu.

The Most ... ~~ Europe’s second largest underground glacier, the Scarisoara glacier, is found underneath the Bihor Mountains in Romania. ~~ The Romanian Palace of Parliament in Bucharest is the second largest administrative centre in the world, second only to the Pentagon in the United States. ~~ Romania has the second-largest outdoor museum in the world – the Astra Museum in Sibiu features more than 300 buildings. ~~ The Danube to Black Sea canal in southeast Romania is the world’s third longest manmade navigation route, after the Suez and the Panama Canals. ~~ Romania is Europe’s richest country in terms of gold resources.

What else to do ~~ Visit the wonderful monasteries: the best place to start is in Bucovina, in northern Moldova. There is no other place in the world with so many Orthodox monasteries. ~~ Enjoy a beer at the Beer Wagon: a place where you can experience Romanian nightlife. It reminds one of why Bucharest was once called “Little Paris”. ~~ Explore the local agro markets: if you enjoy slow food you should definitely explore the Romanian local agro-markets. It doesn’t get more real than this. ~~ Drink Tuica: a traditional Romanian Drink made from plums and prepared using traditional methods.

Are you kiddin’ me?

Tucked away in a tiny village in the Maramures county, near the Ukrainian border, the Merry Cemetery (Cimitirul Vesel) is not only a very unique burial site, but also an open-air museum and a tourist attraction in its own right.

WHERE TO GO

Tirana, the capital, is a colourful, vibrant and noisy city, currently undergoing a major facelift with newly painted buildings and enjoyable squares.

In numbers There are some 750,000 concrete bunkers scattered around Albania Albania was declared the world’s first atheist state in 1967 Albania has 7 symphony orchestras, ten times more symphony orchestras per capita than Great Britain!

Albania fully or partly contains the 3 most important lakes of the Balkan (Lake Shkodra, Ohrid and Prespa) Lonely Planet ranked Albania as the number one recommended destination to visit in 2011 Besides Tosk, Albania’s official language, there are 7 other spoken languages, including Greek, Vlach, Romani, Macedonian, Aromanian and Serbo-Croatian

The most ... ~~ Albania, Armenia and the Vatican City are the only European countries without a branch of McDonald’s. ~~ Albania is one of Europe’s largest cannabis exporters. ~~ The Albanian language, as one of the 9 IndoEuropean languages, is one of Europe’s oldest and is not derived from any other language. ~~ The first printing house in the Balkans was established in Voskopoja, in eastern Albania. ~~ The Karavasta Lagoon by the Adriatic coast is one of the largest lagoons of the Mediterranean Sea. What else to do ~~ Try dough-based desserts inspired by Turkish cuisine – baklava or kadaiff. ~~ Visit Voskopoja and admire the vibrant colours of the frescoes in Albania’s little-known churches. ~~ Go white-water rafting through the spectacular canyons of the Osumi River. ~~ Go skiing in the Albanian Alps. During the Soviet era, Albania was a popular skiing destination for those in the Eastern Bloc.

Top 5

Are you kiddin’ me?

Tirana: has an endless movement and energy about it. With its clubs, pubs, cafes and taverns, it is a city well worth discovering.

Opposite head shake. Supposing you were walking down the street, realised you were lost and decided to stop a stranger to ask for directions, in Albania this could be the start of a complete and total misunderstanding, especially if the stranger or the local prefers using sign language rather than talking. Most of us are used to the up-down head-shake as a way of agreeing with something, or even showing that you’re listening or agreeing with something being said. In Albania, it’s the opposite. Seriously. So, expect a person to give you the side to side headshake if they agree with you, or as a sign of showing that they are following or understanding what you’re saying, and the up-down head shake is used to show the person is not in agreement.

Don’t forget!

Appollonia: in the middle of Albania are the ruins of an ancient town named after the god Apollon.

Gjirokastra: As a result of its unique architectural style this city in the south of Albania was granted UNESCO world cultural heritage status.

Berat: is known as “the city of one-thousand windows” and has been declared a museum city.

Pogradec: is one of the most charming tourist resorts in Albania because of its setting on Lake Ohrid, captivating with its clear water and mountain views.

11

10 Countries to Watch

MONTENEGRO

WHERE TO GO

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

The most …

626.000 inhabitants, making it one of the smallest European nations

~~ Montenegrins are the highest people in the world, with an average height of 186 cm for men and 171 cm for women. ~~ With 48 people per square metre, Montenegro is the most sparsely populated country in Southern Europe. ~~ Zabljak is 1485 meters above sea level, the highest altitude city in Europe. ~~ Tara River is the largest fresh water reservoir in Europe. ~~ The oldest and best-preserved glass in Europe from the 4th century BC was found near Pljevlja. ~~ The first nautical school in the world operated in Perast.

17-percent tourism growth every year

What else to do

Montenegro is considered to be St. Tropez of the South-East Europe and from year to year, it is gaining in its elite sign. Land of spectacular beaches, dramatic peaks and canyons, elegant palaces and ancient towns has become one of the most attractive tourist regions in recent years.

When you see and feel its amazing attraction, it becomes clear to you in a moment why.

In numbers 1300 meters measures the canyon of the river Tara in depth

3.500 Euros costs overnight stay in a suite Sveti Stefan, which ranks Hotel Amman Sveti Stefan in the top of the most luxurious accommodation on the Adriatic Top 5 Kotor Bay: dramatic bay with a beautiful walled town, which oversees the deepest fjord in South East Europe Tara Canyon: the longest European and second longest canyon in the world National Park Lovćen: breath-taking mountain views, are rising almost from the sea Monastery Ostrog: miracle, embedded in a huge rock, visited every year by thousands of pilgrims from around the world

~~ Hoist the sails and discover the stunning beauty of the Montenegrin coast with high cliffs. ~~ Take a mountain tour in the Durmitor National Park, where you can also try skiing, rafting or biking. ~~ Enjoy a good meal in one of the seaside restaurants in Budva, Herceg Novi or Ulcinj. ~~ Feel like a star in the new Porto Montenegro, where Monaco and Russian rich park their yachts. ~~ Try lozovača, a very strong, but (too) tasty national alcoholic drink.

Are you kiddin’ me?

Montenegro is considered to be unpopular among cartographers. It is almost impossible to write its long name on such a small area on the map.

Skadar Lake: amazing play of nature which has created a complete beauty

WHERE TO GO

Bosnia and Herzegovina, the land of the heart, as it is called because of its shape, really touches your heart. It has always been a wonderful meeting point of eastern and western cultures, as it bears the stamp of two completely different empires, Turkish and Austrian-Hungarian.

Land of good food, outstanding, open people and fun offers visitors stunning mountain landscapes and great experiences with a good sense of adventure. Enjoy the Bosnian rhythm and life will be better and easier in a moment.

In numbers …

3 official languages 1272 athletes from 49 countries took part at the Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo 250.000 tickets were sold at the Olympic Games 75 metres high is the waterfall Skakavac in Sutjeska National Park

Top 5 Sarajevo, a magical city of timeless beauty where everyone immediately feels like at home Mostar with its old bridge is without a doubt the most fascinating city of this heart shaped country.

Neum is the only coastal town, but it boasts an incredibly clean and calm sea.

National Park Sutjeska, pristine area of glacial lakes below the high peaks, passing which the river Sutjeska formed a stunning valley Medjugorje is a place of miracles and one of the most famous pilgrimage sites in the world.

12

10 Countries to Watch

HUNGARY

The most … ~~ In 1984 Sarajevo hosted the Winter Olympic Games. These were the first Olympic Games in any communist country in history. ~~ The most famous ćevapi in the world originate in Sarajevo’s Baščaršija. ~~ Peručica is one of the last two surviving primeval forests in Europe. ~~ Oriental town Počitelj is host to the longest continuous art colony in this part of Europe. ~~ The inhabitants of Bosnia and Herzegovina are incredible coffee drinkers, which is similar to a ritual and is an important part of the culture.

What else to do ~~ Taking a walk through Sarajevo’s Baščaršija is always a unique experience that everyone gets addicted to. ~~ In Visoko judge yourself, whether the stunning Bosnian pyramids are the work of nature or ancient human hands. ~~ Enjoy several hours of a cup of coffee in “fildžan” and then pamper your taste buds with čevapčiči, kajmak and burek. ~~ From Mostar to Sarajevo take a train and enjoy the incredible mountain views. ~~ Rafting on Tara or Una- both are a unique adrenaline experience.

WHERE TO GO

Hungary is fast gaining the attention of the vacationers throughout the world. Situated in the East-Central Europe, the country boasts of a rich historical past, which is evident in the numerous World Heritage Sites adorning its interiors.

The capital of this beautiful country is Budapest and is the seat of the parliamentary democracy government.

In numbers Hungary is one of the thirty most popular tourist destinations in the world, attracting 10.2 million tourists a year.

The life expectancy rate in Hungary is 66 for men and 74 for women.

There are approximately 500 places in the country where thermal water occurs. That means you can find water with temperature above 30°C in the 70 % of Hungary.

Pecs: Bordering Croatia is a town enriched with culture and history, with most of its stunning architecture produced during the Ottoman era.

The most ... ~~ The funicular which takes you up to the Buda Castle is more than 140 years old, and it was the second in Europe. ~~ Budapest is home to the third largest Parliament building in the world. It covers an area of 18.000 sq meters, it has 691 rooms, 20 kilometres of stairs and it is 96 metres high. ~~ Hungary has had more Nobel Prize winners relative to its population than any other nation on earth. ~~ There are 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Hungary. ~~ Budapest has the oldest underground train system in Europe.

There are about 150 spas in the country where What else to do you can bath. ~~ Taste wine and palinka - Hungarian wines are celebrated the world over. Sweet tokaj Top 5 and crimson-red Bull’s Blood from Eger are the best known.

Budapest: The capital city of Hungary, which is regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in ~~ Try gulyas the signature national dish.

Europe. It is also the largest city in the country ~~ Enjoy a thermal bath experience - You cannot leave Hungary without experiencing the with an estimated population of 1.7 million famous Szechenyi thermal bath in Budapest. people. ~~ Attend a festival - One of the best times to Lake Balaton: Hungarian “sea” (and Contitravel to Hungary is, indeed, during the nental Europe’s largest lake) is where many summer months. Not only the weather is great Hungarians spend their summer vacations. but there are also lots of cool events.

Thermal Baths: There are more than 300 Are you kiddin’ me? thermal hot springs in use across Hungary.

Under the siege of the Castle of Eger by the Szeged: The cultural capital of the Great Plain Turks, the Hungarians were so tough to beat, and Hungary’s third largest city is filled with after they drank local red wine. The Turks tried Art Nouveau masterpieces, cafes and green to figure out what is that soldiers drink behind space. the walls, and Hugarians said that’s Bulls’s Heviz: One of the most known city of Hungary. Blood that gives them courage.

It has a unique thermal lake rich in minerals, making it ideal for bathing.

13

10 Countries to Watch

CROATIA

WHERE TO GO

In the land of a thousand sunny islands and attractive historical towns you will never be bored. This is a country, where one always runs out of time for everything to do it. Although at first glance, it gives the feeling that mostly sunny beaches and water activities are struggling for the attention of travellers against cultural treasures and ancient architecture, Croatia with its interior offers much more.

In numbers 2786 sunny hours per year 1244 islands 576 species of fish 130 domestic types of wine 19 UNESCO protected historical treasures 8 national parks Top 5 Croatian islands: if you discover them by boat, car, or simply lie down on one of them, they are always fascinating Zagreb: dynamic city with the charm of European elegance that enchants you at every step Dubrovnik: the first and only true gem of the Adriatic, a town with no competition Plitvice Lakes: extraordinary beauty of six turquoise lakes, which with numerous waterfalls rest among forested hills.

Slow food: from year to year Croatian Chefs are gaining more force in European culinary world.

GREECE

The most … ~~ The largest and longest of the islands is Cres, Hvar is the sunniest, the most party is Pag, the most intact is Mljet, the most gourmet is Vis, the most Robinson-like is Palagruza, the most photographed is Brac. ~~ Istrian town of Hum is recorded as the smallest town in the world – it has only 23 inhabitants, in the Guinness Book of Records. ~~ In 1999 the biggest truffle in the world was found in Croatia. ~~ The oldest people’s community theatre in Europe was built in 1612 on the island Hvar. ~~ Stone from the island of Brač could be the most famous stone in the world while the White House was built of it.

What else to do? ~~ Cycle in its green heart among medieval towns and hill villages. ~~ Wear a diving suit and explore the underwater treasures around the Dalmatian islands. ~~ Sail between the Croatian islands. You might meet one of Hollywood acquaintances. ~~ See at least one of Zagreb’s numerous museums and galleries. ~~ Indulge all your senses in one of the many spa resorts, which were already enjoyed by the ancient Romans, or indulge in an authentic farm life on a tourist farm.

Are you kiddin’ me?

Tie, which is worn daily by more than 600 million men around the world, comes from Croatia. The legend began during the Thirty Years War from 1618 to 1648, when the Croatian rented soldiers who served in the French army, worn around the neck small knotted scarves.

With this fashion addition they attracted the attention of Parisians, who immediately adopted it and named it after Croats - Cravat.

14

WHERE TO GO

Greece lies at the meeting point of the three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. The country is mostly known for its ancient civilization, amazing landscapes and highly developed tourism. It remains one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, ranking in the world’s top 20 countries. Its capital city of Athens has a long history of hosting large scale events and conferences, such as the modern Olympic Games, and has thus earned its place among the best and most qualified event organisers in the world.

In numbers 80 % of the country consists of mountain and hills.

16,000 kilometres of coastline, around 6,000 islands and islets.

Approximately 25 million tourists per year.

45 airports; 15 international state airports, 26 domestic state airports, and 4 municipal airports.

More than 250 days of sunshine or 3,000 sunny hours a year.

17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Top 5 Intercontinental Athenaeum Conference Centre: Distinguished as one of the best conference centres in Greece with the largest conference facility in Athens for up to 2,500 persons.

Creta Maris Conference Centre: The Creta Maris Hotel and Conference Centre is located in the seaside resort of Hersonissos, Heraklion Crete. It offers 68 conference halls equipped with the latest technology.

Capsis Rhodes Conference Centre: Sur­ rounded by palm trees and a lake, Capsis Hotel Rhodes & Convention Centre is located five minutes from Rhodes Town. This is the largest Resort Convention Centre in Greece with a 100 me­eting rooms accommodating 8,000 delegates.

CZECH REPUBLIC

The Athens Concert Hall: The Megaron Athens International Conference Centre is one of the finest and most technologically advanced conference venues in Europe. Situated in the city centre it offers a cutting edge technology and unrivalled client service.

Zappeion Conference and Exhibition Centre: Located in the centre, this venue offers a number of social and professional events halls, luxurious reception areas and over 200,000 m2 of gardens with meandering paths, fountains and over 70 neoclassical sculptures.

The most … ~~ Continuously inhabited for over 7,000 years, Athens is one of the oldest cities in Europe. It is also the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympic Games, political science, Western literature, historiography, major mathematical principles and Western theories of tragedy and comedy. ~~ The first Olympic Games took place in 776 B.C. in Greece. The first Olympic champion was a Greek cook named Coroebus, who won the sprint race. ~~ Greek has been spoken for more than 3,000 years, making it one of the oldest languages in Europe. ~~ Greece has the lowest crime rate in Europe, and 2nd lowest in the world.

What else to do? ~~ If organizing a conference go “out of the box” and organize a floating conference. Choose the clear-blue Greek seas and develop their topics in the most ideal surroundings. ~~ Historical attractions are a must in Greece. Visit the Acropolis, attractions like Delphi, Epidaurus Theatre, Mount Athos, Mount Olympus, etc.

Are you kiddin’ me?

In Greece, buying a new set of plates happens more often than in other countries. Breaking plates is in fact a Greek tradition that you can observe at Greek restaurants or wedding receptions. Usually, breaking plates in praise of a musician or dancer is considered a part of “kefi” - the expression of emotion and joy

WHERE TO GO

Czech Republic is situated at the heart of Europe.

It is not a large country, but it has a rich and eventful history. In addition to the capital city Prague, there are also 14 other tourist regions worthy of event organisers’ attention. The variety in landscape and architecture is enormous, encompassing the forests and rolling countryside of Bohemia, the peaceful spa towns like Karlovy Vary and the historic towns like Olomouc and Češki Krumlov.

In numbers Around 235 hotels with large conference facilities. Around 2,780 other hotels for smaller conferences, seminars and other events.

More than 2,000 castles and castle ruins.

46 airports, the main one being the Vaclav Havel International Airport.

One of the top 10 countries worldwide in terms of the fastest average Internet.

Reporters without borders ranked it the 5th best country in the world.

Top 5 At present the country has around 235 hotels with facilities large conference facilities. Over 20 of these are 5* hotels and 65 of them 4* hotels. A total of around 2,780 other hotels are suitable for smaller conferences, seminars and other events.

There are more than 2,000 castles and castle ruins in the Czech Republic, one of the highest densities in the world.

The country has a total of 46 airports, the main one being the Vaclav Havel International Airport.

One of the top 10 countries worldwide in terms of the fastest average Internet.

Reporters without borders ranked it the 5th best country in the world.

The most … ~~ She second richest Eastern European Country after tiny Slovenia. ~~ One of the densest rail networks in Europe and a developed, well-connected system of public coach transportation. ~~ Charles University in Prague, founded in 1348, is the oldest university in Eastern Europe and one of the oldest in the world. ~~ Some of the most renowned spa towns are in the Czech Republic like Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad), Frantiskovy Lazne (Franzensbad) and Teplice (Teplitz). ~~ Snezka, a highest point mountain that reaches 1,602 metres. ~~ Many of the world’s best tennis players – Ivan Lendl, Sukova, Navratilova, Korda and Novotna were born and raised here.

What else to do? ~~ Sample the best Czech beers in Prague, or even better, in Plzen. ~~ Quirky nightclub Purakarka housed underground in what was a 1950s Cold War nuclear bunker in Prague. ~~ Zizkov, a former industrial suburb and the epicentre of Prague’s edgy nightlife, with more than 300 bars. ~~ Kutna Hora – ancient silver mine and Unesco World Heritage pretty medieval town. ~~ A river cruise on the Vltava is an ideal way of seeing Prague from a different perspective. ~~ Walk the extreme Sky Walk on a peak in the Králický Sněžník Mountains.

Are you kiddin’ me?

Czechs are the biggest consumers of beer per male in the world, consuming on average 160 litres per person, per year. Incidentally, a Czech man called Honza Zampa holds the record for beer guzzling, after drinking a litre of beer in 4.11 seconds.

TOPICS AND DATES / Published  times per year

Kongres Magazine is far from being just a magazine. It is the only provider of integrated congress marketing communications, with which you can make effective dialogue with the meetings industry audience. Because we know what meetings industry payers really need and how to ensure their long-term loyalty, we can make above-average, high-quality, relevant, independent, in-depth and interesting meetings industry stories.

In 2016 they will be dedicated to you and your customers even more.

EDITORIAL CALENDAR 2016 JANUARY

2016

CONVENTA DAILY

CONVENTA DAILY 1-2

Daily newspaper, which will be released during the Conventa trade show and which brings to exhibitors and hosted buyers daily news from Conventa.

SPACE CLOSE: 11.12.2015

MATERIALS DUE: DELIVERY: 18.12.2015 20. - 21.01.2016

SPECIAL ISSUE 1

JANUARY

2016

CONVENTA 2016

Special edition, published as a catalogue of Conventa together with extensive destination presentations and presentations of participating partners. In terms of content this is the most comprehensive overview of the meetings industry in the region of Central and Southeast Europe.

SPRING ISSUE MARCH

2016

In Focus: TASTE - five senses

Participants will always remember an event by its sensory, gastronomic experience. It is well known that humans can remember almost everything, if they are able to hear, see, touch or taste the information. Like nothing else food can ignite truly nostalgic feelings. In the spring issue we will present a number of ways to create different impressions at events, everything from those connected with time (traditional, futuristic) and technology (natural, organic, artificial) to those geared towards sophistication (exclusive, grand).

Hot Spot: EVENT CREATION How to create creative experimental events Themed supplement: CATERING SURVEY 2016

SPACE CLOSE: 12.02.2016

MATERIALS DUE: 19.02.2016

DELIVERY: 26.03.2016

SPECIAL ISSUE

MAY

SPACE CLOSE: 11.12.2015

MATERIALS DUE: DELIVERY: 18.12.2015 20. - 21.01.2016

2016 CONTENT FOCUS:

THE POSITIVE PATH TO THE PARTICIPANT’S MIND TAKES US THROUGH OUR SENSES In Ancient Greece Aristotle outlined the 5 senses that we all now and understand today. The coming year will be dedicated to those senses, which are also the biggest amplifiers of emotional experience in your event. With the proper use of our senses we can establish either a positive or a negative attitude towards events. This important subject will be founded on a scientific as well as completely practical viewpoint, through best advice on how to set off the right set of stimuli.

2016

MEETOLOGUE 2016

Since 2010, Kongres magazine has been publishing CONGRESS TRAVELOGUES, which were renamed MEETOLOGUES. International meeting planners thus discover little-known European convention destinations. All existing travelogues of the NEW EUROPE will be issued in a special issue of Kongres magazine, which will be released prior to IMEX trade show. With high-quality editorial content, travelogues completely replace the tedious and irrelevant catalogues of meetings suppliers. Digital versions of MEETOLOGUES are currently the most read sections of the Kongres magazine.

SPACE CLOSE: 09.04.2016

MATERIALS DUE: 16.04.2016

DELIVERY: 14.05.2016

KONGRES MAGAZINE Stihova 4, SI-1000 Ljubljana, T: + 386 (0)1 430 51 03, F: + 386 (0)1 430 51 04, M: +386 (0)40 530 112, E: gorazd.cad@go-mice.eu, www.kongres-magazine.eu

PRINT AUDIENCE

TOTAL AUDIENCE of 60.700 readers:

18.000

meeting planners

------------29,65 % of total number

SPECIAL ISSUE 3

2016

SEPTEMBER

2016

Meeting planners wish for something new. You would like – for the same or lower price – to see the yet unseen places, taste un-tasted delicacies, unknown wines and experience undiscovered experiences. Central and South East Europe offers numerous pleasant incentive secrets in the worldwide meetings industry, waiting to be discovered.

SPACE CLOSE: 14.05.2016

MATERIALS DUE: 21.05.2016

DELIVERY: 18.06.2016

SUMMER 2016 JULY

2016

In Focus: SIGHT - five senses

Colour, light, darkness, design and unusual imagery that reach out beyond the regular boundaries can arouse your curiosity and have a direct effect on your emotional sensors. Today, technology offers unlimited visual solutions that can be used at events, but we will also point out the problems with an overload of visual images.

Today images also aren’t enough in themselves, so we must keep our participant’s nostrils and ears open at the same time and receptive to new smells and sounds. In our summer issue we will also cover the important role of branding and creating the perfect event.

Hot Spot: EVENT PRODUCTION How to organise viable events

MATERIALS DUE: 25.06.2016

meeting planners

34.000 meeting

1.200

------------1,98 % of total number

(e-magazines and e-newsletters)

planners

In Focus: TOUCH - five senses

If you want to showcase a new product, you have to make sure that participants can feel it and get familiar with its texture. If the presentation is about services, you have to have the right marketing materials, as well as the social networks to generate the right experience. Getting to ‘touch’ a brand is only possible through the use of good materials, varied surfaces and interesting shapes. Touch not only has a physical effect, but also a big mental one, as it creates memories and stirs personal emotions.

Hot Spot: EVENT MARKETING How to make desirable events Themed supplement: INNOVATIVE PEOPLE & EVENTS

SPACE CLOSE: 20.08.2016

MATERIALS DUE: 27.08.2016

2016

DELIVERY: 23.07.2016

In Focus: SOUND - five senses

In the auditory sphere humans are highly affected by different sounds and particularly by music.

Music is a way an artist expresses himself and his emotional body language, and it has an extraordinary power of stimulating our sensations. How to create the best musical atmosphere, make an event jingle with excitement and bring a personal musical signature to an event will all be revealed in the winter issue of Kongres Magazine.

Hot Spot: EVENT DIFERENTATION How to stand out from the crowd

SPACE CLOSE: 15.10.2016

MATERIALS DUE: 22.10.2016

appr. 7.500

meeting planners

------------12,36 %

------------56,01 % of total number

of total number

DECEMBER

2016

BEST HOTELS AND CONVENTION CENTRES 2016

Based on more than 100 hidden guest’s ratings, which have been published in the Kongres Magazine.

SPACE CLOSE: 11.11.2016

MATERIALS DUE: 25.11.2016

DELIVERY: 15.12.2016

AT A TIME WHEN CAMPAIGNS ARE TAKEN OVER

BY OUR BUYERS, APART FROM CONTENT MARKETING THERE ARE FEW TOOLS AVAILABLE THAT ENABLE COMMUNICATION THROUGH VARIOUS CHANNELS.

DELIVERY: 17.09.2016

WINTER 2016 NOVEMBER

WEB AUDIENCE

SPECIAL ISSUE 4

Themed supplement: KONGRES ANNUAL MEETING PLANNERS SURVEY, KONGRES HOLIDAY & PARTY GUIDE

Themed supplement: ADVENTURE PARKS 2016 OUTDOOR VENUES 2016

SPACE CLOSE: 18.06.2016

ONE2ONE AUDIENCE

FALL 2016

KONGRES INCENTIVE GUIDE 2016

JUNE

TABLET AUDIENCE

DELIVERY: 15.11.2016

Delivery

DIGITAL:

PRINT

CONVENTA DAILY 1 - 2 JANUARY 2016

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

SPECIAL ISSUE 1 CONVENTA 2016





SPRING ISSUE MARCH 2016





SPECIAL ISSUE 2 MEETOLOGUE 2016, MAY 2016

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

SPECIAL ISSUE 3 KONGRES INCENTIVE GUIDE 2016, JUNE 2016

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

SUMMER ISSUE JULY 2016





FALL ISSUE SEPTEMBER 2016

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

WINTER ISSUE NOVEMBER 2016





SPECIAL ISSUE 4, BEST HOTELS AND CONVENTION CENTRES 2016, DECEMBER 2016



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KONGRES MAGAZINE Stihova 4, SI-1000 Ljubljana, T: + 386 (0)1 430 51 03, F: + 386 (0)1 430 51 04, M: +386 (0)40 530 112, E: gorazd.cad@go-mice.eu, www.kongres-magazine.eu

Kongres meetologue

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL, WHO IS THE BEST LAND OF THEM ALL? Who is in Meetings Champions League and Europa League 2016?

E

ach year congress destinations eagerly await the publication of the ICCA Statistics Report. It is the only statistical report based on information of the meetings of professional and scientific associations, which are then ranked in the ICCA database. Continued events (annual, biennial) that rotate between at least 3 countries and are attended by at least 50 participants are included in the database (while non-recurring events excluded).

ICCA results need to be interpreted with caution, however, as due to the criteria used several types of international meetings are excluded from the report. The list therefore represents a limited tool for competitive positioning of congress destinations. In any case the ranking is used advantageously as a reference point and to build the image of a congress destination.

With more in-depth analytical work, the ICCA Statistics Report provides information on the number of congress participants, which is much more relevant than the number of events held in the current year that is used as the basis for the ranking.

The ICCA ranking is also used as one of the criteria in the complex assessment methodology used for Meetologues. For the needs of our evaluation we have taken the latest and most relevant index that represents the calculation of the number of meetings and participants for a period of ten years and compare it with the results for the current year (2015). In accordance with the methodology of assessing the final score on the basis of the index, the final score is calculated and rated on a scale from 1 to 5.

To begin with, illustrative data on the average number of congress participants over a period of ten years, which makes it more realistic to compare destinations and exclude seasonal variations, is already sufficiently revealing. This data can easily be used to calculate the average consumption of the participants and provide relevant economic conclusions.

The ICCA ranking of the key destinations in the region is as follows: Global rank 2015

CITY

# of Meetings 2015

Meetings 2006-2015

No. of participants 2015

# of participants 2006-2015

Average # of participants 2006-2015

3

Barcelona

180

1561

109010

1030626

103062,6

4

Vienna

2

Paris

178

1743

124899

981671

98167,1

186

1908

75470

881666

88166,6

1

Berlin

195

1578

104299

839746

83974,6

8 7

Istanbul

148

1266

62442

692639

69263,9

Singapore

156

1462

77105

675477

67547,7

5

London

171

1483

117397

666040

66604

10

Copenhagen

138

1122

75269

570234

57023,4

11

Prague

123

1185

73896

527214

52721,4

24

Athens

87

758

25090

324848

32484,8

19

Budapest

95

1032

37818

316452

31645,2

40

Warsaw

62

554

26585

192318

19231,8

49

Cracow

54

420

15838

108214

10821,4

89

Moscow

29

310

10773

102346

10234,6

100

Antalya

27

248

9798

91684

9168,4

132

Venice

19

274

7790

88985

8898,5

85

St. Petersburg

30

295

10603

81184

8118,4

64

Ljubljana

41

315

9263

80496

8049,6

55

Bucharest

47

298

16346

76876

7687,6

55

Riga

52

345

13430

75466

7546,6

55

Tallinn

47

377

8218

72776

7277,6

52

Belgrade

52

332

10925

70136

7013,6

82

Vilnius

31

355

6335

69855

6985,5

109

Dubrovnik

25

231

7565

66636

6663,6

26

192

6142

56141

5614,1

9

162

3092

51491

5149,1

19

205

6887

50956

5095,6

106

Graz

254

Salzburg

132

Sofia

163

Thessaloniki

16

171

3565

47481

4748,1

64

Zagreb

41

237

6689

46079

4607,9

207

Innsbruck

12

137

2026

45525

4552,5

126

Gdansk

20

144

2770

35112

3511,2

163

Bratislava

16

174

2975

31729

3172,9

139

Wroclaw

18

127

3119

29939

2993,9

191

Izmir

13

114

3672

29141

2914,1

373

Portoroz

5

79

790

25803

2580,3

222

Poznan

11

117

1620

21670

2167

254

Ankara

9

81

5536

20460

2046

20

Kongres meetologue

Global rank 2015

# of Meetings 2015

Meetings 2006-2015

No. of participants 2015

# of participants 2006-2015

Average # of participants 2006-2015

CITY

175

Brno

15

96

3217

18032

1803,2

230

Linz

10

73

1866

15254

1525,4

276

Sarajevo

8

70

1501

15035

1503,5

230

Cluj-Napoca

10

84

1767

14245

1424,5

222

Bled

11

75

898

13567

1356,7

276

Baku

8

50

3451

12127

1212,7

222

Tbilisi

11

51

4391

12116

1211,6

230

Split

10

55

2240

11853

1185,3

335

Varna

6

50

1269

11073

1107,3

335

Trieste

6

55

900

10566

1056,6

373

Skopje

5

45

633

9561

956,1

301

Novi Sad

7

57

550

9253

925,3

301

Yerevan

7

35

1787

8764

876,4

301

Opatija

7

47

564

8504

850,4

301

Maribor

4

46

687

7525

752,5

373

Budva

5

32

930

7331

733,1

335

Sochi

6

22

3404

6490

649

335

Almaty

6

28

1211

6123

612,3

373

Katowice

5

20

561

5492

549,2

Kosice

2

29

262

4892

489,2

373

Myconos

5

17

1085

4407

440,7

Rijeka

1

17

370

4092

409,2

335

Zadar

6

25

890

3944

394,4

Source:

The threshold for the Congressional Cham­ pions League of the ICCA ranks could be set at an average number over 50,000 participants.

The first Congressional Champions League (or Europa League) then consists of cities with congress participation from 20,000 to 50,000.

This segment includes cities such as Warsaw, Athens, Budapest, Munich and other cities with a high economic and scientific hinterland.

In the Congressional Second League (or

ICCA

#MEETINGS 2015

Europa League qualifying stages) are destinations with an average number of congress participants ranging from 5,000 to 20,000. These are cities with a decent but mostly not yet sufficiently utilized congress potential, certainly not enough to make their entry into the first congress league.

The last category represents destinations with fewer than 5,000 congress participants annually. Here the MICE industry is largely a No of Meetings 10 years

No. of participants 2015

complementary activity to the dominant tourist industry.

In this context, at first glance, the lower ranking of Barcelona and Vienna on this year’s scale is completely different, as these are the two destinations that are likely to generate the maximum revenue from the meetings industry.

Despite the cyclical nature of the meetings industry and the proportion of non-registered meetings or meetings that don’t even qualify, the room for the improvement of the positioning of the meetings industry in South-East Europe remains enormous.

Despite the vagaries of such speculation, the countries of the former Yugoslavia today belong to the first congress league and proudly compete with Austria and other comparable destinations.

The enormous potential of the region is, in our opinion, the right reason for a deeper regional cooperation and the further development of key locations for association meetings in Ljubljana, Belgrade, Zagreb and Dubrovnik.

How huge the potential of the destinations truly is was highlighted by the record year of 2008, when Ljubljana easily hosted 68 congresses, which would correspond to 20,000 congress participants. A similar untapped potential lies also in other regional destinations.

According to calculations of the congress index as a ratio of capacity of congress halls and the number of hotel rooms and accessibility, Slovenia would easily host around 90 international congresses annually. This would rank Slovenia among the top 25 European congress destinations.

The congress industry is one of the few industries where the divide into the economically developed north and the less successful south doesn’t hold up. More and more destinations in the European periphery are entering the “elite society”. The conditions for the meetings industry are outstanding; there is little room for excuses. It is time to step up and organise ourselves before our “large congress brothers” back us into a corner between Vienna and Istanbul.

No. of participants 10 years

Average size of meetings 10 years

Average No. of participants

CROATIA

96

713

21,405

164,322

236

16,432

SLOVENIA

65

572

12,017

135,006

237

13,501

SERBIA

64

439

12,295

88,006

196

8,800

8

100

1,709

21,456

204

2,146

12

86

2,151

17,540

223

1,754

6

46

1,132

9,827

194

983

251

1,956

50,709

436,157

1,290

43,616

MACEDONIA BOSNIA MONTENEGRO TOTAL

21

Meetologue

TOP MEETING HUBS OF NEW EUROPE MEETINGS STAR 2016 AIRPORT CONNECTIVITY: Connectivity is the metric by which airports live – the more connected an airport is to the wider world, the more attractive it becomes to its users and the greater the value it provides to the community and local, regional or indeed national economy it serves. ACI Europe, 2016

0

MEETING HUB VIENNA: KEY TO SUCCESS

Population: 1,826,030

Airport connectivity: 7.562

With the richest and most groomed congress tradition in Europe imperial Vienna is leading the game across many different scales of the congress industry. Over the past decade Vienna has also broadened its modern content and offer. As a bridge between eastern and western Europe, Vienna is known as a starting point and a central hub, which many other destinations are trying to mimic.

CZECH REPUBLIC

Meetings star final mark: 4.94 5

SALZBURG: SALZBURG GIVES YOU WINGS

Population: 146,631

Airport connectivity: 891

Austrian efficiency and organisation infused with the baroque charm of its city is for Salzburg the formula for success in the field of medium-sized congresses of up to 2,500 participants. The cosmopolitan mix of visitors and the local population straddle its charming tradition and the fast pace of the 21st century.

AUSTRIA

SLOVENIA

Meetings star final mark: 4.26

CROA 7

LJUBLJANA: EUROPEAN GREEN CAPITAL 2016

Population: 282,994

Airport connectivity: 1.026

9

ZAGREB: WHITE ZAGREB TOWN

Population: 1,107,623

Airport connectivity: 1.923

Ljubljana is renowned for making an extremely good first impression, something that is partly attributable to some of the ‘preconceived’ ideas of how it might be as a city in the Balkans and Eastern Europe. Against any such ideas visitors find a congress destination that is friendly and favourable to the meetings industry, whilst also competitive in terms of price and quality. Of all the regional capitals it also has a very good image that has been strengthened thanks to the annual Conventa Trade Show.

Within the wider region Zagreb has best managed to maintain the Central European culture that is reminiscent of Vienna and create a special atmosphere from it. In addition to this, it is a ‘pocket-friendly destination’ that offers a lot for reasonable little money. It is the ideal combination of a metropolis with charm and a small town atmosphere.

Everything is seasoned with the right dose of metropolitan character and the friendliness of the locals.

Meetings star final mark: 4.17

Meetings star final mark: 4.14

4

DUBROVNIK: PEARL OF THE ADRIATIC

Population: 42,615

Airport connectivity: 570

3

BUDAPEST: CONGRESS QUEEN OF THE DANUBE

Population: 1,757,618

Airport connectivity: 3.427

Dubrovnik is the flagship of regional tourism and for meetings organisers we meet daily it is their first association with the region. The world class destination is once again attracting well-known names and world class events. In the meetings industry it is the strongest brand of the region, and a brand that rarely disappoints or leaves one feeling indifferent. Dubrovnik is love at first sight.

Simply put, this is a city that offers the best value for money.

According to research carried out by Magyar Turizmus, 1 EUR spent in the congress industry in Vienna is worth 2 EUR in Budapest. On top of this Budapest is also a fresh and new destination compared to some of the more tried and tested competitors still in the market.

Meetings star final mark: 4.33

Meetings star final mark: 4.37

22

B H

Meetologue 11

WARSAW: NEW URBAN PULSE

Population: 1,740,119

POLAND

1

Airport connectivity: 4.161

Population: 1,259,079

The city with a rich cultural heritage, warm friendliness of its locals and countless congress options drops its anchor deep into the heart. Every street and house tells its own story, which gives the city a special touch. Prague maintains and builds on its high-quality romantic reputation.

Looking at the position of Prague regionally, it will not take primacy over Vienna, but it certainly has all the conditions in place to remain the prime congress destination among East European capitals for a long time to come.

Meetings star final mark: 4.11

Meetings star final mark: 4.51

10

Airport connectivity: 7.562

Bratislava is undiscovered European congress capital which slowly and steadily penetrates into the congress market. It represents a novelty for international congress market which impresses due to the kindness and sympathetic of city centre but also because of not excessive commercialization. Bratislava has long lived in the shadow ofROMANIA neighbouring Vienna and Prague but today as fresh and full of new energy invites international congress organizers.

Meetings star final mark: 4.15

ISTANBUL: SIZE DOES MATTER

Population: 14,025,646

BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA

MONTE NEGRO

Airport connectivity: 2.011

Belgrade bases its congress story on a rich culture at the crossroads of East and West, the central position in SouthEast Europe and a lively social scene. It is a city on the rise and for now a rough congress diamond that has enormous development potential, one that geo-strategically can be placed side by side with other world congress capitals if it can improve its infrastructure and handle the entire meetings sales chain.

2

Meetings star final mark: 4.13

ATIA

BELGRADE: A CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS

Population: 1,166,763

BRATISLAVA: MEETOSLAVIA

Population: 411.228

HUNGARY

Airport connectivity: 4.437

Today Warsaw is one of the fastest growing capitals in the EU and a city that can pride itself on a mix of new and old architectural styles. Its growth in infrastructure was strongly boosted when Warsaw was the host of the UEFA European Championship in 2012 and many new hotels were opened. The biggest congress hotel, the Hilton Warsaw with a hall for 1,600 participants, is one of the biggest in Europe, but The Palace of Culture with its 40 congress halls is also an interesting option.

8

SLOVAKIA

PRAGUE: SLAVIC PARIS

Airport connectivity: 9.729

Caught between traditional and Western cultures the city offers one of the most authentic congress experiences anywhere in the world. Leaving aside the political instability and security challenges, it is one of the most competitive destinations in the world, characterised by the genuine hospitality of the locals and their natural aptitude for business.

SERBIA

Meetings star final mark: 4.39

BULGARIA KOSOVO

TURKEY

MACEDONIA 6

ALBANIA

ATHENS: BRIDGING THE GAP

Population: 3,090,580

Airport connectivity: 5.458

A historic city with excellent connectivity to the rest of the world and where you will find infrastructure befitting a major European capital, but with better weather and in a more interesting location. The Athens congress industry definitely has a clear vision and enough reserves of energy for a second break into the premier congress league, but for the moment it has been a little bit set back by the crisis.

Once this finishes, Athens will be able to hit the heights once again.

GREECE

Meetings star final mark: 4.18

CYPRUS 23

Meet Busters

•PRAGUE MEET BUSTERS• Congress myths that you did not dare to ask, or know whom to ask:

MYTH: THE CITY HAS A LONG TRADITION OF HOSTING SIGNIFICANT INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS.

per capita in the world. Prague has 28 breweries and brewpubs, a dozens of beer bars, sampler pubs and beer-centric restaurants. The most common Czech beers are pale lagers with characteristic transparent golden colour, high foaminess and lighter flavour. To get the authentic beer experience by visiting the best brewpubs in the city, tasting the beer brewed on the premises and soaking up the long tradition of brewing in the Golden City, we suggest you choose the Prague Brewery Tour.

CONFIRMED

Prague hosts a number of international meetings on a yearly basis. In 2015 there were 4,187 meetings organized in the city alone according to the Czech statistical office . If we look back, meetings like the Annual Meeting of the International Monetary Fund took place in 2000 and the Prague NATO Summit in 2002.

In 2011 the city hosted ERA-EDTA, the largest congress in its history which was attended by over 10,000 delegates. Next to many upcoming events, the city is looking forward to welcome the prestigious 56th annual congress of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) in 2017.

MYTH: PRAGUE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IS RANKED AS THE FOURTH BEST IN EUROPE. CONFIRMED

Due to its location in the heart of Europe, Prague is easily accessible to travellers from almost every country. Sixty-two airlines fly to 143 destinations in 47 countries from the Václav Havel Airport Prague, the airport that records 12 million passengers per year. Prague has

three international railway stations and a bus station, all connected to the metro. The total length of Prague public transportation’s lines is more than 2,255 kilometres. An extensive motorway network links Prague to other major European destinations. Furthermore, Prague is pedestrian friendly city offering a wide range of attractions, all within arm’s reach. To make the most of the Prague experience, one can also take a historical tram ride, use two of Prague funiculars or five ferryboats across the Vltava river.

MYTH: THE CITY HAS A SHORTAGE OF HOTELS AND CONGRESS VENUES. BUSTED

Couldn’t be further from the truth. Local hotels can accommodate over 90,000 people in more than 42,000 rooms. The Prague Congress Centre alone with 20 halls and 50 meeting rooms can host meetings for 9,300 delegates.

There are plenty of venues to choose from. To name just a few: Žofín Palace, National House of Vinohrady, historic Lobkowicz Palace, Prague Airport Congress Hall, Musée Grévin,…

A number of special venues that leave a memorable impression on congress guests are also available.

MYTH: THE LOCAL DRINK IN PRAGUE IS WINE. BUSTED

Although the country’s wineries have been making a name for themselves at international wine competitions, the Czech Republic remains the country with the highest beer consumption

24

MYTH: PRAGUE CASTLE IS LISTED IN THE GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS AS THE OLDEST CASTLE IN THE WORLD. CONFIRMED

Prague Castle was most likely founded in around 880 by Prince Bořivoj of the Premyslid Dynasty (Přemyslovci) and is today the largest coherent castle complex in the world, with an area of almost 70,000 m². It is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage site. The famous Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik was responsible for extensive renovations in the time of the First Republic (1918-1938). Since the Velvet Revolution, Prague Castle has undergone significant and ongoing repairs and reconstructions. The Prague Castle can now be booked for various events. It offers 4 large meeting halls with the largest Spanish Hall accepting 500 delegates.

Meet Busters

MYTH: PRAGUE IS A POPULAR FILM DESTINATION. CONFIRMED

MYTH: VLTAVA RIVER IS THE SHORTEST RIVER IN CZECH REPUBLIC.

Over the years many Hollywood movies were partly shot in Prague. In 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale was filmed at the Václav Havel Airport, Army Museum Žižkov and Strahov Monastery. Another action movie shot in Prague back in 1996 was Mission: Impossible with the opening scene on Charles Bridge. Other big Hollywood movies filmed in Prague are Snowpiercer, The Last Knights, Child 44, Doom, Alien vs. Predator, Van Helsing, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Hellboy, Running Scared, Yentl, The Trial, Les Misérables, Immortal Beloved, SlaughterhouseFive, Kafka, The Bridge at Remagen, Operation: Daybreak, Amadeus,…

BUSTED

The Vltava is the longest river in the Czech Republic and for 31 km flows right through Prague. Many incentives include boat rides along the river. Water sports like kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and for adrenaline junkies also sports like FlyBoarding are available. In the winter, one of the boats anchored on the embankment is even turned into a sauna. Those that don’t like to get wet can enjoy a great cycling path along the river that will take them to the very heart of Prague. But what they need to know is that in the city centre the cycling is prohibited. A fun fact: there are 17 bridges over the Vltava river in Prague; by far the most famous and beautiful one is the Charles Bridge. Vltava is also part of the set of six symphonic poems called My Country that were composed by Bedřich Smetana. Bedřich Smetana’s Museum is situated right by the Vltava river in the immediate vicinity of Charles Bridge.

MYTH: A CITY OF “BIG MINDS”.

CONFIRMED

Artists like Franz Kafka and Bedřich Smetana lived and died in Prague, while Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote some of his best opera successes during his time in the city. Scientists including Albert Einstein and Johannes Kepler lectured for several years in Prague, while the history of sports would not be the same without the tennis player Martina Navratilova and the hockey playerJaromír Jágr.

MYTH: IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AN “OUT OF THE BOX” TOURIST ATTRACTION, GO TO PRAGUE! CONFIRMED

MYTH: PRAGUE IS A CITY WITH ONLY ONE SQUARE. BUSTED

Prague has many squares worth visiting. Charles Square is one of the largest squares in the world and was the largest town square of the medieval Europe. It used to be called “The Big Marketplace” (Velké tržiště) or „Cattle Market” (Dobytčí trh). The most famous square is certainly the Wenceslas Square that is the commercial and administrative centre of the city as well as the site of important social and historical events.

The Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) is the most significant square of historical Prague founded in the 12th century. With its ancient buildings and magnificent churches, this is one of the most beautiful historical sights in Europe.

The most notable sights on the square are the Old Town Hall Tower & Astronomical Clock, Týn Church and St. Nicholas Church.

25

From the world’s only cubist lamppost, futuristic TV tower that is also Prague’s tallest landmark with 10 giant crawling babies exploring the outside of the tower to KGB Museum, Hotel Jalta Nuclear Bunker and Miniature museum holding a human hair with Lord’s Prayer inscribed on it.

Prague has some of the craziest attractions that are definitely a “must see” for everyone looking for something different and mindblowing.

Kongres meetologue

VIENNA

MEETINGS STAR FINALIST BEST MEETING DESTINATION 2016

WORLD CAPITAL OF CONGRESS TOURISM

V

ienna is a tourist, cultural and historical, convention and business centre with a high standard of living.

One of the four headquarters of the United Nations has been in the Austrian capital for more than 30 years, as well as the seats of other relevant international organisations such as the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). Vienna is also an important meeting point of international diplomacy, as more than 3,500 diplomats and more than 5,000 employees of international organisations work in the city, generating a significant number of events. Vienna’s success also owes more than a little to the well-organised meetings industry represented by the legendary Christian Mutschlechner, with proof if it were needed of the city having one of the most professional convention bureaus in that as many as eight Certified Meeting Professionals (CMP) op-

erating at the Vienna Office. The programme is run by the Convention Industry Council (CIC) and is considered to have the Highest Professional Quality Standards for the international meetings industry. Vienna is the epicentre of informal meetings of the New Europe and represents something of a benchmark for every destination, both in terms of organization and results, and most especially in terms of the quality of the entire congress offer.

DID YOU KNOW More than 300 Balls per year are organised in this capital of music. Half of them are public, so you might get lucky and stumble upon one of them on your trip. Prepare to become familiar with the Viennese Waltz at some of the most famous Balls, like The Philharmonic Ball, Blumenball or Kaffeesiederball.

COOL MEETINGS Wiener Schnitzel, or Wienerschnitzel in Switzerland, is a very thin, breaded and pan fried cutlet made from veal. It is one of the best known specialities of Viennese cuisine. The Wiener Schnitzel is a national dish of Austria.

0

26

Kongres meetologue

ICCA 2015 Country and City Ranking Number of events: 178 Wordlwide: 4th place Europe: 4th place Destination grade: Excellent Meetings Destination

4.94

INDIVIDUAL GRADES:

A Natural and Cultural factors

4.85

With almost two million inhabitants in the city and three million in the metropolitan region, Vienna is the largest Austrian and the seventh largest European city. The town has always played an important role in Central Europe and with its picturesque skyline and rich cultural and historical heritage it offers an extremely interesting experiential value that attracts many tourists and conference guests. The former capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire has always been a multicultural and European melting pot that has attracted people from far and wide. Even today, with the collapse of the Eastern bloc, many different languages can be heard through the city’s streets and squares.

B General and Transport Infrastructure

4.92

The City Administration runs Vienna as a smart city in which, if we may repeat the words of the famous architect Boris Podrecca, it is a privilege to live. It means that they effectively exhaust the city’s energy resources and introduce innovative technologies that increase the quality of life of the residents and congress guests. This is also one of the reasons that Vienna has seven times successively been declared a city with the highest quality of life, according to a study by the International Agency Mercer. This is a statistic that speaks for itself. Alongside this the city is also known for excellent flight connections, with Vienna airport being one of the main European air hubs.

C Tourist Infrastructure

5.00

Vienna attracts in a variety of ways and along with Prague is the tourist heart of Central Europe. It is world-renowned for its historic neighbourhoods, architectural landmarks and cultural facilities. For the past 60 years Vienna has steadily developed its tourist offer, whilst maintaining the architectural identity of the city. The Vienna Tourist Organisation is one of the oldest in the world and has been operating since 1955. With the organisation they have not only introduced an independent professional management of Vienna tourism, but have also organised effective tax collection and redistribution of income from the hotel activity. Springing from this the foundations and stability of the meetings industry were set.

D Meetings Infrastructure

5.00

Listing every possibility for congresses in Vienna would simply take up too much space. The core offer is concentrated in the highly equipped Austria Center and at the Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Centre. The latter allows the city to host the world’s largest congresses for up to 30,000 participants. The variety of congress hotels is exceptional and includes virtually all of the top international hotel brands and along with a rich local offer. A number of special venues with a hint of the Habsburg style, such as the Belvedere, Hofbourg Palace, Schoenbrunn Palace and Palais Esterhazy, give the

WHAT’S HOT 1. 78th EAGE Conference & Exhibition 2016 / June 2016 - The largest and most comprehensive multidisciplinary geoscience event in the world. There is an extensive programme aiming to provide a broader spectrum of knowledge in Geophysics, Geology, Reservoir/Petroleum Engineering and Near Surface.

2. EAACI Congress 2016 / June 2016 - The EAACI Congress 2016 is a congress organised by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) which offers a unique opportunity to learn about new discoveries in the field of allergy and clinical immunology.

3. 29th ECNP Congress / September 2016 - The ECNP Congress is Europe’s largest meeting on applied and translational neuroscience.

Annually it brings together between 4,000 and 6,000 psychiatrists, neuroscientists, neurologists and psychologists.

4. 25th Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology & Venereology / September 2016 - The vision of the EADV is to lead to improved quality patient care, continuing medical education for all Dermato-Venereologists within Europe and advocacy on behalf of the speciality and patients.

5. The IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) / December 2016 - More than 7,000 delegates from more than 100 countries will discuss the latest developments in thoracic malignancy research.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA “The Third Man” - In the footsteps of the great movie classic shot in Vienna in 1947. You become immersed in the atmosphere of the movie at the original locations in the inner city and deep down in the Vienna “underworld” - the sewers made famous by the great Harry Lime chase.

city a further added value... The offer of necessary agencies is also fully developed, as some of the best global DMC and PCO agencies are to be found in Vienna.

E Subjective Grade

5.00

Vienna was ranked among the world’s best congress destinations because of the excellent infrastructure, targeted marketing, and exceptional connectivity of the destination. An amazing unifying role has been played the Vienna Convention Bureau, which is a role model case of an exemplary, organised Convention Bureau with a clear structure of partners, measurable results and strategic future orientation. It all represents an example to every regional destination and shows the proper path of development. As such the Vienna congress industry should be a mandatory benchmark for all destinations that are seriously starting to develop their congress tourism.

F Marketing Buzz

4.90

There are no words to be wasted about the exceptional image of Vienna.

From year to year they have strengthened their image with the organisation of major events, such as the Eurovision Song Contest. Events of that scale define the city as an open, tolerant and multicultural, something that is being communicated to the public through their current campaigns.

G ICCA index:

5.00

H Numbeo quality of life Index:

5.00

I Global Peace Index:

4.79

27

Kongres meetologue

PRAGUE

MEETINGS STAR FINALIST BEST MEETING DESTINATION 2016

SLAVIC PARIS

T

he city is of special importance for the Slavs and is a kind of South Slavic Paris, in which different kinds of stories mix and combine that give rise to conflicting historical memories and feelings. Prague is rightly among the most beautiful European cities, with sights worth seeing at every step. Unsurprisingly, it has since 1992 been listed on the UNESCO heritage list. Congress tourism is highly positioned in Prague and according to Prague Convention Bureau data it generates between 20 to 25% of the total tourist traffic.

The spirit of Central Europe is in the best way caught in this beautiful city, which is an excellent meetings destination

because of its cosmopolitanism, multicul-turalism, liveliness and a tireless nightlife. What is the secret of the Prague congress tourism? It is a combination of circumstances and wise development policies. Elegantly and sustainably they are working to be among the top ten European congress cities.

DID YOU KNOW Prague is called “the City of a Hundred Spires”? According to the Prague Information service there are about 500 towers and spires across the city.

COOL MEETINGS CZECH KNEDLIČKI - bread dumplings, which are mandatorily washed down with some of the excellent Czech beer. There is a legend that Prague got its name Golden Prague because of the beer. Anyone who has not eaten Czech knedlički with goulash and drank a mug of beer, has not properly been in Prague.

Kongres meetologue

ICCA 2015 Country and City Ranking Number of events: 123 Wordlwide: 11th place Europe: 10 th place Destination grade: Excellent Meetings Destination

4.51

INDIVIDUAL GRADES:

A Natural and cultural factors

4.54

Prague’s historic districts, Staro mesto (the Old Town), Novo mesto (the New Town), the Jewish Quarter, Hradcany and the Little Quarter form the core of an outstanding experiential diversity of the city, which for many years has been attracting a number of tourists. The city has developed on seven hills by the river Vltava. ‘Golden Prague’ is special because of its extreme concentration of architectural and historical sights in combination with landscape diversity, culture and the arts.

B General and transport infrastructure

WHAT’S HOT 1. Prague Airport Receives Major route recognition in Europe 2016 Marketing awards Survey – Prague airport was voted a “highly commended airport” in the prestigious Routes Europe 2016. It ranked the second best in its category.

2. Forum Kalin – the forum won an award for 2015 venue of the year at the ceremonious Nouvelle Prague awards. Nouvelle Prague awards are annually awarded on the occasion of an international specialist’s musical conference, which is a part of the eponymous Nouvelle Prague 2-day showcase festival.

3. New hotel opening – the new, five-star Hotel Wilson was opened in Prague city centre. The Wilson Hotel is focused on individual and business clients and will offer 53 luxurious rooms.

4.59

Safety, excellent infrastructure, professional environment with an educated workforce, affordability, tradition and high quality of life are the main attributes of the general infrastructure of Prague. Also important for the development of congress tourism are the solid airline availability and regulation of the Vaclav Havel airport ,with a new Terminal 2 that is becoming an important aviation hub of the region.

C Tourist infrastructure

4.90

The Czech capital has in recent years established itself as one of the most visited European tourist destinations. In the city everything is therefore subordinate to tourists with an almost pilgrimage-like surge in high season. However, the city retains its charm and offers a diverse and mainly high quality tourist infrastructure. Prague is a room with a view.

D Meetings infrastructure

4.65

A complex and comprehensive offer, in which a remarkable number of world-class historic congress venues stand out. It is the first meeting point of the East European meetings industry that with further development is mixing it up with such first category destinations as Vienna, Berlin and Barcelona.

It is the city in which conference participants will feel good.

E Subjective grade

4.61

The city with its rich cultural heritage, friendliness of locals and countless congress options anchors deep in the heart.

Every street and house tells its own story, which gives the city a special touch. Prague maintains and builds on its high-quality romantic reputation.

F Marketing buzz

4.85

Prague’s big breakthrough on the international meetings industry scene came true under the leadership of energetic Lenka Žlebkova. The public-private Bureau consistently - and very elegantly - promotes Prague as one of the key Central European meeting destinations. The result has been the successful acquisition of the ICCA Congress and a number of high-profile association conferences. Prague is also an increasingly popular incentive destination with its well-organised marketing infrastructure.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Art Nouveau Tour – a cultural experience The end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century brought new architectural styles to the city and you can compare various examples of Prague Art Nouveau with other styles of the period and visit unique Art Nouveau gems, such as the Municipal House and its decoration, the Alfons Mucha Museum, the Industrial Palace, the Grand Hotel Europa, and many others.

WHO TO CONTACT Prague Convention Bureau, Rytířská 26, 110 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic Mr. Roman Muška, E: info@pragueconvention.cz, T: +420 224 235 159, www.pragueconvention.cz

G ICCA index:

4.12

H Numbeo quality of life Index:

4.10

I Global Peace Index:

4.25

29

Kongres meetologue

ISTANBUL

MEETINGS STAR FINALIST BEST MEETING DESTINATION 2016

SIZE DOES MATTER

D

oes size matter? ‘Absolutely’, argue the meetings industry representatives of Istanbul. Distances and size are all relative in this city of superlatives where even five minutes, which is maybe a measure of distance from your destination, can easily be converted into a completely different travel experience.

The only regional megapolis today has almost 15 million inhabitants, the city spreading in every direction where you out your view.

Today Istanbul is some kind of a congress hybrid between regulated western destinations and more exotic

DID YOU KNOW With 8,500 years of glamorous history and the former capital of many empires, including Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman, İstanbul has always been an important metropolis.

COOL MEETINGS Istanbul is not in any way missing a whole world of real treats, so to pick just one would be unfair. This time let’s expose the spices that make the food divine, with the easiest way to encounter them at the Grand Bazaar.

congress destinations, and a hybrid between the old and the new that follows you in this incredible city at every step.

Options for the organisation of social events are unparalleled elsewhere in Europe. Cosmopolitan Istanbul has come back in full shine and has become one of the top global congress cities. The destination is back in the limelight and is the new global success story. How vital is the image of the city was proven at last year’s protests in Taksim square that did not cause any problems to the meetings industry. Similarly, Turkish Airlines is a symbol of the rise and vitality of the Turkish economy. We believe that the meetings industry of Istanbul will be the new congress success story, for it has already fulfilled almost every condition and at the same time it is still relatively inexpensive.

Kongres meetologue

ICCA 2015 Country and City Ranking Number of events: 148 Wordlwide: 8th place Europe: 7th place Destination grade: Excellent Meetings Destination

WHAT’S HOT 1. Istanbul ranked the 5th most visited city and the 8th most popular congress destination in the world

4.39

3. Turkish Airlines flies to even more destinations: over 290 cities from Istanbul

INDIVIDUAL GRADES:

A Natural and cultural factors

4.79

The most distinctive geographical determinant of the city is the Bosphorus, which separates the European from the Asian part of the city and connects the Marmara and the Black Sea. From the sea the most magnificent landscapes of the city are revealed. Together with the demographic conglomeration, historic heritage and amazing architecture, experientially they are putting Istanbul among the most important global tourist destinations.

B General and transport infrastructure

2. Increasing bed capacity, with 100,000 in total and 47,000 under investment

4. New infrastructure developments: 3rd bridge completed and 3rd international airport under way 5. E-visa system just 3 clicks away

4.85

In the city of excess, despite the apparent chaos everything works more or less normally. In recent times the orderliness of public transport is especially impressive, with two metro lines and other transport that thoroughly interconnect the city. With the planned mega-projects the quality of life is improving as well as the general infrastructure. Most of all it is thanks to the phenomenal and smart growth of Turkish Airlines, which is today the fourth largest airline in the world.

C Tourist infrastructure

5.00

A city of scents, flavours and fragrances together with countless tourist attractions that have always been attracting tourists with their oriental touch. It is therefore not surprising that according to the last year’s Master Card Global Destination Index study it is among the ten most successful global destinations in 2013. Ahead of Istanbul are only Bangkok, London, Paris, Singapore and New York.

D Meetings infrastructure

5.00

Congress Bazaar of Istanbul offers everything that the heart of a meetings organiser could wish for, in addition to 7 convention centres, 3 fair grounds and almost 100,000 hotel rooms, and the excellently organised Convention Bureau of Istanbul.

4.75 E Subjective grade Caught between traditional and Western culture the city offers one of the most authentic congress experiences in the world. Leaving aside the political instability and security problems it is one of the most competitive destinations in the world, which is also characterised by the genuine hospitality of the locals and their natural gift for business.

F Marketing buzz

4.92

Istanbul Convention Bureau is one of the best run and most tightly organised amongst the regional offices. Together with a well-functioning meetings industry, they ensure that Istanbul is well presented on the international congress scene. Having recognizable hotel chains and the best airline in Europe, Turkish Airlines, has been very helpful for them.

Following a period of intensive marketing Istanbul has now made the breakthrough to the first league of the meeting industry.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Cruising along the Bosphorus whilst savoring Turkish Cuisine – home to a diverse culture and a vibrant crowd, Istanbul offers an infinite number of possibilities for incentive ideas. Having the Bosphorus divide both city and continents, a boat tour on a beautiful Istanbul evening promises breathtaking scenery and memories for your guests.

WOW FACTOR: The only city in the world where you can experience two continents at the same time.

WHO TO CONTACT Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau, Istanbul Ticaret Odası Ek Hizmet Binası, Reşadiye Cad. No:7, Eminönü 34112 İstanbul, Turkey Ms. Ayla Bilgiç, E: aylabilgic@icvb.org, T: (+90-212) 522 5555 www.icvb.org

G ICCA index:

4.43

H Numbeo quality of life Index:

3.60

I Global Peace Index:

2.15

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BUDAPEST

MEETINGS STAR FINALIST BEST MEETING DESTINATION 2016

CONGRESS QUEEN OF THE DANUBE

T

he second largest city of the former Austro-Hungarian monarchy is one of my favourite European capitals, where I feel at home. Even in greyer times it seemed to me colourful, cheerful and full of the power of life. Through numerous visits I witnessed the transition of the city into today’s modern congress metropolis.

Budapest has always belonged to the tradition and culture of the West and the enforced stay in Eastern Europe is already quite a faded memory. Specific added value are be-

stowed on the city by the extremely professional and positive professionals who, because of their Finno-Ugric linguistic connection, are reminiscent of their Scandinavian relatives.

Once you agree all of the details everything will work like clockwork and without any unnecessary problems. It’s no wonder that it is always attracting congress organisers.

DID YOU KNOW Budapest is hot – literally! The city has more thermal springs than any other capital city in the world. An amazing 70 million litres of thermal water rises to the surface daily.

The hot springs have given birth to dozens of medicinal baths and to a bathing culture dating back to Roman times.

COOL MEETINGS Hungarian cuisine is famous for its pepper and I cannot imagine a visit to the capital without tasting the world famous speciality of Hungarian goulash. They cook it with different kinds of meat - veal or pork. There are plenty of versions and since the 19th century it spread around the world via Viennese cuisine.

Kongres meetologue

ICCA 2015 Country and City Ranking Number of events: 95 Wordlwide: 19th place Europe: 15th place Destination grade: Excellent Meetings Destination

4.37

INDIVIDUAL GRADES:

A Natural and cultural factors

4.54

One of just a few cities in the world that literally lies on thermal springs and to which the Danube River gives a specific experiential value. In the city there is just no end to the cultural and historical attractions, which positions Budapest among the most attractive tourist cities of Europe.

B General and transport infrastructure

4.61

Budapest enjoys a very favourable position in Europe, at the crossroads between the East and the West. Moreover, even according to Mercer’s scale of quality of life it is among the top cities in Eastern Europe with a strong multicultural character. The accessibility of the city is excellent, as all roads in Hungary lead to the capital. Public transport is also excellently arranged and known to be reliable. The city is also a safe convention destination.

C Tourist infrastructure

4.91

The rich legacy of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in combination with sights of the soc-realist period and the city’s affordability are a formula for an exceptional tourist popularity of the city and a good occupancy of the 22,000 hotel rooms. If we add to this an excellent hotel infrastructure and attractions such as spas, gastronomy and a rich nightlife we get a top tourist destination.

D Meetings infrastructure

4.71

The winning combination of world-class convention hotels, additional incentive offer and good prices. Behind its main competitors Vienna and Prague Budapest lags in destination management and has a little bit of a worse image. Missing a more proactive city convention bureau.

E Subjective grade

WHAT’S HOT 1. VinCE Budapest Wine Show / March 2016 – At the biggest wine expo of the region, visitors can see the world’s first wine dispenser and preservation system that can be operated with a smart phone, and also taste 1,000 kinds of wines from 182 wineries with just one ticket at this event, with glasses often filled by the winemakers themselves.

2. Brain Bar Budapest / June 2016 – Central Europe’s one-of-a-kind festival is set to debate various issues that influence our future, including the complex and evolving relationship between technology and humanity.

With its broad scope and ambitious format, it strives to create a unique space of inspiration, where top trendsetters, decision makers, and fresh challengers exchange ideas in unrestrained conversations.

3. Red Bull Air Race World Championship / July 2016 – Thousands of visitors from all parts of the world conquer the Danube banks to see the world’s best pilots competing in a high-speed, low-altitude, and extreme maneuverability race, using the fastest, most agile, and lightweight racing planes ever. A breathtaking spectacle like no other.

4. Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix / July 2016 – Since 1986, Budapest hosts one of the world’s biggest motor-sports events – the annual Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring racecourse, located just outside of the Magyar metropolis, where the world’s fastest drivers arrive to rev up their engines and zoom around the track in hopes of earning a shower of champagne at the finish line.

5. Sziget Festival / August 2016 – One of Europe’s biggest alfresco gigs, the annual Sziget Festival, attracts revelers from all over the world to the Island of Freedom to celebrate together amid this week-long musical extravaganza with international superstars and acclaimed local performers of all genres. The annual good-time gathering is about blasting concerts, artful acts, and extravagant entertainment, alongside loads of chill zones and psychedelic settings. It’s an unforgettable experience.

6. Budapest Design Week / September 2016 – As one of Europe’s most essential occasions in the world of cutting-edge style, Budapest Design Week is an annual gathering of international visionaries transforming the city into a massive showcase for modern fashion, furniture, art, and much more at numerous venues hosting a huge variety of events, workshops, exhibits, and many other creative get-togethers.

4.76

Best value for money. According to the research of Magyar Turizmus 1 EUR spent in Vienna in the congress industry is worth 2 in Budapest. At the same time Budapest is still a fresh and new destination compared to some quite tired competitors in the market.

F Marketing buzz

4.78

A destination that recently was temporarily left without a national or city bureau, yet nevertheless impressively manages to hold on. Active promotion in the past has built its own momentum, but it is difficult to believe that Budapest will retain its position without any serious marketing in the currently fierce competitive environment with other cities. At the moment the task sits firmly on the shoulders of large hotel chains and agencies, helped by the fact that the city is the headquarters of many corporations.

Budapest Danube river dinner cruise – This programme is created for those who would like to enjoy the wonderful views of the city bathed in light whilst having dinner in a romantic, candlelit atmosphere on a boat with live music.

G ICCA index: H Numbeo quality of life Index: I Global Peace Index:

Hungarian Convention Bureau, Bartók Béla út 105-113, 1115 Budapest, Hungary, Ms. Julia Csesznok, E: csesznok.julia@itthon.hu, T: +36 1 488 8644

3.53 3.60 3.86

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA

WHO TO CONTACT

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DUBROVNIK

MEETINGS STAR FINALIST BEST MEETING DESTINATION 2016

PEARL OF THE ADRIATIC

D

ubrovnik is a city growing and developing due to the meetings industry. It will be a big part of the future of this industry for the entire region. First, as the most successful Croatian and regional brand on the global meetings market. With little exaggeration we can claim the destination brand of the entire region will hang on Dubrovnik.

It will lead the region as the first destination where international and local hotel chains are opening convention centres and performing intensive co-branding. The results are numerous incentives of international corporations to book up the season and convention centre openings one after the other. I personally believe the meetings industry can change the image of Dubrovnik. It is possible new investments in meetings industry will change the sociological structure of tourists. I have to add, the key question is always the vision of the destination and the knowledge the infrastructure will be successfully marketed.

The wonderful setting of Dubrovnik is only a part of the story; the meetings industry is largely the logical industry for Dubrovnik. It is only missing some important investments into infrastructure and meetings infrastructure.

The meetings organizers can learn much from Dubrovnik, the inscription on the door to the Duke’s Palace: “Obliti privatorum publica curate” or “Forget your own gains and take care of the common ones”.

DID YOU KNOW That Dubrovnik, back then an independent state, was the first nation to formally recognise the United States as a nation when it declared independence from Great Britain.

COOL MEETINGS DUBROVNIŠKA ROŽATA: Dessert of Dubrovnik’s nobility.

Cream eggs with caramel sauce, served most often with the sweet liqueur or fruit. One of Croatian versions of the world-famous cream with caramel.

Kongres meetologue

ICCA 2015 Country and City Ranking Number of events: 25 Wordlwide: 109th place Europe: 61th place Destination grade: Excellent Meetings Destination

4.33

INDIVIDUAL GRADES:

A Natural and cultural factors

4.99

Stone Palace, which hides many stories, will greet you in all its splendour as it has for centuries greeted travellers from around the world. The magnificent city is one of the tourist icons of the Adriatic and justifiably the most painted tourist skyline with unprecedented experiential diversity for conference guests.

B General and transport infrastructure

WHAT’S HOT 1. Newly opened hotel – the Sheraton Dubrovnik Riviera Hotel opened its doors in August 2015.

2. Popular film destination – Dubrovnik has become a world renowned popular filming destination over the past year.

3. Dubrovnik Winter Festival – Dubrovnik will host the festival from November to January and bring together fun, culture, enjoyment, gastronomy and art.

4. Dubrovnik’s Hotel renovation – exciting improvements in one of the Dubrovnik’s most popular hotels, the Hotel Kompas, upgrading to 4*.

5. Lazareti – unique and new historic venue in Dubrovnik was recently completely restored and embellished with modern facilities.

4.59

Among Croatian destinations Dubrovnik depends the most on the availability of flights. Hence this year’s forecasted record number of flights is gratifying for conference organizers. The city is safe, as evidenced by the current analysis of the portal Trip Advisor. The city is logistically regulated solidly, it is only necessary to avoid the largest tourist crowds in the middle of the season.

C Tourist infrastructure

4.98

Dubrovnik is once again well established on the world tourist map as a leading tourist destination in the region. Given the extensive tourist infrastructure locals would want to stretch the summer crowds on the rest of the year. In addition to legendary and iconic hotels like the Excelsior, the city offers a variety of hotel accommodation and is regarding restaurants and entertainment lively day and night.

D Meetings infrastructure

4.78

To have convention completeness Dubrovnik is only missing a modern multifunctional convention centre, which has been planned for a long time. So far, it is successfully replaced by modern and well-equipped centres at hotels such as Dubrovnik Palace, Excelsior, Bellevue, Grand Villa Argentina, Importanne Resort, Dubrovnik President, Valamar Lacroma and Radisson Blue. Well-developed is the entire conference infrastructure including destination management and creative agency scene.

E Subjective grade

4.75

World destination is again attracting well-known names and world class events. It is the strongest brand of the region in the meetings industry which hardly disappoints or leaves indifferent. Dubrovnik ignites love at first sight.

F Marketing buzz

4.96

When you’re a recognised tourist icon, the marketing tends to take care of itself. This is not quite the case, however, for the meetings industry, although it can help a lot. The great advantage of Dubrovnik is that its director actually comes from the meetings industry and therefore well understands the multiplier effect. Further helping this, Dubrovnik is excellently organised and promoted, ensuring that it is the leading light among the regional offices.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Exploring the Dubrovnik Riviera, an active experience – the five-day tour includes everything from basic city walks, a cable car ride to Srđ and a Buggy safari to honey tasting and visiting nearby islands and cities. Over five days you can visit the National park on Mljet island, taste wine on Pelješac and enjoy delicious oysters in Mali Ston Bay. WOW FACTOR: Croatia’s pearl “Ostrea Edulis” - Nutritionalists who have tasted oysters from Mali Ston bay continue to favour them over those from other seas and have nothing but words of praise for them – ‘the most delicious oysters in the world’!

WHO TO CONTACT Dubrovnik Tourist Board & Convention Bureau, Brsalje 5 20000 Dubrovnik, Croatia Ms. Romana Vlašič, E: romana.vlasic@tzdubrovnik.hr T: +385 20 312 015, www.tzdubrovnik.hr

G ICCA index:

2.24

H Numbeo quality of life Index:

4.00

I Global Peace Index:

3.70

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SALZBURG

MEETINGS STAR FINALIST BEST MEETING DESTINATION 2016

SALZBURG GIVES YOU WINGS

I

f security and political stability are treated as givens, the key advantages of Salzburg are the compactness and manageable size of the city, the easy accessibility, the convention centre in the city centre and the technological sophistication of the destination. Salzburg is already in its essence and urban organisation one of the most sustainable world congress destinations. In addition they care a lot about your congress and welfare of participants. A friendly gesture for event organisers is the free concert which is prepared for international congress guests, and the already mentioned congress subsidies if you bring to the city at least 250 international participants as well as cheaper tickets for public transport. A small city by size, but a congress metropolis by its offer and approach to congress tourism.

The entire industry has for ten years been successfully connected by the Salzburg Convention Bureau, which works on the non-profit model of its older brother in Vienna. Salzburg also has great congress ambassadors and advocates of event organisers.

DID YOU KNOW Did you know, that Salzburg celebrates its 200th birthday this year?

COOL MEETINGS Ikarus Restaurant, which is located in Hangar-7 in Salzburg, every month hosts the best chefs in the world who present their favourite masterpieces in cooperation with the owner of the restaurant, Eckart Witzigmann, and chef Martin Klein. April’s chef was Slovene Ana Roš from restaurant Hiša Franko in Kobarid. This is one of the best world-class culinary stories in the world, if not the best in line with its concept.

Kongres meetologue

ICCA 2015 Country and City Ranking Number of events: 9 Wordlwide: 254th place Europe: 130th place Destination grade: Quality Meetings Destination

4.26

INDIVIDUAL GRADES:

A Natural and cultural factors

4.63

The picturesque alpine landscape with Mozart, lakes, culture festivals and rich history creates an unmistakable experiential diversity and atmosphere that makes Salzburg one of the most famous tourist destinations of Europe.

B General and transport infrastructure

WHAT’S HOT 1. New record – for the first time Salzburg had more than 3,000 events last year, according to the Meeting Industry Report Austria.

2. Travel Charme Bergresort Werfenweng as a new member of the Salzburg Convention Bureau – can host up to 250 people for conferences in the heart of the mountains.

3. Messezentrum Salzburg – Refurbishment of exhibition hall 1 for €12 Million to adjust the technical infrastructure.

4. Crowne Plaza Salzburg goes green – the hotel and conference centre was awarded with the green meeting certificate.

5. Carhouse – Hotel Gut Brandlhof opens Europe’s first carhouse with up to 700m2 for presentations and much more.

4.48

With its location in the heart of Europe Salzburg has a great starting point in congress tourism, helped also because of the high quality of life. Excellent public infrastructure, idyllic nature, recreation and sports infrastructure is also unequalled.

Probably one of the most friendly and regulated destinations in Central Europe, which possesses all the characteristics of a metropolis packed into an extremely attractive package.

C Tourist infrastructure

4.41

Although you will find Mozart on every step of your way and it seems that the clock stopped in the times of the famous composer, Salzburg is a very modern and cool tourist destination. It appears that Salzburg was formed and lives for tourism and it is especially necessary to highlight the extraordinary culinary scene.

D Meetings infrastructure

4.53

Two top-quality, modern and high tech congress centres – Messezentrum Salzburg for 6,000 participants and Congress Salzburg for 2.500 participants – are together with a top quality conference hotel infrastructure a foundation for congress destination. Marketing is successfully connected by the Salzburg Convention Bureau, which last year celebrated its 10th anniversary.

E Subjective grade

4.29

Austrian efficiency and organisation, peppered with the baroque charm of its city, is the formula for success in the field of medium-sized congresses up to 2,500 participants.

A cosmopolitan mix of visitors and the local population is torn between tradition and the fast pace of the 21st century.

F Marketing buzz

4.25

The most musical city in the world certainly knows how to attract visitors - they have extensive experience around events with their traditional Summer festival, and they know how to translate this perfectly to the meetings industry floor.

The complete support centre in Austria is self-evident and a well-organised convention bureau works like a Swiss clock.

Cultural heritage and innovation also help with the marketing and, of course, location, location, location.

G ICCA index:

2.06

H Numbeo quality of life Index:

4.90

I Global Peace Index:

4.79

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Flying Fox XXL, Adrenaline experience – Enjoy the fastest and longest zip wires in the world. You fly at heights of up to 140m on your way down into the valley, giving you unforgettable views of the mountains.

Wow Factor: Top speed up to 130km an hour!

WHO TO CONTACT Salzburg Convention Bureau, Auerspergstrasse 6, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; Ms. Elisabeth Pfoess, E: e.pfoess@salzburgcb.com, T: +43 662 88987 272; www.salzburgcb.com

READ MORE MT

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ATHENS

MEETINGS STAR FINALIST BEST MEETING DESTINATION 2016

BRIDGING THE GAP

DID YOU KNOW Did you know that the Parthenon in Athens was once covered in colourful splashes of paint? Many areas were brightly painted in hues that have faded with time and, in some cases, with forced removal.

venues, where a glance through the glass ceiling reaches out over the breathtaking Parthenon perched on its rocky hill.

From there it is a short stretch of the legs to the many galleries of the elegant Kolonaki quarter where the Greek art scene can be taken in. Then in Plaka, the oldest neighborhood of the city near the northern slopes of the Acropolis, a sense of the ancient soul of Athens can be had where the narrow, winding roads, the low, tumbledown houses, the wine shops, vagrant cats and taverns all interwine in an organic whole. Its energetic character keeps this area thriving and attracting flows of tourists to appreciate its true spirit of the Mediterranean.

The city’s Mediterranean spirit also infuses its meetings industry story. Despite the financial crisis and the never-ending prospect of a Grexit it remains dynamic and vivacious.

A hot congress spring and fall beats right through the spirit of large meetings for associations and companies. A real treat for guests is the Athens nightlife, which gives the city an especial glow and sets it apart from other, more reserved destinations.

Images are courtesy to City of Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau – ACVB

A

thens is an attractive destination in its own, very special way. It is a unique combination of the old and the new, set in a spectacular Mediterranean landscape.

The ‘city of a thousand faces’ got a complete overhaul in 2004 before the Olympic Games, when the once polluted capital with chaotic traffic turned into a modern, lively city. Today, more than four million people live in Athens, which is almost half of the entire Greek population.

Athens is so much more than the iconic Acropolis inseparable from its global image, although when the visiting crowds sometimes get too much a visit to the Acropolis museum, designed by swiss architect Bernard Tschumi, can be particularly calming. The museum is one of the city’s special

COOL MEETINGS When in Greece you must have to experience the atmosphere of a real tavern at least once. The best idea is to go to the oldest tavern in Athens: Diporto. Its fame has spread by word of mouth for the last hundred years. All the food is homemade and local, but better than a daily home-cooked meal!

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ICCA 2015 Country and City Ranking Number of events: 87 Wordlwide: 24th place Europe: 18th place Destination grade: Quality Meetings Destination

4.18

INDIVIDUAL GRADES:

A Natural and cultural factors

4.65

The Greek capital has a rich cultural heritage and is also one of the oldest cities in the world. Athens has been populated for over 7,000 years. In ancient times Athens was the leading city and its cultural achievements during the 5th century BC became the foundation for western civilization. A visit to the city without appreciating this culture is simply incomplete.

In doing so no museum can be overlooked, many of which are special venues for events.

B General and traffic infrastructure

4.51

Athens has its own window on the world at Piraeus harbour, which is just 8km from the city centre. The city had a real traffic revolution before the Olympic games, when it got a modern underground railway and rail connections to the outskirts of the city. It also built 90km of new road connections and a modern airport to welcome visitors. A true urban regeneration also happened in the coastal areas of Faliron and Hellininkon. Overall, the aesthetic renewal improved living standards and is one of the most positive effects of the 2004 Olympic games.

C Tourist infrastructure

4.75

WHAT’S HOT 1. Athens welcomes new hotels in 2016: Syntagma and Omonia squares in central Athens will welcome four new hotels this year, with a total of 350 rooms and several new meetings spaces.

2. The new Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre: the centre will include the new Opera House, National Library and Conference centre.

These will be added to the list of “must see” attractions in Athens and will enrich, modernize and complement their existing conference and meeting facilities.

3. Academy Plato’s museum: A new digital and interactive multimedia museum is dedicated to the great philosopher and his magnificent work. The museum is a perfect blend of Athens’ contemporary technical services and its cultural history.

4. The Athens Biennale: constantly intuitive towards the institution of biennales, it revises its identity by extending its duration to two years.

A daring and experimental project reaches its peak of activities in June 2017.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Sailing Regatta, Active experience – Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, welcomes you to a unique sailing race! As soon as the “quick and smart” brief is completed, the “exploration” of the Aegean Archipelago will begin.

WHO TO CONTACT Athens Convention Bureau, 7 Filellinon Str., 105 57 Athens Greece Ms. Elpida Rekka, T: +302103312002, E: info@athenscvb.gr www.athenscvb.gr

Greece has always been one of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe and analysts reckon that there will be a 5% increase in the next five years, despite the local economic uncertainty. Hotel chains continue to expand their presence in Athens. Best Western International is the biggest hotel chain in the country, with 19 hotels in different locations, Accor has two hotels (Novotel and Sofitel), both in Athens, and other leading hotel groups in the market are Carlson Rezidor, Hilton, Hyatt, InterContinental Hotels Group and Marriott. These are all providers of high price range hotels and are proof that despite the current situation, luxury tourism always has major potential.

troduced many newEuropean flights to its overall route map. A damaged image of Athens in themidst of the crisis has been improved by the active marketing of the destination, which has seen the return of quite a few reliable clients. However, despite becoming very good value, Athens did not become a fire-sale, with the city sticking to the normal European hotel and service prices. TheAthens congress industry definitely has a clear vision and enough reserves of energy for a second break into the premier congress league, but for the moment it has been a little bit compromised by the crisis. Once this ends, Athens will be able to hit the heights once again.

D Meetings infrastructure

F Marketing buzz

4.23

The backbone of the congress offer is the high-tech Megaron congress centre. The Hellenic Cosmos Cultural Centre and a new MetropolitanExpo convention centre are two sound alternatives to choose from. The city has two large hotels – Hilton Athens Hotel and the Intercontinental Athenaeum – that are appropriate for bigger groups, with plenty of small conference hotels bolstering these. Few other planned investments are still coming forward, as the economic crisis has put on the brakes on for this well equipped destination. There is no lack of optimism in the congress scene, however, because Athens is, and will remain, an excellent and competitive congress destination.

E Subjective grade

4.65

4.51

The Athens Convention Bureau offers a wide palette of key congress providers. Despite the financial and political crisis they continue their intensive and high quality promotion of the city. Athens never lacks fresh and innovative ideas; they just won an award for the “This is Athens” project at the renowned Enter 2015 conference. A part of the promotion is Travel Trade Athens, a B2B event for the city.

G ICCA index:

3.52

H Numbeo quality of life Index:

3.70

I Global Peace Index:

3.08

The city offers a combination of quality services and facilities at very competitive prices. Accessibility is improving; Aegean Airlines, which acquired the state carrier Olympic, has in39

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LJUBLJANA

MEETINGS STAR FINALIST BEST MEETING DESTINATION 2016

EUROPEAN GREEN CAPITAL 2016

L

jubljana has congresses written in its genome. Long before the emergence of the meetings industry as we know it today, in 1821 Ljubljana hosted the Congress of the Holy Alliance, which brought together important sovereigns, politicians and diplomats of the time to draw a new political map of Europe after Napoleon’s downfall.

Then a provincial centre in the Austrian Empire, Ljubljana was chosen to host the event because of its strategic location and adequate accommodation facilities, thus stepping on the stage of European diplomatic history. Chronicles report that during the four months of the Congress many concerts, theatre performances, balls, parades and fireworks were held for the illustrious guests, much to the delight of the local res-

DID YOU KNOW ... that in the warm season you can refill your bottle for free at a number of public drinking water fountains around the city? And there is a shortcut to them! The Tap Ljubljana Water application helps users find the nearest one among 17 locations by detecting their current location and displaying a map with a plotted route to point out the right direction. Set all worries aside while quenching your thirst, as the drinking water’s quality is being constantly monitored.

COOL MEETINGS On Fridays from mid-March to October, a square at the Ljubljana Central Market is literally occupied by a street food market that has in two years established itself as a true city hot spot. The Open Kitchen is wrapped up in the scents of delicious Slovenian and international dishes freshly prepared by chefs and cooks right there, on the market stalls.

Locals mix with visitors from around the globe enjoying a wide array of flavours in a convivial atmosphere. Many people check the weather forecast on Thursdays, hoping it will not rain...

idents, too. The legacy of this historic event is the central Congress Square, which is surrounded by some notable buildings and has been transformed, following a recent extensive renovation, into one of the most attractive open-air event spaces in the city, with the Ljubljana Castle as a backdrop.

Due to a natural passage through the Ljubljana basin, the Slovenian capital has always had a linking role between South East and Central Europe. Ljubljana has many attributes of a big city, while creating the impression of a smaller and friendly town, which makes it so relaxing. A comprehensive urban renewal plan that has won several international awards and is an ongoing project, has contributed to redesigning the city’s image with its sustainable development at the forefront. Over the recent years, traffic-free areas in the city centre and the Old Town have been visibly expanded, which made a positive impact on the quality of life of locals residents and visitors alike. With this, a number of public spaces have acquired a new functionality, now being also suitable for events. The city is compact, picturesque, attractive and friendly to delegates attending conferences, corporate events or incentives.

Ljubljana is the major congress destination in Slovenia and the highest share of (international) meetings take place in the capital due to the well-developed and diversified meeting infrastructure and its accessibility.

Kongres meetologue

ICCA 2015 Country and City Ranking Number of events: 41 Wordlwide: 64th place Europe: 35th place Destination grade: Quality Meetings Destination

4.17

INDIVIDUAL GRADES:

A Natural and cultural factors

4.45

These are rated highly since Ljubljana is an appealing and attractive tourist destination with a developed infrastructure and cultural offer as well as high experiential value.

The focus of this is the Ljubljana Castle and the medieval town. Given the size of the city, it has an exceptional cultural and histor ical diversity with over 15 museums, 41 galleries, 10 theatres and experientially diverse and varied natural hinterland.

B General and transport infrastructure

4.15

Through history the city has expanded organically and, consequently, the overall proportion of infrastructure and transport is solidly regulated. Among the major shortcomings are still the bad airline availability, the unused railway infrastructure and poorly controlled stationary traffic.

The city is extremely safe and in the region one of the most sustainably-oriented.

C Tourist infrastructure

4.55

In the past the tourist offer developed around business tourists, so in Ljubljana hotels are missing a truly superior luxury hotel and recognisable international hotel chains. In the range from 2 to 4 stars, the offer is wide and attractive enough. The restaurant offer is solid, especially in Ljubljana there are many green spaces that offer plenty of opportunities for sports and recreational activities and incentive programmes.

D Meetings infrastructure

4.85

Most of investments in the tourism sector in recent years were aimed at improving the congress infra- structure.

With two top-level convention centres and a very well developed hotel meetings offer, Ljubljana is the region’s leading congress destination. Also positive is the operation of the Ljubljana Convention Bureau. Among weaknesses we could count fluctuations in the quality of service and lack of hotels availability in the largest peak times.

E Subjective grade

1. European Green Capital 2016 – Visit the website at www.greenljubljana.com to learn more about the key reasons why Ljubljana received the prestigious title of European Green Capital 2016. Get to know in what ways our city’s sustainable vision takes part in its daily life.

2. Destination Award – Ljubljana won the ETIS and Accessible Tourism Joint Award 2016 in category “Environment and accessibility as a catalyst for sustainable and responsible growth”. By winning this award Ljubljana received a honorary mention as ETIS Social and Cultural impact achiever, with special mention for accessibility.

3. International sustainability certification – 2016 will be the year when Ljubljana will have eight Travelife certified hotels and one hostel.

Travelife is an international sustainability certification scheme, which helps its 1,300 hotel members around the world to improve their environmental, social and economic impacts cost-effectively 4. New International Hotel Brand – One of the most dynamic hotel groups worldwide, Carlson Rezidor, has selected the Slovenian capital as a new destination in its portfolio. Their new property, featuring 236 rooms, is the conversion of an existing hotel, officially re-branded to the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Ljubljana.

5. Ongoing investments – A number of Ljubljana hotels are refurbishing and upgrading hotel facilities, from rooms to new products.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Ljubljana Beer Experience – Ljubljana has a very long tradition of brewing, proof of which are 3,900-year-old beer barrels excavated at the Ljubljana Marshes. The earliest known brewery in our city dates back at least to 1592! In recent years, the popularity of craft beers made by different microbreweries in Ljubljana and its surrounding area is growing rapidly. On this new incentive programme you will have a chance to visit five different drink outlets, taste eight different beers made by five different breweries, see the Brewery Museum, set up by the Pivovarna Union brewery, where the popular Union beer has been brewed since 1864, and round off your experience at the Pivnica Union pub.

WHO TO CONTACT Ljubljana Tourism / Convention Bureau, Krekov trg 10, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Mrs. Tatjana Radovič, E: tatjana.radovic@visitljubljana.si, T: +386 1 306 45 84, www.visitljubljana.com/meetings

4.47

Mostly Ljubljana makes a good first impression, which is partially due to the consequence of the burden with ‘”apriority” conceptions in the light of the Balkans and Eastern Europe.

Instead they find a congress destination which is friendly and favourable to the meetings industry while being competitive in terms of price and quality at the same time. Among all regional capitals it also has a very good image that has also been strengthened thanks to the Conventa Trade Show.

F Marketing buzz

WHAT’S HOT

4.41

Ljubljana is very successfully promoted through the Slovenian Convention Bureau, and notably so through the very successful Conventa Trade Show project that has brought the regional congress scene together and which would otherwise not be

possible without the support of the city. The Project Ljubljana Strategic Bidding Team, which will this year undertake the start of the ambassador programme with the aim of strengthening the market position on the international associations market, is also highly praised.

G ICCA index:

2.41

H Numbeo quality of life Index:

4.20

I Global Peace Index:

4.07

41

Kongres meetologue

BELGRADE

MEETINGS STAR FINALIST BEST MEETING DESTINATION 2016

A CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS

B

elgrade is an authentic, open and hospitable congress destination with soul. It features a plethora of floating restaurants and clubs, plus lively riverbank promenades.

Belgrade has a good basis for the development of the meetings industry, with a large convention centre, the Belgrade Fair, numerous convention hotels, a long tradition and very

DID YOU KNOW That Belgrade was the second city in the world to have a Grand Prix in 1939, right before WWII. The first was Monte Carlo.

COOL MEETINGS Despite the remarkable culinary diversity, it is hard to avoid ”ROŠTILJ” (grill) and different forms of mixed grilled meat.

Belgrade is the world capital of “čevapčiči” (meat rolls), patties, “uštipci”, “ražnjiči”, spicy sausages, “vešalica”, …..

reasonable prices. Belgrade bases its congress story on a rich culture at the crossroads of East and West, the central position in the South-East Europe and a lively social life.

Belgrade is a city on the rise and a rough congress diamond that has enormous development potential and can be placed geo-strategically side by side with world congress capitals, once it improves its infrastructure and handles the entire meetings sales chain.

In short, the zeitgeist of Belgrade is best summed up by writer Momo Kapor with the words: “Belgrade is a low-budget New York.”

Kongres meetologue

ICCA 2015 Country and City Ranking Number of events: 52 Wordlwide: 52th place Europe: 28th place Destination grade: Quality Meetings Destination

4.15

INDIVIDUAL GRADES:

A Natural and cultural factors

4.29

The city at the crossroads of routes and historic conflict is full of history and forms an authentic social and cultural whole interesting to tourists. Unfortunately, some cultural monuments are in a pretty bad shape and that is why the grade is slightly lower compared to the other parts of the region.

B General and transport infrastructure

4.81

All roads lead to. The geostrategic position of Belgrade is extremely favourable and allows for easy access at any time of the year. Unfortunately, the traffic and especially its quality is the weakest part of the congress infrastructure. Years of wars, sanctions and isolation have claimed its toll on the transport and general infrastructure, which is slowly returning to normal.

C Tourist infrastructure

WHAT’S HOT 1. FEST, International Film festival / February 2016 – Envisioned as the annual review of the best films of the season, the Belgrade International Film Festival – FEST – evolved to become one of the most important festivals on the continent and a pillar event of Belgrade’s cultural life.

2. BITEF, Belgrade International Theatre Festival / April 2016 – Growing and developing, it has become one of five most important and biggest European festivals and has, as such, secured itself an unmistakable place at the theater map of the world.

3. The 29th Belgrade Marathon / April 2016 – Serbia’s biggest sports event, which attracts the largest attendance. It is considered to be the most important sports and promotional event traditionally held in Serbia.

4. Mikser Festival / June 2016 – Organized by Mikser House, here is the most important underground festival in Belgrade, and perhaps of the entire Balkans. The Mikser Festival is extended to the whole Savamala neighborhood, with concerts, DJ sets, exhibitions and debates in the most lively part of the Serbian capital.

5. Beer festival / August 2016 – At the end of August Belgrade is submerged by a flood of beer of all kinds and music! Within 5 days, over 500.000 people visit the festival.

4.88

Belgrade is currently dominated by medium 3 and 4 star category hotels, in short this will be improved with new openings, which will improve the offer in the first hotel league.

Otherwise, it is a city with remarkable cuisine, world-class nightlife, world events and positive vibrations, which makes it a very dynamic and attractive tourist destination.

D Meetings infrastructure

4.61

Belgrade has a good basis for the development of meetings industry with a large convention centre, the Belgrade Fair, numerous convention hotels, the long tradition and very reasonable prices. With the establishment of the Serbian Convention Bureau in 2007, co-operation and promotion has thoroughly improved and now Belgrade has in terms of management a unique opportunity to take advantage of its benefits, provided that the complete infrastructure will be thoroughly renewed.

E Subjective grade

4.90

Looking at Belgrade in terms of conference infrastructure, investments are necessary for it to be able to compete in the premier league of European cities. Most convention facilities need renovation to get rid of a dominant retro style from the beginning of 1970s. The city has enormous potential, which is still significantly untapped. The gap between expectations of international congress planners and the reality is simply too great.

F Marketing buzz

4.91

Proactive marketing go hand in hand with the national Convention Bureau’s approach of innovation and creativity, which has brought success in the field of associations.

Add to this the further promotional activities of hotel chains and positive buzz of the rich social life of the city and it has created an image of Belgrade as a hot meetings destination that has contributed to its success.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Bohemian Belgrade and rakia tour - If you want to feel authentic charm of Belgrade and its bohemian atmosphere, this is the best tour for you. Compare the old and new –urban sides of Belgrade-Skadarlija, the oldest Bohemian Street and Strahinjića Bana as a representative of new way of living. Feel how is like to be a Serb for just one day by drinking Serbian best brandy, tasting national dishes and see where the nightlife begins.

WHO TO CONTACT Tourist Organization of Belgrade, Masarikova 5/IX, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; Ms. Dragana Babović, E: dbabovic@tob.co.rs, T: + 381 11 3061 391; www.tob.rs

G ICCA index:

2.31

H Numbeo quality of life Index:

3.40

I Global Peace Index:

3.25

43

Kongres meetologue

ZAGREB

MEETINGS STAR FINALIST BEST MEETING DESTINATION 2016

WHITE ZAGREB TOWN

I

often come to the capital city of Croatia Zagreb, and the first thing I have noticed in recent years are many new buildings and new modern trams. Trams have accompanied me since my childhood as a sign that I am in a truly big city. Zagreb today has about 800,000 inhabitants and together with the surrounding conurbation, the population is just a little over one million. Zagreb is a fascinating place to me; it reminds me of the proverbially well dressed women of Zagreb, who have always been known as harbingers of fashion trends in the region.

I feel that life in Zagreb is running slower, people still take the time to sit in cafés and for socializing, and in this respect the character of the city is Mediterranean, which gives the city a very specific character that more and more tourists are getting to know from year to year. Year 2012 was, according to number of tourist visits, a record year and it seems that Zagreb will soon reach its goal of a million tourist arrivals per year.

The city was built at the crossroads of important transport routes and today it is the administrative and economic centre of Croatia. For a foreigner, the first impression is certainly Central European. The architecture of many buildings is marked by Austro-Hungarian times. The suburban ‘sleeping’ New Zagreb appears more Balkan-like; which from my childhood has not changed much and seems gray and tired. On the other hand, there is no shortage of green spaces and parks in the city. Urban Maksimir Park is the largest urban park in Croatia; Medvednica is a ski resort, a nature park

DID YOU KNOW That Zagreb is the only capital city in the world that hosts one of the races in Alpine Ski World Cup? The Snow Queen Trophy is organized annually since 2005 on the Medvednica mountain where famous skiing champions Janica and Ivica Kostelić, both born in Zagreb, made their first ski steps.

Janica is a winner of five World Championships gold medals and three Overall Alpine Skiing World Cup titles, while her older brother, Ivica, is a winner of three Olympic silver medals and was overall World Cup champion in 2011.

COOL MEETINGS ‘Paprenjak’ is a traditional biscuit, which you’ll find only in Zagreb, slightly spicy and goes excellently with the morning coffee, but it can also be a unique souvenir of the visit or a Congress in Zagreb.

Meetings Star 2012

ICCA 2015 Country and City Ranking Number of events: 41 Wordlwide: 64th place Europe: 35th place Destination grade: Quality Meetings Destination

4. 14

INDIVIDUAL GRADES:

A Natural and cultural factors

4.45

Its rich natural and cultural heritage and the position of the Croatian capital have enabled Zagreb intensive development in tourism. Recently, Zagreb has profited as a destination of culture with individual museums that have the potential to become world attractions, such as the unique Museum of Failed Relationships.

B General and transport infrastructure

WHAT’S HOT 1. International garden show “Floraart” to host 51st edition in Zagreb – not just Croatian exhibitors, but also many international exhibitors will display and present their flower designs in Zagreb, from May 30 to June 06, 2016.

2. Zagreb Time Machine – travel in a time machine on the streets of Zagreb. Every Saturday and Sunday till October 2, 2016 you can enjoy a historical buzz with famous people and legends who were important for Zagreb’s history. The time machine in Zrinjevac Park will lead you through operettas, waltzes, marches and jazz rhythms every Saturday.

3. New 4* Hotel opening – in a place where there should be a shopping centre there will now be the 4* hotel Academia. The hotel will be opened at the end of June and will provide accommodation in 51 luxurious rooms and 6 apartments.

4.75

In the last ten years Croatia has radically improved road infrastructure and thus its accessibility. Significantly improved is also air accessibility via Zagreb Airport, which accepts over 40% of all air traffic in Croatia. We would, however, like to see an early construction of the new airport building as the existing one is strongly outdated. Currently, Zagreb is lagging behind in rail infrastructure the most. Accord- ing to municipal infrastructure, local transport and sense of security, Zagreb can be classified into a golden class among competing European cities.

C Tourist infrastructure

4.68

The hotel infrastructure with new acquisitions fully satisfies modern congress guests and is perhaps at this moment the best among regional capitals. The fact that the tourist infrastructure is good and that the marketing of the destination also works well is also confirmed by the good results, which show a 5% growth despite the global recession.

D Meetings infrastructure

4.41

In Croatia, Zagreb has a dominant image of a business as well as a major congress destination. This has also been adapted by the offer of hotels with excellent congress facilities. A somewhat worse score than competitive cities of the region is due to the fact that Zagreb is without a convention centre, construction of which has been heralded since the public tender, which was completed in 2007.

E Subjective grade

4.59

In the region, Zagreb managed to best maintain the Central European culture that is reminiscent of Vienna and creates a special atmosphere. In addition, it is a ‘pocket-friendly destination’ that offers a lot for reasonable money. It is the ideal combination of a metropolis with charm and a small town atmosphere.

F Marketing buzz

4.71

The traditional connection between congress providers in one of the oldest convention bureaus of the region is now also connecting through its marketing. Zagreb has a well-developed marketing infrastructure and is patiently and progressively breaking into the major convention destinations league.

Intensive marketing has triggered a positive response that has placed Zagreb on the list of fresh congress destinations.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Old tram, new view: while you’re enjoying an exclusive Old Tram ride together with Zagreb delicacies, the guide will introduce you to the Zagreb Down town and its beauty, which will take you to Zagreb’s illustrious past.

WHO TO CONTACT Zagreb Convention Bureau, Kaptol 5, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia Mr. Zlatan Muftič, E: zmuftic@zagreb-convention.hr T: +385 1 48 98 555, www.zagreb-convention.hr

G ICCA index:

2.04

H Numbeo quality of life Index:

3.90

I Global Peace Index:

3.70

45

Kongres meetologue

BRATISLAVA

MEETINGS STAR FINALIST BEST MEETING DESTINATION 2016

MEETOSLAVA

O

ne of the smaller and very likeable European capitals is compact and you can explore its beautiful parts by foot. The old town is closed for traffic. Administrative and economic centre of Slovakia is currently a fast growing Slovakia’s congress brand. Bratislava is a modern city with a developed congress infrastructure with key international hotel chains such as Sheraton, Kempinski, Crowne Plaza, Radisson Blu, Austria trend hotel and Falkensteiner. The offer is surprisingly rich and very colourful and includes a number of interesting special venues. We are all impressed with Slavic spirit influenced by Germanic organization. As

the new centre of European automotive industry, as it is considered for European Detroit, pins great hopes on the presentation of new cars as one of the specializations. All this is packed into affordable yet very effective and attractive package.

DID YOU KNOW That Bratislava and Vienna are said to be the two closest capital cities in the world - only 64 km (or 40 miles) apart.

COOL MEETINGS Bryndzové Halušky – Halušky, is one of the most popular national dishes of Slovakia. This hearty meal is made of potato dough noodles or dumplings (halušky) with sheep cheese (bryndza) cooked bacon sprinkled on top, and some versions have sausage. Easily speaking, halušky is similar as Italian gnocchi.

Kongres meetologue

ICCA 2015 Country and City Ranking Number of events: 16 Wordlwide: 163th place Europe: 92th place Destination grade: Quality Meetings Destination

1. Global Security Forum GLOBSEC 2016 – the leading annual forum in Central Europe will this year feature Madeleine Albright.

4.13

INDIVIDUAL GRADES:

A Natural and cultural factors

4.25

City of four rivers defines the Danube river with its tributaries and with the mighty Renaissance castle above the intimate and compact old town. Although is in the shadow of the more notorious cities Vienna, Budapest and Prague it still offers rich experience. Modern metropolis, the centre of cultural and artistic life with rich architectural heritage creates high eventful diversity.

B General and transport infrastructure

WHAT’S HOT

2. Design Conference 2016 – the project is bringing together the world’s best designers to share their personal experiences and pragmatic insights on how to put theory into action.

3. Slovak 2016 Presidency of the Council of the European Union – from July to December 2016 Bratislava will hold the presidency.

4. The year of Slovak Music – presented by the Ministry of Culture with the aim of highlighting Slovak musical production and musical performance.

5. Hyperloop investors eye Bratislava – Slovakia being a technological leader in the automotive, material science and energy industries, which are integral to the Hyperloop system.

4.87

The infrastructure has in the recent years became better.

Bratislava is practically in the suburbs of Vienna and has many advantages with its strategic location. A big potential represents airline accessibility with two airports in the courtyard of the city. Vienna is a major regional aviation hub, but the local is attractive for low-cost carrier. Relatively good quality of life. Public transport is organized with German precision. No problem with the safety.

C Tourist infrastructure

4.78

The city centre is full of pubs, restaurants and shops. Thanks to the mad New Year’s and other parties, Bratislava has acquired the title Partyslava. The hotel offer includes the bestknown hotel chains. 11 hotels fall under the categorization of 4 stars and 5 hotels under the categorization of 5 stars. In the last few years, Bratislava has become a new European tourist hub. It currently offers 17.500 hotel rooms.

D Meetings infrastructure

4.59

In addition to the large convention centre Incheba Expo Arena and a completely new conference hall Slovak National Theatres, the holders of the congress offers are international hotel chains which all have superbly equipped conference centres. Many special venues like Eurovea city centre are the ideal choice for larger and scenic demanding events.

E Subjective grade

4.52

Slovakia is one of the most dynamic countries of Central Europe. With all the friendly people you feel very welcome and just like at home. Slovaks take hospitality and beer very seriously.

F Marketing buzz

4.70

Bratislava has been consistently building its image as a fresh meetings destination. Its young Convention Bureau has successfully connected the industry and built up the entire marketing infrastructure. Besides Belgrade, Bratislava has become a fresh meetings alternative to Prague and Vienna.

The digital promotion of the city is particularly commendable.

G ICCA index:

1.76

H Numbeo quality of life Index:

3.80

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Speed boat at Danube river, Adrenaline experience – Enjoy the views of Bratislava and its surrounding from totaly different perspective during an adrenaline sightseeing cruise. Refresh your event in Bratislava with an exciting adventure. WOW factor: funkiest and new successful atraction since 2015

WHO TO CONTACT Bratislava Tourist Board / Bratislava Convention Bureau, Primaciálne námestie 1, 814 99 Bratislava, Slovakia, Ms. Nina Erneker, E: erneker@visitbratislava.com, T: +4219029858056, www.bratislavaconventionbureau.com

I Global Peace Index:

47

3.88

Advertorial

ZAGREB IS A SMART PLACE TO MEET! A capital city full of suprises

Z

agreb is the capital of the Republic of Croatia and one of the oldest European cities, with a history running back to the 11th century. Since Croatia’s accession to the European Union in July 2013, Zagreb has also become the latest metropolis of the European Union.

Zagreb’s secret recipe for a successful meeting or a conference, memorable incentive, or a fascinating event includes a rich variety of carefully selected historic and modern venues, world class hotels, exciting gastronomic adventures, top quality PCOs and DMCs, highly professional staff and excellent service. Combine them according to your preferences and desires and you will get a unique, tailor-made Zagreb experience.

Zagreb Mummy with the world’s longest text in Etruscan and the remains of Neanderthal prehistoric man (homo Krapinensis).

If you have more time to spend in Zagreb, soak up the lively atmosphere at one of its festivals: many events and musical performances, which from April to late September take place outdoors in the streets, squares and beautiful city parks, make Zagreb especially lively. The famous spring and summer festivals, such as Promenade concerts, Dance Evenings, Folklore Festival, Flower Festival, Film Festivals in the open, Cest is d’best street performers’ festival and many others entertain visitors to the city.

What you need to know Essential Incentive experiences • Film making in Zagreb – it’s action time!

• Old tram, new view – a ride of your life with a culinary twist • Gourmet Zagreb – the art of cooking and eating

Best places to meet in Zagreb • Concert and Congress Hall Vatroslav Lisinski • Congress Centre Forum Zagreb • DoubleTree by Hilton Zagreb • Hypo Expo XXI • Zagreb Fair Congress Centre

Special venues that make you go WOW • Croatian Academy of Science and Arts – Illyrian Stateroom • Klovićevi Dvori Gallery • Phoenix Hotel - The Most Romantic Hotel in Croatia

Tips & Tricks for meetings in Zagreb Why not try one of the essential meeting experiences by riding on the shortest funicular in Europe: the shortest cable car in the world, at just 66 metres long, has been transporting Zagreb’s citizens between the Upper and Lower Towns for the past century.

Broaden your horizons and learn about Zagreb’s history and culture through its numerous museums, galleries and art collections, with items of particular rarity being the

Fun facts you would want to share with your clients Can you imagine business meetings without the business attire or a pen to write your notes down? Did you know that the first mechanical pencil (1906) in the world and the first solid-ink fountain pen (1907) was invented by Mr. Penkala, a Croatian engineer and inventor? Or that the cravat, or necktie, was first worn in Croatia when in the early 1600s Croatian soldiers had begun tying scarves around their necks?

Why Zagreb is THE place to be • It’s a capital city • Getting around the city is easy • daily flight connections to all major European cities • a metropolis full of greenery • a city of culture full of museums, galleries and historical monuments • a city of entertainment with many restaurants and street performances • a city of sport where you can easily row, paddle, sail, surf, swim, jog, bike, hike or even ski

Contact: Mr. Zlatan Muftic, Zagreb, Convention Bureau Director Zagreb Tourist Board & Convention Bureau Kaptol 5, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia tel: +385 1 48 98 500, fax: +385 1 48 14 340 zmuftic@zagreb-convention.hr www.zagreb-convention.hr 48

Face 2 Face

PRAGUE vs. ISTANBUL A current comparison of the closest competitors on the 2015 ICCA scale following the Kongres travelogue methodology – meetologues.

tuality of Life Index (higher is better) is an estimation of overall quality of life by using empirical formula which takes into account purchasing power index (higher is Q better), pollution index (lower is better), house price to income ratio (lower is better), cost of living index (lower is better), safety index (higher is better), health care index (higher is better), traffic commute time index (lower is better) and climate index (higher is better). e.g. Vienna index for 2016 is 195.97

PRAGUE ISTANBUL *Numbeo Quality of Life Index 2016 174,13

Population: 2.156.097

Sunshine hours: 1,668 per year

ICCA Country and City rankings 2015 11th place, 123 meetings Global peace index:: 4,25 / 1341

✚ The spirit of Central Europe is in the best way caught in this beautiful city, which is an excellent convention destination because of its cosmopolitanism, multiculturalism, liveliness and a tireless nightlife. What is the secret of the Prague congress tourism? What are they doing differently? It is a combination of circumstances and wise development policies. Elegantly and sustainably they are working to be among the top ten European congress cities.

The story is reminiscent of Skoda, of which the Czechs are very proud and is one of the oldest auto- motive brands in Europe. Reputable, solid and reliable pre-war limousines were after the war changed by cars that were behind the times. Today, Skoda shines again and again puts the Czech manufacturer where it once was.

The same can be said for the meetings industry, where Prague began to seriously falter against the locations top of the European league. If we look at the position of Prague regionally, Prague will not take primacy in the region over Vienna, but it certainly has all the conditions to remain for a long time the first congress destination among East European capitals.

Population: 14.657.434

Numbeo Quality of Life Index 2016* 124,72

ICCA Country and City rankings 2015 8th place, 148 meetings

Sunshine hours: 2,026 per year

Global peace index:: 2,15 / 2363 ✚ Throughout history Istanbul has been at the crossroads of civilisations and some sort of a meeting point. It offers its congress product through seductive orientalism. Congress facilities are too many to set out here, but the city is easily capable of hosting the largest congress events.

The main advantage of Istanbul is that it reorganised its meetings industry and took advantage of its strategic location at the crossroads between Asia and Europe. This is further complemented by exceptional air accessibility, since 50 airlines fly into the city daily.

Cosmopolitan Istanbul has come back in full shine and has become one of the top global congress cities. The destination is back in the limelight and is the new global success story.

We believe that the meetings industry of Istanbul will be the new congress success story, for it has already fulfilled almost every condition and at the same time it is still relatively inexpensive.

Prague meetings flashpoints: 1. Hotel Yalta - a modernist hotel 2. Dragonboating - rowing competition with dragon boats on the Vltava river 3. Tower Park Prague - crazy venue with a beautiful view of the city 4. Beer Tour - meet typical Prague pubs with a century of tradition 5. Driving with tanks - the taste of socialist times for real men

Istanbul meetings flashpoints: 1. Hilton Bomonti - one of Europe’s largest convention hotels, which is setting new Hilton standards here 2. Basilica Cistern - unusal gala diner in the largest underground cistern in the world 3. Tea time a la Turca - a memorable enjoyment of drinking tea is unforgetable experience for your conference guests 4. Club scene at Bosphorus - a club with the most beauutiful views of the Bosphours Reina, Sortie, Suad and Super Club 5. Santralistanbul - a special venue in the restored electrical central

STAY: Four Seasons Prague

STAY: Ciragan Palace, Kempinski Istanbul

4.51 / 5

4.39 / 5

AND THE WINNER IS

*

49

Advertorial

•DUBROVNIK MEET BUSTERS• 10 congress myths that you did not dare to ask, or know whom to ask:

MYTH 1: I CAN ORGANISE MY EVENT IN ONE OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS ON THE CONTINENTS OF WESTEROS, ESSOS AND ASTAPOR. PLAUSIBLE

Unfortunately you cannot visit these continents, because they don’t exist, but they are real locations where the famous sitcom Game of Thrones was filmed, and in Dubrovnik you can really get the feeling that you managed to find yourself in a real Game of Thrones.

The Lovrijenac Fortress has served as King Joffrey’s home, and the tower Minčeta, Dubrovnik symbol, which falls under UNESCO protection. Lokrum is also in the story, known as the port city of Qarth.

MYTH 2: DUBROVNIK IS AN EXPENSIVE MEETINGS DESTINATION. BUSTED

Whilst Vilnius was announced as the cheapest weekend European destination, Dubrovnik finished sixth on the list. The capital of Lithuania is at the top of the list of the City Costs Barometer in Travel Money from the British Post Office. The recently released list covers 26 European cities, and Vilnius took the title of cheapest destination. A weekend in the Lithuanian capital will set you back only 130 EUR, while a weekend in Dubrovnik came in at 192 EUR.

them the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains in the heart of the city.

MYTH 4: HORDES OF TOURISTS FROM MEGA CRUISE SHIPS BESIEGE DUBROVNIK. PLAUSIBLE

There are only few early morning moments when for many people the most beautiful city in the Mediterranean has empty streets.

However, this often occurs right in the high spring and autumn congress season. More than a thousand cruisers annually dock in the city, brining over a million tourists. The experienced locals will help you to find a peaceful tavern away from the buzz and the right space for your event.

MYTH 5: THE DUBROVNIK REPUBLIC STILL EXISTS. BUSTED

Maybe in the hearts of the true “gospar” families and in the special spirit of the city at the Rector’s Palace (Knežji dvor), whose chambers tell the stories about the famous Adriatic maritime republic. In 1358, with the Zadar contract the city was freed from the Venetian authorities and began a new chapter as a successful, independent trading power. Venice was a great rival, but never prevailed over the Dubrovnik Republic. In 1808, however, Napoleon did manage to dominate its territory.

Of the regional airports, Dubrovnik is in 4th place, with 1,584,471 passengers, ahead of Ljubljana and behind after Split, Zagreb and Belgrade. Last year there was 4.1% growth in the number of passengers.

MYTH 8: YOU CAN MEET WORLD FAMOUS PEOPLE AT EVERY STEP. CONFIRMED

In the summer season there is not a day that goes by without world famous people visiting this beautiful city. Many choose Dubrovnik to have their wedding, and the truth is that there are only few places that compete with it as a special place to get married. With a little luck, you will be able to catch some of the world’s stars walking right past you.

MYTH 9: DUBROVNIK HAS THE BEST HOTELS. PLAUSIBLE

This is quite an unrewarding myth that has so many possible answers as event organisers.

Therefore, we considered the ‘hidden congress guest’ assessment, which every year reaches its peak with the MEETING STAR award to the winners and has been carried out continuously since 2007. The data is collected by means of a hidden hotel guest who, in a structured way, assesses over 450 criteria. The best hotel in Dubrovnik is based on the final grade: most recently it was the Hilton Imperial Hotel.

MYTH 6: THE OLDEST EUROPEAN EVENTS TAKE PLACE IN DUBROVNIK. PLAUSIBLE

MYTH 3: CROATIA HAS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF UNESCO HERITAGE SITES IN EUROPE. CONFIRMED

On the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites 18 Croatian monuments of exceptional importance are registered. Of these, seven are cultural and historical monuments and natural beauty and eleven are of non-material cultural values. Dubrovnik is perhaps best know for its well-preserved city walls, which hide within

It can’t quite be confirmed, but certainly the “Fešta Sv. Blaža” is amongst the oldest, as it has been running since the 10th century.

This patron saint of the city has been honoured since the 10th century when, according to legend, he defended Dubrovnik from the Venetians who wanted to occupy Dubrovnik by fraudulent means.

MYTH 7: DUBROVNIK IS AN INACCESSIBLE MEETING DES­TINATIONS. BUSTED

Flight availability to Dubrovnik is improving year on year, borne out by the number of new routes and increased traffic at the airport.

50

MYTH 10: DUBROVNIK HAS THE BEST SPECIAL VENUES. PLAUSIBLE

As with the previous myth, this is another tricky question. Many organisers swear by the Revelin and Lovrijenac Fortress: for a real experience of historic Dubrovnik there is the possibility to organise an event at the Revelin fortress, guarding the town on the eastern side, or Lovrijenac fortress to its west. The large space behind the wall and the outdoor terraces caters for events and offers a magnificent view over the town.

Advertorial

51

A Sense of Escape

A SENSE OF ESCAPE BOUTIQUE ISTANBUL

B

outique hotels are very popular with conference and meeting organisers and are also a first choice for smaller incentive groups. In spite of the widely held view that the large convention hotels of international hotel chains dominate in Istanbul, the boutique scene is very lively. In the city you can find quite a few luxury boutique hotels that are situated in exceptional locations and combine comfort and intimacy. We visited four attractive hotels in the lively and varied metropolis, any of which you can use for your next special event.

ERESIN CROWN HOTEL The past and present go hand in hand

Back story

What Istanbul can truly be most proud of is its well-preserved old city centre, which they have not molested or altered in any way right up to the present day. In the heart of the city you can therefore still see the remains of the Hippodrome, next to which you can find the Hotel Eresin. Most of the main historical monuments, museums and tourist attractions in the Sultanahmet area can be found around this unique museum hotel. Perhaps the fact that since 1985 the historical part of the city has been under UNESCO patronage as part of its world cultural heritage has helped the preservation of the old town.

View from the inside

The special atmosphere in the interior evokes the beautiful pieces of the rich collection of ancient antiquities - the hotel could be described as a museum, as the pieces constantly whisper stories from the past. The tastefully furnished rooms are distinguished by the intimate atmosphere and careful selection of materials.

The restaurant with a well-stocked wine cellar

is an ideal environment for the enjoyment of good food and drink and the ambiance is complemented by wall paintings dating back to the Byzantine Empire. With its location and intimate atmosphere the legendary hotel hosted many famous people over the years.

Rooms: 59 rooms, 5 suites

Meet with a view

Facilities: Mosaic Restaurant, Column Bar, Mosaic Terrace Restaurant

The jewel of the hotel is the hotel terrace overlooking the Sea of Marmara and Mosaic Terrace Restaurant. It has two congress halls with a capacity for a maximum of 150 participants.

Meetings in this history-drenched hotel promise a special experience and are complemented by the outstanding staff used to demanding congress guests. The hotel is also an excellent choice for small incentive groups who are looking for experiences in the ancient Sultanhamet, as virtually every building in the district has been converted into a hotel, a restaurant, a bar, a Turkish bath and store, or an attraction of its own.

52

Capacity: from 15 to 160 participants, 110 people in seated dinner and 160 in cocktail reception

Extras: Hotel that stands as a museum - a rich collection of ancient sculptures, ceramics, mosaics, tombstones Address Eresin Crown Hotel Kucukayasofya Cd. No.40, 34122 Sultanahmet – Istanbul P: +90 212 638 44 28, F: +90 212 638 09 33 E: eresin@eresincrown.com.tr www.eresincrown.com.tr

A Sense of Escape

10 KARAKÖY: Kemeralti Back story

The hotel is part of the Morgans Originals hotel chain, which combines iconic urban and resort hotels suited to the needs of creative travellers.

The hotel is the only one in Turkey to join the four hotels in the hotel chain in Europe. It is located in the prestigious, über-cool Karakoyu area that is considered to be the city’s new artistic quarter and beams with a special energy.

The neoclassical building, that was once a hospital, was renewed in 2014 by famous Turkish architect Sinan Kafadar. He managed to preserve the original appearance of the building that was built in 1875 and back then was known as Büyük Han Balikli. Visitors today can admire a glazed atrium with a suspended light installation, which acts as the heart of the hotel.

View from the inside

Guests can already feel the hotel karma in the lobby, as it is greatly emphasised by the selected flowers, sculptures and numerous designer details. The designers have also used the best materials, luxuriously stylish furnishings and rich decor in the hotel rooms. It is stylishly decorated in the spirit of old Istanbul, with time-

less elegance and luxury. The hotel’s restaurant, Rudolf by Rudolf van Nunen, offers slow food menus accompanied by a rich selection of fine Turkish wines. The restaurant is popular with hotel guests, as well as with Istanbul’s culinary scene.

Meet with a view

The congress offer is distinguished by a combination of superior service, romantic atmosphere and privacy that is assured at every turn.

A special feature is the Sky Terrace with a panoramic view over the Bosphorus. With the moveable roof it may be a special location also in winter time, where one can easily imagine a party with a DJ or an elegant dinner. The lighting of the room in the evenings and the view of the urban endlessness of Istanbul is especially romantic. The hotel also has a small conference hall, Balikli, that holds a maximum of 60 people.

If you are looking for a luxury hotel experience, 10 Karakoy Hotel is definitely at the top of Istanbul’s rich hotel offer.

53

Rooms: 71 rooms Capacity: - from 15 to 60 participants Facilities: - Brasserie Ten - Bar On 10 -Sky terrace - Fitness Room Extras: Pamper yourself with traditional Turkish Hammam treatment at Kilic Ali Pasa Hamami.

Address 10 Karaköy Kemeraltı Caddesi No: 10 34425 Karaköy, Istanbul, Turkey P: +90 212 703 33 33 E: 10karakoy.info@mhgc.com

A Sense of Escape

VAULT KARAKÖY: Beyog�lu A Meeting in the Bank Vault

Back story

An unusual boutique hotel located in the middle of the financial district of Istanbul and in the building of the neoclassical-style former Credit General Ottoman bank built in 1863. When the empty building was taken over by new owners, House Hotel Group, they found some well-preserved architecture behind the neoclassical façade and to emphasize its authenticity parts of the old banking equipment, such as safes doors and money counting machines, became a part of the hotel equipment and exhibits. The hotel combines the modern with the antique and some special experiences are the ride in the historic elevator through the staircase and a visit to the wine cellar, located in the original vault, where you can choose a bottle of fine wine.

View from the inside

Volkan Cengel, the head chef, is the trademark of the hotel’s culinary story and the quaint Kasa Lokanta restaurant offers seasonal dishes inspired by local culinary influences. The chef is a reputed trendsetter, constantly on the prowl

for fresh ingredients that are combined to create gourmet cuisine. He can transform the typical Istanbul fare got with fishermen at the nearby Galata Bridge into an excellent smoked mullet meal.

Meet with a view

The view from the terrace spreads over the city and extends straight up to the Bosphorus and the outlines of the minarets of the largest mosques in the distance, silhouetting the Asian side of town. The terrace is the added value of this hotel where holding a reception can be a memorable experience. It’s also worth mentioning that the conference room, like the wine bar, is located in a bank vault and that the four conference rooms can accommodate from 5 to 40 persons. Another specialty is that the hotel has its own curator, Zeynep Berik (Editor-in-Chief of Turkish contemporary art magazine ICE), who carefully selects the artworks exhibited in the hotel and ensures close contact with the local art scene.

54

Rooms: 63 rooms Capacity: from 5 to 40 participants, 40 people in seated dinner and 250 in cocktail reception Facilities: Kasa Lokanta Restaurant and Bar, Gold Bar, Underground Wine Cellar, The Spa at Vault Karaköy, Fitness centre Extras: Karletto Roof Terrace - a new pop-up concept restaurant that will be accommodating food lovers until October.

Address Vault Karaköy, Bankalar Caddesi No. 5 / 34420 Beyoğlu, Istanbul P: +90 212 244 34 00, F: +90 212 244 75 77 E-mail: info.vaultkarakoy@thehousehotel.com W: www.thehousehotel.com

A Sense of Escape

LEVNI� HOTEL & SPA: Istanbul A timeless classic

Back story

The building of the luxury hotel Levni in the heart of Sultanhamet impresses with its elegance, location and comprehensive offer. For the comfort of its guests they offer a luxurious wellness centre with a hammam and a series of massages. The location is perfect for exploring the city and suitable for smaller meetings and incentive groups seeking contact with the historical part of Istanbul. The interior of the hotel is infused with a warm and comfortable atmosphere. Comfort and timeless elegance have been at the forefront of the architect’s mind in designing the interior.

View from the inside

This unique hotel combines modern and traditional furnishings and each of the 75 rooms are uniquely furnished, the most highly recommendable ones being on the upper floors and with priceless views of the Sultanhamet. In a boutique hotel offer the hotel’s heart is usually the restaurant, which also applies to the hotel

Levni - part of the restaurant is a pleasant terrace where you can enjoy first-class Istanbul cuisine with a touch of world cuisine.

The staff here is particularly great and in terms of professionalism and friendliness has no comparison.

Rooms: 75 rooms

Meet with a view

Facilities: Levni Cafe with delicious World cuisine, Winter Garden Restaurant, Levni Restaurant

In being boutique and with a keen sense of aesthetic and sophistication, the Congress Centre here offers a space that combines classic and timeless contemporary functionality. The hotel’s congress centre boasts 3 conference rooms and a business centre that is functionally well designed, includes a foyer for coffee breaks and is accompanied by facilities with a dressing room and an office for the organisers. The halls are divided and can be used as a single banquet space with a maximum capacity of 54 people.

55

Capacity: from 10 to 96 participants, 100 people in seated dinner and 250 in cocktail reception

Extras: Complimentary SPA Turkish Hammam, Sauna, Indoor pool, Address Levni Hotel & SPA Ankara Caddesi No: 12 Sirkeci, İstanbul T : +90 212 5191019, F : +90 212 51910 29 E: info@levnihotel.com www.levnihotel.com

Kongres meetologue

LJUBLJANA vs. BELGRADE A current comparison of the closest competitors on the 2014 ICCA scale following the Kongres travelogue methodology – meetologues.

Numbeo Quality of Life Index 2016* 4,20 / 187,89

Population: 279.756

Sunshine hours: 1.712 per year

ICCA Country and City rankings 2015 64th place, 41 meetings Global peace index:: 4,07 / 1378

Population: 1.166.763

Numbeo Quality of Life Index 2016* 3,40 / 107,70

ICCA Country and City rankings 2015 52th place, 52 meetings

Sunshine hours: 2.112 per year

Global peace index:: 3,25 / 1768

✚ Ljubljana has congresses written in its genome. Long before the emergence of the meetings industry as we know it today, in 1821 Ljubljana hosted the Congress of the Holy Alliance. The city is picturesque, attractive and friendly to congress guests.

According to its conference and accommoda- tion infrastructure, Ljubljana belongs to the group of capitals suitable for medium-sized and smaller meetings (up to 2.500 partici- pants). It is positioned side by side with the new EU member states and geographically in the region of the Western Balkans. Ljubljana is friendly and favourable to the meetings industry while competitive in terms of price and quality at the same time. Among all regional capitals it also has a very good image.

✚ Belgrade is an authentic, open and hospitable congress destination with soul.

Belgrade features a plethora of floating restaurants and clubs, plus lively riverbank promendes.

Belgrade has a good basis for the development of meetings industry with a large convention centre, the Belgrade Fair, numerous convention hotels, the long tradition and very reasonable prices. Belgrade bases its congress story on the rich culture at the crossroads of East and West, the central position in the South-East Europe and a lively social life.

In short, the zeitgeist of Belgrade is best summed up by writer Momo Kapor with the words: “Belgrade is a low-budget New York”.

Ljubljana meetings flashpoints: 1. Grand Union Hall - a wonderfull example of an Art Noveau conference hall tailored to the needs of modern congress organisers 2. Ljubljanica River - and its banks offers many possibilities for team building 3. 2 Convention Centres - Cankarjev dom and Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre 4. Hotel and Congress centres within walking distance 5. Ljubljana Castle - special historical venue for different typs of events

Belgrade meetings flashpoints: 1. Crowne Plaza - new 416-room hotel with meeting space for up to 800 2. The Royal Compound - a palace built in Serbian-Byzantine style in 1924 3. Skadarlija - The most evocative part of Belgrade packed with traditional restaurants 4. Tito‘s Train - Journey back in time onboard President Tito‘s famous Blue Train - art deco style hotel on wheels 5. Sava Centar - Serbia’s prime convention facility with 16 meeting rooms

STAY: Grand Hotel Union

STAY: Radisson Blu Old Mill

4,17/5

AND THE WINNER IS

4,15/5

tuality of Life Index (higher is better) is an estimation of overall quality of life by using empirical formula which takes into account purchasing power index (higher is Q better), pollution index (lower is better), house price to income ratio (lower is better), cost of living index (lower is better), safety index (higher is better), health care index (higher is better), traffic commute time index (lower is better) and climate index (higher is better). e.g. Vienna index for 2016 is 195.97

LJUBLJANA BELGRADE

*

56

Kongres meetologue

NATIONAL DESTINATIONS / 24 MTLG’S IN THIS EDITION Directory 2016 No.

≥150.000

SIZE OF CITY

CATEGORY

TOTAL MARK

1

PRAGUE

1.272.690

BIG - EUROPEAN

4,51

2

ISTANBUL

14.160.467

BIG - WORLD

4,39

3

BUDAPEST

1.729.040

BIG - EUROPEAN

4,37

4

ATHENS

3.090.580

BIG - EUROPEAN

4,18

5

LJUBLJANA

282.994

MEDIUM - NATIONAL

4,17

6

BELGRADE

1.546.812

BIG - EUROPEAN

4,15

7

ZAGREB

1.088.841

BIG - EUROPEAN

4,14

8

BRATISLAVA

411.228

MEDIUM - NATIONAL

4,13

9

KRAKOW

755.546

MEDIUM - REGIONAL

4,12

10

WARSZAW

1.740.119

BIG - EUROPEAN

4,11

11

VENICE

270.843

MEDIUM - NATIONAL

4,10

12

GRAZ

269.539

MEDIUM - NATIONAL

4,08

13

BUCHAREST

1.883.425

BIG - EUROPEAN

4,03

14

SPLIT

188.694

MEDIUM - REGIONAL

4,01

15

KOSICE

269.539

MEDIUM - NATIONAL

3,98

16

GDANSK

456.874

MEDIUM - REGIONAL

3,92

17

VILNIUS

557.126

MEDIUM - NATIONAL

3,86

18

TRIESTE

205.530

MEDIUM - REGIONAL

3,85

19

SOFIA

1.241.396

BIG - EUROPEAN

3,83

20

PODGORICA

185.937

MEDIUM - NATIONAL

3,76

21

SARAJEVO

608.534

BIG - EUROPEAN

3,72

22

NOVI SAD

262.856

MEDIUM - REGIONAL

3,66

23

SKOPJE

506.926

BIG - EUROPEAN

3,58

24

TIRANA

610.070

BIG - EUROPEAN

3,42

Key to evaluation criteria 2016 A. Natural and cultural factors B. General and transport infrastructure C. Tourist infrastructure D. Meetings infrastructure E. Subjective grade F. Marketing buzz G. ICCA index 2015 H. Quality of life index (Numbeo) I. Global Peace Index

Every year the editorial board of Kongres magazine aims to further refine the Meetologue methodology in order to assure the most authentic score reflecting the genuine situation of congress destinations.

In 2015, we added the NUMBEO index of quality of life to the existing criteria, but as in recent years the quality of congress destinations has become heavily dependent on security, this year we went a step further and have included the most relevant assessment, the Global Peace Index, in the comparison.

Also new is a more realistic application

of the ICCA methodology. When classifying destinations we took into account the ten-year average number of events and participants, which was compared with the actual results for the year 2015.

The best congress destinations will receive a Meetings Star 2016 award at Conventa 2017, the boutique trade show for meetings, events, congresses and incentives.

Furthermore, we believe our assessments are truly objective and can assist event organisers, whilst also enabling destinations to improve the areas where the current situation is not at the level it should be.

Prague

Istanbul

Budapest

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Meetologue

1. PRAGUE, Czech Republic / SLAVIC PARIS Prague has for a long time not been an Eastern European gem, but a true European tourist metropolis with a diverse and comprehensive offer, luxury hotels and sometimes too high prices. The story is reminiscent of Škoda, of which the Czechs are very proud and is one of the oldest automotive brands in Europe. Reputable, solid and reliable pre-war limousines were after the war changed by cars that were behind the times. Today, Škoda’s shine again and again puts the Czech manufacturer where it once was. The same can be said for the meetings industry, where Prague began to seriously falter against the locations top of the European league. If we look at the position of Prague regionally, Prague certainly has all the conditions to remain one of the most popular congress destinations for a long time.

PRAGUE INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.54 4.59 4.90 4.65 4.61 4.85 4.12 4.10 4.25 4.51

2. ISTANBUL, Turkey / SIZE DOES MATTER The Turkish congress tiger is relentlessly growling and overcoming everything set in front of it. Professionalism and entrepreneurship when they are competing for international events is not lacking and they could be setting an example to other convention bureaus. Congress Bazaar of Istanbul offers everything that a meetings organizer needs, in addition to 7 convention centers, 3 fair grounds and almost 100.000 hotel rooms, and the excellently organized Convention Bureau of Instanbul. The quality of life in Istanbul is improving as well as the general infrastructure; Turkish airlines has become the fourth largest airline in the world.

ISTANBUL INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.79 4.85 5.00 5.00 4.75 4.92 4.43 3.60 2.15 4.39

3. BUDAPEST, Hungary / CONGRESS QUEEN OF THE DANUBE Budapest enjoys a very favorable position in Europe, at the crossroads between the East and the West. It is one of just a few cities in the world that literally lies on thermal springs and to which the Danube River gives a special experiential value. The city has no shortage of picturesque special venues nor the most luxurious hotels and crazy and diverse incentive locations. If Prague is love at first sight, then Budapest is love on the long run. All this has been for many years an excellent and well-established MICE destination with well-oiled congress machinery.

BUDAPEST INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.54 4.61 4.91 4.71 4.76 4.78 3.53 3.60 3.86 4.37

4. ATHENS, Greece / BRIDGING THE GAP A historic city with excellent connectivity to the rest of the world and where you will find infrastructure befitting a major European capital, but with better weather and in a more interesting location. The Athens allure includes 300 days of sunshine a year, more than 30,000 hotel rooms in 439 hotels, 95,000 sq.m of conference space, 1,000+ restaurants and 200,000 flights per year. All major hotels in the city underwent a refurbishment for the 2004 Olympics.

ATHENS INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.65 4.51 4.75 4.23 4.65 4.51 3.52 3.70 3.08 4.18

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Meetologue

5. LJUBLJANA, Slovenia / EUROPEAN GREEN CAPITAL 2016 According to its conference and accommodation infrastructure, Ljubljana belongs to the group of capitals suitable for medium-sized and smaller meetings (up to 2.500 participants). It is positioned side by side with the new EU member states and geographically in the region of the Western Balkans. With two top-level convention centers and a very well developed hotel meetings offer, Ljubljana is the region’s leading congress destination. At the end of last year in order to give Ljubljana a new sales and promotional momentum, a partnership called Ljubljana Strategic Bidding Team (LSBT) was established; it is composed of interested partners from both the private and public area. The city is extremely safe and one of the region’s most sustainably-oriented.

LJUBLJANA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

6. BELGRADE, Serbia / A CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS Belgrade bases its congress story on the rich culture at the crossroads of East and West, the central position in the South-East Europe and a lively social life. It is a city with remarkable cuisine, world-class nightlife, world events and positive vibrations, which makes it a very dynamic and attractive tourist destination. Belgrade is a city on the rise and a rough congress diamond, which has enormous development potential. With the establishment of the Serbian Convention Bureau in 2007, co-operation and promotion has thoroughly improved and now Belgrade has in terms of management a unique opportunity to take advantage of its benefits, provided so the complete infrastructure can be thoroughly renewed.

With that the city can easily be geo-strategically placed by the side of world’s congress capitals.

BELGRADE INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.29 4.81 4.88 4.61 4.90 4.91 2.31 3.40 3.25 4.15

7. ZAGREB, Croatia / WHITE ZAGREB TOWN It can be said that Zagreb has a great congress future. As well as Belgrade, Zagreb is also progressing steadily on the chart of development meetings destinations; the final breakthrough of the intire region is intertwined and dependent on the marketing of mayor regional congress cities in the international market. In the last ten years Croatia has radically improved road infrastructure and thus its accessibility.

Significantly improved is also air accessibility via Zagreb Airport, which accepts over 40 % of all air traffic in Croatia.

The hotel infrastructure with new acquisitions fully satisfies modern congress guests and is perhaps at this moment the best among regional capitals. Zagreb is a pocket-friendly destination that offers a lot for reasonable money.

ZAGREB INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.45 4.75 4.68 4.41 4.59 4.71 2.04 3.90 3.70 4.14

8. BRATISLAVA, Slovakia / MEETOSLAVA The city of four rivers defines the Danube river with its tributaries and with the mighty Renaissance castle above the intimate and compact old town. Bratislava is undiscovered European congress capital which slowly and steadily penetrates into the congress market. It represents a novelty for international congress market which impresses due to the kind and sympathetic city center but also because of not excessive commercialization. The city is close to the congress organizers mainly due to a more personal congress experience – the city is very friendly and there are no problems with the safety. The city center is full of pubs, restaurants and shops and the hotel offer includes the best known hotel chains. Many special venues like Eurovea city center are the ideal choice for larger and scenic demanding events.

BRATISLAVA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: 4.25 General and transport infrastructure: 4.87 Tourist infrastructure: 4.78 Meeting infrastructure: 4.59 Subjective grade: 4.52 Marketing Buzz: 4.70 ICCA index: 1.76 Numbeo quality of life Index: 3.80 Global Peace Index: 3.88 Destination grade: 4.13

59

4.45 4.15 4.55 4.85 4.47 4.41 2.41 4.20 4.07 4.17

Kongres meetologue

9. KRAKOW, Poland / PROUD CITY Of all Polish cities Krakow is the one with the greatest soul and is the most fraught with history. In Poland, Krakow will be the destination of the new generation, which will soon be recognized as a high quality, compact and most versatile meetings destination in Poland due to the cultural heritage, hospitality of the locals, new meetings capacities and because of its huge scientific potentials. Krakow has a variety of hotels services and an exceptional number of tourist attractions.

Being the main tourist city it has excellent conditions in place for the development of congress tourism. With the construction of the new convention center ICE it has also received a real affirmation. Krakow’s recipe is successful and a case of good practice for other more traditional central European destinations.

KRAKOW INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: 4 .05 Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.72 4.52 4.35 4.48 2.62 3.90 3.93 4.12

10. WARSZAW, Poland / CLEAR VISION Today Warsaw is one of the fastest growing capitals in the EU and a city that can pride itself on a mix of new and old architectural styles. Its growth in infrastructure was strongly boosted when Warsaw was the host of the UEFA European Championship in 2012 and many new hotels were opened.

The biggest congress hotel, the Hilton Warsaw with a hall for 1,600 participants, is one of the biggest in Europe, but The Palace of Culture with its 40 congress halls is also an interesting option.

WARSZAW INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.25 4.38 4.71 4.45 4.15 4.15 3.07 3.90 3.93 4.11

11. VENICE, Italy / CONGRESS SERENISSIMA The magical city par excellence and one of the most extraordinary world destinations. Venice and its province are unquestionably hospitable by vocation, as illustrated by some of the most famous hotels and temples of hospitality. Venice is a city which has long been hosting world events. As a commercial crossroads it is easy to reach either by land or by sea, the city offering various means of transport. A city with irresistible charm and a wide range of different offers typical to the “Italian way of life”.

VENICE INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

12. GRAZ, Austria / SECOND CITY FIRST Graz is a mature tourist destination, which is despite the crisis recording a steady growth of tourist arrivals and overnight stays in all tourism segments. Cultural diversity, rich history and the connecting Mura River have formed a high experiential diversity, which is reflected in the many opportunities for congress and incentive organizers and planners.

In terms of infrastructure and transport, Graz is still the leading regional convention destination and can be also in this term described as modern, dynamic and internationally competitive. With more than 154 congress event and some 46.000 participants it achieves excellent results and is stable on the charts ranking international events. A very big focus in Graz is on environmental responsibility and tidiness of the surrounding areas and infrastructure.

GRAZ INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

60

4.52

4.95 4.22 4.89 4.60 4.07 4.01 2.47 4.20 3.45 4.10

4.49 4.01 4.37 4.59 3.97 3.40 2.12 5.00 4.79 4.08

Kongres meetologue

13. BUCHAREST, Romania / PARIS OF THE EAST Bucharest is a city of contrasts. Great palaces and the latest congress hotels but on the other hand poorly recognized brand and unrelated congress offer. These are the main disadvantages compared to the much more active cities such as Belgrade and Sofia in the vicinity. But at this moment it is certainly the most affordable major European Congress Capital.

With a little effort you will find everything you need for any events. Even the friendliness of the staff in the hotel and congress sector deviates from the average. It appears that the city is missing a little bit more energy so it can be placed alongside big cities, where it actually falls depending on its situation and the conditions for the congress industry development.

BUCHAREST INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.11 4.52 4.63 4.61 4.45 4.39 2.42 3.50 3.67 4.03

14. SPLIT, Croatia / CROSSROADS DALMATIA Among the Adriatic congress destinations Split has become serious competition to Dubrovnik in the last years. The main disadvantages of the destination are bad cooperation between the service providers, lack of air traffic connections to key markets and not enough destination marketing. If Split gets a real convention centre in the future, it could become one of the leading congress destinations in the Mediterranean.

New and excellent hotel capacities, good road connections to Europe and wonderful surroundings, with islands offering numerous incentive programme opportunities, all bolster this proposition. Split is one of the most unexploited congress destinations in the Mediterranean.

SPLIT INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.35 4.38 4.75 4.40 4.52 4.89 1.34 3.80 3.70 4.01

15. KOŠICE, Slovakia / PHOENIX BETWEEN EAST AND WEST If the Bratislava is the capital of the country, then we can declare Kosice for its creative centre, which impresses with vibrant urban zones, positive diversity and urban transformation of the city experienced throughout history. Košice seem pleasant for accommodation and organization of congresses and seem as a very tolerant city. A border location has greatly contributed to that, which made residents more tolerant, but it is precisely this diversity border that defines the vitality and resistance of the city. The specific local identity gives the city its charm and soul, and it ranks it among one of the most promising Eastern European convention destinations.

KOŠICE INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.64 4.66 4.72 4.37 4.68 3.98 1.12 3.80 3.87 3.98

16. GDANSK, Poland / CITY OF SOLIDARITY AND FREEDOM Gdansk differs markedly from other Polish cities because of the special atmosphere in the old town and its many historical sites suitable for congress tourism. There is an attractive mix of west and east, of northern culture and of the old and the new, all adding to the city’s unique identity. Gdansk is known as a place of freedom, which is written into its genetic code and is reflected in the rich cultural heritage and current cultural and artistic production. As a result of the hyperactive Convention Bureau, Gdansk as a destination is in an extremely high position in comparison with other Polish international destinations.

GDANSK INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

3.78 4.50 3.72 4.31 4.61 4.48 1.81 4.20 3.83 3.92

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17. VILNIUS, Litva / BALTIC CONGRESS TIGERS Vilnius is a green and spacious city with a beautiful old city center where you can find over 40 churches. Together with a very wide range of hotel accommodation and accompanying offer, which has developed in the recent years, Vilnius is an attractive tourist destination that is still largely undiscovered. Over the last few years Vilnius has polished its offer and was preparing for its entry into the international congress scene. The main congress provider in the city is LitExpo.

With an active and well-organized convention bureau and broad-based marketing, Vilnius is becoming an important new European meetings destination.

VILNIUS INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.01 4.03 4.21 4.30 4.32 4.45 2.27 3.70 3.47 3.86

18. TRIESTE, Italy / IMPRESSIONS AT THE JUNCTION OF ROMAN AND SLAVIC Today, Trieste is mostly known for its coffee, rather than the meetings industry. The geo-political location could make Trieste a leading Adriatic congress destination, yet it is now being overtaken by less accessible and geographically located destinations. Solid infrastructure is a good foundation for development. The image of the city on the regional and world market needs to be improved. When key stakeholders on both sides of the border realize the potential of the city, it can become much more important than it is today.

TRIESTE INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.11 4.15 4.22 4.19 4.26 4.29 1.26 4.70 3.45 3.85

19. SOFIA, Bulgaria / SLEEPING CONGRESS BEAUTY Sofia is a typical transition convention destination, which needs some more quality of services and a connection of the meetings industry with creative industries. As a destination to discover Bulgaria Sofia has a lot to offer, yet it will have to internationalize its meetings industry and strengthen marketing. The biggest opportunity is in the added value of the destination unknown to the rest of congress Europe. Sofia needs to get rid of the image of a cheap congress destination of a lesser quality and become an internationally recognized congress brand. Sofia is a congress sleeping beauty caught between east and west.

SOFIA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

3.49 4.12 4.31 4.53 4.16 4.57 2.09 3.70 3.51 3.83

20. PODGORICA, Montenegro / REGION’S WARMEST CITY Considering the outstanding potential it will over time come to have all that is necessary to be a true meeting destination. Among its advantages there is its strategic position, which enables easy access to the most attractive parts of Montenegro for incentives. Among the weaknesses we have to point out the current state of the meeting infrastructure and its transport isolation. Being an air travel destination it is highly dependent on the number of flight connections, including low cost ones. A convention bureau for the town would greatly help in positioning the destination, which it deserves as a capital city. The town is developing quickly and is looking for the right image, torn between the classic tourism flow and the idea of development into a meeting destination

PODGORICA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.35 4.49 4.56 4.36 4.05 4.45 1.40 3.50 3.05 3.65

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21. SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina / BETWEEN EAST AND WEST The brand ‘Sarajevo’ is one of the strongest trademarks in the region. It gets its character from the dramatic juncture between East and West. In the meetings industry the brand and destination are completely unexploited despite their immense potential. With proper positioning and investments in the meetings industry Sarajevo can quickly catch up with other destinations in the region. A special asset for the development of the meetings industry is the attitude of the people of Sarajevo, who are known for their humour, tolerance and understanding.

SARAJEVO INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.39 4.76 4.02 4.15 4.02 4.06 1.38 3.60 3.14 3.72

22. NOVI SAD, Srbija / AUTHENTIC CONVENTION “EXIT” Novi Sad maintains well its image of an advanced capital also with festi- vals such as Exit and others. Unfortunately, the tourism sector is lagging behind some of the most active destinations, especially the capital Belgrade, which is perfectly establishing itself as an important European congress destination. The question is why to organise a congress in the city, which is only 100 km away from the capital city of Serbia. The answer is in a different, perhaps more authentic atmosphere and hospitality, nu- merous possibilities of accompanying programmes genuine ‘salaš’, in short in the authenticity of the congress story of Novi Sad.

NOVI SAD INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.05 4.12 4.04 4.01 4.22 4.36 1.23 3.70 3.25 3.66

23. SKOPJE, Macedonia / WHERE THE SUN SHINES ETERNALLY As the capital of Macedonia Skopje is at the crossroads of international paths and has all the predispositions to develop the meetings industry. It still has a long way of investing into infrastructure. A near neighbour is the Greek city Thessaloniki, which is far more developed and hosts up to 15 international congresses annually, in comparison to Skopje which only hosts 1 according to ICCA. In Skopje a convention can be organized with some effort, yet for a serious breakthrough it needs to look to its neighbours for a model of successful development – the Thessaloniki Convention and Visitors Bureau, which combines over 100 m

SKOPJE INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

3.89 4.01 3.94 4.35 4.45 4.18 1.26 3.20 2.94 3.58

24. TIRANA, Albania / THE LAND OF EAGLES Despite the chaotic first impression, you can organise your event in Tirana without any problems and to the satisfaction of your congress participants. Albanians are in fact extremely proud, friendly, calm, excellent hosts, which outweighs any weaknesses in infrastructure. They like to help, are very sociable and stick to their words and promises, expecting the same in return. Tirana has enormous meetings potential, which could be improved with investment in hotel infrastructure. For a faster breakthrough they will have to connect and establish a congress bureau.

TIRANA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

3.75 3.45 4.02 3.98 4.02 3.76 1.26 3.40 3.10 3.42

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25 5 0

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REGIONAL DESTINATIONS / 14 MTLG’S IN THIS EDITION Directory 2016 No.

≤150.000

SIZE OF CITY

CATEGORY

TOTAL MARK

1

DUBROVNIK

42.615

SMALL - REGIONAL

4,33

2

SALZBURG

148.521

BIG - REGIONAL

4,26

3

KLAGENFURT

94.796

MEDIUM - REGIONAL

4,12

4

VILLACH

58.963

MEDIUM - REGIONAL

4,10

5

PIRAN

4.500

SMALL - LOCAL

3,93

6

MARIBOR

95.171

MEDIUM - REGIONAL

3,84

7

ZADAR

76.343

MEDIUM - REGIONAL

3,82

8

RIJEKA

128.625

BIG - REGIONAL

3,77

9

ŠIBENIK

46.332

SMALL - REGIONAL

3,76

10

UDINE

100.514

BIG - REGIONAL

3,75

11

PULA

57.460

SMALL - REGIONAL

3,73

12

SUBOTICA

114.616

BIG - REGIONAL

3,71

13

NOVA GORICA/ GORIZIA

49.471

SMALL - REGIONAL

3,70

14

OSIJEK

114.616

BIG - REGIONAL

3,65

Key to evaluation criteria 2016 A. Natural and cultural factors B. General and transport infrastructure C. Tourist infrastructure D. Meetings infrastructure E. Subjective grade F. Marketing buzz G. ICCA index 2015 H. Quality of life index (Numbeo) I. Global Peace Index

Dubrovnik

Every year the editorial board of Kongres magazine aims to further refine the Meetologue methodology in order to assure the most authentic score reflecting the genuine situation of congress destinations.

In 2015, we added the NUMBEO index of quality of life to the existing criteria, but as in recent years the quality of congress destinations has become heavily dependent on security, this year we went a step further and have included the most relevant assessment, the Global Peace Index, in the comparison.

Also new is a more realistic application

Salzburg

of the ICCA methodology. When classifying destinations we took into account the ten-year average number of events and participants, which was compared with the actual results for the year 2015.

The best congress destinations will receive a Meetings Star 2016 award at Conventa 2017, the boutique trade show for meetings, events, congresses and incentives.

Furthermore, we believe our assessments are truly objective and can assist event organisers, whilst also enabling destinations to improve the areas where the current situation is not at the level it should be.

Klagenfurt

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1. DUBROVNIK, Croatia / PEARL OF THE ADRIATIC Dubrovnik is the flagship of regional tourism and is commonly the first association of meetings organizers we meet daily.

It is the closest in the region to renowned Mediterranean convention destinations Cannes and Monte Carlo, and it will be even closer after the completion of the convention center.

So far the center is successfully replaced by modern and well-equipped centers at hotels such as Dubrovnik Palace, Excelsior, Bellevue, Grand Villa Argentina, Importanne Resort, Dubrovnik President, Valamar Lacroma and Radisson Blue. Well-developed is the entire conference infrastructure including destination management and creative agency scene.

The city is safe and one of the tourist icons of the Adriatic and justifiably the most painted tourist skyline with unprecedented experiential diversity for conference guests.

DUBROVNIK INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

2. SALZBURG, Austria / SALZBURG GIVES YOU WINGS Salzburg offers all the characteristics of a congress destination and a cosmopolitan mix of visitors. With its location in the heart of Europe and because of the high quality of life, Salzburg has a great starting point in congress tourism.

For current logistics and transport restrictions of the city, medium sized congresses with up to 2.500 participants are the best suited. Two top-quality, modern and high tech congress centers are together with a top quality conference hotel infrastructure a foundation for this congress destination. In this area they will offer you a superior product wrapped in superior packaging. Although you will find Mozart on every step of your way and it seems that the clock stopped in the times of the famous composer, Salzburg is a very modern and

cool tourist destination with extraordinary culinary scene.

3. KLAGENFURT, Austria / CONVENTIONLAND Klagenfurt is a likable alpine congress destination with rich cultural heritage and high experiential diversity. Key advantage is definitely fairy tale like well-maintained and pleasant environment, quality offer that is above average in regional sense, and professionalism of suppliers. Position at the crossroads of important routes is also an important factor in competitiveness of this destination. The city is an important inter social and European transit region that is easily reachable thanks to modern highways and rail connections. Klagenfurt as the center of Carinthia with its tidiness, safety and ratio between price and quality is one of the best convention destinations in the wider region. The city builds its meetings offer on a sustainable development.

KLAGENFURT INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: 4.49 General and transport infrastructure: 4.12 Tourist infrastructure: 4.89 Meeting infrastructure: 4.12 Subjective grade: 4.36 Marketing Buzz: 4.29 ICCA index: 1.09 Numbeo quality of life Index: 4.90 Global Peace Index: 4.79 Destination grade: 4.12

4. VILLACH, Austria / THE ALPINE LAKES EXPERIENCE Villach is the second largest city of Carinthia and its tourist sights attract an enormous amount of visitors. Villach has also become established as a small Silicon Valley in the Alps, with an international character reflected in the town‘s infrastructure. The main reason for a meetings industry in this part of Austria are the numerous incentive programmes, all of which you can engage with in a very clean enviroment. The most charming aspects are the Carnithian way of life, cultural diversity and a general sense of casualness. In our opinion the main advantages are the size and the feeling of familarity, along with a modern congress infrastructure. Locals also like to emphasise the border location, sat at the crossroads of three nations, which hasn‘t been totally picked up in a congress sense. It is an inspiring mixture of meeting facilities,

atmosphere, modernism and a high quality of life and services at any time of the year.

SALZBURG INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

VILLACH INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

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4.99 4.59 4.98 4.78 4.75 4.96 2.24 4.00 3.70 4.33

4.63 4.48 4.41 4.53 4.29 4.25 2.06 4.90 4.79 4.26

4.48 4.12 4.85 4.07 4.36 4.29 1.02 4.90 4.79 4.10

Kongres meetologue

5. PIRAN, Slovenia / CITY OF SALT Medieval Piran is definitely one of the most portrayed cities on Slovenian tourist postcards. The city owes its prosperity to the over a thousand-year long respectful coexistence between the saltpan workers and their natural environment. Where once a monastery stood, today you will find the St. Bernardin hotel located only a 15-minute walk away from Piran. The Bernardin Congress Centre is the first and the largest hotel congress centre in Slovenia. Its multifunctional design sets the standards for all similar centres in the region. For quite some time the city has been living in the shadow of its notorious tourist neighbour Portorož; the truth is, however, that in the future Piran will stand out if it decides for the right differentiation

PIRAN INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.82 4.15 4.02 4.15 4.26 4.66 1.02 4.20 4.07 3.93

6. MARIBOR, Slovenia / EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE Maribor is one of the most promising meetings destinations in Slovenia. The city is historically, ethnically and culturally extremely interesting. It gives an impression of familiarity and warmth. Transport infrastructure, mostly because of the inactive Maribor Airport, is the weakest part of the Maribor meetings industry offer. Otherwise the city is safe and pleasant to live in. Its speciality is an extraordinary access to nature. Congress offer of Maribor is concentrated in company Terme Maribor and their hotels Habakuk, Piramida (Pyramid) and Bellevue. The town is very rich with additional convention programmes suitable for incentives, but unfortunately a comprehensive offer of Pohorje and the town is under-utilised and not well presented.

MARIBOR INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.23 4.15 4.15 4.12 4.14 4.35 1.19 4.20 4.07 3.84

7. ZADAR, Croatia / A COOL MEETINGS DESTINATION Zadar with over 4000 beds, several campgrounds and resorts is a developed summer destination for leisure and a yachting paradise. The charming city with thousand years of cultural heritage, the proximity of the islands, five national parks and improving flight connections has a number of good reviews by foreign media describing it as a cool convention destination. The city is an ideal destination for organization of smaller conferences and incentives for up to 100 participants.

Currently, the main drawback are congress facilities that are not offering enough space for bigger business events, as well as congress infrastructure which is not yet built and in function. Once everything is in place, Zadar will certainly be an important congress player.

ZADAR INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.25 4.24 4.44 4.15 4.25 4.23 1.10 4.00 3.70 3.82

8. RIJEKA, Croatia / A CITY WITH CHARACTER The extended region of Kvarner has the huge potential to become a leading meetings destination. Individual congress cities together with the islands of Opatija, Lošinj and Cres are the heart of a very rich product. It is a complex offer, appropriate for associations as well as corporate events. Comparing Rijeka to Split it’s possible to see just how fast the tourist-congress transformation can happen. With its Mediterranean – industrial character Rijeka has no competitor in the Adriatic; the urban scene is so very alive and contains a rich cultural offer. Plenty of congress stories are just waiting for discovery.

RIJEKA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.51 4.18 4.29 4.05 3.99 4.15 1.09 4.00 3.70 3.77

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9. ŠIBENIK, Croatia / THE HEART OF DALMATIA Šibenik very rarely raises any association with the meeting industry. In the process of transition from an industrial city into a tourist destination it has not yet asserted its image among competing cities. Despite this it is a fact that it has excellent conditions and is somehow considered to be a hidden jewel of the Croatian congress offer. For ease of accessibility it may be a suitable location for small association conferences as well as a variety of incentive programmes.

ŠIBENIK INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.54 4.14 4.23 4.05 3.94 4.22 1.04 4.00 3.70 3.76

10. UDINE, Italy / CONGRESS ELEGANCE WITH FRIULIAN CHARM It is a unique world in which the Latin elements from the period of Roman Empire are mixed with those of Lombard, Venetian, Austrian and Slavic. History touches you at every step, which is the perfect backdrop for a variety of innovative incentive programs. Udine has a rich quality of life, being one of the most economically developed Italian region. The city is perfectly accessible via highways, rail and air. There are plenty of hotel facilities in the city and the surrounding areas, which are a true shopping paradise with superb cuisine and some of the best Italian restaurants with Michelin stars. In the middle of one of the most important Italian wine regions you can organize you event in wineries, renovated industrial buildings or palaces. The whole offer is quality linked by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Tourist Board.

UDINE INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.12 4.39 4.21 3.98 4.10 3.71 1.06 4.70 3.45 3.75

11. PULA, Croatia / URBAN MEETINGS Pula is a city of intoxicating flavours, scents and multiple images. Only when you experience it, it becomes clear why it’s also a great meetings destination. Pula as a regional centre of Istria is in terms of congress tourism currently less developed than some tourist destinations in Istria. The role of the regional congress centre took Rovinj with intensive investment, partly Poreč and cities of NW Istria. Current investments of company Arenaturist incite very high degree of optimism since the city acquired a high quality infrastructure.

Along with the urban culture of the city and number of higher education institutions, the potential for congress tourism in Istria is among the largest.

PULA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.59 4.18 4.29 3.90 3.99 3.94 1.02 4.00 3.70 3.73

12. SUBOTICA, Srbija / COLOURFUL CONGRESS VARIETY Subotica has a soul. It is a city where it seems that time has stopped. The proud town centre merges almost imperceptibly into the surrounding melancholy plains. Economically and culturally Subotica is one of the most developed cities in Serbia. Congress guests will be impressed by the multicultural spirit and European charm, which is reflected in a large number of special venues in a small area. Well-developed albeit not connected is the offer of various incentive programmes. Subotica has a functioning Congress bureau, the hotel facilities are good and the culinary tradition is an extra plus. All of this represents an exciting congress package calling out for more penetrating international or at least regional marketing to exploit the full potential of the city.

SUBOTICA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.45 3.97 4.12 4.25 4.12 4.31 1.00 3.90 3.25 3.71

Kongres meetologue

13. NOVA GORICA, Slovenia / A TEENAGER AND A LADY OF RESPECTABLE AGE The two locations are the heart of the sunny and verdant GoriĹĄka plane. Due to their interesting position between the Alps and the Mediterranean, and the junction between the Roman and Slavic, it forms a historically attractive space with high experiential value and preserved natural as much as cultural landscape. In the transport sense it is a very easily accessible region with a high quality of living and excellent infrastructure. Both Goricas have many good restaurants and will delight lovers of gastronomy, entertainment and gaming.

The hospitality of the locals and the competitiveness of the destination is placing the region on the top of young, fresh and undiscovered convention destinations.

NOVA GORICA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: 4.15 General and transport infrastructure: 4.22 Tourist infrastructure: 4.24 Meeting infrastructure: 3.64 Subjective grade: 3.85 Marketing Buzz: 3.89 ICCA index: 1.01 Numbeo quality of life Index: 4.20 Global Peace Index: 4.07 Destination grade: 3.70

14. OSIJEK, Croatia / OVERLOOKED DESTINATION To most people, the extreme north-eastern part of Croatia is the most marginal, border, multi-faith, multicultural and the most poorly known region. Its character is carved by the Drava and Danube rivers along with its symbolic, functional and aesthetic value. Its self-image is one of isolation and the feeling of living on a desert island of convention tourism, in which only a small number of meeting planners and organisers are interested. Because of its geographic position, it is economically and politically far from the capital and as a consequence also undeveloped as a convention destination.

The focus of the problem is a stereotypical feeling of neglect.

Overlooking this, Osijek is one of the freshest and most sustainable Croatian meetings destinations with no real competition in the region.

OSIJEK INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

1 – 4 February 2017 www.natour-alpeadria.si

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4.15 3.98 4.12 3.89 4.05 3.92 1.00 4.00 3.70 3.65

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27th–28th September 2016 Ljubljana, Slovenia European Green Capital 2016

THE FLAGSHIP EVENT OF GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM OFFERS: - Round tables and workshops on sustainable management of destinations and hotels - Top 100 Sustainable Destinations 2016 awarding ceremony - Top 10 Green Solutions awarding ceremony - Networking opportunities with the best providers of green business solutions for tourism

greendestinationsday.com

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TOURIST DESTINATIONS / 25 MTLG’S IN THIS EDITION Directory 2016 No.

≤20.000

SIZE OF CITY

CATEGORY

TOTAL MARK

1

OPATIJA

11.659

SMALL - REGIONAL

4,05

2

SCHLADMING

4.402

SMALL - LOCAL

4,04

3

BLED

5.205

SMALL - LOCAL

4,03

4

PORTOROŽ

2.849

SMALL - LOCAL

4,02

5

ROVINJ

14.234

SMALL - REGIONAL

4,01

6

KRANJSKA GORA

1.452

SMALL - LOCAL

3,96

7

VYSOKE TATRE

10.149

SMALL - REGIONAL

3,95

8

SAVINJA VALLEY

15.000

SMALL - LOCAL

3,94

9

SOČA VALLEY

20.302

SMALL - LOCAL

3,93

10

HVAR

11.103

SMALL - REGIONAL

3,92

11

POREČ

16.696

SMALL - LOCAL

3,87

12

BRDA/COLIO

5.765

SMALL - LOCAL

3,86

13

BUDVA

14.458

SMALL - REGIONAL

3,85

14

TIVAT

10.149

SMALL - REGIONAL

3,84

15

ROGAŠKA SLATINA

11.070

SMALL - LOCAL

3,83

16

BREŽICE - ČATEŽ

6.856

SMALL - LOCAL

3,81

17

LOŠINJ AND CRES

6.566

SMALL - LOCAL

3,80

18

LAŠKO

3.408

SMALL - LOCAL

3,79

19

UMAG

7.769

SMALL - LOCAL

3,74

20

BOHINJ

5.222

SMALL - LOCAL

3,73

21

PODČETRTEK

3.224

SMALL - LOCAL

3,69

22

GREEN KARST

52.538*

SMALL - REGIONAL

3,68

23

PREKMURJE

92.295*

SMALL - REGIONAČL

3,66

24

HEVIZ

4.375

SMALL - REGIONAL

3,62

25

SARVAR

14.777

SMALL - REGIONAL

3,60

* Population of all area.

Key to evaluation criteria 2016 A. Natural and cultural factors B. General and transport infrastructure C. Tourist infrastructure D. Meetings infrastructure E. Subjective grade F. Marketing buzz G. ICCA index 2015 H. Quality of life index (Numbeo) I. Global Peace Index

RE MTLG'S READ MO-m eetologue.eu www.kongres

Every year the editorial board of Kongres magazine aims to further refine the Meetologue methodology in order to assure the most authentic score reflecting the genuine situation of congress destinations.

In 2015, we added the NUMBEO index of quality of life to the existing criteria, but as in recent years the quality of congress destinations has become heavily dependent on security, this year we went a step further and have included the most relevant assessment, the Global Peace Index, in the comparison.

Also new is a more realistic application

71

of the ICCA methodology. When classifying destinations we took into account the ten-year average number of events and participants, which was compared with the actual results for the year 2015.

The best congress destinations will receive a Meetings Star 2016 award at Conventa 2017, the boutique trade show for meetings, events, congresses and incentives.

Furthermore, we believe our assessments are truly objective and can assist event organisers, whilst also enabling destinations to improve the areas where the current situation is not at the level it should be.

Kongres meetologue

1. OPATIJA, Croatia / VINTAGE MEETINGS 170 years of tourism tradition is based on the positive energy of the riviera and the exceptional natural conditions. This is a great sign for the revival of Opatija congress tourism, which has recently relaxed slightly in comparison with the hyperactive Croatian Adriatic competitors. The city already boasts the entire infrastructure, but it is beaten mostly by an unfavourable image and somewhat slow adjustment to the new congress market conditions. A change of the structure of hotels is also necessary, as ‘cosmopolitan’ Opatija today only boasts three hotels in the 5-star category, whilst in Dubrovnik there are now 14.

OPATIJA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

2. SCHLADMING, Austria MEETINGS IN EMBRACE OF ALPINE BEAUTIES Schladming is a big skiing centre, the scene of the best slalom races of the season aswell as other internationaly known sport competitions. Besides that it is also an excelent congress venue and a place, which stays in fond memory of every guest. We can say without a doubt that the tourist developement in Schladming is a success story and we are certain thatthat will also be the case in the future. Contributing to the success were mostly sporting events, on which they have built extensively. With event organisation, the destination has gained a lot of experience, which can now be transfered into the congress field.

SCHLADMING INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: 4.55 General and transport infrastructure: 4.02 Tourist infrastructure: 4.61 Meeting infrastructure: 4.35 Subjective grade: 4.12 Marketing Buzz: 4.02 ICCA index: 1.00 Numbeo quality of life Index: 4.90 Global Peace Index: 4.79 Destination grade: 4.04

3. BLED, Slovenia THE IMAGE OF HEAVEN As a recognisable brand Bled stands out among other congress destinations in the region. It most closely resembles Dubrovnik, which caught up with the pre-war congress tempo by taking the right steps. Currently the biggest disadvantage is the lack of a clear focus towards quality rather than mass tourism. This is most clearly seen in the restaurant, night life and shopping offer. As a result the current perception of quality is lower than with largest competitors.

In Bled the saying ‘Less is more’ is very true. The potential for the meetings industry is immense, it just needs to be harnessed in the right way.

BLED INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.94 4.39 3.98 4.22 4.47 4.65 1.34 4.20 4.07 4,03

4. PORTOROŽ, Slovenia / PORT OF ROSES The historic laurels of the leading Adriatic congress destination are slowly starting to gather dust. Portorož is still in hard competition with Dubrovnik, Opatija and new Adriatic congress destinations that are developing all the time. A rich congress history, tradition and the existing infrastructure are a competitive advantage. The meetings industry is by no means a tree to sleep under and simply harvest its fruit of wealthy congress participants. Despite that, Portorož has proven resilient and adaptable many times in the course of history, so some innovativeness and marketing opportunities should ensure it has a bright future.

PORTOROŽ INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.62 4.25 4.39 4.15 4.26 4.66 1.61 4.20 4.07 4.02

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4.55 4.29 4.85 4.65 4.59 4.58 1.22 4.00 3.70 4.05

Kongres meetologue

5. ROVINJ, Croatia / ISTRIA STAR MEETINGS If at the destination you have owners who have clear goals and who look at congress tourism strategically, then in a short time you can do a lot. It is possible to revitalize the old factory premises and build a superior conference hotel.

Maistra in Rovinj has undoubtedly left its mark. Taking into consideration the geographical location of Rovinj as one of the closest Mediterranean congress destinations for Central and Western Europe, the future of this industry is guaranteed. Missing is only a convention bureau, which would know how to step out of corporate governance of the destination and would be able to serve as attorney of the meetings industry. Otherwise, forecasts of mayor Sponza that Rovinj will be more exclusive than Dubrovnik, can be realized.

ROVINJ INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

6. KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia / GOOD WILL IS THE BEST The most important winter sports centre in Slovenia has among the Slovenian ski resorts the strongest brand, which is known worldwide mainly due to the Cup Vitranc.. Slowly and steadily it has also developed a summer tourist offer, which enables the development of congress tourism. Both seasons are now virtually in balance. With the latest changes in the field of hospitality it will surely strengthen its position as an important centre for the implementation of incentive programmes and small conferences. Due to the recognition of the ski jumps in Planica and Vitranc Cup it has a high priority over other rivals in the region. It is an important boutique congress destination for quality mid-size corporate events up to 350 participants.

KRANJSKA GORA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: 4.58 General and transport infrastructure: 4.42 Tourist infrastructure: 4.29 Meeting infrastructure: 4.15 Subjective grade: 4.28 Marketing Buzz: 4.59 ICCA index: 1.03 Numbeo quality of life Index: 4.20 Global Peace Index: 4.07 Destination grade: 3.96

7. VYSOKE TATRE, Slovakia / WARM YOUR HEART High Tatras are an extreme surprise and one of the undiscovered European incentive jewels. In the shadow of much more notorious Zakopane in neighbouring Poland they offer at least as wide incentive offer, which is besides that packed in a very favourable financial package. As the main tourist resorts are close to mountain resorts, ski resorts and scenic walking trails, it is downright perfect destination for a more sports inspired incentive groups. We recommend organizing events in spring and autumn months, when places aren’t flooded with the annual mass winter tourist migration. Prices in Slovakia are significantly lower than in central Europe and the destination is only a few hours of driving on motorways from major Central European cities away.

VYSOKE TATRE INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: 4.79 General and transport infrastructure: 4.49 Tourist infrastructure: 4.61 Meeting infrastructure: 4.40 Subjective grade: 4.59 Marketing Buzz: 4.00 ICCA index: 1.03 Numbeo quality of life Index: 3.80 Global Peace Index: 3.88 Destination grade: 3.95

8. SAVINJA VALLEY, Slovenia / OF THE BEATEN MICE TRACK Upper Savinja Valley is one of Slovenia’s natural jewels of.

Its tourism offer is undoubtedly getting more diverse with every passing year, but still many of its foreign guests are not getting a comprehensive source of information about the full range of events and activities offer. The valley can be compared with the Soča Valley, which in many respects has a similar congress offer and the advantage of a functioning destination organisation (LTO Sotočje). Both valleys are two uncut diamonds of the Slovenian meetings offer that we believe will sooner or later be discovered by European event organisers. Given the advantages of this valley that is really impressive with its diversity, its natural resources and the charms of the Savinja river, it will undoubtedly succeed.

SAVINJA VALLEY INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: 4.72 General and transport infrastructure: 4.20 Tourist infrastructure: 4.42 Meeting infrastructure: 4.05 Subjective grade: 4.51 Marketing Buzz: 4.30 ICCA index: 1.00 Numbeo quality of life Index: 4.20 Global Peace Index: 4.07 Destination grade: 3.94

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4.58 4.05 4.49 4.71 4.59 4.87 1.14 4.00 3.70 4.01

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9. SOČA VALLEY, Slovenia EPICENTRE OF INCENTIVE INSPIRATIONS In the narrow micro-region the Soča Valley is currently not facing increased competition. On the Italian side in Friuli Venezia Giulia, incentive tourism is underdeveloped and the development of the product in Brda and Nova Gorica is also at the beginning stages. A more serious competition is in Istria and neighbouring Carinthia, as well as within the wider Slovenian Julian Alps. The main advantage of the destination is a developed incentive product, gastronomy and preserved natural and cultural heritage, which is unequalled.

SOČA VALLEY INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: 4.76 General and transport infrastructure: 4.21 Tourist infrastructure: 4.41 Meeting infrastructure: 4.02 Subjective grade: 4.40 Marketing Buzz: 4.31 ICCA index: 1.02 Numbeo quality of life Index: 4.20 Global Peace Index: 4.07 Destination grade: 3.93

10. HVAR, Croatia / ROOM WITH A VIEW None of the more than 1,000 Croatian islands has such karma and recognition as Hvar. Definitely a “must” Croatian destination, right behind Dubrovnik. Distance from the mainland gives it a touch of boutique smallness. On the beauty of the island, reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, there is no point in wasting words, since there is no shortage of various urban legends and superlatives. Among other things, it used to be called Austrian Madeira. In Hvar, the urban has been coexisting with the rural for centuries.

HVAR INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.82 3.82 4.45 3.79 4.75 4.91 1.00 4.00 3.70 3.92

11. POREČ, Croatia / SUNNYSIDE MEETINGS Until recently Poreč was known mostly for its family tourism, which is focused on the sun and sea. In the last couple of years there have been significant moves in terms of seasonality and also the meetings industry. The whole of Istria, in fact, has a huge potential for incentive programmes. The congress infrastructure already exists, including the main culinary and sports programmes, as well as the salubrious surroundings that make them special. It’s just the appropriate connections to form real incentive products that have to be put in place, which will definitely make them seriously competitive. The list of events is getting longer every year and is moving Poreč up the ladder of event destinations in Croatia. If Poreč continues to be a tourist champion of Croatia, it will definitely make the break into the international congress scene.

POREČ INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.51 4.05 4.69 4.23 4.43 4.23 1.00 4.00 3.70 3.87

12. GORIŠKA BRDA, Slovenia FERTILE CROSSROADS OF CULTURES A number of the features of Brda make it special and unique in the wider area. In the first place is its openness to the sea, creating a pleasant Mediterranean climate, followed up by its natural beauty with rich cultural heritage and eco-preserved countryside with exceptional culinary and wine offer, unrivalled in the region. A panorama of hills with a cluster of agglomerations and subdivided farmland and countless terraced vineyards is certainly one of the most beautiful ItalianSlovenian landscape-aesthetic experiences. In the field of tourism-convention offer, Brda is perhaps the future formula of tourism development: “less is more”. The convention fate of Brda and Collio is in co-operation and joint promotion.

GORIŠKA BRDA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: 4.65 General and transport infrastructure: 3.65 Tourist infrastructure: 4.02 Meeting infrastructure: 4.38 Subjective grade: 4.04 Marketing Buzz: 4.69 ICCA index: 1.00 Numbeo quality of life Index: 4.20 Global Peace Index: 4.07 Destination grade: 3.86

Kongres meetologue

13. BUDVA, Montenegro ON THE FOAMING SEA Budva is one of the central incentive destinations on the Adriatic coast, with very successful marketing and despite numerous deficiencies in poor accessibility and current capacity selection. The development plans for the Monte Carlo of the Adriatic, openness from foreign investors and very liberal policies could position the Montenegro coast very high on the meetings industry map in the next few years, while it is already the leader in the area of incentive programs. It boasts the unique opportunity for the practically untapped Russian meetings industry, which has always had a positive relationship with Budva. If this “wild beauty” improves its accessibility, price competitiveness and infrastructure, it can be a worthy competitor as a meetings destination even in the

wider region of the Mediterranean as one of the top destinations.

BUDVA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.25 4.06 4.79 4.81 4.31 4.58 1.17 3.60 3.05 3.85

14. TIVAT, Montenegro Tivat’s destiny turned once more when this picturesque bay impressed Peter Munk, the Canadian businessman with Hungarian roots. In 2007, he sailed into Kotor Bay with his yacht, Queen of Drachs, was immediately mesmerised and thus was born the idea of a marina for mega yachts up to a length of 160 metres. Munk gathered his friends who were willing to invest: Lord Jacob Rothschild and his son Nathan from the respected Rothschild banking dynasty, the French luxury brand magnate Bernard Arnault and the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripask. The construction of the Adriatic Monte Carlo immediately began and the first part of the marina was inaugurated in 2009.

TIVAT INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.96 4.06 4.62 4.29 4.27 4.67 1.00 3.60 3.05 3.84

15. ROGAŠKA SLATINA, Slovenia THE RIGHT PLACE FOR BUSINESS MEETINGS It would be hard to find a more traditional health resort in Slovenia. Most other health resorts, including the neighbouring Podčetrtek, cannot boast such tradition that inspires confidence. In a few years the place has radically changed its appearance and has excellent congress infrastructure.

However, something remains missing – more convention visitors, who were once coming en masse to these places.

Rogaška needs congress tourism, as is written into its DNA. It seems that it is currently defying the modern times, mainly thanks to the proactive individual hoteliers. To regain a top spot more connectivity will be required, better joint promotion and all of this reflected through the establishment of a Convention Bureau.

ROGAŠKA SLATINA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: 4.42 General and transport infrastructure: 4.05 Tourist infrastructure: 4.35 Meeting infrastructure: 3.90 Subjective grade: 4.37 Marketing Buzz: 4.12 ICCA index: 1.01 Numbeo quality of life Index: 4.20 Global Peace Index: 4.07 Destination grade: 3.83

16. BREŽICE AND ČATEŽ, Slovenia TOURIST GAZELLE Another convention destination of Slovenia, which according to the capacity, integrity of the offer and convenience if often overlooked. Lower Sava valley is mainly thanks to the proactive Terme Čatež a very competitive convention destination.

Improvement is needed, however, especially in its image, as at first one does not think of it in terms of congress tourism.

BREŽICE AND ČATEŽ INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

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4.35 4.41 4.27 3.98 4.35 3.65 1.00 4.20 4.07 3.81

Kongres meetologue

17. LOŠINJ AND CRES, Croatia LOW-CARBON INCENTIVE ISLAND Lošinj and Cres are the only Adriatic islands that successfully deal with sustainable tourism and are amongst the more eco-friendly islands of Kvarner. They differ from the more famous Dalmatian isles, with their nature preservation, systematic sustainable development and cultural heritage. All these activities are well managed and present a huge opportunity for sustainable meetings industry in harmony with the capabilities of the islands. The key challenge is the invisibility on the meetings industry radar, lacking the recognisable incentive brands to build the high quality boutique and intimate stories. If local suppliers can develop from these points, they will be able to benefit from the current trends in the industry. I am certain their first clients will be the existing loyal guest of Cres and Lošinj.

LOŠINJ AND CRES INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: 4.59 General and transport infrastructure: 4.01 Tourist infrastructure: 4.45 Meeting infrastructure: 4.02 Subjective grade: 3.98 Marketing Buzz: 4.43 ICCA index: 1.00 Numbeo quality of life Index: 4.00 Global Peace Index: 3.70 Destination grade: 3.80

18. LAŠKO, Slovenia BEER AND CONGRESSES Laško is first and foremost a spa destination, because the main motive of going there are the two spa and thermal centres. In the future it will remain so. In the past five years, however, much has been done in developing congress tourism and enriching the offer and it is today surprising how much Laško can offer to congress guests beyond its traditional tasty beer. Everything from one of the best Slovenian cuisines to an exceptional cultural and historical heritage together with the possibility of organising green meetings. In making this breakthrough Laško has very quickly become much more competitive to the more established meeting industry destinations.

LAŠKO INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.42 3.96 4.05 4.22 4.15 4.03 1.00 4.20 4.07 3.79

19. UMAG, Croatia DOOR TO THE ADRIATIC Among the competing congress destinations, Umag even a year ago would be easily overlooked, but today it is already hosting the most demanding events such as the most important Microsoft event Windays. This proves that the destination is profiled as a congress and especially incentive location. To the good functioning a great desti- nation management contributes a great deal, which in a form of a clusterfrom 2010 is promoted under the brand “Colours of Istria”.

UMAG INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.35 4.05 4.45 3.65 4.33 4.12 1.00 4.00 3.70 3.74

20. BOHINJ, Slovenia HIDDEN SUSTAINABLE MEETINGS GEM The majority of congress guests will be sworn lovers of nature and its aesthetic value. Bohinj is a place that is created for sustainable conference programmes and for active incentive experiences. It is a place where without any hesitation you can drink water from the public water supply and from its clean streams. Even the basic network of thematic paths offers ideas for authentic congress programmes. In Slovenia, the beauty of Bohinj can only be matched by its neighbours across the peaks in the Soča Valley, or in Kranjska Gora.

BOHINJ INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.62 4.07 3.92 3.25 4.30 4.12 1.00 4.20 4.07 3.73

Kongres meetologue

21. PODČETRTEK, Slovenia THE SUCCESS STORY There are few places where the only driving force of the economy is tourism. Because in these places industry has never developed, today this can be considered as one of their advantages. Podčetrtek has a great potential in the field of congress tourism. It is an authentic and in many ways a sustainable congress experience.

PODČETRTEK INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: 4.21 General and transport infrastructure: 3.81 Tourist infrastructure: 4.04 Meeting infrastructure: 3.43 Subjective grade: 4.21 Marketing Buzz: 4.21 ICCA index: 1.00 Numbeo quality of life Index: 4.20 Global Peace Index: 4.07 Destination grade: 3.69

22. GREEN KARST, Slovenia / JEWELS OF NATURE Karst have due to the natural and cultural values great potential for the development of congress tourism. It should be based on the specificities and comparative advantages of individual areas associated with a rich cultural heritage, cultural landscapes and preserved natural environment.As an integrated product is not yet developed at this time, it is more like complement to the rest of the Slovenian congress destinations. For breakthrough it is necessary to raise the visibility and competitiveness among congress organizers, which today are looking for exactly such an authentic space.

We believe, that it will be recognized as a product with great potential by the main carrier of tourism Postojna cave.

GREEN KARST INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: 4.79 General and transport infrastructure: 4.35 Tourist infrastructure: 4.12 Meeting infrastructure: 3.38 Subjective grade: 3.48 Marketing Buzz: 3.69 ICCA index: 1.00 Numbeo quality of life Index: 4.20 Global Peace Index: 4.07 Destination grade: 3.68

23. PREKMURJE, Slovenia The most recent to come on the visitor’s radar is perhaps the least well-known of Slovenian destinations, but it is one that you really shouldn’t miss! With fascinating authenticy at every step the Pannoinan lowlands, called Prekmurje, is a sleeping beauty of a destination that is now slowly awakening.

It is a place where you get the feeling that time has stopped still for a while – and in visiting you can do the same thing too. Not just the water, but the people you meet in Prekmurje are also special: warm, hospitable and welcoming guests with a sincere smile that really makes you feel at home.

PREKMURJE INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.43 3.82 3.98 3.91 4.01 3.56 1.00 4.20 4.07 3.66

24. HEVIZ, Hungary Héviz is the capital of Hungarian spas and thermal baths, as in addition to the hotel complexes and thermal water-filled swimming pools it also has a thermal lake. The thermal lake in Héviz is the largest biologically active natural thermal lake in the world. Spa tourism is booming and its Hungarian engine is in Héviz.

The city is suitable for organising events. If you like more traditional hotels and peaceful destinations, you will love this place. If you are looking for a combination with wellness, this is one of the best options in Hungary.

HEVIZ INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.75 3.69 3.72 4.01 3.98 3.90 1.00 3.70 3.86 3.62

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25. SARVAR, Hungary PANNONIAN MELANCHOLY Sรกrvรกr is a city that at the moment only a few would place somewhere on the convention destinations map. Development has been primarily focused on health tourism. Once you get to know it, it is an elegant and fresh destination that is surprising because it is not ostentatious.

SARVAR INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors: General and transport infrastructure: Tourist infrastructure: Meeting infrastructure: Subjective grade: Marketing Buzz: ICCA index: Numbeo quality of life Index: Global Peace Index: Destination grade:

4.65 3.89 4.05 3.15 4.02 4.05 1.00 3.70 3.86 3.60

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Kongres meetologue

27th–28th September 2016 Ljubljana, Slovenia European Green Capital 2016

greendestinationsday.com

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•Soča Valley Meet Busters• 10 congress myths that you did not dare to ask, or know whom to ask: by the Tolmin count, who believed that the water would keep him forever young. The Count’s water will of course not keep you young forever, but it does have healing characteristics; it is clean, rich in minerals and it has a positive effect on the entire body. In fact, according to radiesthesia measurements it is one of the best in the world. Not far from the spring there is a thick and healthy tree, a mountain elm tree. The water from the spring runs right underneath the tree, enriching it with energy.

With its positive energy the elm tree affects all seven chakras.

Trail Running Festival and Hiking festival, music festivals such as Metaldays, Punk Rock Holiday, Overjam international Reggae festival, and the Creative camp Sajeta.

MYTH: NATURE AND THE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM OFFER GO HAND IN HAND. CONFIRMED

Sustainable tourism is booming, thanks to the unspoiled nature here. In 2008 Soča Valley was chosen as the European Destination of Excellence - EDEN Destination in Slovenia.

The offer of green incentives is diverse, as is the offer of green accommodation. For example, in 2011 Kamp Koren was the first Slovene camp to fulfil the criteria for receiving the European Ecolabel as an environment-friendly camp.

MYTH: SOME SCENES FOR THE FILM “THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN” WERE FILMED IN BOVEC. CONFIRMED

Some scenes were indeed filmed at Soča River in Bovec. Although the filmmakers searched for locations all around Europe, the Soča River and its surroundings proved to be some of the most memorable. To enable the perfect shot and allow the building of a bridge that was based on the one built by Julius Caesar to cross the Rhine, Soča was temporarily diverted at that time.

MYTH: DRINKING WATER FROM SOPOTNICA STREAM IN SOČA VALLEY WILL KEEP YOU FOREVER YOUNG. BUSTED

The Count’s spring is situated in the Sopotnica stream gorge above the village of Gabrje and according to local legend this water was drunk

MYTH: SOČA VALLEY HOSTS UP TO 5 FESTIVALS PER YEAR. BUSTED

Soča Valley is the home of many festivals that take place throughout the year, some being more local but others being international and visited by more than 65,000 people. If you want to have a good time, mark your calendars for the Soča trout festival, JESTIVAL – Food & Art festival, The Drežnica festival, sport festivals like the Soča Outdoor Festival, Podbrdo

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MYTH: SOČA RIVER HAS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE THROUGHOUT HISTORY. CONFIRMED

Due to its emerald-green water, the river is marketed as “The Emerald Beauty.” It is said to be one of the rare rivers in the world that retains such a colour right along its length (138km). Its beauty thus inspired many poets, including Simon Gregorčič (who wrote his best-known poem »Soči« (To the Soča), one of the masterpieces of Slovenian poetry), and Giuseppe Ungaretti (one of the greatest Italian poets who describes the Soča River in the poem “I Fiumi” (The Rivers)). On the other hand, one of the bloodiest battlefields of WWI, the Battles of the Isonzo, took place in the Soča Valley, along the river and the surrounding steep mountain slopes. Nowadays visitors can walk the “Walk of Peace”, a 90km-long trail that takes them to some of the major sites of WWI and the natural highlights of the Soča Valley.

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MYTH: ONE OF SLOVENIA’S MOST PICTURESQUE WATERFALLS CAN BE FOUND IN THE SOČA VALLEY. CONFIRMED

MYTH: KOBARID IS THE CULINARY CAPITAL OF THE PRIMORSKA REGION.

The Kozjak brook, feeding the Soča River from the east, springs high beneath Mt. Krnčica (2,142m), and runs through many pools, making six waterfalls. The Veliki Kozjak, one of the most breathtaking waterfalls in Slovenia, was created in the outlet of the lower Korita of the Kozjak Brook. Approximately 250 metres lower, the water falls again and has carved out an underground hall. Its bottom is covered by a vast blue and green pool, and its walls are reminiscent of those in the Karst caves. A 15-metre high white water column offers visitors here some of the greatest scenery.

CONFIRMED

People from the region have known about and enjoyed good food for a very long time and Kobarid has some of the best restaurants to prove it. Everyone visiting these parts of Slovenia must try “Kobariški štruklji” (a delicious dessert made from dough stuffed with walnuts, raisins and such like). The dessert is so famous that the culinary festival “Jestival” has been dedicated to this delicious sweet course.

MYTH: SOČA VALLEY IS NOT A PART OF THE TRIGLAV NATIONAL PARK. BUSTED

Soča Valley forms part of Triglav National Park, one of the oldest European parks and the only national park in Slovenia. Starting as an idea and then as a nature conservation institution, the Triglav National Park entered the history of the Eastern Julian Alps at the beginning of the 20th century, as the park was founded in 1906. Its current size was adopted in 1981 and now covers the area of the Eastern Julian Alps (84,000 hectares). The highest point of the park is the Triglav mountain peak (2,864m), which is also the highest mountain is Slovenia. The Tolmin gorges are the lowest and southernmost entry point into the Triglav National Park, and also Tolmin’s most important natural sight.

MYTH: SOČA VALLEY OFFERS ONLY HISTORICAL INCENTIVES. BUSTED

Although there is a colourful history marking the destination, the unspoiled nature makes Soča Valley the European incentive epicentre that offers a complete infrastructure for adrenaline and active incentive programmes. The destination has been attracting guests interested in active holidays and adrenaline challenges for many years now. It is ideal for water sports and fishing, paragliding, sport-climbing, hiking, cycling, horseback riding, caving and other sporting activities.

MYTH: THERMAL SPRINGS ARE VERY COMMON IN THE JULIAN ALPS. BUSTED

Thermal springs are actually very rare in the Julian Alps, but you can find one in Tolmin.

There is a thermal spring in the short, horizontal cave under the Devil’s bridge, with an average temperature of between 18.8 and 20.8°C (the temperature of the Tolminka River is 5 to 9°C).

If visiting the spring don’t forget to look up at the Devil’s Bridge - it is an impressive sight. We also suggest exploring the cave nearby that was supposedly visited by Dante Alighieri himself in the 14th century and reportedly inspired his Divine Comedy.

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GREEN KARST INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors:

4.79

General and transport infrastructure:

4.35

Tourist infrastructure:

4.12

Meeting infrastructure:

3.38

Subjective grade:

3.48

Marketing Buzz:

3.69

ICCA index:

1.00

Numbeo quality of life Index:

4.20

Global Peace Index:

4.07

Destination grade:

3.68

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GREEN KARST GEMS OF NATURE

I

n the hearts of fellow geographers like myself Karst is enshrined in a special place, as from a natural point of view and studying this phenomenon as young geography students it was then still something quite unexplored. Cavers are always discovering new caves and parts of cave systems and Postojna and the Postojna cave with Karst Research Institute – ZRC SAZU plays a big role in this field, also being the headquarters of the global Speleological Federation and the headquarters of the only doctoral studies of Karstology in the world. From this year it is also the UNESCO educational centre of karst.

Today I love to bring conference guests to this part of Slovenia and without exception they are all thrilled by the landscape and its offer, especially so in the high autumn congress season, when the karst woods are the most beautiful and full of sumac, a shrub with small flowers and red autumn leaves.

The word karst stems from an old word for stone and a name that has typically spread around the world as both a thought and concept, similar to how all volcanic phenomena are named after the eponymous ‘Volcano’ in the Aeolian Islands.

The Karst landscape is extremely interesting for congress and conference participants, as it offers many experiences that certainly complement congresses in Ljubljana, that long with new hotels completely offer you your own congress and incentive stories.

Postojna Cave The easiest way to start exploring Karst is from its centre in Postojna, after which the largest and the most visited tourist cave in Europe is named. It can pride itself on numerous natural and cultural attractions and the unique ‘human fish’.

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For organised meeting groups, there are several different programmes available, from classic tours to more adrenaline ventures. In Postojna you can satisfy your professional curiosity in two Karst museums that show the full dimensions of this exceptional phenomenon. Furthermore, the regional hotel offer in Postojna will soon be joined by the renovated Hotel Jama, which will complement the rich offer of the Jamski dvorec mansion.

Major events in Postojna Cave It will be remembered by many sports fans across Europe as a spectacular draw in Eurobasket 2013. For the purposes of television and other media they stretched two kilometres of optical cables inside the Postojna cave, where there was room for 650 people and for 10 x 4 metre stages, as well as for a basketball court where a historic first basketball game in a natural cave was ever played. In the same cave, where it is 100-percent humidity and a constant temperature of 8 degrees Celsius, there have been many other similar events carried out - a 3,000 square metre concert hall is definitely the most special congress hall in Slovenia and also Europe!

Karst underground Apart from the Postojna cave, the Karst region offers many other caves that are worthy of the attention of congress organisers, either for incentives or organising an event. Vilenica cave, located at the Sežana – Lokev road, is one of the oldest tourist caves in the world. It has long stirred the visitor’s imagination and locals believe that there are fairies living inside. Škocjan caves are the most important underground phenomenon in the Karst region and in Slovenia. They belong among

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the most important sinkhole caves with an underground river and canyon in the world. The Škcojan caves were listed in 1986 on UNESCO world heritage as a result of their importance.

Križna cave is a world famous karst cave, special because of its underground lakes with sinter divisions and a cave bear bones site. Besides the mandatory visit of Postojna cave there are just some of the many opportunities to take your participants to the karst underground.

Castles as a special venue The region also has some of the most prominent special venues in Slovenia. Snežnik castle stands on the eponymous mountain Snežnik in the Loka Valley. Today’s form of the castle was created after many reconstructions, but it still roughly retains the renaissance contours of the 16th century.

The castle complex also includes a wreath of outbuildings and the Manor Park, which in in its harmony of nature and architecture creates an exceptional cultural – a landscaped space reminiscent of an English or French mansion, suitable for receptions, outdoor events or events in a well-preserved interior.

Predjama castle is part of the Postojna cave offer, located just a stone’s throw away. The Patriarchs of Aquileia ordered the building of the castle and it was first mentioned in 1274. Certainly one of the most famous residents was Erazem Predjamski, who was killed on the toilet after a long siege.

Today it is interesting to look at the dungeon, living spaces, weapons collection, oil paintings and the chapel. The Erasmus tunnel is especially interesting, as it was hidden and used as transportation route for food and drink. In the beautifully decorated surroundings, it is possible to organise receptions or implement various teambuilding programmes with a medieval flavour.

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The miracle of Lake Cerknica Cerknica lake, which lies in the southern part of Cerknica field, is an intermittent lake with an area of 26 square kilometres, but when the karst field is flooded the surface can be up to 38 square kilometres. At its full size it is 10.5km long and 4.7km wide, and is the largest lake in Slovenia.

It is largest mainly after the autumn rains and

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Lipica Stud farm The Lipica Stud farm is a world-renowned original stud farm of the Lipizzaner horses, an excellent equestrian centre and a prestigious area of cultural tourism that represents the brand name of the Republic of Slovenia and one of the main sources of development in the Karst. This is a remarkable cultural landscape on a global scale. We recommend to the congress guests a visit to the Lipikum museum that displays centuries of history and the Lipizzaner stud farm.

Events can also be held in the Hotel Maestoso or in natural surroundings. Lipica also boasts a golf course. Congress visibility here builds on the initial story of Lipica as a home of the Lipizzaner horses and its 430 years of tradition by incorporating the elements of the rich cultural heritage and natural values.

Karst nostalgia »Osmica« (Eight) is the time permitted to homesteads dispensing homemade wines. As in the Hapsburg monarchy such authorization was by special decree and lasting exactly eight days, it got the nickname “osmica” (eight). Besides wine, they also offer homemade delicacies typical for Karst and are recognizable by the wooden signpost and ivy branch. Today, the Homestead can organise “osmica” a maximum of twice a year, for a period of ten days. It is worth visiting them, as your congress guests will be closer to the karst way of life through the local dishes.

In the village of Lokev we recommend viewing the real Fabian’s museum shop, with items from up to half way through the 20th century. On display are approximately 7,000 original items and your mind will be cast back 30 years and to former way of sales and communication with customers.

in the spring, when the snow is melting, and it fades a little in May or June, sometimes even in the winter.

There is not one conference participant who would not be impressed by such a magical landscape; the lake is interesting in all seasons, but we especially recommend a visit with »drevak«, a traditional lacustrian vessel. In Cerknica and on the way to the capital, there is no shortage of authentic restaurants, which will impress even the most demanding of gourmets. Štanjel Štanjel is a picturesque karst settlement in the Municipality of Komen. It is terrace-arranged towards the 363-metre high hill of Turn. The village is characterized by narrow streets with stone houses containing a variety of stone-cut-

ting products. A very special location for outdoor receptions is the famous Ferrari Garden with its extensive park. The Garden Park in Štanjel, or Ferrari Garden, has its cultural, landscape, architectural, art, historical and other exceptional features of particular importance for Slovenia, and is therefore a cultural monument.

You can breath Karst in Štanjel at every step, even while walking the lookout route, which wraps around the whole town and from where your vista stretches far across the karst landscape and on to the Alps. You’ll feel the genuine pulse of life after a few steps on the Štanjel streets with their stone houses, which are a reflection of folk architecture. In the centre of the town, at the intersection of two streets, it an authentic regional house decorated with an ethnological collection.

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Ljubljana Marshes and Bistra Castle Karst begins at the Ljubljana Marshes with the karst springs of the Ljubljanica river. You can experience it with a visit to the Technical Museum of Slovenia and its picturesque surroundings. In the vicinity of the former monastery Bistra can be found some springs of the Ljubljanica river, into which water flows directly from Lake Cerknica and Rakov Škocjan.

The Castle park is one of the most prominent special venues in Slovenia with great potential for numerous innovative events. The offer is complemented by the exceptional Bistra Inn with accommodation, headed up by Iris Kociper, a professional with extensive experience in the field of congress tourism. The Inn has its own hotel and hostel, which can be used for smaller incentive groups.

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The Park of Military History Pivka For a leap into the exciting recent history we recommend you to take a walk around the Park of Military History in Pivka. The vast collection of light and heavy weapons in the facilities part of the former military post will surely make a big impression on you.

The Park of Military History Pivka holds one of the biggest and possibly most diverse military history collections in this part of Europe. It was established in 2006, when the first so-called pavilion was opened on the grounds of the abandoned Italian (and later Yugoslavian) army barracks in the town of Pivka, which is also the main initiator of the project. The park deals with the military history of Slovenia and also of the region around Pivka, as well as with the wider military related technical and political heritage of Europe.

Today the park represents the biggest museum complex in Slovenia, it has grown and developed gradually by renovating and occupying the barracks. As of 2015, there are four main exhibition spaces, a courtyard and even a historical trail in the surrounding area. The park hosts various lectures and educational events, organises an annual festival and presents other occasional events.

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The Komanda Premise is a former Command Center that nowadays hosts a tourist-information center and a well-stocked museum shop.

The multimedia room is placed on the first floor while the second floor was rearranged into an exhibition and event space. The visitors can rest and lunch in the museum restaurant Kantina Pivka.

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Destination grade: QUALITY MEETING DESTINATION Grades: 5 excellent convention destination 4 quality convention destination 3 recommendable convention destination 2 average convention destination 1 so so

3.68

INDIVIDUAL GRADES: A. Natural and cultural factors: 4.79 The unique Karst landscape differs notably from neighbouring areas by its appearance. For Karst, the unique natural phenomena, mainly underground, exceptional biodiversity and a typical Karst landscape is all part of the characteristic. It is distinguished by its diversity and high experiential value and the whole Karst landscape means an incredible landscape attraction unique on a global scale, due also to the surrounding landscape of stone walls, walled courtyards, clustered villages and underground miracles.

B. General and transport infrastructure: 4.35 Karst is a transitional area, historically linked to rail, along which larger settlements have evolved over time. The railway, later followed by the motorway network, is the reason that the destination is easily accessible today. Due to its natural and cultural specifics Karst is an extremely attractive environment for living in, which is why real estate is fetching high prices. Good infrastructure, including transport network and telecommunications, have a very good impact on this development. Among the disadvantages are the underdeveloped and insufficiently effective public transport.

C. Tourist infrastructure: 4.12 In the enlarged inner karst region is today the most developed excursion and rural tourism. Postojna has developed as a tourist centre, with the hotels Epiceter, Kras and Ĺ port.

The quality of hotel infrastructure is currently the biggest development problem. Among the accommodation capacities, guesthouses and tourist farms are dominating, with the existing hotels only conditionally acceptable for the meetings industry. The development of tourism is quite diversified and it does not reflect the extreme natural features and cultural landscape of the area. A more concerted promotion is missing, which is, to some extent, carried out by the Zeleni Kras institute.

E. Subjective grade: 3.48 A high density of cultural heritage that is fairly evenly spread across the karst area is typical. The uniqueness and diversity of the cultural heritage and landscape largely makes for the recognizable image of karst. In a small area, the concentration of congress pearls is so large that it was difficult to choose the most interesting stories. A congress offer exists, but it is dispersed and without proper promotion. If providers want to capture congress organisers, they have to put a lot of work into their offer and their marketing in particular.

F. Marketing buzz 3.69 In the region, if we look at the marketing pro-activity, Postojna cave is the stand-out that enjoys world fame, due to its accessibility, tourist equipment and well thought out marketing. We are impatiently expecting the marketing breakthrough as predicted after the opening of the hotel Jama, as otherwise the image of the karst as a potential congress destination is worse than the actual possibilities. As a complete congress destination in the domestic and foreign markets Karst is poorly known, and the organisers know the particular tourist icons. It is essential to plan for a more targeted and tailored marketing of the entire region.

COMPARISONS WITH THE REGION Due to the natural and cultural values Karst has great potential for the development of congress tourism. It should be based on the unique aspects and comparative advantages of individual areas associated with a rich cultural heritage, cultural landscapes and a preserved natural environment. As an integrated product it is not yet developed at this time, so it is more likely to complement the rest of the Slovenian congress destinations. For its breakthrough it is necessary to raise the visibility and competitiveness among congress organisers, who are today looking for exactly such authentic spaces. We believe that it will be recognized as a product with great potential based on its main tourism carrier, the Postojna cave.

COOL MEETINGS Karst prosciutto – Prosciutto is dried pork leg. It is air-dried for nine to sixteen months, rarely also for longer than this.

The most appreciated prosciutto is Karst Prosciutto, which was traditionally eaten at the end of major events and during the holidays. It was mostly prepared for sale and was an important source of income for karst farms. The production of prosciutto is still an important economic activity; in the karst area several important producers can still be found.

D. Meetings infrastructure: 3.38 Until recently Karst was most frequently part of the additional offer of congress organisers from Ljubljana and the coast. With some new facilities we hope that it will become an independent and rounded congress destination in itself.

Karst is the epicentre of the otherwise fantastic special venues, among which the Postojna Cave is the queen. Smaller business meetings can be organised by the tourist farms or homesteads on the Green Karst. Business events can be combined with fun, educational and professional team building programmes in nature. A more integrated appearance of providers who would be able to address the congress organisers and present to them the advantages of the organisation of events in Karst is still lacking.

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WHAT‘S NEW 2016 DID YOU KNOW Longest-Lived Amphibian - The human fish, which got its name because of its snow white skin, can grow up to 30cm in length and can live for up to 100 years. It feeds on water plankton and is capable of surviving several years without any food at all.

Among amphibians the human fish is clearly the most long-lived species.

1. Re-opening of 4* hotel Jama / June 2016 - In June 2016, Postojna cave is re-opening the Hotel Jama, which has 80 rooms. The hotel is located next to the most visited tourist cave in Europe, which is waiting for a batch of newly-born baby “dragons”.

2. Festival Floating Castle / July 2016 - Though established in 2014, the Floating Castle Festival actually started a year earlier as a Burning Castle Festival in the picturesque surroundings of the Snežnik Castle. It derives from the experience of the HISTeRIA Festival (held in Istria) and mirrors its concept of the “folk-puppet-music-theatre site-specific event”.

3. 10th Festival of Military History / September 2016 - Like the park, the annual festival of military history began in 2006. It has taken different forms, but its main components are still battle re-enactments, usually based on important historical moments.

4. Culinary tours of Green Karst / All year around - Experience the harmony of sights and tastes of Green Karst and taste traditional dishes at the local farmhouses.

5. Guided canue ride around the Cerknica Lake / All year around - Rowing along the stream bed surrounded by trš’ca (reeds) when the lake is half-full provides pleasure to every boating enthusiast.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Underground Adventure in the Postojna Caves - The underground adventure is the embodiment of experiencing and getting to know the Postojna cave in a different way, beyond the usual tourist trails. With a touch of adrenaline and a true underground adventure it is intended for closed groups and is particularly suitable for those who aim to work on mutual help, encouraging team work and getting to know their own capabilities. At the same time, it makes adventure participants familiar with the compelling story of this underground world, mainly in relation to the first steps ever taken inside the Postojna Cave.

WHO TO CONTACT RDA Green Karst, ltd., Mr. Dejan Iskra, Prečna ulica 1, SI-6257 Pivka, Slovenija, T: +386 (0)5 721 22 49, E: info@zelenikras.si, www.zelenikras.si/en/

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SCHLADMING INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors:

4.55

General and transport infrastructure:

4.02

Tourist infrastructure:

4.61

Meeting infrastructure:

4.35

Subjective grade:

4.12

Marketing Buzz:

4.02

ICCA index:

1.00

Numbeo quality of life Index:

4.90

Global Peace Index:

4.79

Destination grade:

4.04

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SCHLADMING MEETINGS IN THE EMBRACE OF ALPINE BEAUTIES

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Schladming is not just skiing”, the representative of the new Congress Centre Schladming explained to us. We quickly understood what she meant when we walked around the charming town, even though the former mining town of Schladming rose to fame because of its modern winter-sport centre, a facility that was thoroughly renovated for the FIS World Cup in 2013. Even in the skiing superpower that is Austria, Schladming offers one of the most sophisticated skiing infrastructures. Almost all the day skiers will tell you that it is impossible to cover all the slopes in one day and it is hard not to believe them. Schladming-Dachstein boasts an enviable amount of slopes and together with the four skiing regions (Salzburger Sportweit, Gastein, Hochkönig and Großarltal) it offers 760 kilometres of runs, 270 ski lifts and 90% of them can be artificially snowed with a snow system that is one of the most modern in Europe and is controlled by satellite. In 2013 Schladming spent over 400 million euros in renovating the entire infrastructure, including the new congress centre. Elsewhere these kinds of projects have at times created underused buildings and big financial losses, but in Schladming they have thought of the project as an investment for the future. Hence Schladming has rapidly transformed from a mostly winter sport epicentre to an all-year round tourist and congress destination.

The legendary Planai The story about Schladming wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the legendary Planai hillside, which put many skiers into the history books. In 1973, for example, the legend Franz Klammer recorded an average speed of 111.22 km/h when coming down the slope. The finishing line is known as one of the most recognisable and entertaining race endings of the world cup, as it has a scary 52% decline. The slope is also beautifully lit and the annual night FIS race represents one of the highlights of the season. Every year Schladming is flooded with over 50,000 skiing fans, which makes for an amazing atmosphere and a competitive spirit at the King of the Slaloms. To top it all off there are the Austrian skiers, who have taken home 8 victories in the last 13 years. Four of the wins came from the legendary Benjamin Reich, but the locals are especially proud of their native Marcel Hirscher and a special spirit can be felt in the air when he is standing at the starting gates.

The world cup is the moving force for meetings In Schladming the preparations for the Skiing world championship were intense. When the FIS congress in South Africa decided to host the competition in Schladming the Styrians rolled up their sleeves and got on with the renovation work.

More than 400 million euros were invested, ⅔ of it coming from public funds. Along with the renovation of traffic infrastructure they also upgraded their skiing infrastructure 91

and built a new finish line arena. The arch from the viewing tower overlooking the finish line is really quite something, along with the Planet Planai, a new garage and the bottom ski lift station, which has all the necessary kit to carry out large events. Among other new additions to Schladming is also the complete Wi-Fi coverage of the ski slopes, with 150 hotspots that now allow skiers to communicate free of charge. All these renovations have drastically changed the congress image of Schladming, along with the opening of the new Falkensteiner hotel, a new multi-funtional congress centre and a new train station.

Planet Planai as a special venue The new Planai-Seilbahn bottom ski lift station is attracting attention with its interesting image and an even more interesting congress offer. It is designed as a folded piece of paper and functions as a one-stop-shop for skiers and event organisers. The station’s infrastructure offers quite a lot of meeting space and rooms with views of the legendary ski slope for all the lovers of the sport. The event space, which spans over the finish line in an arch and offers a birds-eye view of the ski run and an excellent congress experience, has become a true symbol of Schladming. The hall on top of the building is also striking, from where ORF broadcasts it’s programme when the world cup is in full swing.

Rehabilitation after a hard day of meetings In addition to the rich sport and congress offer, Schladming doesn’t forget to take care of the party side of things too.

Alongside the world cup arena is the well known disco and ski hut of Tenne, which is a great special venue. Tenne is more than just a mountain cottage, as it combines afternoon parties in the style of “pancer tanc” and after 22.00 it transforms into a disco with cages and poles for dancers and a “cultural” programme for the male guests. The legendary venue can also be booked for private parties and smaller corporate events.

Welcome home In central Europe Falkensteiner is synonymous with excellent tourist service and the authentic Alpine hospitality. The company was started in 1958 in South Tyrol, when the founders Maria and Josef Falkensteiner opened their first hotel.

The hotel icon now boasts more than 30 hotels in 7 countries, with 2,000 employees and 300,000 guests per year. The excellently designed hotel in Schladming offers a lot of extras, like the Zen wellness facility, which generated a lot of praise from both locals and tourists. The hotel is focused on sustainability, local cuisine and a modern culture of pleasure.

The interior design encompasses natural materials and furnishings, which emphasize the fact that you are staying in the middle of beautiful nature into which you are being drawn through the glass surfaces.

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Congress centre Schladming Congress Centre Schladming was opened in 2011 mostly because of the FIS World Cup in 2013 and its modern architecture impresses both from the outside as well as the inside. The big Schladming Hall boasts 1,400 m2 of space and is excellently equipped to host events from concerts to congresses. The maximum capacity of the hall is 1,200 guests in classroom arrangement and a key feature is definitely the lighting, which enhances the character of any event. There are four smaller halls available in the second floor, with the Ennstal Hall standing out the most, as it offers natural daylight and amazing views of the surrounding peaks. The offer is rounded off by an excellent catering service in the Kulinarwek restaurant and a small coffee shop. From a functional point of view the centre is a great example of a medium-sized congress centre, which can’t really be faulted in any way and where its designers have really considered the needs of congress organisers, including the spacious lobbies and underground parking. We highly recommend a visit for any destination planning on opening their own congress centre.

A hotel institution for the stars The wall of fame in the Sporthotel Royer will leave you quite stunned, as there have been many celebrities staying there, such as no less than Arnold Schwarzenegger. The family hotel is an institution that offers alpine hospitality and numerous fun programmes, like the shooting range or the tennis court.

It is an excellent choice for larger groups, as there are two conference halls suitable for seminars and corporate gatherings. All sports enthusiasts will be delighted by their offer combined with that of the neighbouring Aqua Park. The hotel restaurant is also famous for its traditional alpine cuisine.

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More than 85 cottages According to the Schladming tourist organisation information there are more than 85 mountain cottages on offer to private parties and that are great special venues, but that can also accommodate groups of congress guests. The atmosphere is relaxed and authentic, which is one of the beauties of these huts. High up in the mountains above the tree line, polite talk is quickly forgotten and in the soothing atmosphere you are soon without reserve or inhibition. What connects guests is definitely their good cheer, which is enhanced by the excellent culinary offer that some of the huts offer and is also the reason why guests keep coming back.

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Destination grade: QUALITY MEETING DESTINATION Grades: 5 excellent convention destination 4 quality convention destination 3 recommendable convention destination 2 average convention destination 1 so so

4.04

INDIVIDUAL GRADES: A. Natural and cultural factors: 4.55 The biggest and best known skiing centre in avstrijska Styria lies in the valley of Enn river, 745 metres above sea level. The landscape is defined by the Dachstein mountain chain, which covers more than 10 peaks at an altitude of 2,500 metres. The glacier in the background is also known as one of the biggest in the northern Alps. The diverse terrain, many pastures and meadows and the mighty forests under the Dachstein massif are all part of the amazing experience value of the destination, which has been attracting tourists and congress guests from the turn of the century onwards.

B. General and transport infrastructure: 4.02 The entire tourist, traffic and public utility infrastructure works like a well-oiled machine. The ecological cleaning devices and bioenergy have become a green statement and no longer a thing of discussion in Schladming. Green transportation has also become part of the offer, which is very popular amongst tourists. Parking is also taken care of, with the Planai bottom ski lift station offering a modern underground garage with 400 parking spaces. Airline connectivity is the only downside, as the destination relies solely on the airports in Salzburg and Graz, which somewhat lowers the impression of an excellently put together infrastructure.

C. Tourist infrastructure: 4.61 Schladming lives for sports tourism. The destination has transformed from a small mining town to a skiing epicentre with a total of 26,000 beds available in the region, which are mostly occupied in the main winter season. There are 287 accommodation providers in the city centre, 36 of them being hotels. Schladming can pride itself on eight hotels that are in the 4 and 5* category and offer 1,664 beds suitable for congress guests. Besides the rich hotel infrastructure the destination also has an extensive sports, cultural and culinary offer, which is far greater than the current local needs of the congress industry, but will allow for rapid growth in the future.

E. Subjective grade: 4.12 The recognisability of the skiing centre definitely contributes to the recognisability of their congress tourism offer, but to be the best known Styrian skiing resort also brings its downsides, as it is very hard to find space for congress events in the high winter season and because classic tourism is the number one priority. Despite this, the enterprising Styrians leave nothing to chance and they are convinced that they will soon catch up with the local and regional competition in the number of events. The quality of their offer is definitely a factor that could pull them ahead.

F. Marketing buzz: 4.02 An important link for the promotion of Schladming is the organisation of big sporting competitions. The annual skiing spectacle and the night FIS race is certainly contributing to consolidating the Schladming trade mark. Looking at the infrastructure, the only logical thing is to focus on attracting more and more sport tourists and Schladming is doing this quite well. With such a strong image and perception, painting a clear picture of a prospective congress destination is a longterm process. Their ambition and symbiotic offer is a guarantee for success, even at the outset of their development. The Styrians are known for quickly transforming their natural assets to their competitive advantage and I believe that will soon start to show in the field of congresses.

COMPARISONS WITH THE REGION Over the last decade tourism in Styria has undergone a swift development. Schladming is a big skiing centre, the scene of the best slalom races of the season as well as other internationally renowned sports competitions. Besides that it is now also an excellent congress venue and a place that will stay fondly in the memory of every guest. We can say without a doubt that the tourist development of Schladming is a success story and we are certain that that will also be the case in the future. Sporting events, on which they have built extensively, have contributed mostly to the success and with this event organisation the destination has gained a lot of experience that can now be transferred into the congress field. The constant investment in tourism and tourist infrastructure, which has been mostly private and because of that well thought through and pointed in the right direction, is a definite recipe for success.

COOL MEETINGS A local speciality is the “Graukäse” cheese, which is a special “Steirerkas” and is eaten on bread or with “Nockerl”.

D. Congress infrastructure: 4.35 We could call it an ordinary congress cluster of Schladming, but its potential is far greater than that. The Schladming Congress was built when the first world championship took place and now stands next to the neighbouring Sporthotel Royer and the new Falkensteiner. A stone’s throw away is also the Aqi hotel and Planet Planai, which functions as a scene for special accompanying events. The role of connecting the offer has been vested to a small but proactive team at Congress Schladming. The symbiotic offer can be felt at every step and it is why congress tourism is such a high priority for partners of the destination. Schladming is a destination suitable for medium-sized, professional congresses, but it can easily host bigger and more attention-grabbing events.

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WHAT‘S NEW 2016 1. The Nightrace / January 24, 2017 - Men’s World Cup Night Slalom – the biggest party in the Alps, where as many as 50,000 spectators will turn Schladming into one big party district – sporting excitement, great fun and a positive mood all contribute to a fantastic party atmosphere.

2. Winter Grilling / March 20, 2016 - 500 barbecue fans plus TV and Sports celebrities gathering on the mountains of Planai and Hochwurzen to 3. Pharmacon Schladming / May 20 - 22, 2016 - International trade exhibition and conference for the pharmaceutical industry.

4. Alpentour Trophy 2016 / June 09 - 12, 2016 - For 4 days an international selection of top athletes and ambitious hobby bikers compete for fame and glory, UCI points and prize money in the mountains of the SchladmingDachstein region.

DID YOU KNOW Because the ground is so rich in ore, previously the region was mostly populated by miners. Mining activity started to flourish and there were over 1,500 miners working in the vicinty of Schladming, which was quite a lot for the time. The rich natural deposits of silver, copper, lead, cobalt and nickel were the reason why the destination got back up on its feet.

A major transformation for the city was in 1865, when the region’s first railway was built. It was then that tourism started to develop and expand its borders from one year to the next.

5. VERTIKALE Mountain Festival 2016 / August 19 - 20, 2016 - VERTIKALE is a mountain festival for nature lovers and mountaineers. Movies, presentations, games, exhibition and more...

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Sport incentive programmes - Schladming is home to the most attractive sports activities, but their offer is too extensive to list them all.

We have tried to capture some of the best ideas and activities for your events: Skywalk bridge - An adrenaline bridge that spans 366 metres above the Dachstein glacier and will test participants’ nerves - as long as they are not afraid of heights!

Mountain Go Kart - The Mountain Gokart is a newly developed device that makes go-karting so much fun. The wide tyres and good disc brakes offer a sense of security right from the beginning of the 7km route. It takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes for you to arrive at the bottom of the valley at the Gipfelbahn base station.

The biggest zipline in Europe - Grobming is a 2.5km long zipline, where you are in a parallel race with your partner. The four wire ropes change altitude by 700 metres and the fastest ones will fly down the zipline at up to 115km/h.

E-bike - Climbing mountains with a smile on your face. Take it easy and have fun conquering the unique mountain world on modern e-bikes from Energie Steiermark.

WHO TO CONTACT Lisa Baumgartner, BA, Events & Marketing CONGRESS SCHLADMING, Europaplatz 800, A 8970 Schladming, Tel.: +43 3687 220 33, Fax: +43 3687 220 33-300, E-mail: lisa.baumgartner@ congress-schladming.com, Web: www.congress-schladming.com

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KOSICE INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors:

4.64

General and transport infrastructure:

4.66

Tourist infrastructure:

4.72

Meeting infrastructure:

4.37

Subjective grade:

4.68

Marketing Buzz:

3.98

ICCA index:

1.12

Numbeo quality of life Index:

3.80

Global Peace Index:

3.87

Destination grade:

3.98

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KOŠICE A PHOENIX BETWEEN EAST AND WEST (KOSICE, KASSA, KASCHAU)

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ogether with Marseille taking the throne from Maribor in 2013 as the European Capital of Culture, exactly on the twentieth anniversary of Slovak independence, Košice has made a great impression on me. There was also constantly in my mind the link between the city and the first name of pop-art, artist Andy Warhol, who was born in a village not far from Košice. A large retrospective of his work was one of the central events in the scope of the European Capital of Culture project and back then they set out the objective of converting the city into “a centre of creativity and a new future for young, creative people”.

Košice was mainly an industrial city, which is why the organisers set the goal of changing the image of the city and more specifically to change its content. To give it more artistic and cultural character they renovated the old town of Košice and also fully adapted some of the buildings for cultural purposes. During the European Capital of Culture presidency more than two hundred events took place and the positive spirit of these events can be felt at every step; the makeover of the city was very well managed.

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The history of Košice is complex and to understand the city we highly recommend a visit with locals who can reveal its many different layers, from the traces of the Hungarian elite that contributed to the city’s prosperity in the 19th century to the time in 1919 when Slovakia joined the Czech Republic and the residents enjoyed a short-term boom. At the time when Czech-Slovakia was a Soviet satellite, Košice went through intense industrialisation that resulted in its gray satellite settlements. Luckily, the medieval part of the city was left intact. Košice’s residents have changed country four time in the last century, which is another reason the buildings and sights are imbued with the history and stories the city has written. Almost every building has its own story and most of them are testament to the historical richness of the people who have traded on the troubled Slovak borders for centuries.

The best way to get a complete view of the city is from the north tower of the St. Elizabeth cathedral. When you walk up its 161 spiral stairs, a view to the main street (Hlavna Street) and the singing fountain opens up. The cathedral was built in 1380 and is considered the most eastern Gothic cathedral in Europe, symbolically separating the East and West, the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

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Legacy of ECC for meetings The former barracks that became Kulturpark; a former Art Nouveau pool that has become the Kunsthalle and Vymennik, a heating station that has become a cultural centre… all of these are just a part of the creative and cultural infrastructure of the city that has been formed in 2013. The buildings are exhibiting, in a symbolic way, the connection between the past and the future of the town, which has now also acquired top class event and conference rooms. The city became attractive also because of projects like Open City Gallery, conceived by artist Viktor Fehér, embellising 26 façades of modernistic residential buildings with giant art graffiti.

Beyond the city When the city roads and highways give way to more interesting by-ways, Eastern Slovakia reveals its authentic face. Many of its cities, castles and natural attractions are on the UNESCO World Heritage List, beginning with the Slovak Karst (Slovenský kras) landscape, Karst caves full of stalactite adornments and for which we recommend visiting the Domica cave as a starting point. One of the most picturesque medieval towns is Levoča, north of which is the invitingly hilly landscape of the Pieniny and Dunajec River, a very popular spot for rafting.

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Art on the edge of town Besides the actual substance, the project has also changed the creative scene of the city, and Tomáš Ďžadoň is part of the new artistic scene.

On the roof of a suburban residential tower he has placed three wooden farm buildings that the locals call ‘Drevenice’. It connected the historical memory of the older generations with Košice’s modern reality. There is also the controversial installation »Hradova Hill« (Castle Hill) that has generated a wave of media coverage, but fortunately they have been able to find a solution at the location that is easily visible from the different sides of the city.

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A Gourmet Revolution In recent years there has also been a shift from the traditional combination of potatoes and meat to more demanding cuisine. The easiest way to feel the multi-culturalism of Košice is during the annual Košice Gourmet Festival, which takes place in June. The open kitchen style event attracts 10,000 visitors who can learn about the rich culinary tradition of the region.

The culinary revolution is based on authentic recipes, genuine ingredients and fine wines and where you can best experience the true spirit of the culinary scene in fusion is in deli, shop and restaurant ‘Dva Dve’, which boasts the best collection of Slovak wines, craft beers and selected gourmet products. We recommend a visit to Hostinec, the oldest pub in town, where they’ll show you the art of craft beer production.

City of Sport Ice-hockey is by far Slovakia’s most popular sport, despite the substantial success of domestic football players. When the sticks get crossed with eternal neighbourly rivals the Czechs, the cities’ streets die, as the vast majority of people are glued to the television. Sport is also very high in the list of Slovak values, which is also why Košice became European City of Sports in 2016, a title that allowed them to host numerous sports events and to strongly improve their sports infrastructure.

Special Venues Košice has everything, from boutique special venues to a giant amphitheatre that was built in 1954 and can accommodate up to 12,000 visitors. The East Slovak Museum has a precious collection of Košice Gold Treasure with 2,910 gold coins from all around the world that were found during the renovation of the city in 1935.

Besides the beautiful neo-renaissance entrance hall the museum also offers a modern hall that can accommodate up to 100 guests. A few more historical buildings along the main street can be used as a venue for your next event, including the Historic Town Hall and State Theatre, which is located right next to the square with the famous singing fountain. The park can also

be an interesting venue for summer evening events, if the famous “Košice wind” or “VKV”, as locals like to call it, won’t blow in to disturb you.

and truly cares of the personal relationship; they are trying to meet the needs of international congress organisers every step of the way.

Tabačka – an alternative venue This is a special venue deserving of a separate mention. Attention was drawn to it with a concert of cult Slovenian band ‘Laibach’, performing there on April 14, 2016 with songs from their new album, ‘Spectre’. Managed by the non-profit association KulturFabrik the multifunctional centre can be a unique platform through which you can spice up your event with a dose of diversity and mix it with the urban creative scene. Tabačka began to operate in 2012 and it was renovated and newly opened in 2015.

In a special way the Kosice spirit embodies the Hungarian writer Sandor Marai, who was born in 1900 into a noble family in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In his novels he felt an echo of the past and history of a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural city, but also the melancholy of the Pannonian plains, which you will detect in the streets and squares of Kosice. In this city the congress experience will certainly be unforgettable, just as his novels are memorable. If Sandor Marai was a forgotten author until the mid-nineties, today tourists come to this city because of him - it seems that a similar congress renaissance is happening in Košice, which until recently was an overlooked congress destination.

Congress Vox Populi All conference hotels and venues are in the city centre and virtually all within walking distance. Even with accommodating congress guests there will not be any major issues and any venue you choose can be reached on foot, which is considered a high priority. Hotel Yasmin is one of the most popular congress hotels in the city.

Completely renovated in 2009, today it offers designer rooms and a very pleasant congress centre with daylight. We were particularly impressed by a spacious garden, suitable for receptions during the warmer months. The only hotel in town that is part of an international chain is the Doubletree by Hilton at the edge of the old city centre. The hotel boasts 170 rooms in addition to the largest conference hall in the town for 400 people. Hotel Centrum is connected to the technical university and offers a 2,200m2 multifunctional space for exhibitions and conferences, as well as a series of smaller halls. If you prefer the cultural offer of the city, then one of the halls in the Kulturpark would be an excellent choice. It is hard to find a more technically equipped hall in the entire destination. The Visit Kosice Tourist office is particularly enthusiastic 99

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Destination grade: QUALITY MEETING DESTINATION Grades: 5 excellent convention destination 4 quality convention destination 3 recommendable convention destination 2 average convention destination 1 so so

3.98

INDIVIDUAL GRADES: A. Natural and cultural factors: 4.64 This east Slovakian town is today a picturesque mix of Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo and Art Nouveau, the variety of architecture witness to the fact that it was a wealthy city at the crossroads of many trade routes. The medieval centre of the main street is a particularly strong experience and attracts with its colourfulness, tidiness and youthful energy.

A controversial renovation of the city centre, which was led by Mayor Rudolf Schuster (later President of the Slovak Republic) in the nineties, has created a strong experiential core that is the basis of the city’s current rapid tourism development.

B. General and transport infrastructure: 4.66 Kosice is the second largest city in Slovakia (234,000 inhabitants) that has set as its objective the urban transformation from an industrial to an openly creative city. This has been very successful, as the municipal infrastructure, public transport and orderliness of the city are at high level, as is the security, with the biggest drawback the slightly limited flight availability, but that is also improving with the introduction of several new flight connections (Turkish Airlines). The city looks modern, tidy and is especially friendly to convention guests. For the locals it’s a nice place to live in too.

C. Tourist infrastructure: 4.72 The core of the city’s hotel offer is covered by smaller, independent boutique hotels and two first rate hotels, Yasmin Hotel and the DoubleTree by Hilton (together they have 366 rooms). Most of the tourists coming to the city are from neighbouring countries: the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Germany. The city has a highly developed hospitality and culinary offer, which is particularly attractive in the summer. Košice is also an ideal location for discovering the surrounding tourist attractions. The tourist facilities and current airport capacity (up to 800,000 passengers per year) are placing Kosice in the bracket for medium-sized conferences of up to 500 participants.

E. Subjective grade: 4.68 Known as the ‘Steel City’, Kosice, is a major industrial centre of Slovakia and the second university centre of Slovakia. The Technical University of Kosice is attended by 15,000 students, while the University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik has 7,500.

The University of Veterinary Medicine is among the best in the world. The convention industry is at the crossroads of art, business, science, culture and the creative industries.

The full potential of the city is calling for a more integrated cross-sectoral approach. We believe that this role can be successfully carried out also through congress activities with a Convention Bureau, which should in first phase improve the image of the destination and use its advantages and key benefits, which includes security, political stability and competitiveness in light of the quality to price relationship.

F. Marketing buzz 3.98 Košice is internationally known primarily as a city of culture, and the successful European Capital of Culture project heavily contributed to that. The city is less known on the international conference map, despite the obvious advantages it presents. So the city still has a lot of work to do in the field of branding and all forms of modern communication, including content marketing and digital presentation of its congress potential. A new, in-depth and easily accessible website can already improve the situation. In this area, the destination has a lot of work and opportunities ahead.

COMPARISONS WITH THE REGION If Bratislava is the capital of the country, then Kosice can be declared its creative centre, one that impresses with vibrant urban zones, positive diversity and an urban transformation of the city throughout layers of history. Košice seems pleasant for the accommodation and organisation of congresses and also seems a very tolerant city. A border location has greatly contributed to that, which has made residents more tolerant, but it is precisely this border diversity that defines the vitality and resistance of the city. The specific local identity gives the city its charm and soul, and it ranks it among one of the most promising Eastern European convention destinations.

COOL MEETINGS Bryndzové halušky - the country’s most famous food, which is potato dumplings (halušky) with traditional sheep‘s cheese (bryndza). Everyone who comes to Slovakia should taste sheep cheese, real sheep cheese, for sure…

D. Congress infrastructure: 4.37 The Košice meetings industry is driven by a strong University, the ICT Cluster and a comprehensive corporate sector. This in itself generates a relatively large congress need. Major projects, such as the ECC, consolidated a network of partners accustomed to large-scale projects. Conference facilities is at the European level, as well as a developed DMC and other support agencies. For a total congress breakthrough Košice should fully develop all the activities of a Convention Bureau, which could link the dispersed and numerous offer of congress ambassadors of the city.

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WHAT‘S NEW 2016

DID YOU KNOW Andrej Varchola – better known as Andy Warhol, originates from the city of Medzilaborce near Košice. His father, Andrej Varchola, moved to Pittsburgh in 1913. You can visit the Andy Warhol Museum of Modern Art in the city, which has the second biggest collection of his pop-art works in the world (160).

1. Use the city festival / May 2016 - Expect the unexpected. A unique festival of street art that brings non-traditional forms of arts to the city streets.

2. Košice Gourmet Festival / June 2016 - Inspiring cooking shows, held in the attractive location of the City park, brings a mix of lovely meals, quality drinks and sweet desserts.

3. Košice Wine Festival / September 2016 - The event that brings more than 40 winemakers from all over Slovakia and its neighbouring countries to Slovakia.

4. Košice White Night / October 2016 - International festival that invites everyone for a night walk through the city filled with new experiences and spectacles. Only once a year does night in Košice turn into day and the streets fill with people and art.

5. Košice Peace Marathon / 1st Sunday in October - The oldest marathon in Europe known for its unforgettable atmosphere.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Funky Street Tour - Take a funky retro tour through the off-the-beatentrack places of the communist past, as well as the recent transformations in Košice, in the legendary 1970s Czechoslovak car Škoda 120.

Visit vast concrete housing estate areas, neighbourhoods of rich and poor, a Cold War shelter, an abandoned magnesite factory and railway tunnel, local pub, former barracks and a swimming pool transformed into a cultural venue.

WHO TO CONTACT Mr.Miloslav Klíma, Managing Director, Hlavná 59, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia, E-mail: miloslav.klima@visitkosice.eu, Phone: +421 55 699 8558, http://www.visitkosice.eu

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VYSOKE TARTE INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors:

4.79

General and transport infrastructure:

4.49

Tourist infrastructure:

4.61

Meeting infrastructure:

4.40

Subjective grade:

4.59

Marketing Buzz:

4.00

ICCA index:

1.03

Numbeo quality of life Index:

3.80

Global Peace Index:

3.88

Destination grade:

3.95

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VYSOKÉ TATRY /HIGH TATRAS WARM YOUR HEART

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hen you wake up on a clear morning and see the snowy peaks of the High Tatras it quickly becomes clear why the Slovaks worship them and love to identify with their mountains. Just as the Slovenians are with Triglav, the Slovaks are fascinated with these peaks and it seems that the Tatras are both geographically and symbolically watching over Slovakia and its people. The Krivan Peak (2,495m) is to Slovaks what Triglav is to Slovenians, which is why most of the High Tatras have been protected as a National Park since 1948.

The High Tatras are a part of the Carpathian Mountain range, which extends in a large, north-easterly arc from Bratislava to Orsova. The 15-25km wide and 26km long granite ridge stretches from west to east, is open to the north and to the south is peppered with reefs. The mountains are also the main feature between the East and Black Sea. The Poprad river originates in the Mengusovská valley and flows into Vyslo, from where it continues on to the Baltic Sea. The Vah River, which originates as the White Vah beneath Krivan mountain (2,496 m), flows into the Danube and from there on to the Black Sea. The Lomnický štít peak, with its pyramidal shape and at 2,632m the second highest mountain of the High Tatras, offers a very special vista over the wonderfully high mountains. You may be surprised on your first contact with the Tatras by the consequences of a 2004 natural disaster, when hurricane winds of up to 170km/h destroyed almost all of the spruce forests at their foot. The damage evaluation showed that approximately 3 million m3 of wood was felled and whilst the forest is slowly re-establishing itself the scrap wood still testifies to the very delicate balance of nature.

A Tradition of Hiking The dramatic landscape that is largely protected in the national parks has always attracted mountaineers because of its marvellous views. The surrounding beauty is something you just can’t get enough of, with its attractiveness stretching over more than 25 peaks at a height of more than 2,600 metres. As it is a protected area you are only allowed to walk along marked trails in Tatras, so the best option is to hire a local registered guide. The Slovakian mountain trails are excellently furnished with road signs and markings, as well as with numerous guides, and hiking is actually amongst the most developed of its tourist activities. We strongly recommend that you include a truly memorable experience of the only European Sherpas in your visit to the High Tatras, who day by day supply the more than 12 Tatras mountain huts that all offer their own genuine mountain hospitality.

Lomnický peak–Slovakia‘s most visited Seeing it in the distance you instantly wish you could get straight to the top, and to do so it’s easiest for both you and congress guests to use a system of gondolas that whisk you to the top of the observatory and Europe’s highest botanical garden. A modern gondola from the Lomnický peak village leads to the Skalnaté pleso, at an altitude of 1,760m, and from 103

there the old gondola, which can accommodate up to 15 passengers, carries onwards to the summit, an experience that feels like being in a James Bond film. This and the modestly measured time to explore the peak (50 minutes) adds to the exclusivity of the experience, where you won’t be able to stop wondering at the engineer’s genius to create a mountain outpost in such a narrow space and connected by gondola. A photo platform that floats above the cliffs is a must experience for every adrenaline-seeking meeting researcher and in the restaurant on the Skalnaté pleso you can have lunch or dinner quite literally in the clouds. It is quite something to be served up typical Slovak dishes at an altitude of 2,654 metres.

Ski resorts Slovenes and Slovaks are similar in their skiing habits and both love to conquer mountain peaks. The largest ski resorts in the High Tatras are Strbske Pleso, Starý Smokovec, Tatranská Lomnica in Slovakia and Zakopane in Poland. All of the equipment on the ski slopes are modern and if necessary the ski channels can be artificially snowed. From what we have seen it is a great ski resort, where the legs quickly itch to try it out. The resorts are connected by electrical rail, allowing easy and sustainable travel between some of the major tourist destinations. The season runs until the end of April, but the equipment also operates in summer time, to shorten the tourist route to the heart of the Tatras. The ski offer can also be adapted for a variety of incentive programmes that covers everything from zorbing to night sledding and snowshoeing.

St. Moritz of Slovakia In Štrbské Pleso you instantly feel like you’re in the trendy Swiss resort of St. Moritz – the altitude, glacial lake, ski resort and legendary Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras are all very similar. The hotel is true haute-couture and belongs in the elite group of European hotels, albeit that the prices are much more wallet-friendly. The hotel offers a rustic comfort combined with prestigious services in accordance with the Kempinski standards. The hotel, which in the past hosted many important guests, including Ban Ki-moon-a, General secretary of the United Nations, will play an important role during the presidency of Slovakia in the EU as the location for numerous state meetings.

If you’re looking for an escape from the everyday hustle and don’t like industrial hotels for your convention groups, then Štrbské Pleso is a perfect choice. After a long day of meetings, you can relax in the spa area and enjoy exceptional views of spectacular mountain scenery. The local food and drink also offers up many pleasant surprises and you certainly should definitely visit one of the nearby cottages offering some local cuisine.

Endless possibilities for fun The very diverse tourist offers demonstrates that this is a well-developed tourist region, on that you can use primarily for incentive groups. In addition to the ski resort offer,

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the locals are especially proud of the Aqua City Poprad, built by entrepreneur and visionary Jan Telensky. It is an impeccably sustainable project, nicely integrated into the natural environment and offering 10 swimming pools and numerous wellness programmes. The hotel has created a kind of hybrid, suitable also for large conference groups. The latest acquisition, popular among media planners, is the Hurricane Factory Tatralandia. It is the first aerodynamic tunnel in Slovakia, where they can create the feeling you feel when jumping out of an airplane (if you happen to know that already!). Whether in summer or winter a range of activities on the ski slopes can be organised for congress groups and when organising teambuilding activities the Pro Events agency is able to help you out. For winter activities they also use the landing spot of spectacular 120-metre ski jump in Ĺ trbskĂŠ Pleso, which in the 90s was the venue for the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup. Culinarium You can find some of the best Slovakian restaurants offering excellent cuisine in the High Tatras and for less formal occasions there is also the type of catering facilities where you 104

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can try traditional local dishes. For gourmets a visit to the Culinarium restaurant is near obligatory. An innovative restaurant menu includes seasonal organic food and specialties prepared in a modern way by celebrity chef Gabo Kočak, but fear not, for you can also try the Slovak national dish of “bryndzové halušky”, dumplings made of potato dough and coated with a mixture of sheep’s ricotta and cream and dressed with crackling.

the centre of a very active incentive offer.

The other convention centre is in the town at Old (Story) and Upper (Horny) Smokovec, where the Grand Hotel Bellevue with its 140 rooms and multi-functional congress centre - the largest hall accommodating up to 600 people theatre-style - is the largest provider and specialized in the meetings industry. The historic Grand Hotel, built in the Art Nouveau style, is not too far away and has smaller halls for special events.

Meetings vox populi Locations in the High Tatras have good transport connections and the congress-hotel offer can be divided into four main spots. The first is in Štrbské Pleso, where of the many different category hotels the Grand Hotel Kempinski, right on the picturesque glacial lake and often a venue for diplomatic meetings, is the stand out.

Thanks to the ProEvents agency the place is also

The third centre for events is in Tatranská Lomnica with the Grand Hotel Praha hall, which can accommodate up to 250 participants in a theatre set-up and the final option is in the town Poprad, where Aquapark has become the new centre of events, combining a water fun and wellness offer with three hotels and the convention centre. Their biggest multifunctional hall can accommodate up to 250 participants and for 105

bigger receptions organisers also have at their disposal an area by the pools suitable for up to 400 participants.

The ProEvents Agency is the most recognizable DMC and event agency in Tatras. They will help you find the most suitable location for your event and with their thorough knowledge of the local supply chain also prepare a programme ideal for your participants.

Hospitality and food Most foreign meetings guests are genuinely surprised by the exceptional hospitality and delicious food in Tatras. This has been mastered by almost every host and it seems that it is a part of their training-focussed culture and central to their values. To explore the High Tatras you have to take your time, as only then can you feel the genuine hospitality.

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Destination grade: QUALITY MEETING DESTINATION Grades: 5 excellent convention destination 4 quality convention destination 3 recommendable convention destination 2 average convention destination 1 so so

3.95

INDIVIDUAL GRADES: A. Natural and cultural factors: 4.79 The High Tatras are full of small, craggy, steep peaks with deep cut valleys and wild romantic cliffs lying between the ridges. The weathered granite gives the mountains a dark brown colour and the numerous lakes, thought to be about a hundred in number, are of glacial origin. The ensemble is very complete and is easily comparable with the most popular tourist vistas in the heart of the Alps. It also is rich in cultural and historic heritage, with castles and an authentic mountain culture.

B. General and transport infrastructure: 4.49 Within its 360 km 2 territory the High Tatras are framed by 15 settlements that are interconnected by a road of “Freedom” and a modern, narrow-track electric railway. In the largest city of Poprad dood infrastructure can surprisingly be found at every step, as in the region’s tourist centre of Stary Smokovec. The Spiš region boasts the modern Poprad airport, which with the Wizzair to London (Luton) route heralded an improvement of air accessibility that is increasingly better connected to the world. Kosice Airport is only 90 minutes away and in winter season Poprad Airport has connections to Riga and Warsaw. Road accessibility is also excellent, both from the direction of Kosice and from Žilina and Bratislava.

step with the facilities and the conference infrastructure, which is definitely comparable with European competition, only that the package in the High Tatras is much cheaper.

F. Marketing buzz: 4.00 The High Tatras are known primarily as the most developed tourist region of Slovakia, but less well known is that in the Tatras, because of the proximity of universities, a number of regional character congresses are held. The key challenge is therefore their insufficient recognition on the international meetings industry stage. In addition, meeting planners don’t know what to expect as to the supply and quality of service.

Therefore, forming a congress office is essential, as with planned work they will be able to address these challenges.

COMPARISONS WITH THE REGION The High Tatras are an extraordinary surprise and one of the undiscovered European incentive jewels. In the shadow of the much more notorious Zakopane range in neighbouring Poland, they offer at least as broad an incentive offer, which is nicely complemented by a very favourable financial package.

As the main tourist resorts are close to mountain resorts, ski resorts and scenic walking trails, it is a totally perfect destination for more sports-inspired incentive groups. We recommend organising events in the spring and autumn months, when places aren’t flooded with the annual mass winter tourist flows. The prices in Slovakia are significantly lower than in central Europe and the destination is just a few hours’ drive by motorway from major Central European cities.

COOL MEETINGS Tatra Tea – A real specialty that the locals test the durability of their guests by. It is not strictly tea in its true sense, but rather a herbal potion with a fairly healthy dose of alcohol.

It is, of course, very healing!

C. Tourist infrastructure: 4.61 Over the years, the High Tatras has evolved into a destination that can today brag about a range of beautiful hotels and impress with its excellent tourist infrastructure. The Grand Hotel Praha and Grand Hotel Stary Smokovec are located in buildings of historical importance and can both boast enviable traditions. The entire tourist superstructure is fully developed and includes everything from restaurants to rich nightlife and numerous shopping possibilities.

D. Congress infrastructure: 4.40 The congress hotel offer is grouped into three houses, with the largest and most functional provider specialized in congresses being Grand Hotel Bellevue. The biggest hotelier in the High Tatras, Tatry Mountain Resort includes six hotels and resorts, with more specific locations for social events including Tatralandio, perfect for organising incentive events.

The most exclusive option, however, is definitely Grand Hotel Kempinski.

E. Subjective grade: 4.59 Meeting planners can choose from a number of different activities throughout the year and especially appreciate the beautiful nature and hospitality of the Slovaks. If you decide to organise an event in this beautiful Slovak landscape, it will not leave you short-changed - the locals will spoil you at every 106

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WHAT‘S NEW 2016 1. Tatra Temple 2016 - Visitors can see ice sculptures 82 days a year, while in the winter it is a very special venue for concerts and other kinds of events.

2. 32 Sherpa Rally 2016 – For the 32nd time the Sherpas of Tatra will overcome the 4-kilometre distance and an altitude shift of 550m. This unique competition is definitely worth visiting.

3. Grand Cinema 2016 - Movie projections in the legendary Grand Hotel Stary Smokovec, an experience that connects you with the film The Grand Budapest Hotel.

DID YOU KNOW

4. City Trail 2016

Did you know that there are Sherpas in Europe as well? That they are last Sherpas of Europe? In “developed” Europe mountain cabin supplies are provided by helicopter, the same practice that is used in Tatras, and yet the Sherpa culture that is admired by many has survived and proved that it is an important way of life which in Europe not to be found anywhere else. It is a one-of-a-kind sense of dependence and unique specialty of the Tatras.

5. Sky Dinner

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Sherpa Rally - How much cargo can you carry? Try putting a heavy load on your back and test your own strength and skills in the Tatra valleys, or compete at the annual Sherpa rally.

WHO TO CONTACT Slovak Convention Bureau, Mr.Robert Vincze, MSc., Lamačská cesta 8 811 04 Bratislava, Phone: +421 918 336 259, Phone: +421 918 336 213, E-mail: scb@sacr.sk, www.sacr.sk, www.slovakia.travel

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TIRANA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors:

3.75

General and transport infrastructure: 3.45 Tourist infrastructure:

4.02

Meeting infrastructure:

3.98

Subjective grade:

4.02

Marketing Buzz:

3.76

ICCA index:

1.26

Numbeo quality of life index:

3.40

Global Peace Index:

3.10

Destination grade:

3.42

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TIRANA THE LAND OF EAGLES

T

he ‘land of eagles’ will be a pleasant surprise for many congress organisers - it is a destination that is still waiting to be discovered. For decades it was completely inaccessible for foreigners and tourists, which led to quite a lot of stereotypes that are instantly swept aside by the welcome of the locals. Well, most of the stereotypes are, other than the Albanian traffic, which is chaotic and has roads that vary from modern motorways to a gravel rodeo. Before arriving at Tirana the highway suddenly ends and the speed limit of 110km/h is to be respected, as here you can meet some cows, goats and even horse carriages are not a rarity, so careful driving is mandatory. Another Albanian transport specialty are its petrol stations, which can be found at almost every junction on Albanian roads.

Congress impressions are unusual, as the country itself also unusual loud and bright, where everything is colourful and somehow a functioning chaos, almost like it is intended to be higgledy-piggledy. Albania was for decades the poorest country in Europe, but now it has lifted itself off the bottom and is now “only” fifth poorest country on the old continent.

Despite the stereotypes and the road chaos this not spoil the positive impressions about this new European congress destination, mainly thanks to the many friendly professionals who we met on the way.

The centre of Tirana is nicely stocked and its diverse bars offer a rich gastronomic choice. According to the latest information the city has more than 600,000 inhabitants, which you can appreciate when getting through its traffic from the suburbs to Tirana centre. The nicely arranged city centre is quite different from the construction and urban chaos of the suburbs - they are building a lot! The concrete buildings in all formats and architectural styles intertwine with socialist blocks and multi-dwelling houses that are scattered across the surrounding hills. Tirana is a city of contrasts: roads choked with cars, pavements full of traders, side streets full of children…a city pulse is not lacking in Tirana!

Mercedes rules the roads Public transport in Tirana is not well provided and transport by car is often the only option, with the consequence that the city is flooded with cars. The old German ships with the star are considered as a status symbol and many people claim that they perform brilliantly on the wild Albanian roads, although they are slowly being displaced by other car brands. Rough terrain jeeps are becoming especially popular and they help to exploit the ‘law of the strongest’ that prevails on the Tirana roads. Traffic lights and traffic signs seem to be there just for a kind of feeling, so pedestrians and cyclists have to fight it alone. After the initial stress you somehow get used to this, as well as the traffic flow ‘in the Albanian way’.

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Urban life People in Tirana seem happy, look satisfied and they are much younger that the average European - the average age of male inhabitants of Albania is 29.6 years, while female inhabitants is 32.1, so older people are hardly noticeable. The easiest way to feel the youthful pulse of the city is in the Bllok or Ish-Blokk area, where among the residential blocks can be found some of the best cafes, shops and restaurants of Tirana. Also the villa of the former dictator Enver HodĹža is located here. In the time of communism, the area was reserved solely for government officials and only citizens of high functionary status were

Bunkers as a special venue After the second world war, the government of the country was taken by the communists under the leadership of Enver HodĹža, who built one of the most totalitarian regimes in the world and created Albania as one of the most isolated countries. The result was a constant phobia of enemies, whose legacy is around 700,000 bunkers. Most of them have been left to decay, with a few of them converted into restaurants, so we can quite easily imagine them as a special venue for incentive groups. To get started, you can show your congress guests a typical bunker in the park across from the hotel Rogner.

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allowed to move here. The area was opened to the public in 1991 and has become a popular destination for young people from Tirana. At night, the area is full of people, especially at weekends, when most of the nightclubs are full of visitors.

Shopping centres The city’s main avenues have been refurbished and upgraded and today the city streets are full of the kind of providers that illustrate the Albanian openness to the world: travel agencies, for which tours to neighbouring Kosovo dominate, airline offices, foreign banks, mobile and computing technologies stores. Many police

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at least stand a chance about what you might be ordering. With a friendly bartender (if you do not speak Serbian) you can communicate by way of pointing out what you would like to order, smiling and hoping everything will turn out well.

officers can be seen amidst the river of people streaming through the avenues and it is these men of the law the reason we don’t find street vendors selling products of rather dubious quality and provenance, with here and there some socks and shoelace sellers having their small space. Just a few steps from the main avenues the less glamorous reality of Tirana can be seen; the markets are awash with plastic products mostly from China and Turkey and the stores are mostly all the same, with some of the slightly bigger ones having products of colourful ceramics, such as statues or ornaments.

home country. Most of them live in neighboring Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece and Montenegro, with quite a lot also in Italy and Turkey, but also in Germany, Switzerland, USA and Canada. On Albanian roads you will meet a lot of cars with foreign number plates, even British ones with the steering wheel on the other side. However, in this case it is second hand bought cars either bought in the UK or from Albanians working abroad. Albanians are excellent sportsmen, particularly in football, and football fans know that half of the Swiss national team is originally from Albania.

Bar Fajon The Slovenian member of the European Parliament, Tanja Fajon, has gained a lot of kudos for the liberalisation of the travel regime for Albanian citizens. They have therefore dedicated a bar to her, which is actually a modern restaurant and lounge. Pictures and images and even coffee cups - of Tanja Fajon decorate the place; they know her everywhere and it seems that the mere mention of her name opens the door to Albanians’ hearts.

Albanian cuisine Albanian cuisine is similar to Italian, except that the prices are affordable. Knowledge of the Italian language comes in handy when reading menus, which are mainly in Albanian, although with basic Italian knowledge you can

Colourful façades In 2004, mayor Edi Rama received an award for the project of changing the city’s façades. The painter and former basketball player ordered the repainting of the gray communist buildings into more vivid colour combinations, defending and promoting the idea that colours raise the spirits and Tirana will become more friendly with colourful buildings. The city’s inhabitants, tired of the grayscale architecture of socialist realism, supported his idea and foreign artists now use the buildings as their canvas for expression.

Diaspora Albania has just a little more than three million inhabitants, with many more living outside their 111

Congress voice of the people The congress offer is concentrated around the three bigger congress hotels, all of which are located in the city centre. Tirana International Hotel & Conference Centre has 170 rooms and the biggest conference centre in the city, with a total of 13 halls, the largest being for 300 participants. Rogner hotel Tirana is a very nicely furnished hotel with a smaller congress centre for a maximum of 150 participants. This year they are planning to extend the congress centre to be able to host meetings for up to 300 participants.

In the vicinity there is also the hotel Sheraton Tirana, with seven congress halls of a capacity for up to 380 participants. All three hotels are of an excellent quality of services at the European level.

For larger events Tirana Expo centre is suitable. Located on the outskirts of the city, the expo centre offers comprehensive, multi-functional conference rooms.

In the city there are a lot of special venues that excite either by their historic story or their special architectural qualities, such as the National History Museum. Unfortunately, however, they have not yet been properly inventoried and therefore when choosing venues you will have to rely on local DMCs, many of whom are young agencies that will surprise you with their creative energy. At this point in time the congress industry is incoherent and the city does not have a convention bureau, which will be urgently needed for the international breakthrough.

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Destination grade: RECOMMENDABLE MEETING DESTINATION Grades: 5 excellent convention destination 4 quality convention destination 3 recommendable convention destination 2 average convention destination 1 so so

3.42

INDIVIDUAL GRADES: A. Natural and cultural factors: 4.79 Post-communism of the hardest kind this city surrounded by hills is today dressed in many colours and the image of the capital city of Albania has become alive and cheerful. The architecture has been strongly influenced by the Italians (huge markets and boulevards, ministries, the building of the Municipality, the National Bank, Royal Palace) and the Ottoman Empire (public baths, mosques, the clock tower).

It all works surprisingly adventurously, both in terms of its rich history, picturesque architecture and especially the hospitality of the locals, all of which leaves a lasting impression.

B. General and transport infrastructure: 4.35 A developing, illuminated and noisy city, where the old is quickly merging into the new, where traffic flows on every side, and yet where despite the apparent chaos it is still functioning well. In terms of infrastructure, for now it is impossible to consider sustainable development, as the level of pollution is very high, and although the overall impression is that Tirana is one big frenzy - roads, people, traffic, new construction increasingly filling the landscape, petrol stations everywhere - the fact remains that in Albania everything can be arranged and despite the impression everything somehow manages to work.

C. Tourist infrastructure: 4.12 In recent years Tirana has risen in terms of tourism visibility, but they undoubtedly still have a lot of work to do, especially due to the fact that 92% of the Albanian coast does not have decent infrastructure. Alongside Tirana’s congress hotel spine of the hotels Rogner, Sheraton and Tirana International Hotel & Conference Centre, quality boutique hotels there have also been joining in the last few years. The biggest sur-

prise is the Blloki area, with numerous bars and cafes, which works in a very European and attractive way. Destination management practically does not exist, however, and it seems that it is entirely left to the private tourism market.

D. Meetings infrastructure: 3.38 The entire conference infrastructure is based on the three key congress hotels and a few proactive agencies. Currently the entire industry survives off many events of international institutions that are investing in the Albanian economy. We see the greatest potential of Tirana and Albania in developing incentive programmes that are currently marketed only by rare DMCs and incentive agencies, such as the potential of the Dajti mountain that can be reached by cable car. As with other developing destinations, an active and functional congress bureau would contribute a lot to its progress.

E. Subjective grade: 3.48 To have a true and clear picture of Tirana, a visit is necessary.

The Albanian capital is surprising, as it is not lagging behind and in many ways it is comparable to other Balkan capitals.

The Albanians are very friendly and hospitable people and they have a good attitude to foreigners, having been closed off for a long time – all that is foreign is better. They appreciate a respectful attitude and will give you back the same. There are excellent prospects for further development, but they still have a lot of work to do with infrastructure construction.

F. Marketing buzz: 3.69 The Tirana brand on the international meetings market is practically non-existent. There are a series of stereotypes that the Albanian capital is struggling with, yet such a starting point may actually be an advantage when creating meetings stories of the Albanian capital. Tirana is a definitely off-thebeaten-MICE-path destination that because of its special, creative soul has many possibilities for a breakthrough in the future.

COMPARISONS WITH THE REGION Despite the chaotic first impression, you can organise your event in Tirana without any problems and to the satisfaction of your congress participants. Albanians are in fact extremely proud, friendly, calm, excellent hosts, which outweighs any weaknesses in infrastructure. They like to help, are very sociable and stick to their words and promises, expecting the same in return. Tirana has enormous meetings potential, which could be improved with investment in hotel infrastructure. Due to their beautiful nature there are also untapped opportunities for incentive programmes, today marketed by only a few DMCs. For a faster breakthrough they will have to connect and establish a congress bureau.

COOL MEETINGS Skenderberg - an Albanian cognac that was named after the national hero who freed Albanians from the Ottoman authorities in the 15th century.

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DID YOU KNOW

WHAT‘S NEW 2016

There are some 750,000 concrete bunkers scattered around Albania. Driving through Albania you are probably going to notice quite a few concrete bunkers. There were over 700,000 of them built during Enver Hoxha’s dictatorship to protect the country from an invasion that never happened, so, needless to say, many Albanians view them as unpleasant and annoying reminders of the 50 or so years of isolation.

1. The Tirana Smart City Conference 2016 – 2026 / January 2016 - The Municipality of Tirana, in collaboration with UNDP, hosts Tirana Smart City Conference 2016-2026, an event that reaches out to the private sector, investors, and donors that can find common interests in this vision.

2. 2nd HydroTech Albania Conference and Exhibition / February 2016 The conference is intended to support hydro development in Albania, to increase foreign direct investment and aid further privatisation of the hydro power industry.

3. HoReCa® Fair Albania / March 2016 - The fair where you will find everything for hotels, restaurants and cafés.

4. TEDx Tirana / May 2016 - At TEDxTirana 2016 they aim to deepen the individual and collective sense of the common good through bold and engaging talks from visionary individuals.

5. 10th Balkan Congress of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery / June 2016 - The Congress programme focuses on all the topics of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and will appeal to an audience of over 500 attendees from the Balkan countries and beyond.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Jeep Safari in North Albania - A jeep safari in Theth, Albania, takes you to the heart of the Theth national park where you will be free to explore the village, visit the waterfall and discover the “Blue eye”. If you’re looking for a deeper dive into the Albanian lifestyle, this is the right place, as you will learn about daily life in the mountains from your more-than-welcoming hosts. Prepare to fall in love with Albania.

WHO TO CONTACT A contact point in the form of a convention bureau doesn’t yet exist, so you will have to contact one of the DMCs in Tirana.

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SAVINJA VALLEY INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors:

4.72

General and transport infrastructure:

4.20

Tourist infrastructure:

4.42

Meeting infrastructure:

4.05

Subjective grade:

4.51

Marketing Buzz:

4.30

ICCA index:

1.00

Numbeo quality of life Index:

4.20

Global Peace Index:

4.07

Destination grade:

3.94

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UPPER SAVINJA VALLEY OFF THE BEATEN MICE TRACK

T

he first association you’ll get when you think of Upper Savinja Valley is with a number of different municipalities, as the Valley covers a magical seven of them: Mozirje, Nazarje, Gordnji Grad, Rečica ob Savinji, Ljubno, Luče and Solčava together represent a rounded geographical area of outstanding natural beauty that has a special charm thanks to its four glacial valleys, The Logar valley, Matkov kot, Robanov kot and Lučko Belo.

Logar Valley is considered as one of the most beautiful alpine valleys in Europe, which in 1987 was declared as a landscape park. It offers numerous natural attractions, such as cultural, ethnological and archaeological attractions, and its experiential identity creates a rich architectural, artistic and urban heritage.

The Savinja river has formed a very diverse landscape from its source under Okrešelj to a gorge at Letuš, where the Lower Savinja Valley or Celje Valley continues, with the most striking stretch being the Savinja Alps west of Raduha. The whole region is extremely mountainous as 70% of the territory lies at more than 600m above sea level. Alongside the interesting cultural heritage it offers an unprecedented experiential diversity that is embodied by the stunningly picturesque Logar Valley, the setting for the filming of the famous advertisement “Slovenia my country” because of its exceptional nature.

Throughout history the economy of this region has been based on the extensive forest and timber trades, with livestock breeding also an important strand. As a result of this rafting was begun here in the 16th century and Mozirje developed as a central point of the region. To reach the valley in the headwaters of the Savinja at the Solčavsko area it is just a one and a half hour’s drive from Ljubljana and along the road you will come across areas that are completely authentic with untouched nature and many culinary specialities.

It was before the Second World War that tourism started to develop here, as the Logar Valley was already known then as a tourist and vacation spot. The Upper Savinja Valley was not hit by the wave of mass construction of tourist facilities at the end of 60s and fortunately the valley remained intact with its ecologically clean nature maintained.

Today, people in this area largely live off tourism, which given their local natural resources is certainly not difficult to attract, with numerous tourist farms and other offers such as hiking, climbing, mountain-biking, archery, paragliding, rafting and in the winter the alpine and cross-country skiing, sledding, recreational skiing and much more.

The summer tourist season is the most important one though.

Water sports such as rafting on Savinja river are very popular.

Winter season takes place mainly at Golte, which following investment in a renovation is among most modern of Slovenian ski resorts.

The Upper Savinja Valley offers three camps that mostly attract foreign tourists looking pitch up in the midst of nature and participate in sports activities. In Luče there is the Šmica camp, at Spodnje Pobrežje the Savinja camp and on the left bank of the Savinja is the Menina camp. Upper Savinja also offers some hotel accommodations and the valley has a total of six hotels, including Hotel Golte, which in 2010 underwent a thorough renovation. In the Upper Savinja Valley you can find a wide range of tourist farms, most of them being are at Solčavo, Lučkih and Ljubno Hills.

The legendary Hotel Plesnik is the one that can claim to be the origin of congress tourism in the valley. The Plesnik family has been involved in the hotel industry more than 60 years and they are famous for excellent facilities and the fact that guests are guaranteed discretion and the ability to escape the world’s prying eyes. Consequently they often have high visit levels, all spreading the good word about the hotel and the valley. With a comprehensive and innovative offer the hotel is a very common decision for congress and incentive groups, no less so because of the world-class cuisine and hospitality of the Plesnik family.

Hotel Golte, located by the top cable car station, can be reached by an 8-minute cable car ride that brings you right to the reception at an altitude of 1,430m. The hotel has 54 rooms and a modern conference hall for 100 people. Many people think that this is the best ski slope with guaranteed snow, but it’s even more attractive in the summer season. A rich offer is rounded off by excellent incentive options in the Savinjska and Šaleška valley, accompanied by an interesting local culinary tradition, which goes hand in hand with all the incentive programmes.

There is also the legendary Mozirska cottage that exudes relaxation and attracts cheerful gatherings where you will enjoy the genuine Slovenian alpine experience, be it playing alpine billiards or learning to bake homemade bread.

The full offer is rounded off with incentive programme providers who delight with their authenticity, sincerity and honest products. The Menina camp, owned by Jurij Kolenc, is something of an epicentre of this and with the help of its team you will learn all about the life, the joys and difficulties of local people, experience real rafting, test yourself in the adrenalin park or by sorbing.

The legendary Hotel Plesnik is the one that can claim to be the origin of congress tourism in the valley. The Plesnik family has been involved in the hotel industry more than 80 years and they are famous for excellent facilities and the fact that guests are guaranteed discretion and the ability to escape the world’s prying eyes.

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A special story of the valley can be found in Luče, where House Raduha is located and is a spot that, with its firstclass cuisine, will satisfy even the most demanding congress guests. The restaurant is considered to be one of the best in Slovenia, after which you can also spend the night in a hayrack. The entire facility represents a merger of tradition, modern architecture, nature and exquisite food.

Far from the traditional hotel resorts often with their generic offer, the Herbal Glamping in Ljubno ob Savinji offers you a freshness for both the body and the soul, as well as an unforgettable experience. As part of a new brand, ‘Charming Slovenia’ is planning to open a number of such ‘glamping’ resorts that will be located in different parts of the country.

The first, located in Ljubno ob Savinji, opened in late August in 2015 and is designed as a boutique resort with a central theme of herbs and spices. The resort is suitable for small meeting groups of up to 40 participants who get the chance to experience a very special energy and genuine contact with nature. Attendees will gather around the campfire as their central outdoor event space, one that is calling out for social teambuilding activities or just socialising with the memories of old scouting time in mind… The entire village is interwoven with sustainable stories, from its idyllic herb and vegetable gardens to the natural pool.

In the Upper Savinja Valley guests today are particularly looking for the kind of pleasures in nature that are becoming less and less in today’s mass tourism. If the Upper Savinja Valley is for now considered as an excursion point, in the future it will for sure become a significant incentive point in Slovenia. They have everything an offer needs, it’s just that congress guests don’t yet know it due to a lack of connectivity.

You will be hard pushed to find so many incentive pearls in such a small area in Slovenia or anywhere else. With such a range and exclusivity of supply this is one of the largest congress hidden gems of Slovenia.

Destination grade: QUALITY MEETING DESTINATION Grades: 5 excellent convention destination 4 quality convention destination 3 recommendable convention destination 2 average convention destination 1 so so

3.96

INDIVIDUAL GRADES: A. Natural and cultural factors 4.72 The Valley boasts a pristine and ecologically clean nature. The area has over 100 natural, cultural, historical, ethnographic and archaeological attractions. There are plenty of options for recreation and incentive programmes. This is a region with exceptional tourist potential and a high experiential value.

B. General and transport infrastructure 4.20 Given its location the valley is less accessible and the main transport hub is the regional road from the Lower Savinja Valley.

Travellers are often surprised by the good municipal services, however, and all of the municipal centres have wastewater treatment plants. The main challenge is public transport, which is currently not properly regulated other than in the high summer tourist season.

C. Tourist infrastructure 4.42 There is a lot of potential for the development of congress tourism in the valley and the number of visitors is increasing year on year, especially in the summer. In addition to the traditional tourism at Golte and Logar Valley, camping near Savinja is also popular. The EDEN (European Destinations of Excellence award) award given to Solčavo in 2009 has contributed to its profile and visibility.

D. Meetings infrastructure 4.05 The pioneer of congress tourism in the valley is certainly the Plesnik family with its legendary hotel. They have been synonymous with boutique congress tourism at the highest level for many years. As a result of their offer and professionalism many 116

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WHAT‘S NEW 2016 1. World Cup Ski Jumping Ladies: It’s one of the most attractive winter sports events thayt will take place from 13th to 14th February 2016.

2. Raftsmen Ball: Raftsmen ball is a traditional event that has been held in Ljubno ob Savinji since 1961 in memory of all things rafting.

3. Mozirski gaj: an exhibition of flowers that has the tradition of being annually opened on May 1st.

4. Days of Solčava: held in the last weekend of July to display the pulse of the city in which they lived many years ago.

5. Mozirje Carnival: this carnival has quite a long tradition, as the first written sources talk about “Mozirje Pustnaki” being already active around 1891. The procession that includes at least one or more local stories from the past year has become one of the key elements of the carnival.

corporate and government clients have learned about its advantages.

Others are slowly following them and together they are building a recognizable brand.

E. Subjective grade 4.53 The selected suppliers and their offer are an undiscovered incentive pearl of Slovenia in the heart of the SAVINJSKIH ALP regional park.

Unfortunately they stand apart and without the clear strategic orientation that would enable them to bring the most demanding congress guests into the valley. An incentive office that should be placed above the partial municipal interests would be a great help. The prospects for the marketing and sales of an integrated congress product are enormous.

F. Marketing buzz 4.39 In terms of promotion the individual suppliers are left to themselves.

Some of them, like Hotel Plesnik, are carrying out a superior level of marketing, but a more connected tourism appearance could really improve the visibility of the entire valley. Disconnected marketing of destinations within individual municipalities or micro-meeting destinations simply won’t produce the kind of results required or desired.

Comparison with the region: Upper Savinja Valley is one of Slovenia’s natural jewels of. Its tourism offer is undoubtedly getting more diverse with every passing year, but still many of its foreign guests are not getting a comprehensive source of information about the full range of events and activities offer. The valley can be compared with the Soča Valley, which in many respects has a similar congress offer and the advantage of a functioning destination organisation (LTO Sotočje). Both valleys are two uncut diamonds of the Slovenian meetings offer that we believe will sooner or later be discovered by European event organisers. Given the advantages of this valley that is really impressive with its diversity, its natural resources and the charms of the Savinja river, it will undoubtedly succeed.

Cool meetings: Zgornje-Savinjski stomach: One of the most famous dishes is certainly the geographically protected Zgornje-Savinjski stomach - dried sausage made from high-quality pork meat and bacon.

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BEST INCENTIVE IDEA 1. Cycling through the Solčava panoramic road: Cycling along the most picturesque Slovenian alpine route, the trail leads through unspoiled nature offering breathtaking panoramas of immense peaks and lush valleys whilst simultaneously telling the tale of the harmony of pristine nature and human ingenuity.

2. Doživetje gorske turistične kmetije: A presentation of peasant traditions, tasting selected dishes and participating in workshops of baking delicious pastries or preparing selected local dishes.

3. Kayaking or rafting: Rafting on the quiet river is possible from May to October, with the entire programme taking a solid two hours.

4. Herbal workshops: The Glamping Resort is connected to its herb and vegetable gardens. At their workshops you will learn about herbs and their use in the manufacture of cosmetics, teas, liquors and herbal spirits.

DID YOU KNOW LJUBNO – Cradle of women’s ski jumping The first attempts at jumping took place there before the Second World War and after 1947 a contract to build a 60-metre ski jump was signed with Stanko Bloudek from Planica, the legendary ski-jump hill engineer.

Since then, the ski jumps have been constantly upgraded and improved.

As the first organiser of the continental cup for women Ljubno made an extremely important campaign on the international scene in holding the first meeting of countries that had relatively developed woman ski-jumpers. After the long and hard road they had to travel, female jumpers finally won their hard-earned place in this discipline.

Meetologue

SUBOTICA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors:

4,45

General and transport infrastructure: 3,97 Tourist infrastructure:

4,12

Meeting infrastructure:

4,25

Subjective grade:

4,12

Marketing Buzz:

4,31

ICCA index:

1,00

Numbeo quality of life index:

3,90

Global Peace Index:

3,25

Destination grade:

3,71

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SUBOTICA COLOURFUL CONGRESS VARIETY

A

stroll around Subotica is full of surprises and if you’re a lover of architecture here you will be able to enjoy outstanding Art Nouveau, neo-baroque, classical and modernist buildings all in a small area and very tightly bound into a visitor-friendly package. The city is the cultural capital and surprises with its intellectual drive and multicultural ease. Each year Subotica hosts around 18 festivals, from music to children’s theatre. It has three theatres, a Philharmonic and numerous cultural associations… in fact, it would be difficult to find anything similar anywhere else in Serbia.

During the summer months virtually not a week goes by without some kind of significant festival or other cultural event being held in Subotica. Culture is here the bedrock for a positive experience for congress participants and organisers.

THE SALT TRAIL Whichever direction you look in the view extends to the expansive fields - when the Pannonian Sea retreated, it left Subotica filled with sand deposits. The Subotica-Horgos desert has nothing in common with other deserts as we know them, as the sand deposits north of the city are ideal for wine and fruit growing. Vast wheat fields in the south are the basis for a highly developed food industry, which is best represented to the gourmets by the Pionir factory. As a rule, through-

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out history cities grew alongside rivers, just as Subotica was developed on the confluence of the rivers Tisa and Danube in the middle of the sandy desert. Due to its natural features the former nomads liked to stop at this point. Later it spontaneously began to develop trade, initially mainly with salt on the way from the Carpathian mines northward to Budapest and Vienna. Subotica has been a trading post for centuries.

Although it may seem at first sight a bit remote, it still successfully performs its strategic role today.

THE HEAVENLY PALIĆ Another striking image that imprints itself in the memory is the green area - everything gravitates to the famous Lake Palić that in 1845 was declared a health resort. The Hungarians arranged its surroundings, built a park and the beautiful Art Nouveau buildings. It quickly became a cosmopolitan resort known throughout the wider region. Today it is a popular resort that especially in the summer time attracts tourists from Serbia and Hungary. The reason for its popularity can probably be traced to the fact that the original soul of Lake Palić was preserved - a soul from the times when Subotica was the third most important city in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, just behind Belgrade and Zagreb, and Lake Palić was its most important tourist spot.

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THE CITY OF RESPECT AND UNDERSTANDING OF DIVERSITY It seems that it is through cultural events and festivals that Subotica is showing its most precious face. The city has today 150,000 inhabitants from 20 different nationalities. The decoration of the city are its many churches that give the town its seal and are part of the famous city panorama that can be admired from the roof of the Hotel Galleria. At every step you can find churches of all religions, the most powerful one being the Jewish synagogue, which is currently being renovated. The remarkable culture of the city is being manifested through its relationship to architecture and preservation of traditions.

SECESSION CITY In less than two decades, Subotica developed into a modern Central European city. The development was accelerated by the arrival of the railway in 1869 and at the turn of the 19th century the city recorded an amazing level of development. At that time the buildings that we can still admire today emerged: the City Hall, Raichl Palace and the Synagogue define Subotica as the European City of secession. For

many, one of the most beautiful buildings in the city is the City Hall. This huge property, which today manages city administration, was built in a record two years, from 1908 to 1910. One can today organise various events at the town hall.

There are four meeting rooms with the largest, “vječnica”, proudly representing the artisanal skills of Art Nouveau masters. In our experience, this hall makes it on to the Top 10 list of special venues of this region.

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MANY CULINARY DELIGHTS FOR LITTLE MONEY If you’re on a diet then you’ll be disappointed, as for real gourmets it is clear that Subotica is one of Serbia’s gourmet capitals. The mixture of cultures is the local cuisine’s biggest charm. For an unforgettable stew you will need to take your time and enjoy the slow rhythm of the locals.

The organic ingredients are truly organic in Subotica and we promise you that the forgotten flavours of childhood will here be fully restored.

There is a variety of flavours, both traditional and modern tastes; food is high on the list of priorities of the people of Subotica and the sounds of tambourine players will make you forget the passage of time. Exceptional wines and spirits of the region complement the experience.

Incentive programmes, from the cutting-edge contemporary cuisine that you can enjoy at the excellent Zvonko Bogdan wine cellar to authentic experiences in one of the “salaši” (farms), are all available.

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FAMOUS WINERIES Because of the wines, the New York Times added Subotica to the list of destinations one must visit.

The Serbian wine revolution began in Vojvodina and we can easily say that the Subotica-Horgos wine region is among the best in Serbia. We were convinced immediately after visiting the Zvonko Bogdan winery, that has no competition in the region when it comes to technology and appearance. The impressive building itself speaks of the passion the owners have in perfecting their offer of wines and the winery experience.

The broader offer varies from family wineries to world-class wineries. Some names that you have to remember are Tonković, Vinski dvor, WOW vinarija and DiBonis Winery. Conference guests will be enchanted by the local wine varieties of kadarka and kevedinka, as well as over the excellent Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet offers.

CONGRESS VOX POPULI The heart of the city’s congress offer is the Galleria hotel. The property is an exciting contextual crossover, which dictates the rhythm of Subotica’s meetings industry. The hotel’s main advantage is its multifunctional offer that is very convincing as a package. Below the line, for the amount paid you get a lot of space, quality services and the priceless Pannonian friendliness. The congress offer at Best Western Galleria is also

very agreeable, offering a medieval congress experience in a former Franciscan monastery. The Patria hotel also has a solid and diversified hotel offer. All of the congress hotels are located in the city centre, so in the case of a large number of participants the logistics are pretty simple.

Everything is within a short walking distance.

SPECIAL VENUES WITH SUBOTICA ENERGY The city is overflowing with special venues that have a unique energy. The City Hall, reflecting the unique spirit of the city and taking you to the heart of its Art Nouveau past, takes first place.

Another secessionist story is the Palič convention centre that offers a large terrace, Eco Centre and a summer theater. The large multifunctional hall of the Eco Centre can accommodate up to 360 participants, while the summer theatre has a capacity of 800 people. During the visit we were also impressed by the Raichle palace, which is today a museum of modern art as well as a remarkable event space in Art Nouveau style.

The offer of special venues complements the “salaši” and already mentioned wine cellars, which are located in the vicinity of Subotica.

“Salaš” names like Majkin, Rokin, Jelen are names to remember if you are looking for an authentic experience.

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Destination grade: QUALITY MEETING DESTINATION Grades: 5 excellent convention destination 4 quality convention destination 3 recommendable convention destination 2 average convention destination 1 so so

3.71

INDIVIDUAL GRADES: A. Natural and cultural factors: 4.45 Serbia’s most northern city lies at the confluence of the Danube and Tisa rivers. It is defined by a rich history, picturesque architecture and multiculturalism, all of which gives the city a special charm. The experience value of Subotica is rounded off by the Nature Park Palić with its lake and the historic Grand Park. As a whole, the city has great potential for adventure and as the seat of various institutions also a high potential as a congress destination.

B. General and transport infrastructure: 3.97 Just 200km away are three of the nearest airports (Belgrade, Budapest, Temišvar). Given the current development of transport, the main aviation hub is Belgrade.

Most congress guests arrive at their destination by car via the E-75international highway. This is one of the most important European routes linking Central Europe with the Aegean and the Black Sea. Subotica is also easily accessible by train. Just how important and competitive the destination actually is can be seen in the fact that the famous Swarowski opened one of its factories right here in Subotica.

C. Tourist infrastructure: 4.12 Subotica is famous for its relaxed atmosphere, good food and quality wines. In recent years it has also greatly improved its tourism infrastructure. 63 % of its total capacity is represented by hotels, among which the 4 **** category dominates, which is all very positive for congress tourism. Tourist traffic is dominated by visitors from the region coming mainly from Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia and Macedonia.

Key tourist products are transit, health and congress and business tourism. Especially noteworthy is the transit during the summer months.

destinations in Serbia. We find Subotica is an ideal regional conference destination for all types of events with up to 300 participants.

F. Marketing buzz 4.31 Subotica is represented on the international market by the Subotica Convention Bureau, acting in concert with Serbia Convention Bureau. The result of the work is clearly profiling the city amongst local regional convention destinations. It is necessary to highlight the marketing efforts of the key Hotel Galleria that takes a large part of the credit for the congress breakthrough. Given the great potential of the city, a more coordinated and targeted international marketing with a clear positioning of the destination will have to follow in the stage of motivating customers. Brand Subotica is in fact very well known locally, but much less regionally and virtually unknown internationally.

COMPARISONS WITH THE REGION Subotica has a soul. It is a city where it seems that time has stopped. The proud town centre merges almost imperceptibly into the surrounding melancholy plains. Economically and culturally Subotica is one of the most developed cities in Serbia. Congress guests will be impressed by the multicultural spirit and European charm, which is reflected in a large number of special venues in a small area. Welldeveloped albeit not connected is the offer of various incentive programmes. Subotica has a functioning Congress bureau, the hotel facilities are good and the culinary tradition is an extra plus. All of this represents an exciting congress package calling out for more penetrating international or at least regional marketing to exploit the full potential of the city. We see this especially in the development of incentive programmes and smaller professional meetings and conferences taking advantage of the scientific and cultural potential of the city. To top it all off, Subotica offers a lot of music for little money.

D. Congress infrastructure: 4.25 The solid hotel and convention infrastructure is especially suitable for smaller events with up to 300 participants.

Taking the size of the city into consideration, we were very impressed by the numerous special venues Subotica has to offer. The extremely well developed gastronomic offer has great potential for the development of different incentive programmes. Another major advantage is the operation of the Convention Bureau, which connects the offer of the whole destination and successfully takes care of its promotion with a range of modern tools and highly transparent online presentation.

E. Subjective grade 4.12 The city’s energy and numerous attractions signal the potential for further development of congress tourism. The key drivers today are mostly the hotels, with the biggest hotel Galleria right at the forefront. Thanks to them Subotica has quickly transformed into one of the four key congress 122

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DID YOU KNOW Subotica Synagogue: Designed in the late 1890s and built in 1902, the Subotica Synagogue is among the most impressive examples of art nouveau ecclesiastical architecture in the region. As such, it is a significant monument in the region and a visible reminder of the long and prominent history of Jewish culture in the area.

WHAT‘S NEW 2016 1. Femus Festival, March 11 - 13, 2016. Femus is a music festival of international character that brings together students and teachers of elementary and high music schools from Serbia and abroad.

2. European Youth Go Championship, March 25-27, 2016. The tournament will be in the Congress Centre “Grand terrace” Palić.

3. Stringtown festival, April 30, 2016. Rock festival at Palić Lake that brings together the biggest rock stars of the former Yugoslavia.

4. Etnofest, June 21-26, 2016. 13th festival edition of world and ethno music.

5. European Film festival, July 16-22, 2016. The International Film Festival Palić was founded in 1992 by the Municipality of Subotica.

From the earliest small and unpretentious film screenings in Palić, it has grown into an important spot on the European film festivals map.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Stallion spirit: At the northernmost point of Serbia, at the very border crossing and just minutes from Subotica city centre lies the widely renowned Kelebija Horse Farm. Modern stables with a Coach Museum under the same roof, a race track, an artificial lake and a nice park are just some of the highlights. The famous Lipizzaner horse have been bred here since 1580 and the times of the former Habsburg monarchy.

Race your own race. Choose your favourite horse and compete with others. Or have a nice horse ride through the forest area in one of the thirty authentic coaches. For winter groups you will be afforded an unforgettable sleigh-ride across the Subotica fields.

WHO TO CONTACT Congress Departement/ Tourist Organisation of Subotica Trg slobode 1, Subotica, T: +381 24 670 350 www.meetinsubotica.rs, info@meetinsubotica.rs

COOL MEETINGS Pörkölt (gulas with special pasta) – hearty and savoury, accompanied by a wine from the vineyards surrounding Palić Lake.

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PODGORICA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors:

4.35

General and transport infrastructure:

4.49

Tourist infrastructure:

4.56

Meeting infrastructure:

4.36

Subjective grade:

4.05

Marketing Buzz:

4.45

ICCA index:

1.00

Numbeo quality of life Index:

3.50

Global Peace Index:

3.05

Destination grade:

3.76

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PODGORICA REGION’S WARMEST CITY

P

odgorica is usually not on Montenegro’s list of sexiest destinations. Mostly it is in the shadow of Lovčen, Kotor, Budva and other places full of history, culture and charm. It seems that it became the capital of the small country, and thereby took the primacy of the royal capital Cetinje, more or less by chance. Less known is the fact that this is one of the oldest towns of Montenegro, which is somewhat inconsistent with its current image.

Today’s modern image of the town can be attributed to a bombing during World War II, in which it was practically totally destroyed. After liberation, the town bore the name of Tito and was called Titograd until 1992. The town today is home to nearly a third of the population of Montenegro, precisely 186,000 out of the country’s 625,000 population.

For a long time the town has been more than just an addition to the more developed Montenegrin coast.

The town lies on the fertile Zetska plain, which led to its rapid growth and almost unlimited expansion. In addition, it is intersected by rivers, which give it charm as well as coolness during the hot summer months. It is known for the warm climate and is one of the hottest cities in SE Europe.

In the heart of wild beauty During my previous trips, I was more of a transit guest and usually I pretty quickly pushed to the coast or towards the hilly inlands. Over this time I have witnessed a rapid transformation of the town. It is actually in the heart of wild beauty, accessible at every step, and makes for a great adventure in a variety of landscapes. On one side there is Durmitor, with the Piva and Tara canyons, on the other there is the Montenegrin coast and the Skadar Lake, all readily accessible and in a very wild state, which Montenegrins regard as ecological. Indeed, the attitude towards sustainable development is the worst part of the offer, with litter and other phenomena at every turn. National parks occupy 7% of the country. The most famous are the Durmitor, the Biograd Mountain, the Skadar Lake, and Lovčen.

Interestingly, Montenegro became the first ecological state in the world in 1991. In practice, I got the feeling that these are topics that are much talked about and not worked on.

Additionally, these feelings are enhanced because of numerous billboards, whose abundance and gaudy images are a unique kind of pollution.

Today’s image of the town does not present its rich history Near the town centre the settlement Duklja evolved, which was in Roman times the regional centre, and later the town Ribnica formed, which in the Middle Ages became Podgorica.

In 1484 the Turks prevailed in the town, ruling for over 400 years until the passage of Montenegro in 1878. There is little history left in the town since it got a ‘soc-realistic’ look during the socialist reconstruction. This look is today also much faded, and in some parts of the town in a dire state.

Nevertheless, a few remains of the past can be found. In the Old Varoš there are the Turkish baths that have been convert125

ed into a bookstore, Sahat Kula is still counting time and with a bit of time and effort you will find many other attractions.

Drivers in Montenegro drive ‘Montenegrin style’ Arriving in the capital by road requires some patience and nerves and reminds of the good old journeys from my childhood. Highways will long remain wishful thinking and for the trail on the main roads you simply need to take time. Drivers in Montenegro drive ‘Montenegrin style’ and it happens not infrequently that a bus will be overtaking a car. The vehicle fleet in Podgorica is above average age, and German car manufacturers have grateful customers in Montenegro. While walking around town, you will need a good orientation, since clear markings of attractions are missing.

Another alternative is the train, which connects Belgrade and Bar along a picturesque route. With the frequency of trains and time taken it looks like the time has completely stopped here and reminds of the time when there was still ‘Chiro’ train ( a train that rode on a narrow gauge railway) riding on this route. All routes cross in Podgorica.

The only alternative is to arrive by plane at Podgorica or Tivat Airport, which is 41 km away. Both airports are well equipped and are constantly increasing the number of flights, but from the perspective of the meeting industry it is still inadequate. A further airport is Cilipi in Dubrovnik. The national carrier Montenegro Airlines has in recent years significantly increased the number of aircraft in its fleet, and connects the country with sixteen international destinations. The grand announcement of the arrival of low-cost carrier Ryanair has unfortunately failed miserably and with it the announced 50,000 new tourists annually. Taxi services and rent-a-car are well organised, but as everywhere in the Balkans, the price of the ride should be agreed in advance.

Podgorica is a safe city within the heart of Wild Beauty Although the destination might appear slightly chaotic, scattered and wild at first sight, it is completely safe.

Telecommunications operate regardless of the mountainous and difficult terrain everywhere, although you should be careful with the price of calls, as it is the highest in Europe.

The much talked about invasion by the Russians in the media is more myth than truth, as today in Montenegro other investors prevail, with Rothschilds at the forefront of investing in Porto Montenegro luxury marina for mega yachts. However, the Russians are frequent guests, due to a relaxed visa system and the traditional association of nations. Montenegro and the City of Podgorica are improving the region‘s accessibility by looking for new connections between the international airport and important international hub airports.

Montenegrins love to promenade The streets become alive late in the afternoon and in the evening, with the numerous bars and restaurants full. Some of the owners’ deco taste borders on kitsch, however you can

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also find quite a decent offer. In the tourism sector the unsurpassed Balkan hospitality is the king. Montenegrin cuisine with a touch of the Mediterranean is also well worth trying.

Hotel infrastructure In the town transit tourists prevail, who stay for just a short time. Because of this, the town is in sixth place (taking into account the number of overnight stays), with popular coastal resorts taking the top spots. The Hilton Hotel will be the new star in town, otherwise considered not to be very touristic, with his ‘sister’ Hotel Ramada having just been opened. Most of the hotel rooms in town are controlled by hotel company Utip, who apart from Hilton also owns the hotels Podgorica and City. The renovation of hotel Črna Gora into the Hilton will give a boost to the touristic development of the town.

This will be the second Hilton hotel in the region, which is a prerequisite for a serious standing on the meetings industry market.

That the development of convention tourism is not only connected to a tradition, it is shown in Podgorica, where they believe that the future is also in this segment and where some conventions have already been organised. In the future, the Hilton hotel, with a conference centre for 300 participants, will be the centre of meetings industry tourism.

Congress Vox Populi Today you can already organise congresses in the hotels Podgorica, Ramada, City or Best Western. We believe that the meeting industry will develop an entrance into the market and international hotel brands will be very important. At the same time the establishment of a local convention bureau will be necessary and the development of a host of convention suppliers that can today be counted on the fingers of one hand. In parallel an offer of incentive programmes will be developed, which is today relying on the offer of the costal part of the country, despite extremely favourable conditions in the town’s surroundings. A remarkable unexploited potential that, in addition, they have failed to pack into an appropriate brand.

When I visited Montenegro for the first time, I was fascinated by the combination of gorgeous landscape, biodiversity and its pleasant climate. The extraordinary natural resources have not been managed well, however, a consequence of non-sustainable development in the past. The same applies to the potential for the development of the meeting industry in Podgorica, which is remarkable, but poorly utilised.

Moreover, the country is small but has a remarkable history and, consequently, a high concentration of tourist attractions that could become an integral part of the meeting industry, or simply offer a cooling down from the searing summer heat. The town is thus in the shadow of the bigger tourist places and unfortunately also touristically quite boring.

Montenegro is probably one of the rare countries with two capitals, the formal one in Podgorica and its capital of the ‘heart’ in Cetinje. If you want to find the true heart of the country, you will have to have to go on a trip there.

Destination grade: QUALITY MEETING DESTINATION Grades: 5 excellent convention destination 4 quality convention destination 3 recommendable convention destination 2 average convention destination 1 so so

3.76

INDIVIDUAL GRADES: A. Natural and cultural factors: 4.35 Podgorica lies at the cultural and transport crossroads of the middle of the Zetska plains, only a hop from the varied Montenegrin landscape. Montenegrins are justifiably a proud people, reflected in the awareness of outstanding natural and cultural heritage, which is the main attribute of the touristic / meetings offer.

B. General and transport infrastructure: 4.49 The worst part of the meetings offer, largely based on air accessibility, is that roads, railways and other traffic infrastructure is poorly developed. Also poor is the tourist information infrastructure of signs and directions around town.

The attitude towards the environment is not proportional to the environmental statements, because the infrastructure is governed more or less ‘domestically’ and it is the weakest link in the tourist offer.

C. Tourist infrastructure: 4.56 According to statistical data Podgorica has 31 hotels, 580 rooms, 156 apartments and a total of 1,600 beds.

Approximately half of the hotel rooms are appropriate for meeting industry guests (11 hotels are of 4* category), a hotel with 5 stars is lacking. Taking into account the size of the town, it has the largest concentration of bars and restaurants, over 700 in total.

D. Meetings infrastructure: 4.36 Meeting facilities currently are mostly located at hotels. For now the best choice is the Hotel Ramada, with a smaller congress centre for 200 participants, but after the opening of the Hilton Hotel that everyone is waiting for there will be a larger multifunctional centre. The greatest weaknesses are the undeveloped meetings brand of Podgorica, the lack of a convention bureau and the needed development of a network of meetings industry suppliers.

E. Subjective grade: 4.05 Podgorica is more a transit tourist destination, waiting to present itself to congress guests.

F. Marketing buzz: 4.45 The most common stereotype of Montenegro is that of sun and sea, meaning the fast growing Montenegro capital is often overlooked as a viable bussines destination. To a degree, the meetings industry’s tourism hasn’t been clearly defined yet. We forsee great potential for Montenegro, but it will be necessary to establish a well-working Convention Bureau that connects the providers.

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WHAT’S HOT 1. Hilton Podgorica – Hotel accommodation in the Capital City Podgorica will enrich hotel Hilton which under construction as the first hotel brand of that type in the country.

2. Duklja and Medun – Archeological sites Duklja and Medun and Orthodox Temple of Christ s Resurrection are interesting as a very important part of the cultural and religious tourism.

3. Atlas Capital Center – A model of lifestyle and business with the first Hard Rock Cafe in the Adriatic Region, which is opened in 2015.

4. Wine&Dine – Podgorica is recognized as a wine region such as the Cemovsko field as largest vineyards in Europe (as a complex) and it also has several wine cellars and wineries of local producers.

5. Visit to national parks – National park “Skadar Lake” (active holiday including cruising, bird watching...hiking&byking...) and Regional Natural park “Komovi” with glacial lakes Bukumirsko and Rikavacko

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA DID YOU KNOW That the Saint George Church, the oldest church in Podgorica, dates from the 9th to the 11th century.

4×4 WD IN THE HISTORICAL HEART OF MONTENEGRO – Self drive to Cetinje, the best witness of the Montenegrin turbulent history and the former seat of Montenegrin rulers. Experience adventurous roads which will take you high above Boka Bay and onto the beautiful and majestic Lovcen Mountain. Enjoy a luxury picnic lunch in intact nature, numerous outdoor activities and culinary workshops.

Comparisons with the region For now Podgorica can rarely be found on the meetings industry map.

Considering the outstanding potential it will over time come to have all that is necessary to be a true meeting destination. Among its advantages there is its strategic position, which enables easy access to the most attractive parts of Montenegro for incentives. Among the weaknesses we have to point out the current state of the meeting infrastructure and its transport isolation. Being an air travel destination it is highly dependant on the number of flight connections, including low cost ones. A convention bureau for the town would greatly help in positioning the destination, which it deserves as a capital city. The town is developing quickly and is looking for the right image, torn between the classic tourism flow and the idea of development into a meeting destination.

Cool meetings Vranac – an aromatic and intoxicating wine, a true elixir of life, that put you in a good mood. The best known is from the Plantaže vinyards, where they produce the best Vranac, pro corde and loza (brandy made from grapes).

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WHO TO CONTACT Tourism Board Podgorica, Ulica Slobode 47, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro, Ms. Biserka Stamatović, E: biserka.stamatovic@ podgorica.travel, T: +382 20 667 535, www.podgorica.travel

G'S READ MORE MTL ogue.eu www.kongres-meetol

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SOÄŒA VALLEY INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors:

4.76

General and transport infrastructure:

4.21

Tourist infrastructure:

4.41

Meeting infrastructure:

4.02

Subjective grade:

4.40

Marketing Buzz:

4.31

ICCA index:

1.02

Numbeo quality of life Index:

4.20

Global Peace Index:

4.07

Destination grade:

3.93

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SOČA VALLEY EPICENTRE OF INCENTIVE INSPIRATIONS

R

esidents of Posočje are accustomed to alternating national flags, being at a windswept location at the crossroads of major empires and Slavic, Latin and Germanic worlds.

When visiting the Kluže fortress at the door to the Soča valley you can relive fateful moments from World War I with the help of enthusiasts of Society 1313. With this you can get to know how radically history has repeatedly toyed with this beautiful alpine valley.

This year is the 100th anniversary of the start of World War 1 and in almost every corner of the Soca Valley you will find memories of this event. Caves, trenches, ossuaries and cemeteries remind us of one of the biggest mountains of conflict in human history. Key scenes are connected by the Path of Peace, a unique project in that it promotes a positive view and peace in the war. At the same time it is also the best experiential guide through one of Europe’s most beautiful alpine valleys. The path that winds from the Alps to the Adriatic along the Soča River connects the natural beauty of the alpine, subalpine and karst world in addition to the heritage of the Soča Front, all of which has mountains, cultural monuments, museums with private collections, tourist-information centres and many tourism suppliers. It makes this valley also very attractive for conference guests.

Three key places for congress tourism – Bovec, Kobarid and Tolmin – are connected by the Soča river, one of the most pristine Alpine rivers that, with its beauty, creates a highly experiential diversity. Soča river is perfect for postcards and adrenaline water sports. The roots of rafting and kayaking in the 1980s were a revolution and considered to be one of the first organised forms of teambuilding in Slovenia and the wider region.

The destination is safe, enjoyable and full of inspiration for congress participants. Despite its remoteness the communal infrastructure in the three major towns is very well arranged.

Access to the Soča Valley is good, despite the relatively poor local road connections, as in the immediate vicinity there are of the four airports: Ronchi (Aeroporto Trieste), Venice (Aeroporto Marco Polo) Ljubljana (Airport Brnik) and the airport in Klagenfurt (Klagenfurt Airport). There is also a more romantic way to get to the Soča Valley – the museum train to Most na Soči. A railway was built through Baška ravine, which due to its attractions - tunnels, bridges, views – is increasingly popular with tourists. A special attraction is the museum train (steam composition), but the car-train connection to Bohinj and Bled is most comfortable.

As an incentive pearl the Soča Valley is somewhat remote, so for a visit it requires a bit more logistics planning. However, the reward once there is so much bigger, because you find yourself in one of the European incentive epicentres that offers a complete infrastructure for adrenaline and active incentive programmes, from agencies to guide services and accompanying services, including all the necessary equipment for the most unusual desires.

Soča Valley has for many years been attracting guests interested in active holidays and adrenaline challenges. At the same time they are seeking peace and contact with nature 129

through other sport on Soča, such as fishing and hiking, as well as exploring the rich history. Emphasis has been for many years on the summer season, although the incentive offer is also quite rich in winter. Fortunately the destination is not too populated and offers a special feeling of exclusivity, which in the more notorious places is hard to find.

Bovec (483 m) is the largest tourist centre in the Soča valley.

It has the most tourist facilities in the area and is recognised primarily as a centre of sporting activities in nature.

Kayaking, rafting, hydrospeed, canyoning, paragliding, rock climbing and hiking, mountain biking, sledding, cross country skiing, etc. is all on offer by more than 15 specialised sports agencies.

The small town of Kobarid (234 m) sits under the mighty Krn mountain (2,244 m) and has in its surroundings Breginj, Livško, and Trnovsko gorge - the centre of rafting and kayaking exploits – as well as the beautiful mountain villages under Krn (Drežnica, Vrsno, Krn). The greatest impression made on Kobarid is by the first World War. The narrative of the history of the place and especially on the Soča front can be taken in at the Kobarid Museum, the best museum of Europe in 1993. Kobarid is also the Slovenian town that can boast the highest number of excellent restaurants in one spot. Even for the most pampered lovers of good food and fine wines a visit to Kobarid will be a great experience.

Tolmin (200m) is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Soča valley. To the Tolmin municipality belong Tolmin and Most na Soči with the surrounding areas of Baška ravine, Šentviška plateau, the edge of the Idrijca valley and the mysterious and thinly populated area of Trebuše. Tolminska offers great opportunities for active incentive programmes.

Numerous forest roads and trails offer excellent conditions for mountain biking. Fishing is the most popular tourist activity in the area, as the rivers Soča, Tolminka, Idrijca and Bača are full of trout and grayling and offer a superb diversity of natural environments that attracts many anglers from around the world.

The congress story relies on a responsible and unforgettable connection to the nature and culture of the region. It is therefore a boutique congress tourism, with no large hotel resorts. Perhaps Soča Valley, because of its remoteness, comes closest to responsible green tourism. There are a number of programmes that provide unforgettable green congress experiences in the middle of the Triglav National Park. In Bovec there are a number of sites that are potentially interesting and allow the preparation of interesting incentive programmes, although they are limited in terms of capacity, for example the Kekec Homestead, Pristava Lepena and Dobra Vila ecological tourist farms, as well as in the House of Franko and Nebesa (Heaven) in Kobarid.

The main classic congress infrastructure is otherwise currently available in a smaller conference centre, Šiglič house in the centre of Bovec. The multi-purpose centre is very nicely renovated and can accommodate up to 100 conference delegates. The main hotel and meetings supplier at this moment in Bovec is Hotel Alp, which operates during the summer season. Suitable conference halls in Bovec can also

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be found in Mangrt hotel and boutique Dobra Vila, as well as in pension Boka. The largest hotel in the valley, the Hotel Kanin that has congress facilities and a considerable number of rooms, is currently closed and waiting on a restart.

In Kobarid smaller meeting rooms are offered by the Hotel Hvala (Thank you!). An event can easily be combined with the adjacent spaces in the TIC. In Tolmin the main provider is Hotel Krn. All over the valley there are a number smaller suppliers of apartments and restaurants that accommodate and provide space for smaller congress groups.

The key challenge is currently a very fragmented offer that is not adequately linked and presented on the international congress map. Given the enormous potential a functioning convention or incentive bureau would greatly help and would help to improve the image. In addition, the joint offer would also be easier to market to specific types of congress clients.

Soča Valley is probably one of the most photogenic venues to launch new cars. Numerous film crews and car launch programme organisers have already understood this. A connected performance would facilitate marketing and access to specific clients, who are currently coming to the Soča Valley more by chance.

Incentive meetings stories thrive best where the picturesque is intertwined with the cultural and historical heritage to a solid tourist offer. This is the maximum potential of the Soča Valley; incentive tourism in terms of development is one of the most promising market segments, which due to the possibility of a combination of active leisure, relaxation and professional work is an ideal product. All of the spots in the Soča Valley can boast an exceptional natural heritage and a wide range of incentive stories: rafting, kayaking, hydrospeed, mountain biking, paragliding, hiking, mountaineering, fishing. For all of the above reasons the Soča Valley is an unpolished incentive gem that with appropriate development would be an incentive epicentre of Europe.

Tourist infrastructure 4.41 A tourist destination that is not yet besieged by crowds of tourists, outstanding gastronomic offer, visibility through top festivals amd good sports facilities are the key benefits of the destination. The weakest part of the offer is currently accommodation facilities. A large number of agencies (over 20) that are offering highly developed products for sports and also incentive tourism programmes is important.

Destination grade: QUALITY MEETINGS DESTINATION Grades: 5 excellent meetings destination 4 quality meetings destination 3 recommendable meetings destination 2 average meetings destination 1 so so

The main advantage of the destination is a developed incentive product, gastronomy and preserved natural and cultural heritage, which is unequalled. A weakness in comparison to some other destinations is the offer’s disjointedness. In terms of marketing some other destinations are also better, despite significantly worse conditions. Given the capital of the destination, represented by a number of already developed stories and awards (EDEN European Destinations of Excellence), the incentive meetings product awaits a bright future.

3.93

INDIVIDUAL GRADES: Natural and cultural factors 4.76 Variety of offer in a small space with preserved nature, the Soča, a culinary and wine offer, authenticity, a rich cultural and historical heritage, the Julian Alps and Triglav National Park all make for an extreme experiential diversity and attractiveness.

Meetings infrastructure 4.02 Soča Valley is suitable for smaller boutique conferences and incentive programmes in the middle of genuine Alpine nature. Unfortunately, the product is currently fragmented and poorly represented in the international market. Given the potential creation of meetings an incentive bureau is essential and would link key providers of existing products in all three places and present this extraordinary offer to the international congress market.

Klavdij Rakušček

Subjective grade 4.40 Soča, set in the middle of the Triglav National Park, offers an exceptional number of different experiences in a small area.

Particularly impressive is the top culinary offer concentrated in restaurants such as House of Franko, Kotlar and others.

Also, the balance between price and quality is acceptable, which makes the destination very competitive in comparison with more notorious destinations. The disadvantage is a poorer image of the destination than it should actually have.

Comparison with the region: In the narrow micro-region the Soča Valley is currently not facing increased competition. On the Italian side in Friuli Venezia Giulia, incentive tourism is underdeveloped and the development of the product in Brda and Nova Gorica is also at the embryonic stages. More serious competition is in Istria and neighbouring Carinthia, as well as within the wider Slovenian Julian Alps.

Cool meetings: ČOMPE - the original dish, based on combining cottage cheese and potato, grows abundantly in the Bovec region.

Photo credit LTO SOTOČJE

General and transport infrastructure 4.27 Geographic location, proximity to key markets and a good communal arrangement are the key advantages. Very close are also important transit points with entrances to the European motorway network (Udine and Treviso). If you want to get away from the bustle of the city, you will be excited about the quality of living in the picturesque Soča valley.

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Srdjan Živulovič - Bobo

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Paolo Petrignani

WHAT’S HOT 1. 100 years from the start of the First World War - the memory of a turbulent and eventful history from the period of World War 1, will be the red thread of many events in 2014 2. Path of Peace – is dedicated to the memory of the victims of the First World War and is worth a visit 3. Alpe Adria Trail - 690 km long journey through three countries and three cultures this year. National Geographic Traveller ranked it among the 10 best new hiking trails 4. Ana Roš, House of Franko – that she is a culinary artist was demonstrated by her hosting in the famous Redbull restaurant Ikarus. Ana is in the company of the top 12 masters of Europe. We recommend a visit.

5. Soča - one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe, famous for its beautiful emerald colour, is the heart of the incentive offer for 2014.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA ZIPLINE BOVEC –in addition to the traditional teambuilding programmes on the river Soča, when in Bovec try one of the largest zip line parks in Europe with panoramic views over the whole of the Upper Soča Valley.

WHO TO CONTACT Tatjana Humar, LTO SOTOČJE, Petra Skalarja 4, 5220 Tolmin Telefon: 05 380 04 80, Faks: 05 380 04 83, e-mail: info@lto-sotocje.si www.visit-soca.eu

»Soča river is perfect for postcards and adrenaline water sports.«

Leonardo Olmi

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OPATIJA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2016 Natural and cultural factors:

4.55

General and transport infrastructure:

4.29

Tourist infrastructure:

4.85

Meeting infrastructure:

4.65

Subjective grade:

4.59

Marketing Buzz:

4.58

ICCA index:

1.22

Numbeo quality of life Index:

4.00

Global Peace Index:

3.70

Destination grade:

4.05

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OPATIJA EPICENTRE OF INCENTIVE INSPIRATIONS

O

patija is with no doubt an ultimate meetings destination. Why? Because few destinations provide such rich assortment of luxury accommodations in such a small area, whilst Opatija provides 32 hotels offering 2700 rooms, 60 congress and conferences halls within a radius of just 3 km of its coastline.

This little Adriatic city also known as the “Old Dame”, the “Nice of the Adriatic” or the ‘Queen of Croatian Tourism” certainly deserves all the flattering titles since the tradition of business and leisure tourism dates back in the late 19th century, when in 1885 the first congress, the Congress of balneologists, was organised by the Austrian Southern Railway Company. Back then Opatija was still part of the AustroHungarian Empire which played a crucial role in placing this Northern Adriatic gem on the map of most sophisticated tourist destinations in the Balkan region and in the world.

The day I visited Opatija was not really a representative one in terms of weather and temperatures (I visited Opatija in late march this year), but luckily I have been regularly visiting Opatija for the past 20 years and have experienced it in all its splendour so the dark clouds and the mild rain didn’t disturb my overall impression and judgement of the city. On the contrary despite bad weather conditions the city was bursting with life, revealing its unique belle époque architectural style and landscape charms, which were only complemented with the warm and welcoming approach of the locals who in many ways seem to have inherited the noble spirit of the former monarchy, treating each guest with respect, complaisance and catching cordiality. In the words of Goran Pavlović, the head of convention and incentive bureau at the Tourist Board of Opatija, “Opatija is a rare mixture of history, tradition, enchanting cultural and natural diversity, supplemented with proximity and closeness to all major Central European cities”.

When it all began - following the empire’s footsteps Opatija was formed in the 12th century, when St. Jacob’s church was built with a corresponding monastery - a Benedictine abbey for its ministers, which gave name to Opatija. Namely Opatija in Croatian means abbey, the St. Jacob’s abbey, who is also the guardian of the city. Later on in 19th century Opatija became a part of the Austro Hungarian Monarchy and soon became a fashionable resort of AustroHungarian nobility. As mentioned above the Congress of balneologists, where Opatija was officially declared as the first bathing and climatic health resort on the Adriatic Sea, represented the springboard for future development of the city which today reigns as the unbeatable queen in the field of leisure and business tourism in Croatia and beyond. By 1913 Opatija turned into an elite resort, boasting with dozen hotels, 44 bed and breakfasts, 83 villas and even 5 baths surrounded by beautiful botanical gardens and didn’t cease to flourish during all these years, positioning itself as a world renowned, distinguished tourism destination. Opatija was one of Europe’s most important health resorts of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, alongside Nice, Karlovy 133

Vary, Cannes and Biarritz. Even famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud advised to his patients: “Go take your cure in the waters of Opatija!”. Considered as one of the most beautiful Croatian cities, Opatija today represents a social and cultural intersection of the region combining Italian, Austrian and Croatian cultural heritage.

At the crossroads of central and southern Europe Opatija’s favourable central position in the Alpe-Adria region, which includes countries of Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Austria and Hungary certainly adds to its everlasting popularity.

Opatija is situated in the Kvarner Gulf, the northern part of the Croatian Adriatic Sea, and is therefore the closest sea resort to all Central and Western Europe countries which is why Kvarner bay was and still is a very popular tourist destination. It is also located at the geographical crossroads of southern Croatia, southern Slovenia and eastern Italy, lying at the foot of the mountain Učka, a natural preserve, and covering an area of 54 square kilometres. The best thing about this noble seaside resort is precisely its location. Opatija is within the radius of 5-hour-drive from some of the most important cities in South and Central Europe like Zagreb, Ljubljana, Venice, Milan, Vienna, Budapest, Salzburg, Munich, Milan, Belgrade etc. In close proximity there are five international airports - Rijeka airport (connecting Rijeka with Munich and London (Heathrow)), island of Krk, Pula, Zagreb, LjubljanaBrnik and Trieste, not to mention Venice airport which is the best choice for transcontinental flights.

Opatija in between green and blue horizons As sea side resort, Opatija’s great advantage is the sea with the nearby islands Krk, Cres and Lošinj, the mild climate and the Natural Park Učka massif which protects Opatija from the cold northern winds. The vegetation in this part of Croatia is absolutely stunning. Opatija enjoys the microclimate of the Kvarner region, characterised by mild temperatures throughout the whole year and light rain that supports the growth of lush subtropical vegetation surrounded by laurel woods, pine and palm trees, not to mention the majestic oak forests/trees covering the slopes of the mountain Učka. The forest is interlaced with many stone paved paths that speak of the glorious Austrian- Hungarian period when the emperor Franz Joseph, in order to maintain the image of an exquisite tourist resort, arranged many walking paths in the hills of the Učka massif and built the famous coastal promende - the Lungomare, more than a 100 year old and 12 km long coastal walking path connecting Opatija and Lovran. All this abundant vegetation gives Opatija a fresh and vital look especially in combination with the town’s parks like Park Angiolina and Park St. Juraj which represent the monumental park architecture of Opatija. The Park of St. Juraj was recently also awarded the prize for the most beautiful Croatian park.

There you can find more than 150 plant species, one of most prominent are: laurel, the leafless magnolia, cedar trees, pines, cherry-laurel, wood date-palms and camelias that have become symbols of Opatija.

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“Old dame” with rich experiences, exquisite looks and a vision It seems that the geographical position, the rich historical background and mostly the beautiful natural scenery enabled Opatija to keep reinventing itself and maintaining its leading position as a unique tourist destination. It continues to deliver and create new attractive stories in all cultural, touristic, urban and business areas.

One of town’s new acquisition is the Marino Cvetković sports hall. Namely, after 40 years of waiting and planning, Opatija opened its very firs sports hall in 2014, which hosts not only sporting events, but also cultural and business events, exhibitions and fairs, entertainment programmes, concerts, conventions and congresses.

The hall covers an area of 11,000 square metres with the large sports court providing 1,217 seats including movable stands (900 + 317 seats). In the basement there is a car parking area with 137 parking spaces and five bus parking spaces which is a fantastic news and a welcoming acquisition since Opatija has limited parking space and parking still remains a big challenge.

Opatija may appear as an “Old Lady”, but this olds lady has rich experiences in the leisure and business tourism sector, incomparable charm accompanied with strong architectural, natural and cultural features that has been inviting, inspiring and fascinating visitors for more than 170 years. A rich architectural heritage of well preserved and magnificent villas – the prime examples of Belle Époque architecture, that dom-

inate the coastline, nicely decorated gardens which give the city an aristocratic feel, luxury restaurants, spa facilities etc. all this gives the city its vital dynamics and a youthful spirit. The most intriguing thing about Opatija is that its core is more vivid than most of the top touristic destinations on the Adriatic. Namely, Opatija is one of the busiest tourist destinations in Croatia, since it offers an all year round tourist buzz.

Congress is king Opatija is a synonym for congress tourism and has been considered as a major convention destination for several decades now. Namely, Opatija hosts more than 500 congresses, seminars, various meetings and events each year, more than 50% of them are organized by Opatija’s regular customers and partners who have been coming to Opatija for the past 40 years. Opatija’s main focus is to provide an all year round tourism offer and has until today succeeded in doing exactly that. For instance in January Opatija covers 10% of the entire Croatian tourism income, which can be a surprising fact if we compare it to other mega tourism hubs like Dubrovnik or Rovinj which have up to 30,000 sleeping accommodations (Opatija has all together 8,000 sleeping accommodations) but are fulfilled only during high season period.

Today Opatija boasts with 3 major congress hotels: the 4 Opatijska Cvjeta (can host up to 500 people) with the new corresponding Design Hotel Royal (built in 2014 within the Milenij 134

hotel Group) that prides with a large Royal Hall - banquet hall for congresses, conferences, weddings covering 750m2 of surface (500 + 200m2) and is the largest congress hall in Opatija by surface, able to host up to 800 people. The second one is the Remenisens Hotel Ambasador, built in 1960 with a congress hall welcoming 515 delegates and with 7 break-out rooms. The third one is the Grand Hotel Adriatic, situated on the exit from Opatija, and a hotel with the longest congress tourism tradition in modern time. The hotel includes two different complexes and an amphitheatrical congress hall with 550 seats.

Each of the mentioned hotels can host up to 500 people, in case of a larger event, the hotel 4 Opatijska Cvijeta, the Design Hotel Royal and the hotel Ambassador can join together to host a larger event up to 1000 delegates.

New hotels and renovations In the past 5 years Opatija has succumbed to some serious renovations and adjustments of hotels and other tourist facilities. Namely in 2014 Hotel Kvarner became a part of the Remisens Premium Hotel brand and today operates under the new name “Remisens Premium Hotel Kvarner”. This was the first hotel built on the Adriatic coast, built in 1884 and represents the elegance and delicacy of Opatija and is best known for its Crystall hall. The hotel underwent a complete redecoration of all rooms and is now categorized as a 4-star hotel. The already mentioned the Design Hotel Royal, opened

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in summer 2014, is a 4-star hotel arranged as a 5-star hotel, with 54 luxury rooms and is considered as an extension to the “4 Opatijska cvijeta hotel”as both hotels are connected via underground corridors. Special feature of the hotel is the largest conference hall in Opatija, the Royal Hall, which is complementing the 7 meetings halls of the “4 Opatijska Cvijeta” hotel. The Remisens Hotel Bellevue Palace in 2016 is becoming one of the holders of trademarks Remisens on the Opatija Riviera. New investments include refurbishment of rooms and common areas by maintaining discreet neo baroque style arrangements, a new wellness center, and expanding and improving the quality of content and services.

Another not so recent novelty, but certainly worth mentioning is the new hotel Bevanda (opened in 2013). A top class 5-star boutique hotel established within a world famous Chain of luxury hotels, Relais & Chateaux, constructed right above the famous restaurant Bevanda.

This truly exclusive hotel has 10 rooms (5 in each floor, floors can be separated from each other offering more intimate space for closed groups), each of them tastefully decorated with top notch equipment and offering impressive sea views. The hotel also operates the corresponding beach - the Bevanda beach resort, which was completely renovated and is ideal for hosting evening events.

Conceptually completely different 5-star hotel, hotel Navis opened in 2014 and represents a

welcoming refreshment in terms of the existing Riviera’s hotel offer. The modern and abstract design of the hotel with amazing interior and outdoor decoration, with heavy patina finishes on the walls, unique furniture, wooden details, rooms with separated living rooms all offering majestic views of the sea, a fantastic restaurant that in just 2 years become a recognizable and respectable gastronomy zone and above all the 135

overall conceptual design (Navis is designed as a cruise ship) that delivers an intriguing hotel story are just some of the features that contributed to the hotel’s prompt success. The hotel has 40 designer-decorated rooms and 4 suites and also a small meetings room, to welcome maximum 40 guests.

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Top Event Venues The Villa Ariston has a magnificent garden and represents a perfect venue place to host events like receptions, presentations, evening ceremonies for about 200-300 people. Here you can open a fashion show or have an intimate corporate party, with local food tastings, exclusive presentation of a new product, business partners party, etc. Then there is the Bevanda Beach resort, a special open air venue place with removable sliding glass doors so events can be organized also in winter time. The place is really remarkable, located directly at the sea side offering unique views of the city of Opatija and its exclusive architectural masterpieces. It is best for hosting evening events, cocktails, receptions, etc. for up to 300 participants or more. The Bevanda Beach resort is a new Opatija’s hotspot taking a whole touristic experience to another level. In the proximity of park Angiolina there is Art pavilion Šporer, ideal for receptions, and Opatija’s Open Air Theatre - a large amphitheatre-shaped auditorium with a capacity of 2,500 seats. It is a perfect venue for concerts and open air events. In addition to the large central stage, there is another, smaller stage, suitable for more intimate performances, cocktail parties and similar events.

Top Restaurants Tourist Board of the Kvarner region created a project in 2014 with intention to brand top quality restaurants called the Kvarner Gourmet and Kvarner Food project, where among 67 most excellent restaurants in the Kvarner bay 50% of them are located in Opatija’s Riviera and obtained the highest quality mark, the “Kvarner gourmet mark”. Among them are the restaurant Kukuriku (Kastav), Draga di Lovrana, Lovranska Draga, Johnsson - excellent fish restaurant in Moscenicka Draga, Najade, Lovran , restaurant Bevanda providing an ambiance of exclusivity and a memorable menu, restaurant Laurus (Hotel Vila Kapetanović), restaurant Ariston.

Destination grade: QUALITY MEETINGS DESTINATION Grades: 5 excellent meetings destination 4 quality meetings destination 3 recommendable meetings destination 2 average meetings destination 1 so so

4.05

INDIVIDUAL GRADES: A. Natural and cultural factors: 4,55 The whole part of the Kvarner below the Učka mountain is famous for its mild climate, due to the sunny position below Učka, which allows all year-round tourism. This combined with lush vegetation and a clean Kvarner sea is main reason for the development of 30 kilometres of the Opatija or Liburnia Riviera. The primary tourist motive is therefore natural wellness that nicely upgrades the needs of congress organisers.

C. Tourist infrastructure: 4,85 Almost every stone and building in Opatija is a witness to the rich history of the city’s tourism, which was once called the ‘Nice of the Adriatic’. With the renovation of hotels, which is in full swing, it will again shine in its former beauty and with an upscale hotel offer. A rich gastronomy offer thrills, with some restaurants at the peak of Croatian cuisine.

D. Meetings infrastructure: 4,65 The ratio between hotel rooms and congress facilities enables the organisation of medium sized conferences with up to 600 participants. In Opatija there is virtually no hotel without meeting facilities, and also very attractive is the accompanying offer with its well-developed incentive programmes and the offer connected by the Opatija Convention Bureau.

E. Subjective grade: 4,59 An elegant tourist lady who is showing her old age but has managed to overcome the old-fashioned habits and with major investments made in the past 3 years is ready to once again position herslef as a leading congress destination with emphasis on tradition, style and exclusivity.

Comparison with the region: 170 years of tourism tradition is based on the positive energy of the riviera and the exceptional natural conditions. This is a great sign for the revival of Opatija congress tourism, which has recently relaxed slightly in comparison with the hyperactive Croatian Adriatic competitors. The city already boasts the entire infrastructure, but it is beaten mostly by an unfavourable image and somewhat slow adjustment to the new congress market conditions. A change of the structure of hotels is also necessary, as ‘cosmopolitan’ Opatija today only boasts three hotels in the 5-star category, whilst in Dubrovnik there are now 14 Cool meetings: Kvarner scampi: are considered to be the best in the world.

Identified by the pale red colour and thinner armour, their specialty is – experts say – in that they live here in a very shallow sea with a lot of drinkable water springs and are therefore very soft and sweet.

B. General and transport infrastructure: 4,29 Connections with Rijeka are good and also at Opatija’s disposal is the relative proximity to the major population conglomerates of Central Europe. In terms of infrastructure Opatija appears tidy and offers a truly diverse tourism story with the legendary tourist Adriatic Riviera connected with an attractive Lungomare promenade.

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WHAT‘S NEW 2016 1. New Cultural and Touristic Center - Another novelty which will significantly contribute to the implementation of Opatija’s cultural and urban scene is the establishment of a new Cultural and touristic centre which is now in construction and is due to be opened in December 2016. This new city complex is envisaged to strengthen the cultural and tourism infrastructure of the city, offering a full-year program that will raise the cultural diversity and increase the city’s offer hosting different artistic, educational, entertainment and similar events. Conceptually, it is designed so it can accommodate theatre performances, concerts, exhibitions and at the same time host various conference and other business events. The first floor will be designed as an amphitheatrical hall with a gallery, offering 450 seats, with cabins for simultaneous translation, a stage of 220m2 of surface with digital projection equipment and a large screen. The ground floor is reserved for a congress hall of 330m2 with the possibility of splitting it into three smaller halls (3 x 110m2 or 2x 160m2) and will thus serve as a multi-purpose hall. In the second basement there will be a banquet room for catering, equipped with its own kitchen, covering 650m2 of surface and ideal for hosting exhibitions, cocktail receptions, etc. The centre is one of the key investments of the city of Opatija, after getting a sports hall Marino Cvetković.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Imperial dinner - In cooperation with the City of Vienna, each year a “Viennese Ball” is organized in hotel Kvarner or Hotel Royal in Opatija where everyone is dressed in the clothes worn in the period of AustroHungarian Empire and dance to the 19th century music. An incentive can be organized as an imperial dinner where costumed staff and guests can relive the historic period of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This sort of event can be organized any time of the year.

The Hotel Continental’s brilliant Gastro world - If you are looking for a really intense and rich culinary journey all in one place, to get a wow effect from your guests than the Gastro World of the Hotel Continental is the place you are looking for. At first glance when entering the lobby of the hotel Continental where the Gastro world begins it seems as if you are entering an ordinary café bar, but soon the 6 different gastronomic zones reveal themselves one by one, and you can hardly decide which one to visit. The best thing to do is to take your time and visit all of them.

On the surface of 1000 m2 you can either choose to start your visit at the Juicy Champagne Bar and get the vitamins flowing in your bloodstream.

Then continue to the Délicatesse “Bokunić” to get a taste of the best quality ‘pršut’ (prosciutto), cheeses, olives and other delicacies from the best producers. To quench your thirst stop at the “Antiqua Osteria da Ugo” and choose among more than 40 domestic and foreign types of beer or treat yourself with delicious coffee or tea and then descend to the basement where you will discover a mini chocolate factory, the Milenij Choco World” where you can see the process of making chocolate, cakes and other chocolate products, and be the first to taste them.

Bevanda Wine Cellar - Hotel Bevanda owns a small but authentic wine cellar, in the basement of the hotel where you can chose from a rich selection of over 700 labels of the greatest wines from the world carefully selected by Croatian’s top sommelier Claudio Jurčič. The wine cellar can host 8-10 people to hold a wine tasting event. The hotel organizes a several wine tasting workshops and works closely with the Istrian winery Kozlović, offering wine varieties like Ribolla, Malvasia, Kabola, sparkling wine Bevanda and Kozlović.

WHO TO CONTACT Tourist board Opatija, Congress departement Goran Pavlović, Tel. +385 51 603 273, +385 99 226 3229 www.visitopatija.com, goran@visitOpatija.com

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TRIESTE IMPRESSIONS AT THE JUNCTION OF ROMAN AND SLAVIC

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he congress shape of the city gives the impression of hibernation. Due to numerous scientific institutions the meetings industry is functioning, but not developing. It seems the huge congress potential of the city is unexploited. The city is pleasant and tidy, but it seems economically and socially stagnant for decades. This can mostly be seen in the image of the destination, which needs a serious boost considering the cosmopolitan nature of the city. The convention bureau appears somewhat rusty so maybe the abolition of the border can offer a new opportunity to cooperate with the hinterland in Slovenia. Trieste used to be one of the leading cities in Europe, which attracted business and was an

example of multiculturalism. Today the meetings industry shares its faith with the city’s, despite a number of development opportunities. Globalisation and border abolition enable Trieste to turn to its hinterlands. This can contribute to the revitalization of the meetings industry if there is interest on both sides of the border, which may be gone now, but is still present in the minds. In cooperation with Ljubljana, Trieste could become a large player in the meetings industry of the broader European space.

DID YOU KNOW That the poet James Joyce lived in Trieste. What was his home until the outbreak of World War I is now the Hotel Victoria.

COOL MEETINGS Trieste is the second name for coffee. In Trieste coffee is great and is the first on the daily schedule. Espresso from Trieste rules. And to quote the coffee doctor Ernesto Illy, “cappuccino is the female side of coffee, espresso is for men”. There are over 50 coffee companies working in Trieste today.

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ICCA 2014 Country and City Ranking Wordlwide: 354th place Europe: 183th place Destination grade: Recommendable Meetings Destination

3.85 4.11

The Mediterranean climate, unspoilt Karst hinterland and extraordinary diversity of the landscape contribute to high attractiveness of Trieste and surroundings. The Karst hinterland with its extraordinary cultural heritage poses a contrast to the city which demonstrates its former cosmopolitan spirit at every step. The mixture of cultures left its mark on the city and makes the meetings industry that much more interesting.

B General and transport infrastructure

4.15

Trieste was an important traffic juncture and main port of the region for centuries. Traffic infrastructure is still good, but air access is poor. The most sensitive historical centre is neat and tidy but the feeling of industrial degradation around the harbours is less pleasant. General feel and quality of living are adequate.

C Tourism infrastructure

4.22

The trump cards of tourism are numerous cafes, bistros and restaurants. Sports and recreation offer is well developed.

The city offers some great hotels and a number of smaller boutique ones. Due to the demographic situation and the abolition of the border it regressed somewhat in the once leading shopping and entertainment area, which can now be found on the Slovenian side of the border.

D Meetings infrastructure

4.19

Despite the oldest convention centre in the region Trieste lost its previous high position on the international market. The convention centre is in dire need of renovation. Hotel Savoia is the flagship hotel others don’t reach its level. The agencies are strong, but Trieste lacks some really strong PCO agencies and a more innovative incentive offer.

E Subjective assessment

4.26

The meetings industry of Trieste is actually fine, it’s just missing something to make it an above average congress destination. The city is safe, tidy, has a good price to quality ratio, the locals are hospitable and professional. The something extra that’s missing is a more attractive offer, which would take advantage of the hidden potentials of Trieste.

F Marketing buzz

1. Trieste Film Festival / January 2016 - The most rich and articulated Italian film festival dedicated to films from Central and Eastern Europe and beyond.

2. Maratona d’Europa / May 2016 - The first Sunday of May sees the running of one of Italy’s biggest running events, the Maratona d’Europa .

INDIVIDUAL GRADES:

A Natural and cultural factors

WHAT’S HOT

4.29

Trieste is today promoted mostly through large events, such as Barcolana, with congress promotion currently resting in the hands of the FVG Convention Bureau. The city seems, however, to be simply an overlooked destination that offers so much more than the current marketing promises, with congress tourism seeming to be left behind. The fact is that the potential of Trieste for further development of congress tourism is simply outstanding.

3. Barcolana Regatta / October 2016 - Barcolana is a major sailing spectacle with thousands of sailing boats filling the gulf on the second Sunday in October.

4. Trieste Coffee Capital / All year round - Trieste, coffee capital – a legend made history... the outstanding Salone degli Incanti overlooking the sea will host an incredible exhibition presenting coffee and all its secrets 5. Portopiccolo / All year round - A new destination with a unique congress centre to host important events, a beautiful setting for those looking for an emotional experience. Its capacity up to 300 persons, with a terrace overlooking the sea and a breathtaking view, this new congress centre is designed to accommodate professional, scientific, economic and cultural meetings 6. The taste of Karst / All year round - Tasting itineraries on a plateau suspended above the sea. Tour the farms and you will taste the special typical products of the Carso!

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA If you want to experience the full excitement and spirit of a sailing regatta, Trieste can be the challenging location for this successful incentive or team building activity. In October do not miss the “Barcolana”, the biggest international regatta in the Mediterranean: more than 3,000 boats take part in the 20 mile triangle sea contest & sailing fair!

WHO TO CONTACT PromoTurismoFVG, Villa Chiozza, via Carso 3, 33052 Cervignano del Friuli (UD), Italy, Ms. Brenda Lee Fabbro, T: +39 0431 387 122, E: brenda.fabbro@promoturismo.fvg.it, www.turismofvg.it

G ICCA index:

1.26

H Numbeo quality of life Index:

4.70

I Global Peace Index:

3.45

Comparison to the Region: Today, Trieste is mostly known for its coffee, rather than the meetings industry. The geo-political location could make Trieste a leading Adriatic congress destination, yet it is now being overtaken by less accessible and geographically located destinations. Solid infrastructure is a good foundation for development. The image of the city on the regional and world market needs to be improved. When key stakeholders on both sides of the border realize the potential of the city, it can become much more important than it is today.

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PODČETRTEK THE SUCCESS STORY

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mallest place in our analysis is big in its offer and an example to all of us involved with tourism. Its epicentre is a thermal spring, around which a success story was created. Hotel Sotelia was never hiding its ambitions to bring to the meetings industry a genuine wellness experience, which other competitors do not yet know. In addition, the distinctive architectural design has many admirers; small details always attract the eye. Together with the rich tourist and sports offer Podčetrtek is ideal for the implementation of various incentives and other incentive programmes. At every step the locals you meet, be it a wine-grower, a caterer or a priest, will let it be known that you are welcome.

DID YOU KNOW That these parts of Slovenia are known for their beauty, with Podčetrtek and the town of Olimje winning a gold award in the Entente Florale Europe competition.

COOL MEETINGS What is more sustainable than the old, indigenous varieties of apples, which in Kozjansko they maintain with love.

On the now traditional event Kozjansko apple farms offer the old varieties of apples, healthy agricultural products grown in a sustainable way and original and imaginatively processed fruit in home canning. Apple is still the most sympathetic attention that you can offer to the participants of your event!

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Not Available

WHAT’S HOT Destination grade: Quality Meetings Destination

3.69

INDIVIDUAL GRADES:

A Natural and Cultural factors

4.21

Podčetrtek is the tourist centre of Posotelje near the Slovenian-Croatian border. The wine-growing soil and especially the thermal water are two of its natural resources and tourism potential of the place. Thermal spring was discovered in the mid-sixties, the main development occurred in the mid eighties with the increase of hotel and spa capacities.

The castle from the 13th century certainly gives a historical mark to the place, which is one of the oldest in Slovenia and the Franciscan monastery Olimje, built in the 16th century.

While the castle is still waiting for the right investor for renewal, you will be welcomed at the Franciscan monastery by hospitable Franciscans who will provide you with herbs from their pharmacy.

B General and Transport Infrastructure

4.04

One rarely finds a place with such a positive attitude towards tourism as Podčetrtek. Alliance of the municipality, the largest provider Terme Olimia, associations and all smaller suppliers is reflected in the new projects that increase the value of the place. In the past year, among other things, they have created new cycle paths that open up new opportunities for the surrounding farms and the development of additional offer. The whole offer, from historical, sports and gastro-oenological is calling for incentive events which finish with pampering in the beautiful wellness centre Orhidelia, which in 2009 added the icing on the cake of spa and wellness offer.

D Meetings Infrastructure

3.43

As a part of the Wellness Hotel Sotelia, the convention centre in the spa Olimia was opened in 2006. The largest of eight technically perfectly equipped halls and meeting rooms can tale up to 350 participants in theatre style and can be divided into two rooms. The entire hotel has been awarded for architecture, mainly due to its placement in the environment; the architects have used a common thread of modern design also in halls, which are attractive to professional, business or social gatherings. Perhaps sometimes a larger lobby for breaks or on-site meetings might come in handy as well as daylight in Primula halls.

E Subjective Grade

2. New special train route – Historical train from Celje to Podčetrtek 3. Wellness Orhidelia again: Best Slovenian wellness for the 6th time in a row 4. In your pocket award –Terme Olimia as the best Slovenian Spa resort 5. Upgrading Wellness to Selfness – Terme Olimia are the first comprehensive provider of selfness services in Slovenia, a new trend in the tourism world

3.81

In terms of traffic a pretty closed region influenced the development of places in the past. Highway has shortened the route to Podčetrtek, but it is still necessary to use local scenic road that leads to one of the most beautiful wine-growing towns in Slovenia. Increasing connections to the Zagreb airport, which is only 1 hour and 20minute drive away, put Podčetrtek in an improved position for the organisation of international events.

C Tourist Infrastructure

1. First time ever – Festival of Wine&Chocolate in Sports hall Podčetrtek

4.21

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Enjoy the vineyard covered hills, a spa day in Terme Olimia, visit the biggest regional park in Slovenia and marvel at Olimje and Podčetrtek, two of the most beautiful villages in Europe. Come and discover one of the most beautiful and friendly parts of Slovenia.

WHO TO CONTACT Terme Olimia d.d., Zdraviliška cesta 24, 3254 Podčetrtek, Slovenia Mr. Jani Golob, E: kongresi@terme-olimia.com T: +386 51 66 70 66; www.terme-olimia.com be advantageously applied for congress guests. The biggest advantage is a diverse offer and a range of adventure and variety in a small area, which makes it a good use of time also for business guests.

F Marketing buzz

4.21

For Podčetrtek their tourism is spurred on by Terme Olimia, a company that quickly grasped the potential of congress tourism and today, especially in the corporate area, is managing to stand up well to some much stronger players. The destination is well connected and for its size the marketing is incredibly innovative and progressive.

G ICCA index:

1.00

H Numbeo quality of life Index:

4.20

I Global Peace Index:

4.07

The complete offer of Podčetrtek is intended primarily for tourism. However, everything intended for recreation can

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MARIBOR

MEETINGS STAR AWARD FINALIST - BEST MEETING DESTINATION 2014

EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE

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eographically the city is defined by the Drava River basin and the green Pohorje, which is one of Slovenia’s largest forested areas. If there is fog in Ljubljana, Maribor will probably be having sunshine. Maribor is a small and friendly city, especially friendly and easy to use for conference and congress guests. Maribor has no shortage of special venues for events. Lent, the former Drava River Maribor has everything bigger ones have (only in a smaller format). Compared to other Slovenian Meetings destinations like Ljubljana, Portorož and Bled it possibly has a

bit less experience in the field of meetings industry, which it compensates with friendly attitude of suppliers, that give the client a feeling that he or she is wanted.

DID YOU KNOW That in Maribor grows ‘Old Vine’, the oldest vine in the world and the oldest living specimen on our planet of a noble grape vine that still bears grapes! At an age of over 400 years it is registered in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest vine on the planet.

COOL MEETINGS Before downing the “Pohorje blue berries” liquor, try the “Pohorje pot”. It is a traditional dish that can be found in huts all over Pohorje; on special request it will also be prepared for your guests at Hotel Habakuk!

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ICCA 2013 Country and City Ranking Wordlwide: 328th place Europe: 164th place Destination grade: Quality Meetings Destination

3.84

4.23 A Nature and Cultural Factors Maribor is in the centre of Styria with a rich history that is reflected in its cultural heritage. The landscape diversity of fertile soil, beautiful nature, forests, clean streams, and the green Pohorje are the basics for all kinds of add-ons for the meetings industry. Maribor is also the cultural centre of the country.

4.15

Transport Infrastructure, mostly because of the inactive Maribor Airport, is the weakest part of the Maribor meetings industry offer. Otherwise Maribor is a safe and pleasant city to live in. Its speciality is an extraordinary access to nature.

C Tourist Infrastructure

1. International rowing regatta in 2016 – This exciting international sports event is particularly exciting because of performances by finalists and medal winners of the Youth World Championship!

2. Lent festival - Celebrates its 21st anniversary this year.

INDIVIDUAL GRADES:

B General and Transport Infrastructure

WHAT’S HOT

4.15

3. Pruning the oldest Wine in the world – in 2014 Maribor will celebrate 35th Anniversary of Pruning the oldest Wine in the wordl. Pruning of the Old Vine is one of the highlights of the entire cycle of events dedicated to the Old Vine, which end with a ceremonial grape harvest. An attractive cultural program invites each year visitors from near and far to one of the banks of the river Drava.

4. New Film 2014 – Maribor the City on river Drava: The film presents the most popular and beautiful spots in the city of Maribor - old town, city wine hills, oldest vine tree in the world, Pohorje Mountain, city park - during romantic winter time through the eyes of a foreign visitor.

5. Habakuk Hotel****, Terme Maribor d.o.o. is the winner of Brand Leader Award2014: The Leading provider of wellness and medical tourism in South East Europe. Award is awarded based on standardized criteria: innovation, high market visibility and positioning of the authentic product.

In Maribor and its immediate surroundings there are over 109 accommodation facilities with some 1,500 rooms. A little over half of these are in hotels that are mostly of medium or higher categories and are suitable for business tourism. The additional tourist offer is well developed, especially for sports and recreation.

D Meetings Infrastructure

4.12

Congress offer of Maribor is concentrated in company Terme Maribor and their hotels Habakuk, Piramida (Pyramid) and Bellevue. This company and partly also Sports Centre Pohorje and City Hotel are carriers of offer and development. The town is very rich with additional convention programmes suitable for incentives but unfortunately a comprehensive offer of Pohorje and the town is under-utilised and not presented, convention bureau does not operate, and there are chronic shortages of specialised agencies. A more intensive co-operation between all players of the destination is essential and we hope that the ECC Project will have a positive impact on the destination.

E Subjective mark

4.14

Maribor is an excellent meetings destination whose biggest problem is its meetings identity and visibility and the absence of co-operation between the suppliers. In Maribor you will not be able to find a specialised DMC agency with local knowledge.

F Marketing buzz

4.35

Maribor has for some time had its own convention bureau and is firmly on the meetings industry map, but unfortunately the crisis hit them the hardest in all of Slovenia, with the consequence that they had to reduce their promotional budget. The destination is making every effort to maintain its presence and given this hard work the promotional part of the Maribor story will soon improve.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Lent, the oldest part of the city, where you can explore the oldest city sights, try a traditional raft ride, and in summertime visit the international multi-cultural Festival Lent, when the Drava embankment turns into a whirlpool of top cultural events and entertainment, and where many bars, coffeehouses and restaurants with international cuisine invite you to sit around and enjoy their excellent catering offers.

WHO TO CONTACT Maribor - Pohorje Tourist Board, Tkalski prehod 4, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia, Ms. Bernarda Karo, E: bernarda.karo@maribor.si, T: +386 2 234 66 08, www.maribor-pohorje.si

G ICCA index:

1.19

H Numbeo quality of life Index:

4.20

I Global Peace Index:

4.07

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PIRAN CITY OF SALT

M

edieval Piran is definitely one of the most portrayed cities on Slovenian tourist postcards. It stays in my memory as a place where many movies from my youth were filmed. During the 1950s, it was the centre of the Slovenian film industry and the movie scenes filmed there left an unforgettable impression in the memory of the viewers and awakened in them a desire to come visit it.

Personally, I see Piran as a cultural and creative Mediterranean city, as for many years it has been delighting visitors of the Golden Drum Advertising Festival and many other events, which are all represented in the statue of the Serbian

DID YOU KNOW The Tartini kiss – a kiss under the statue dedicated to the famous musician from Piran, Tartini – is a guarantee of luck and prosperity. Maybe you will find your luck on 6 July, International Kissing Day.

advertising pioneer Dragan Sakan standing next to the Teater Café. Only a few places are capable of paying tribute to the legend and the advertising genius of the Balkans in such a manner as Piran did.

Top of the Adriatic The lighthouse of Piran, the most exposed and attractive sight, represents a symbolic peak of the Northern Adriatic Sea and is known by all sailors. Together with St. George’s Church it is a symbolic centre of the Mediterranean. Piran and its surroundings feature many natural landmarks. The highest flysch wall on the Adriatic, the Strunjan cliff, with its peak 80 meters above sea level, olive groves in the hinterland and the famous Sečovlje saltpans are just a fraction of the rich natural and cultural heritage of this city. The list of cultural monuments is endless; to start off, there is Tartini Square, the Minorite Monastery, the famous “Benečanka”, a building that dates back to the era of the Venetian Republic, and the Tartini’s House.

COOL MEETINGS Piran sea bass – it became a local culinary specialty owing to the Fonda family, which has been breading this “king of all fishes” with passion and commitment on a sea farm in the middle of the Piran gulf. Each sea bass bears a designation of origin and a quality guarantee.

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WHAT’S HOT Destination grade: Quality Meetings Destination

3.93

INDIVIDUAL GRADES:

A Natural and cultural factors

4.82

Piran has always been a meeting point of different languages and cultures, due to its prestigious strategic location, and the centre of northern Istria. Because of the seabed formation and the diverse flora and fauna, the underwater world which surrounds the cape of Piran is probably the most beautiful and the most vivid part of the Slovenian sea. Despite the shallow waters, the short coastline and intensive urbanisation, the Slovenian sea is invaluable from the viewpoint of biodiversity.

B General and traffic infrastructure

4.15

As its window to the rest of the world, the Slovenian coast plays a crucial role for Slovenia. In terms of traffic connections, we cannot avoid the fact that this is the only part of Slovenian territory which is not only accessible by road and air but also by sea. With the rapid development of the airports in Venice and Trieste it is well connected to the rest of the world from the standpoint of congress guests.

C Tourist infrastructure

4.02

One could say that the Bernardin hotels are the main hotel resort in Piran, although one could easily place them in Portorož. On the one hand the complex offers a wide enough and sufficiently comprehensive range of services for all tastes, and on the other there are quite a few boutique hotels in the city, among which the Piran and the Tartini hotel are the most popular. The destination is persistently trying to improve its tourist services, which have not yet reached their full potential, and that is probably what makes it so attractive.

D Meetings infrastructure

4.15

The Bernardin Congress Centre is the first and the largest hotel congress centre in Slovenia. Its multifunctional design sets the standards for all similar centres in the region. The biggest hall can host up to 1,100 participants. In Piran, you will find a true treasure from the Secession period of architecture, the Tartini Theatre. Furthermore, it has to be pointed out that you probably will not find more picturesque openair venues elsewhere on the Slovenian coastline.

E Subjective grade

4.26

The locals and everyone involved in organising events must realize that they live in a historically and culturally important environment, which is full of interesting stories. These make the city unique and the guest curious. Stories can be a source of inspiration for incentive programmes, some of which have already been successfully implemented. One such example is the innovative incentive programmes organised by the Fonda family.

F Marketing buzz

4.66

The joint promotion of Piran and Portorož may seem logical at first glance; however, a different approach is worth considering because these are two quite different MICE stories.

The weakest link is the fact that Piran does not have an active office for the meetings industry which would summarise

1. Saltpans Feast – The Saltpans Feast takes place at the end of April (the last weekend in April). A new season of salt gathering begins on St. George’s Day. 2. Internautica – In the first weeks of May, the international boat and nautical equipment fair Internautica takes place in Portorož. Every year, the Internautica Fair is visited by more than 10,000 people.

3. Tartini Festival – An international festival of chamber music dedicated to the memory of the life and spirit of Giuseppe Tartini, the famous classical composer who was born in Piran.

4. Slovenian Film Festival – A cultural and business event, a meeting place for filmmakers, film enthusiasts, experts and business partners.

5. The Golden Drum – The Golden Drum is an annual international advertising festival that takes place in October in Portorož and Piran.

6. Piran Days of Architecture – An international architectural conference with one of the oldest traditions in the world.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Find the lost Tartini violin in Piran – this adventure will lead you through the hidden streets of Piran, Casa Veneziana, Monastery Cloister, to the many secrets of the past search- ing for pieces of violin. At the market place which will give you an introduction to the Istrain culinary delights the great final act will be performed – a music performance by the founder of the hidden violin. One idea with a triple remix: culture, culinary and active involvement of the whole team.

WHO TO CONTACT Bernardin Resorts & Hotels, Obala 2, 6320 Portorož, Ms. Mojca Gobina, E: mojca.gobina@bernardingroup.si; T: +386 5 690 7302, www.portoroz.si/en

everything the city has to offer under one roof and place it on international markets. Besides, for an external observer, congress services seem poorly structured and stiff.

G ICCA index:

1.02

H Numbeo quality of life Index:

4.20

I Global Peace Index:

4.07

Comparison with the region: Piran is probably the most inspiring Slovenian meetings destination. In the past, the people living in the city were inspired to discover things and to make more out of them, and therefore today Piran is full of artwork, marvellous facades and creative MICE stories. At each step exceptional encoun- ters are waiting to be discovered and what they need is only a bit of a boost and some extra energy. For quite some time the city has been living in the shadow of its notorious tourist neighbour Portorož; the truth is, however, that in the future Piran will stand out if it decides for the right differentiationIncentive programmes do not have much competition in the Istrian region, and another big advantage is a fully developed meetings industry product and a tourist tradition. What is missing is better oriented destination management, which would ensure joint marketing with a stronger emphasis on Piran. To congress guests Piran can offer more than Portorož – the gastronomic scene is better and the spirit of the city is still largely untapped.

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UMAG AND NORTHERN ISTRIA DOOR TO THE ADRIATIC

N

orth-western Istria offers a genuine and very active conference experience. Options of activities with which you will fill up the schedule of your conference guests are countless. In Umag and its surroundings there is a very special spirit of sport in the air. It is an interesting and attractive congress destination because of its proximity to major convention markets in the region. Perhaps at the moment we can only reproach it a slightly reduced visibility. The establishment of a convention bureau would help it a lot in terms of development and promotion of the congress product and improve its image on the international convention scene. That the destination is capable is demonstrated by some big events that have recently moved to Umag from some much more famous Croatian convention places.

DID YOU KNOW Did you know that Umag is the first city you will reach when approaching Colours of istria from western Europe?

COOL MEETINGS Istrian truffles are rightly called Istrian gold and represent the culmination of gastronomy offer of the largest Adriatic peninsula. It is most prevalent in Mirna valley. White truffle is the most prized species; it is picked from the beginning of October until the end of December. Truffles are an indicator of pristine nature. We recommend tasting in the form of ‘fuži’ with truffles.

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WHAT’S HOT Destination grade: Quality Meetings Destination

3.74

INDIVIDUAL GRADES:

A Natural and Cultural Factors

4.35

Hinterland of Umag has retained some of its primal nature.

Olive groves are intertwined with vines and produce excellent wine and olive oil. Specific climate, cultural heritage and rich history excite tourists, but especially excite Istrans who impress with their distinctive positive energy.

B General and Transport Infrastructure

4.05

Door to Istria literally means that Umag is nearest to some major convention markets in the vicinity. The highway Ypsilon connected Istria to the mainland and also improved accessibility to guest who arrive by plane. Umag is a destination that is accessible from three airports (Ljubljana, Trieste, Pula) in less than two hours, which should not be an obstacle for international congress organisers to think about it for organisation of international congresses and events.

C Tourist Infrastructure

4.45

By connecting to the hotel chain Sol Melia Istraturist has got a fresh wind and a higher standard of hotels. Where before there were holiday villages of lower categories there are now apartments and villas for the most discerning guests.

Changes of the major tourist player in north-western Istria, were also followed by Laguna Novigrad, whose accommodation offer has also much improved in recent years. Sports facilities, from golf courses to indoor swimming pools complement the offer and Umag is from the summer increasingly turning into a destination for all seasons.

D Meetings Infrastructure

3.65

Unlike some destinations that have congress centres, but lack additional offer, Umag has planned and developed co-operation with suppliers in the Istrian hinterland, which is certainly an additional motive for event organisers. Although the largest hotel hall can only accommodate 350 participants, the Istraturist team is not intimidated even by an event for 1.500 participants, for which they are ready to shake up even the tennis hall.

E Subjective Grade

4.33

Sometimes we inadvertently overlook destinations that we remember as leisure. With what has changed in recent years in Umag and north-western Istria, it gives a whole new dimension to the destination. Umag is primarily an incentive destination, where we were convinced by hospitable locals and employees in hotels. It provides security, comfort and a range of environmentally friendly outdoor activities.

Integration of local suppliers is in full swing and gives the impression that the entire destination aspires toward worldclass incentive, sports, culinary and experiential services.

F Marketing buzz

4.12

Umag has all the conditions and requirements to become one of the hottest incentive destinations in the region. We are eagerly awaiting the establishment of the first Incentive

1. 14th Anniversary of Moto Meeting Old Rockers – Once again this year one of the biggest and most visited motorcycle meetups in the region offers to thrill all bikers and fans of fast two-wheeled machines a frenetic and loud opening of the season at the Stella Maris camp in the vicinity of Umag 2. 26th Croatia Open Umag – The town is the host to world-ranking tennis players, while the cream of society, journalists and reporters, sports experts and tennis aficionados spend time in and around the luxurious tennis complex Stella Maris.

3. International Festival of Antique Sepomaia viva – Popular among the inhabitants and the guests, the historic festival Sepomaia viva invites some ancient times when Istria was ruled by the Romans. White wine was drunk with honey, and rose petals were added to the red one.

4. MIK – the Festival of Melodies of Istria and Kvarner – The Festival of Melodies of Istria and Kvarner, the only travelling music festival in Croatia, will go on another journey through Istria, Kvarner and islands, reviving the tradition of indigenous chakavian speech blended in the melodic expression of Istria and Primorje. This year, MIK’s caravan tour is making a stop in Umag.

5. Kempinski Hotel Adriatic will host another exhibition of Devin Miles artwork – Devin Miles is a pioneer of the German neo-pop movement.

Fascinated by the iconic movie stars of the 1950’s and the 60’, such as Audrey Hepburn, Romy Schneider, Brigitte Bardot, James Dean and Steve McQueen, this German artist pays homage to them in his own innovative way.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA Hunt for the Istrian white truffle, one of the most renowned in the world, near Gračišće and Livade, accompanied by a professional truffle hunter and a trained dog.

WHO TO CONTACT Umag Tourist Board, Trgovačka 6, 52470 Umag, Croatia Ms. Sanda Bravar, E: info@istria-umag.com, T: +385 (0)52 741-363 www.coloursofistria.com/destinations/umag Bureau in the region, which we believe will also take care of appropriate promotion.

G ICCA index:

1.00

H Numbeo quality of life Index:

4.00

I Global Peace Index:

3.70

Comparison with the region: Among the competing congress destinations, Umag even a year ago would be easily overlooked, but today it is already hosting the most demanding events such as the most important Microsoft event Windays. This proves that the destination is profiled as a congress and especially incentive location. To the good functioning a great destination management contributes a great deal, which in a form of a cluster from 2010 is promoted under the brand “Colours of Istria”.

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Off The Beaten Track

OFF THE BEATEN MICE TRACK TRIESTE TRAM “El tram de Opicina”

• OUT THERE •

• STAY •

• MEET IN STYLE •

The famous Trieste–Opicine tramway has been connecting Trieste and Opicine since 1902 and is today considered as one of the symbols of the city. The tram has both a remarkable historical and a transport importance for Trieste, but in our present times it is more than anything else an important tourist means of getting about that provides a unique incentive experience. The tramway is one of the few in world that operates on one part of the track as a wire funicular, a section that is named Škorklja (it. Scorcola). The tram stops at 11 stations that are located near to attractions that are all worth a visit, such as the Obelisk dedicated to Austrian Emperor Franz I., the church on Kolonje dedicated to Mary, Queen of peace, and the Škorklja peak, from where you have a view right over Trieste.

Trieste is a lovely city with a great soul and many attractions, making it well worth a visit and an excellent convention destination. The first choice of the hotels is definitely the Savoia Excelsior Palace. It is a really good example of why hotels like it are still complete bestsellers and it is a beacon in an otherwise fairly jaded Trieste hotel scene. With its offer the hotel can be a good launch pad for reinvigorating Trieste as a congress destination. The most elegant first-category hotel probably of the wider region also impresses with its location and superior level of service.

The journey takes about 20 minutes in total and anyone who has ever travelled by tram already knows it is a unique experience. The track meanders between Trieste’s steep streets and descends from a height of 330 metres to sea level, offering magnificent views of the gulf. The vehicle fleet includes six classic blue trams from 1935 and two from the starting period of 1902 that operate only on special occasions. These old-timers can be driven only by “legendary” tram drivers, among them Rudolf Purič (often called by his nickname Dolfi), who has been a tramviere for 17 years. This is an extraordinary experience for all lovers of technical history and marvellous views.

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Off The Beaten Track TOP 3 INCENTIVE IDEAS 1. Coffee Academy –in the city of coffee experience rounds lecture at Illy Academy followed by a guided tour of the production of one of the most famous coffee roasting mills in the world.

2. Culinary Adventure in Karst – wandering through karst farms, tasting the authentic flavours of karst, karst prosciutto and top quality wines, all of which you then prepare by yourself in a perfect dinner for you and your colleagues.

3. Geo-coaching adventure – the world famous game, by which you will find the hidden objects at interesting locations between Trieste and the famous castle of Miramar, is suitable for all those with an adventurous soul.

• OFF THE EATEN TRACK •

• LOCALISM •

• GETTING THERE •

Among the outstanding cuisine of Trieste there is a healthy selection of restaurants, so it is more a matter of the daily inspiration and the depth of your wallet. The range is remarkable and takes in the legendary Buffet da Pepi, a café in the city centre that was opened in 1897 by Trieste Slovenian Pepi Klajnšič and where today you can enjoy well cooked pork. The main square has one more Trieste attraction worth a peek: Harry’s Bar. This is a culinary magnet of the city, especially renowned for its interior design in the Venetian style, and it has been awarded three Michelin guide medals, making it considered to be one of the most prestigious restaurants in the city.

If coffee has an alternative name, then it is ‘Trieste’. Coffee has been connected with Trieste in several ways and for a long time, and not only because it is in Trieste, as elsewhere in Italy, that the culture of drinking this aromatic beverage developed and that the Viennese cafes – some of them surviving until today – were defining social life back then when Trieste was under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but also because they load the majority of the raw coffee in Italy right in Trieste itself. So it is then that the process of making the coffee continues here, from choosing the best mixture to the roasting and the packaging. It is no coincidence that there are also some of the world’s largest coffee processors, such as Illy, Hausbrandt and Cremcaffe, all in Trieste.

It is recommended that you take the tram from Opicine, as there are numerous free parking spaces there and you can avoid the nerve-wracking drive through Trieste and frantic search for a parking space, which in any case are all payable. Trieste is also easily accessible by a modern highway from Venice and the improved flight connections are also worth a mention.

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DIRECTORY Trieste Trasporti S.p.A. Via dei Lavoratori, 2 34144 Trieste, Italy www.triestetrasporti.it

Kongres meetologue

OFF THE BEATEN MICE TRACK PIVOVARNA UNION “The Union Experience”

• OUT THERE • Pivovarna Union d.d. is one of the largest jointstock enterprises in Slovenia with a brewing tradition dating back to 1864. With their stateof-the-art technology and equipment, premium-quality ingredients and years of expertise they brew the best beer in the country and produce a wide range of refreshing non-alcoholic beverages as well. History buffs and devoted beer lovers like us have the possibility of taking a guided tour of the brewery that the Kosler family started to build in 1864 and experiencing the whole production process - from brewing to packaging and storing of beer - as well as visiting the Brewery Museum that was established in 1986. It was the first museum of brewing in Slovenia and one of the largest on the European continent, but that’s not all it is: in 2014 Pivovarna Union extended its offer by opening ‘The Union Brewery Pub’ set in the old malting plant building. The Pub soon became the place to be on the Slovenian Beer Scene and is nowadays also popular with foreign guests who cherish the local experience and love trying something new. Another change that is shaping the future of the brewery is also the fact that in 2015 Heineken acquired a majority stake in

Pivovarna Union d.d. With their joint powers they now intend to fully follow market trends, further improve the existing product ranges as well as develop and introduce new ones. We look forward to seeing what’s next!

• STAY • Arranging accommodation within walking distance of Pivovarna Union is easy. The closest hotel is Hotel Lev, which is perfect for anyone looking for classical elegance and modern comfort. It is also a great meeting hotel, with its largest hall welcoming up to 400 guests.

In the near vicinity are also lovely hotels like Hotel Slon, City Hotel, Grand Hotel Union and a number of others. Although Ljubljana is a small city, it offers a wide range of apartments and hostels suitable for every wallet and taste.

• MEET IN STYLE • The Union Experience unveils a rich mix of history, technology and pleasure. It is an amazing experience ideal for incentives, or just as a part of a social programme within the remit of a conference, congress or meeting. It can definitely be that “icing on the cake” you might have been looking for. Depending on the time 152

and level of curiosity you can decide between Union Experience2 and Union Experience3.

The first programme includes a museum visit with a free glass of beer that can be enjoyed later at the Union Brewery Pub, while the second programme also adds a guided tour through the production facilities, where the secrets of beer production and the other beverages of Pivovarna Union are revealed. If you are looking for a get-together in a pleasant brewery style atmosphere, the Union Experience is definitely something that will bring a smile on the faces of your clients, not to mention quench their thirst “Union style”…

• OFF THE EATEN TRACK • You might think that in a brewery the focus would be exclusively on beer, but Branko Podmenik, chef of Pivnica Union, is definitely succeeding in mixing modern food with traditional values along with their home-made beers.

Together with the attentive and friendly staff helping you select the right beer with your food choice, they offer a really perfect mix for the food & beer experience.

Kongres meetologue

TOP 3 INCENTIVE IDEAS 1. Beer tasting – Indulge your taste buds with a variety of different beers brewed by Pivovarna Union and served nice and cold in the Union Brewery Pub. Enjoy a selection of culinary creations that complement the different types of beers or surprise your guests with à la carte dishes prepared in front of their eyes at the pub’s open kitchen.

2. A walk through the beer history – Understand the significance of beer brewing by visiting the Brewery Museum. Learn how the brewing process has changed over the years.

3. Beer is brewed in Union heaven – Find out how professionals brew beer. Visit the production and take a walk through a technological process of brewing, packaging and storing of this globally popular beverage.

The open kitchen of the Union Brewery Pub cooks up a combination of some traditional Slovenian food with some modern cuisine, the menu offering both a broad food selection and price range, from a weekly menu serving lunch and snacks to à la carte food, house specials with beer, warm and cold appetizers, soups, steaks, desserts and more. A full choice is at your disposal - depending on how much time and money you have, of course.

The food offer is topped off with the house’s main focus – the beer from the Pivovarna Union brewery, where it has been brewed since 1867.

They offer a huge choice of Union, Laško and Heineken beers, bottled and on tap, and the personnel is always there to help out with the right combination depending on your food choice.

With all of this it is no wonder that the Union Brewery Pub is featuring among the top rated experiences in Ljubljana and is very popular with tourists and locals.

• LOCALISM • “Brewers choice” – an exclusive offer of beer!

We agree with Plato, who said: “He was a wise man who invented beer.” Everywhere we go we love to try something local, and what can

be more local than the local beer offer? From the “King” Union pale beer to a dark beer and a selection of unfiltered beers, the popular Union drink is always brewed only from selected natural ingredients. Staying local is the key to success. Only a few aficionados know that the Union Brewery even today draws the total amount of exquisite water from their own wells and use only Slovenian hops. Most varieties of beer they produce can be bought in restaurants and shops around the country and abroad, but a special selection, called the “Brewers selection”, can be imbibed only at their pub. So whether you are organising an event, incentive, meeting, celebrating a birthday, a promotion at your job or would like to enjoy a cold glass of this tasty Slovenian beer with a great Champions League match, the Union Brewery Pub is the best place to do it.

• GETTING THERE • Pivovarna Union is located in the centre of Ljubljana. It is about a 30-minute drive from the Jože Pučnik airport, a 15-minute walk from the railway station and just a few minutes’ walk from the main sightseeing attractions. There are no free parking spaces on the premises, but 153

you can park your car across the street in the Tivoli Park car park. To get around the city you can also use the free “BicikeLJ” bicycle-sharing system, or public buses for which lines 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 25 will take you directly to the brewery, as the bus station is located in front of the main entrance.

DIRECTORY Pivovarna Union Union Experience Celovška cesta 22, Ljubljana T: 041 30 30 50; 01 47 17 335 E: info@union-experience.si ; rezervacije@pivnica-union.si www.union-experience.si www.pivnica-union.si

Kongres meetologue

OFF THE BEATEN MICE TRACK NIKOLA TESLA. THE PRESENT IS THEIRS, THE FUTURE IS MINE

• OUT THERE •

• STAY •

• MEET IN STYLE •

The genius scientist, engineer and inventor has in the past often been overlooked, but more recently has been gaining his deserved recognition. Contributing to this recognition is the excellent exhibition currently on display at the CD Congress Centre in Ljubljana. The ambitious project is a co-production of the CD Congress Centre and the Museum of Nikola Tesla in Belgrade, the home of Dr. Branislav Jovanović, author of the exhibition. Tesla mostly worked in the USA, where he patented more than 300 inventions, and in addition to these inventions the exhibition also showcases the issues of creativity and innovation in contemporary society, comprising several thematic sections illustrated by models, from operating models of Tesla’s inventions to video and sound recordings as well as, among others, also a scale model of a hydro power plant on the Niagara and an aircraft with vertical take-off!

Ljubljana offers a wide range of hotels suitable to meet the spectrum of different traveller needs and budgets. With the boutique hotel offer in mind, we strongly recommend Hotel Cubo in the immediate vicinity of the CD Congress Centre.

It offers 26 designer rooms, furnished with top quality materials and stylish furniture, and since its opening the hotel has been scooping up one award after the next. For larger groups, we recommend the city’s famous Grand Hotel Union, which last year celebrated its 110th anniversary.

The hotel is known for its stunning Art Nouveau style and is also the largest congress hotel in Ljubljana.

Running to 6 November 2016 the current exhibition is interesting for every participant of professional congresses as well as for the general public visiting Ljubljana. It is a special congress experience suitable for small groups as well as individual excursions. In this the year of Ljubljana holding the title of ‘The European Green Capital of Europe’, Tesla’s study from the year 1900 on “The problem of increasing human energy” is extremely relevant. It identifies the key challenges for mankind that until now we have been unable to solve. Tesla was a man before his time with a great understanding of the future, so much so that he and his definition of what a great man is (one who gathers knowledge like a bee is gathering honey and uses this knowledge to help his fellow men out of trouble, disease...) are still relevant today.

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Kongres meetologue TOP 3 INCENTIVE IDEAS 1. Urban beekeeping – A guided tour of some of the unique characteristics of CD Congress centre, the urban beehives located on the roof are a clear statement of an environmentally-friendly business philosophy at the core of their thinking.

2. Heroes of SFRY – Learning about the city’s streets, places and buildings that will give a good impression of the modernist architecture of the Slovenian capital. It is to a large extent shaped by Edvard Ravnikar, who was the first to bring the architectural and urban planning principles of Le Corbusier to this region.

3. Green Urban Experience – Trnulja offers a genuine congress experience by which you will fall straight from the city into a parallel world that is also fairly unknown to the locals of Ljubljana but is close to the childhood world of Nikola Tesla.

• OFF THE EATEN TRACK • CD Congress Centre is located in the heart of the administrative and gourmet centre of Ljubljana.

The capital city is becoming an important stop for fans of gastronomy and new Slovenian cuisine. For better orientation of the city’s Epicuream trail we recommend that you use a guide that we ourselves trust due to its quality criteria - “Teden restavracij” (Restaurant Week) is available at www.tedenrestavracij.si. 86 Slovenian restaurants and pubs were a part of this year’s Spring Restaurant Week.

• LOCALISM • CD Congress Centre is the work of architect Edvard Ravnikar and is an integral part of the Republic Square. It was built in the era of modernism and stands as a clear example of monumental architecture, comparable to the achievements of Alvar Aalto and his Finlandia congress hall. Many of its small details surprise the visitor, but what impresses most of all is the

fact that the venue’s architecture has preserved its value. The current renovation, which generated voluble controversy, gave the convention centre a more elegant and contemporary feel with more natural materials. By visiting the exhibition you also have a good chance to take in an architectural tour of this part of Ljubljana.

• GETTING THERE • The administrative zone where CD Congress Centre is located is easily accessible by foot, car or public transport. There is a big car park below Republic Square, while the city’s newest car park is just a stone’s throw away under Congress Square. Both meet the needs of those congress guests arriving in the city by car. The biggest advantage of the location is that all of the city’s sights, and especially the key hotels, are within walking distance. With all of this in mind we can confidently claim say that CD Congress Centre is a congress- and guest-friendly location.

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Directory CANKARJEV DOM Prešernova cesta 10 1000 Ljubljana T.: +386 (0)1 241 71 22 E.: congress@cd-cc.si www.cd-cc.si

Kongres meetologue

OFF THE BEATEN MICE TRACK TATRE SHERPAS. The Kings of the Mountains

• OUT THERE •

• STAY •

• MEET IN STYLE •

The High Tatras is the highest mountain range of the Carpathian Mountains, which stretches right from the west to the east side of the SlovakPolish border and with the highest peak being Gerlachovcky Štit (2,655m). With its natural beauty the High Tatras are truly remarkable; in addition to the beautiful mountains and relatively easily accessible peaks there is also a wealth of lakes, well-marked hiking trails and the secret Tartras Sherpas. The cabins in the Tatras are supplied by the Sherpas, who to this day compete for which of them is able to carry the most cargo.

It’s a unique subculture and a lifestyle personified by Števo Bačkor – Pišta, your guide to the world of the Tatra Sherpa culture. Although they are not as renowned as their Himalayan namesakes, a meeting with them is definitely exotic and full of life lessons.

It’s not difficult to find accommodation in Horny Smokovec, where there is everything from firstclass hotels to private boarding houses. Grand Hotel Bellevue is the largest and most functional convention hotel in the Tatras, with a comprehensive range that even offers bowling. Grand Hotel Stary Smokovec is an institution where many celebrities have stayed and during 1945 the hotel was even the office of the President of Czechoslovakia. In addition to the diverse hotel offer there is an option to stay at a number of different villas, private boarding houses or in hotels in nearby cities. For the most demanding guests we recommend the iconic Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras that is considered to be one of the best hotels of Europe.

In a picturesque Swiss chalet the culture of the Sherpas in the Tatras will be introduced to you by Števo Bačkor. In “developed” Europe mountain cabin supplies are provided by helicopter, the same practice that is used in Tatras, and yet the Sherpa culture that is admired by many has survived and proved that it is an important way of life which in Europe not to be found anywhere else. It is a one-of-a-kind sense of dependence and unique specialty of the Tatras.

The Swiss chalet that is the centre point for all of the Sherpas is also special. The picturesque building is from the turn of the century and the time of the beginning of tourism. Along with the legendary chalet we suggest you also get to know the Sherpa culture on the roads that they use - in Slovakia they are well marked out with signs and signposts. Your efforts will ultimately pay off with a genuine experience in one of the mountain chalets (Chata). For starters we recommend the path to Rainer’s, the oldest chalet, at an altitude of 1,295m.

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TOP 3 INCENTIVE IDEAS 1. Sherpa Caffe – Do you have any idea what the maximum weight is that a Sherpa can carry? On average 50-80kg, but through an enlightening experience in the museum you will get to learn more about the various record holders.

2. Sherpa Rally – How much cargo can you carry? Try putting a heavy load on your back and test your own strength and skills in the Tatra valleys, or compete at the annual Sherpa rally.

3. Tatratea at 2,634 m – There is also a more elegant way to get to the Tatras peaks - a Gondola will take you to Lomnický Štit where spectacular views of the surrounding mountains will leave you breathless. As there is only one gondola that carries 15 people the time for enjoying the view is limited to 50 minutes, during which time we recommend you try “Tatratea”, the local herbal potion that will give you wings. If with a group you can also arrange to reserve the entire, very pleasantly decorated cafe at 2,634 m.

• OFF THE EATEN TRACK • Various mountain chalets offer congress guests an overnight stay and invite them to visit some of the authentic local restaurants. For the more demanding diner, we recommend a visit to Culinarium in Horný Smokovc, where celebrity chef Gabriel Kočak prepares traditional dishes with a modern twist but fear not, for you can also try the Slovak national dish of “bryndzové halušky” here, dumplings made of potato dough and coated with a mixture of sheep’s ricotta and cream and dressed with crackling.

• LOCALISM • The charismatic Gabriel Kocak is a Slovak celebrity chef from the Tatras who places a great emphasis on local and seasonal ingredients. A visit to the Cullinarium restaurant is thus an ultra-culinary experience. If the inside of the restaurant does not impress you enough, Gabriel’s creations that he draws from Scandinavian cuisine will undoubtedly leave you in awe. He studied under the best masters in Michelin

star restaurants and has cooked for celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz and George Michael.

est cargo carried up the mountain by a Sherpa goes to Laco Kulanga, who carried 211kg to the Skalnatá chata cabin.

• GETTING THERE •

DIRECTORY SHERPA CAFFE Švajčiarsky dom Starý Smokovec č.7 062 01 STARÝ SMOKOVEC Slovakia T: +421 903 319 591 E: pista.backor@gmail.com www.sherpacaffe.sk

Travelling between places in the Tatras is easy due to Tatras Mountain Railway, which connects Poprad, the centre of the region, with Tatra tourist destinations. The scenic railway is nostalgic as well as a sustainable way to travel between spots. Road links are also excellent and there is a highway most of the way to Bratislava or Kosice, with the exception of some short sections. An option is also to fly, as the airport in Poprad is well connected with other destinations through Wizz Air, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe that has recently opened a connection to London.

• MEET BUSTERS • The average age of the Sherpa is somewhere between 20-30 years old and most of them work as freelancers. The record for the heavi157

Kongres meetologue

OFF THE BEATEN MICE TRACK A TOKAJ ADVENTURE. The wine of the King and the King of wine

• OUT THERE • We’re going to start by assuming that you didn’t know that the Tokaj viticultural area extends into Slovakia, something that triggered a dispute between the Slovaks and Hungarians a few years ago that was settled in 2012 at the General Court of the European Union. As this part of Slovakia was once a part of Hungary, the Slovak story about Tokaj was often overlooked. Regardless of the geography and agricultural policies, the most typical product of this famous wine region are the Tokaj sweet dessert wines, obtained from grapes attacked by Botrytis cinerea and thereby causing the fermentation to occur at low temperatures. King Louis XIV of France once said that this is ‘the wine of Kings and King of wines’.

In cultivating the grapes they use a special microflora and a necrotrophic fungus, Botrytis cinerea, that causes a “noble” rotting of the grapes. From such overripe and mildew infected grapes they then hand pick the ripest berries and put them in 32-litre grape baskets. From these berries they get the must that is the main

reason for the famous Tokaj and because of the high sugar content is very poorly fermented.

• STAY • There are many possibilities for accommodation for smaller incentive groups, one of which is staying with the lovely, hospitable Macik family.

Their welcoming Bed & Breakfast in the village of Mala Trna can accommodate up to 23 guests.

In addition to overnight accommodation they also offer fine cuisine in the heart of the wine region. Also popular among incentive groups is the Zlatá Putňa boarding house, with its wholesome hotel and culinary offer.

If you are visiting this part of Slovakia as a part of a larger group, we suggest finding congress accommodation in Košice, Slovakia’s second largest city that is only an hour away. There are many options for congress hotels, from Yasmin and Double Tree by Hilton to smaller boutique hotels. Most wineries can accommodate groups of up to 100 people.

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• MEET IN STYLE • We familiarized ourselves with the whole process of wine production in the Macik Winery, one of the more reputed Slovak wine cellars. It is considered a part of the Tokaj wine region, which on the Slovak side comprises of 908 hectares, or 17% of the total famed wine region.

The fifth generation of winemakers continues the family tradition, which has been frequently awarded at different European wine festivals. At this special and magical place some of the best tipples to be had are with their Mono, Axism Tokaj Selection and Tokaj Classic wines.

The highlight of the wine adventure is a candlelit walk through the wine cellars, where new corners appear before your eyes with wine vintages of a venerable old age. Erika Macik is an excellent oenologist who adds an interesting and insightful story or two about Tokaj spiced with tales from the times when the winery was also used as hiding places before the Turkish raids.

Kongres meetologue

TOP 3 INCENTIVE IDEAS 1. Wines story of Slovak Tokaj – a wine tasting in the heart of the Macik wine cellar led by the outstanding Erika Macik. The onus is on you to be able to taste the characteristics and the differences between wines and vintages.

2. Safari in the Tokaj region – A tour of the Tokaj region with off-road vehicles, where its hidden corners will be explored in a dynamic way. Refreshments and a meet with local winemakers are all included in the package.

3. Cycling through the Tokaj region – The picturesque region can best be explored by a team building bicycle ride, with bikes available for rent at the Macik wine cellar.

• OFF THE EATEN TRACK • Although the production of Tokaj wines varies, all Tokaj wines are white and made from only three grape varietals, of which Furmit and Lipovina prevail. Tokaj is one of the oldest grape varieties in the world and its recognizable smell and taste put it among the most popular sweet white wines to go along superbly with deserts.

However, a wide range of wine from the Macik cellars opens up completely new possibilities, as their dry Tokaj can be combined with a wide variety of dishes.

• LOCALISM • The young master of the Macik wine estates is a big fan of Harley-Davidson motorbikes and as motorbikes and beer go hand in hand it is no surprise that, in cooperation with the Slovak craft brewery Kaltenecker, he brews his own craft beer, Tokaj Macik Winery Ipa and Tokaj Ipa. The beer is full-bodied with a citrus aftertaste and sweet raisin aroma reminiscent of the Tokaj wine. It can be found in all the better stocked

wine bars in Bratislava, Košice and also elsewhere in Slovakia.

• GETTING THERE • The Tokaj wine region is situated in the Lower Zemplín in the north-eastern corner of Slovakia.

It is the smallest and most attractive wine-growing region of Slovakia.

The closest major airport is in Kosice, 44 miles (71km) north-east of the Tokaj region, with regular connecting flights to Prague and other Eastern European capitals. The fastest route is by car, taking the E-50 east from Kosice and then 79km south. The drive takes a little over an hour. Alternately, you can take a 45-minute train ride from Kosice to Trebisov and then the regional bus from Trebisov to Vinicky (approx 1 hour).

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• MEET BUSTERS • 2004: AN ARGUMENT lasting almost 40 years between Slovakia and Hungary regarding the Tokaj wine trademark is finally coming to an end. The Agriculture Ministers of both countries signed an agreement on June 3 by which Hungary officially recognised that the Tokaj vineyard area is also located on Slovak territory.

Directory TOKAJ MACIK WINERY s.r.o.

Medzipivničná 174 076 82 Malá Tŕňa, Slovakia E: info@tokajmacik.sk T: +421 56 679 34 66 www.tokajmacik.sk

Kongres meetologue

OFF THE BEATEN MICE TRACK AN INCENTIVE FOR THE HEART, With wines from the heart

• OUT THERE •

• STAY •

The Šipčanik wine cellar is set in the restored Yugoslav People’s Army underground aircraft hangar, where an explosion in 1999 incinerated seventeen type Galeb G4 aircraft in the interior of the building. One of the biggest wine producers in Eastern Europe, 13 Jul Plantaže AD from Podgorica, Montenegro, ordered the reconstruction of the underground facility that is today a wine cellar and a wonderfully arranged area for special events. They host everything here, from protocol events to conferences where the participants can learn about the unique culture of wine production. You could say that with the restoration of the aviation hangar in 2007 a new era of wine tourism in Montenegro was set in motion and a visit to the cellar has quickly become popular among tourists and congress organisers.

The hotel scene in Podgorica is very lively and offers everything from boutique hotels to the first Montenegro Hilton hotel, which opens its doors this year (the owners of the Hilton also managing two congress hotels in the city).

Among the international hotel chains Ramada and Best Western Premier are worthy of a mention and the Podgorica boutique hotel selection is truly rich, with Hemera Hotel and Hotel Ziya particular standouts. If you’re more excited by the picturesque Montenegro coast, it is at your fingertips here - Budva is located about 45 minutes away and you can already choose from the best Adriatic hotels in Budva and Tivat.

• MEET IN STYLE • The estate, which employs 700 people, is harvesting 11.5 million vines planted across 2,310 hectares, and as they like to say, this is the largest vineyard in one complex in Europe.

It is quite interesting that before 1970 in this region vines practically didn’t mature with any 160

success, although experts knew back then that the geo-morphological conditions and more than 2,500 hours of sunshine a year is ideal for wine production. They now fill about 15 million bottles of wine each year and the assortment is very wide, as 28 varieties were planted, 65% of them being red wine and the leading of these being Vranac, the indigenous Montenegro variety, which they’ve been cultivating traditionally in Crmnica, the area around Lake Skadar towards the Adriatic Sea, at an altitude of 500 metres. Of the white wines the dominant variety is the indigenous Krstač. You can taste the richness of all of the wine varieties at an event, or have a guided tasting that is held in the wine cellar.

Kongres meetologue

TOP 3 INCENTIVE IDEAS 1. Wine Route - Visiting estates with guides is possible on foot in the form of a wine trek or with a small tourist train.

2. Guided wine tasting – A professionally managed “wedding” of wine varieties with local Montenegrin cuisine, which can last from 2 to 8 hours.

3. Photo Safari on Skadar Lake - Photo safari by boat on Skadar Lake, which ends with lunch at a Lakeside restaurant (one of the estate’s restaurants)

• OFF THE EATEN TRACK • Estates are today synonymous with Montenegrin wine and Vranac is the unique Montenegrin varietal known worldwide. Over the last 50 years Vranac has won more than 600 awards, a testament to its quality. It is produced in eight versions and the one they are most proud of is the Vranac Pro corde, which has a typically dark red colour and pronounced aromas of berries, with cherries, dried herbs and coffee all discernible in the background.

The wine is served at a temperature of 16 to 18°C with beef (steak), roast lamb or dark poultry goose or duck. It also goes well with spicy goulash and grilled tuna, and perfectly with hard cheese.

A guided oenological tour in a very special atmosphere is the most authentic part of Šipčanik, where you get to feel the full power of the ‘terroir’, including the microclimate, the exceptional location of the vineyards and most especially the local winegrowing tradition.

The guided tasting is peppered with exquisite

cuisine, as the estates have quite a few restaurants. The temperature in the basement cellar is favourable, with a constant temperature of 17-19 degrees. Organisers can use the conference room for 50 participants, which is very popular, and the whole facility can accommodate up to 600 participants.

• LOCALISM • The remains of the former military airport is a highly conserved airstrip that is perfect for various automobile events. It is 3,000 metres in length and 30 metres wide. By agreement with the estate it can be used for automotive industry events.

• GETTING THERE • The Šipčanik wine cellar is just a short hop from Podgorica. Montenegro is an increasingly accessible aviation destination and also becoming more available in the off-season, when in our opinion it is the most beautiful time for visiting the wine cellar.

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• MEET BUSTERS • The indigenous Montenegrin wine varieties are Kratošija, Vranac, Krstač and Žižak. In 2004 DNA analysis discovered that the Montenegro Kratošija variety has a similar genetic profile to Zinfandel and that they are direct relatives.

Experts are unanimous that the Californian Zinfandel originates from Montenegro and not from Croatia (Plavac variety), as has been claimed in the past decade.

Directory PLANTAŽE Put Radomira Ivanovića 2 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro T: +382 67 099 099 E: visit@plantaze.com www.plantaze.com

Kongres meetologue

OFF THE BEATEN MICE TRACK PADRE CRAFT BEERS. Meet a Gypsy Brewer

• OUT THERE •

• STAY •

• MEET IN STYLE •

It all started in 1996, with the first trip to Great Britain and the first connection with craft beers and their diversity. It was there that Padre made the decision that beer-making will be more than just a hobby for him; his love of beer was stronger than his love for IT, so in 2013 Padre abandoned his well-paid job and decided to pursue his passion for brewing. The bold idea stuck and today Padre is a synonym for top quality Slovak craft beers and nomad brewing. Beers of rich aromas and amazing combinations have taken it into a different world, spiced by hops from all over the planet. The total number of craft brewers in Slovakia today isn’t known, but because of Padre the culture of beer production and consumption has changed a lot over the past couple of years.

There are quite a lot of options for incentive groups in Kosice. As the city centre is pedestrian friendly, everything is to hand and choosing a hotel is simply a matter of taste. Hotel Yasmin is an excellent business hotel, with well-equipped rooms and all the extras too. Doubletree by Hilton is the biggest congress hotel in the city and is of course to a reliably high quality standard. If you are tempted by boutique hotels the offer is also quite diverse. We recommend Hotel Ambasador, which is located on the city’s main street. The accommodation in Kosice is wrapped within a generally very favourable package in terms of price.

The best way to get in touch with Padre Craft beers is to visit Hostinec Pivovar, the legendary and the oldest pub in the centre of Košice. It is where Padre makes and creates its new flavours.

Along with an excellent culinary experience you will get to learn about craft brewing in all its dimensions, from the founding idea to the realisation and production of the foamy nectar. The production base here is first-rate ingredients, spiced up by Padre’s creativity and amazing recipes. The result is beer that is full of fresh flavours, amazing colours and savory aftertastes.

The uncertainty and expectation of what will come out of the brewing process adds an extra charm to its making. Socialising through beer drinking is for anybody who gets a little smile on their face when they take that first sip of a good home-brewed beer.

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TOP 3 INCENTIVE IDEAS 1. Guided beer and wine degustation - Do you know which craft beer is the best in Slovakia? In a foodie heaven called ‘Dva Dve’ they offer a guided tasting through the country’s best beers. If you are more into wine, there is also an excellent offer here too.

2. Marriage of beer and food - What do you think would happen if beer and chocolate got married? In Hostinec pub you will get an insight into how to enrich the flavours of your dishes through the selection of the perfect beer.

3. Craft brewing school - Do you know how beer is made? Find out how the winning IPA recipe was created, starting with the idea, going through the brewing, the fermentation, gestation, filtration and of course finishing off with your own jug of the heavenly liquid.

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

• GETTING THERE •

The boutique beer experience is topped off by excellent cuisine, as the Hostinec pub offers a mix of modern and traditional cooking in an imposing ambience that will definitely make you feel both hungry and thirsty. Everything is fresh and selected locally with great care. All the dishes of the menu are simple and locally oriented.

Travelling around Slovakia with a car is easy, but sometimes because of road maintenance and construction it can be a bit slow. It takes a good 2 hours to get from Budapest to Košice, although the air connections are improving year by year and in 2016 Turkish Airlines is said to be joining the current crop of airlines. Košice is also well connected by railway, which is a reliable and cosy alternative to the other forms of transport.

• LOCALISM • The pronunciation of ‘dva’ or ‘dve’ is a thing of local pride in Košice. However, DVA DVE is also the name of the bar where you will discover Slovakia’s most complete and authentic offer of wine, beer and local cooking traditions. The bar is regularly visited by the best Slovak wine makers and brewers. Their charismatic team knows how to take you into the world of the best Slovak wines and beers.

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Directory PADRE CRAFT BREWS Krupinska 4 04001 Kosice, Slovakia P: 00421 903 873 209 E: cassovia.homebrew@gmail.com www.padre.sk

Voice from the top

VOICE FROM THE TOP Q: Have you always wanted to work in the meeting industry?

Yes, I have. It’s strange, though, because when you envision some dream job, you have actually no idea about reality. In this regard, however, the reality exceeded my dream, as MICE gives so many opportunities to develop, learn, meet interesting people and experience new things.

Q: Why is your destination/country the best in the world?

Slovakia is a country of highly skilled, immensely creative, entirely dedicated people with open hearts and minds. This applies especially to events and hospitality. If you have the chance to work with a Slovak event manager, he/she delivers to the nth degree!

NINA ERNEKER Head of Bratislava Convention Bureau

Q3: What would be the first thing you would show every visitor to your country?

I would take him or her to the Bratislava city centre, give them a map and leave them alone for two hours, allowing them to experience the city on their own, to discover how accessible, compact and safe it is...to feel the atmosphere, to meet the locals and to have a good coffee wherever he or she might like.

Only after that would I show and tell them more about our unique legacy in precision engineering and about the extraordinary know-how available around our city that makes it so attractive for start-ups.

And should they have more time, I would take them for a longer ride through the picturesque Slovakia fully packed with UNESCO sites such as Banská Štiavnica.

Q: What has been your star moment so far and what is your favourite project with which you would praise yourself most?

Basically, I have been dealing with events for my whole professional life, so it is hard to isolate the biggest success. My first star moment was the 2004 NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Bratislava, which I lead for a local DMC. My present job is my favourite project so far :).

Being a natural-born networker, I enjoy my role as a Head of the Convention Bureau with a team of incredibly smart young people.

Q: What motivates you the most at work?

Meeting inspiring people and seeing that my work contributes to the Slovak MICE community.

Q: How do you deal with stress?

I sleep a lot :). Besides that, I am a positive thinker and chi kung beginner, so I can concentrate on the present moment and that helps me very much in stressful situations.

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Q: When were you last angry/disappointed and why?

I seldom get angry, but my single biggest challenge is dealing with paperwork, as we are a state funded DMO. However, I am thankful to have a very experienced top management to help me with it.

Q: What will be new in your business in 2016?

Bratislava, as the capital of Slovakia, hosts the Presidency of the Council of the European Union this year, so that’s the biggest news for 2016. Besides that, we work with a new communication platform to speak to the MICE world in “their language”. In these terms Bratislava stands for Accessibiliy, Innovation and Execution.

Q: What did you learn to do last week?

As a Convention Bureau we partnered with one local conference called Tech Summit and Gadget Expo and got to learn that Bratislava is a leader in collaborative robotics in Central Europe.

Amazing thought!

Q: Where will you spend this year’s holiday and why?

Somewhere around, I always leave it for the last minute for inspiration. I live very close to the Austrian (7 minutes) and Hungarian (10 minutes) borders, the Czech Republic is only 50 mins...so we just pack our car and drive to some cosy and quiet place with good food. A pool for my son and a forest with blueberries for my husband would be a bonus!

Q: If there were no time and financial constraints, where would you go?

I would do one big gourmet trip a year for the rest of my life. I would definitely go to Alba, Italy for their white truffles, followed by Samos, Greece for their dessert wines and wonderful cuisine, stopping over in Singapore as one of the best pan-Asian cuisine destinations, and fly on to Australia for their exquisite Sauvignon blancs and organic food...well, life is too short to taste the world :).

Q: What would be the title or your autobiography?

The life is NOW.

Voice from the top

VOICE FROM THE TOP Q: Why is your destination/country the best in the world?

There are three very special assets in Slovakia.

First of all, the hardworking, productive and loyal people living in Slovakia. As second asset I see nature, which has healing power. And as a third asset the cultural and natural diversity we have crossing from one side of the country to the other.

Q: What would be the first thing you would show every visitor of your country?

I would travel with them from Bratislava to Kosice by car and stop every 20 kilometres to show the diversity of our landscape and countryside crossing from region to region.

IVETA NINAJOVA Managing Director Visit Košice

Q: Have you always wanted to work in the meeting industry?

I graduated in the field of financial management but always had it in focus to deal with strategy management, so during my work as Audit Consultant for PriceWaterhouseCoopers I started to do my external PhD. studies in that field, which was not easy to combine. As I originally come from the mountain region, from Tatry, I was in touch with tourism from my childhood. I saw the need for improvement in the system of how the travel and tourism industry in Slovakia is managed and organised from the bottom up and I chose that topic for my PhD work, in which I suggested using clustering as a principle that can result in industry innovation and support regional development. After this I had the chance to create and lead the first tourism cluster in Slovakia, in the Liptov Region, back in 2008. Today, 8 years later, we have 40 such organisations in the network in Slovakia.

Q: What has been your star moment so far and what is your favourite project with which you would prize yourself most of all?

One million followers of the #dzivoke digital campaign, which was the campaign run from December to January this year for Slovaks in the age range from 18 to 35. „Dzivo“ means „cool“ in our local city dialect and KE is an abbreviation for Kosice. We created the new hashtag and a photopoint in the city where citizens can make selfies. The high point of the campaign was the weekend visit of a special couple – the locally famous radio moderator and the second top Slovak v-blogger (YouTuber). The weekend visit was mapped in the online diary and all the pictures, videos and comments were shared in a social media environment like a new TV series for the weekend. Twenty percent of the Slovakian population came into the contact with the campaign, which is an amazing result for such a short period of time.

Q: What motivates you the most at work?

When I see and feel that the people around me are listening to me, are doing their best to support the issue we deal with together and at the same time some new ideas are born...I love to implement those ideas as „joint efforts“ and when it has a smooth progress I love it most of all.

Q: How do you deal with stress?

I go alone to the forest for a walk or close the door of my office and relax for a while, listening to myself and finding the inner peace.

Q: When were you last angry/disappointed and why?

I am a typical creative and forward-thinking person, which is sometimes not very well suited to the public sector – to bureaucracy and the politics behind it. Most people are very often 165

resistant to change and do not like the way I see progress, but I am lucky that I have a lot of exceptional people around me who are not like that. Most issues of disappointment stem from that resistance.

Q: What is new in your business in 2016?

There are two important projects which we would like to kick 2016 off with: the Ambassador programme as a deeper involvement in our work of the scientists and professors at our three universities and the second project being to begin the bidding process for the UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts together with the NGO Creative Industry Kosice (www.cike.sk).

Q: What did you learn to do last week?

I learned how important it is to educate our members from the private and public sectors and to keep them on track to understand what we do and why we do it the way we do.

Q: Where did you spend this year’s holiday and why?

My favourite destination is the beautiful Island of Hvar where I return every year and especially so to Sveta Nedelja during the grape harvesting season. After 13 years we have friends among the locals and already I feel at home there. This is the place that touched my heart from the very first experience.

Q: If there were no time and financial constraints, where would you go?

Definitely to New Zealand, for at least 3 months, and then return as many times as possible to Iceland, where my soul comes from.

Q: What would be the title of your autobiography?

See life as an extraordinary story and love to find creative solutions that touch people.

Kongres meetologue

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Exclusive interview

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TATJANA POPOVIĆ DMITROVIĆ, DIRECTOR OF TO PODGORICA Text by Gorazd čad

1. What are the main competitive advantages of Podgorica as a congress destination?

Podgorica is the capital and the administrative centre of Montenegro, meaning that the diplomatic sector, along with institutions of public administration, ministries and other government authorities, is located in Podgorica. Of the 600,000 people living in Montenegro 220,000, or a third of the population, live in Podgorica. You can find all of the major hotel brands, such as the Hilton Hotel, AG Hotel from Abu Dhabi, Sheraton and others in Podgorica, altogether offering 2,015 rooms.

In 2016 we are expecting three new hotels to open, which will additionally increase the room numbers to around 3,000 - a figure that can definitely satisfy the needs of the business tourism sector.

2. Compared to Budva, Tivat and Monte­ negro’s other tourist destinations how well is Podgorica positioned for the people of Monte Negro?

Budva is the summer season centre for leisure tourism, whereas Podgorica is a popular destination no matter the season. In the Podgorica region there are two national parks (Lake Skadar and ??), it is located just 40km away from Budva and from Kolasin, the biggest ski centre in Montenegro. Another advantage is that other tourist destinations don’t have as many rooms as Podgorica does, not to mention the city’s lovely food market, its range of little squares, dynamic night life, luxury shopping zones and much more. Tourist destinations to the northern and the southern ends of Montenegro all lack these particular features. Then there are many famous bar and club brands, such as Hard Rock café and Harley Davidson bar, that have contributed to the visibility of Podgorica, as they are attracting many tourists who come to Podgorica to visit these world renowned places. Just a few years ago Podgorica was considered a transit zone, but lately guests have been deciding to stay for up to three days. This year 33% more guests visited Podgorica compared to the same period last year. The ratio of visitors staying more than one night in Podgorica is 1/7.

3. What are Podgorica‘s strongest assets in terms of the meetings industry or why should an event planner choose Podgorica as a host city for a congress?

By far its strongest asset is accessibility – the flight connections are really good. It also has sufficient hotel capacities that are all categorized with 4* and are equipped in accordance with the requirements of the congress industry. Its central position and close proximity to northern and southern parts of Montenegro allows visitors to take short, one-day trips to discover other Montenegro regions. You can also visit the Lake Skadar National park, which just 10-minutes walk away from the city centre is the biggest lake in the Balkan region. Once you are there you can choose among 36 different natural and cultural attractions, such as ancient churches and monasteries, or you can make a round tour of the lake that will take you about 40 minutes. Then there is an impressive vineyard owned by the “13 Jul Plantaže” company that stretches over 2,310 hectares and is recognised as the biggest vineyard plantation in Europe. The company also has a luxury vine cellar, Šipčanik, covering 7,000m2 and storing wine in wooden vats, amongst them the two most authentic Montenegrin grape varieties - Vranac and Krstić. What is really great about Podgorica is that it is located just one or two, or maybe a maximum of three hours car drive away from completely different locations.

For example, it takes you about 30 to 40 minutes drive to reach the Montenegrin coast, the beautiful Herceg Novi, where you can relax and sunbathe, then return to Podgorica afterwards.

It is on this kind of basis and along with multiple opportunities for shopping that Podgorica offers highly developed congress tourism facilities. The Porto Montenegro complex situated in the Bay of Kotor is indeed a very attractive destination, it but doesn’t have a high standard shopping area, which is an important part of any tourist offer. In Podgorica, however, you will find George Washington street, where two magnificient shopping malls are located - the Delta City and Capital Plaza - and are filled with shops offering best brands. People here love shopping, as shopping tourism has emerged as a growing component of any travel experience.

4. With all the efforts put into positioning Podgorica as an interesting congress destination, has the time come to formally open a convention bureau in Podgorica?

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Unfortunately, we still haven‘t succeeded in forming a convention bureau, but we are fully aware of the importance and the impact it can have on the country‘s congress industry sector.

Montenegro recently joined NATO and we are waiting to become a member of the EU, when the best opportunity will emerge for Podgorica to get its own Convention Bureau.

5. Can you state some of the key convention or sporting events happening in Podgorica later in the year?

From June to the end of September Podgorica will be the host of several sports competitions the World Cup for young water polo players, the Balkan Volleyball Championship, the EU basketball championship for girls, various marathon competitions and a number of other events. This year Podgorica will also be richer for two new swimming pools that it will have and that will attract new sporting events.

6. Who do you consider as your biggest competitor in the region? How do you position yourself to deal with the competition?

There are not many big cities in the nearby regions that could be considered as competition to us, apart from Ljubljana, Zagreb, Skopje or Beograd, but they are all too far away. The only possible rivals could be the cities of Dubrovnik and Tirana, which are both situated in near proximity, but they offer a completely different type of tourism. Tirana is a surprising destination; many improvements have been made there in the past, but the high standard tourist services are still in development, so we don‘t consider them as real competition. Montenegro is also special because it is already a destination in itself. It is small and enables fast access to any other destination you wish to visit in the country.

7. Avio destination Podgorica has good air connections - we recently established some new flight connections and we offer low cost flights with companies like Air Berlin. Alitalia also provide regular flights from Podgorica...but much remains to be done in this field and there is always the possibility to improve.

Flights connecting Podgorica with Paris, Munich, Frankfurt and Zürich are crucial, but it is necessary to further extend the offer. I just visited Sweden a few weeks ago, where people

Exclusive interview

are very interested in visiting Montenegro.

Mostly they are looking for a peaceful holiday during the low season in May and September, to spend time in nature, hiking, biking, visiting national parks... They were asking me if there is a direct flight from Podgorica to Oslo and I remembered that there is a regular flight connection between Oslo and Tivat, but it will be abolished in October, although I think it should be kept regularly throughout the whole year.

8. From a marketing perspective what do you think works best in promoting congress activities in Podgorica? If Podgorica was formerly mostly known as a transit city, what do you think needs to be done to raise its visibility as a congress destination?

I think our main goal is to establish an efficient and effective promotion system. With the right promotional tools and materials we will succeed in raising the visibility of Podgorica, which is a very interesting destination. The Podgorica area has many attractions, especially panoramic tours in nature for hiking and biking. There are many national parks in the vicinity of Podgorica, among them the highest mountain range in Montenegro - the Komovi mountain. There are two glacial lakes with unique animal species in it and between the already mentioned tourist attractions of lake Skadar and the vineyard plantation there is a narrow canyon of the Cijevna river, with clear water, intact nature, an ornithological reserve and waterfalls, which will undoubtedly impress every visitor.

9. It seems that you are having a few problems with the infrastructure and if, for example, we take MICE tourism, it operates on the basis of full support from several tourist organisations, such as hoteliers, DMCs, incentive travel agents etc. who all work on developing programmes for incentive trips, events and special industry venues etc. How well are the above stated organisations collaborating with each other in Podgorica?

In Podgorica we don‘t have many incoming travel agencies. Our agencies are more focused on outbound tourism. Agencies like Adriatic, Globtour and Talas are some of the rare agencies that are engaged in incoming tourism. We have a big problem in this particular domain. It is much easier to work on outbound tourism programmes. Our tourist organisation worked very hard for the past five years on promoting and organising events and shows, taking great care in coordinating them all so that they didn‘t overlap with each other. We don‘t engage ourselves in creating tourist programmes; we only help with the realisation of them. Our agencies are now offering new tourist programmes that are not yet showing the desired results. This is mainly because the programmes are still in the process

of development, but we are proud to say that the Grand Travel tourist agency from Podgorica, which has just recently started working, is showing some great results after we helped them with our suggestions on how to improve their offer, how to connect with others, etc.

10. What are your expectations for 2016?

In the pre-season we already received more reservations in comparison with the same season last year and most of the hotel capacities are already booked for the main season. We have very good expectations and I think this year we will have a record number of hotel room nights.

11. Which is your personally favourite place

“There are not many big cities in the nearby regions that could be considered as competition to us, apart from Ljubljana, Zagreb, Skopje or Beograd, but they are all too far away.

The only possible rivals could be the cities of Dubrovnik and Tirana.”

for organising a congress/event?

To this day we have organised events mainly in the Šipčanik wine cellar - this is a perfect place to organise cultural and business events. For the Ministry of Agriculture we organised round tables in the cellar, which offers an amazing ambience. Of course the delegates were accommodated in hotels, but during the day they attended the workshops in the cellar. The cellar owner, the „13 Jul Plantaže” company, has made a proper business of organising individual and group wine tastings, serving it with cheese and prosciuto. They have developed an exquisite wine industry and they excel in wine production in the region. It is a special venue that also has a swimming pool. It is a unique facility on a global scale and equipped with high technology equipment, making it well worth visiting.

12. What would you propose as an activity for an incentive programme?

In the heart of the city we have the river Moraća, where you can indulge yourself in some refreshing canoeing activities, as you can rent kayaks at two kayak clubs located near the river. The 169

you can also take a walk on the Gorica city hill - the lung of the city of Podgorica, where several paths lead you through the woods of the hill. There you will encounter the oldest Partisan monument and a 13th century church, the oldest in the city. There are many interesting things to do in the city centre that you can discover throuhg sightseeing – there is the Old wine cellar (Duklje), an old roman archeological site located about 3km form Podgorica and there is Medun, a medieval fortress and a memorial museum. Podgorica is also known for its nightlife and there is a renowned street with many old pubs and bars that have their own special names and distinctive charm – it’s interesting to see and experience this too.

13. What do you think about regional cooperation?

This is a mandatory element of our work and as a tourist organisation we are working intensively to connect with all the other major cities and their respective tourist centres to create joint offers to a wider market. We started collaborating with tourist organisations from Ljubljana, Zagreb, Beograd, Skopje, Tirana and even with Sofia, with which we made connections via a tourist organisation from Beograd. Together we present ourselves at bigger markets.

14. Would you like to add anything else and do you have a final message to our readers?

I would just like to add that fewer people are interested in archaeological sites and comprehensive, serious stories. Most of them are tired after a long day’s work and would like to drink a glass of wine and get a taste of some fine dishes, so I think we should work harder on putting more emphasis on local cuisine and traditional culinary products like Montenegro‘s traditional cake – patišpan – which dates back to the beginning of our nation. If the cake wasn‘t served on the table during a typical family gathering, the table was incomplete. This is a typical cake very popular in this area, but that is totally ignored. The patisseries in general offer desserts like tiramisu, cheese cake and similar, but not patišpan. To achieve greater visibility we organised a day of patišpan at the city market, where women dressed in Montenegro‘s traditional clothing were offering visitors a taste of patišpan in order to revitalize local culinary specialities. Patišpan is something you won‘t get in Paris, Milan or London, as all these destinations have their own typical dessert; in France it is the croissant, in Italy tiramisu. So, Patišpan is a completely unique specialty of Montenegro and Podgorica. Try it!

Quick Talk

INTERVIEW WITH DESTINATION LEADERS always have to explain about Graz, where it is and what it is (how big, the history, sights, specialities, the region‌) The best thing is to bring the client into the region, and then they are almost all very positive surprised about what Graz has to offer.

Conferences bring about 130.000 overnights to Graz every year

Heinz Kaltschmidt, General Manager, Graz Convention Bureau Q: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12months?

The forecast for meetings and conferences in the city of Graz is very positive for 2016. Last year the city of Graz hosted about 150 conferences with more than 40,000 participants. For 2016, we expect a slight increase Q: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive attributes that are often overlooked?

In Austria, Graz is number 3 behind Vienna and Salzburg for conferences and meetings. If we only count association conferences – where Graz is very good, because of its 6 universities, international companies and research institutions – we are number two behind Vienna.

Although city tourism in Graz has increased about 25 to 30 percent in the last 10 years, the city is still a business centre and therefore business travel and conferences, meetings, trade fairs etc. count for about 70 percent of all overnights. Only conferences bring about 130,000 overnights to Graz every year, which is about 12% of the total.

Q: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?

Graz has a very good reputation as a conference destination, especially for associations and scientific societies, in the German speaking regions of course, but also internationally. For tourism, incentive travel or company meetings it is mostly a quite unknown destination, so we

Q: How do you see relationship between the meetings industry and the tourism industry?

In my opinion a (scientific) conference or meeting is not part of the tourism industry. The tourism industry delivers certain services (accommodation, catering, transfers, social programme etc.), but is not so important for conference organisers as they might think of themselves. For example, about 75% of all conferences in Graz make use of internal university meeting rooms and are not using conference centres. If organisers can avoid tourist infrastructure (i.e. cost!) they will use other infrastructure. For example, Airbnb is becoming more and more important, also for conference participants. Convention Bureaus can be important information and service providers, but have a small influence in the overall organisation of a conference. In the decision process, however, the Destination, Convention Bureaus or Tourism Organisations can be very helpful.

Q: Tell us something that might surprise meeting planners about your city?

Although Graz is a small city, with only 300,000 inhabitants, it is the second largest city in Austria. About 50,000 students from all over Europe and also Asia are studying in 6 universities with more than 16 faculties. Research institutions in aerospace and automotive technology, biotechnology and plant design are located in Graz. The same holds true for private high-tech businesses that export their products worldwide.

Graz can also offer two international conference centres (www.mcg.at) and more than 40 event locations, from old castles, palaces and monasteries through to hyper-modern design locations. The old town of Graz is a UNESCO world cultural heritage site and offers a unique cultural programme, with classical opera house, theatres, concert halls, international festivals etc.

No visit to Graz is complete without a visit to the Schlossberg (castle hill) and the wonderful view 170

from the clock tower over the red brick roofs and the green surroundings.

Q: Can content marketing drive meeting planners to your destination?

I think the services and support we can provide for organisers are more important. Marketing alone is not really enough to convince an organiser to come to your destination.

Gernot Marx, Head o f Salzburg Convention Bureau Q: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12 months?

More multi-million valued investments will be taken on by different conference hotels and event locations.

Q: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive attributes that are often overlooked?

Proximity and easy, cost-efficient logistics are often overlooked when thinking of Salzburg.

Q: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?

We aim to promote our USPs towards the target audience as individually as possible. As we work with high personalization in our client communication and act as a one-stop-shop we find it easy to get the right messages out to the right

Quick Talk

clients. Good CRM and marketing automation help on this side. I think it’s only hard to get the right message across to a client, if you do not know about the clients’ needs. We do know our clients and focus on delivering information they care for.

Q: How do you see the relationship between the meetings industry and the tourism industry?

Most of the meetings industry suppliers understand themselves as a player in tourism only, but do not get WHY a client organises a meeting. In fact, most CVBs do not know this. So this leads to the answer to Q3 again.

We do know our clients and focus on delivering information they care for Małgorzata Przygórska-Skowron, Q: Tell us something that might surprise Krakow Convention meeting planners about your city?

We are number one in Austria behind Vienna. Bureau’s manager With more than 3,000 meetings and congresses in 2015 we are way ahead of any other Austrian province - with a market share of nearly 17%, which shows the success of Salzburg in our industry.

Q: Can content marketing drive meeting planners to your destination?

Yes, but it takes a lot of time to prepare the content. We usually use comments, feedback and case studies of clients and send them to other clients who fit together. So again, it’s about how precise you are on the information delivered to clients and about what THEY want to know. Content marketing is not about writing a text with a sufficient number of keywords to be found top-of-the-list on Google’s SERPs. It is about a clear and clean positioning of the brand and showing what your destination can do and what has been done in the past by other clients. Content marketing very often promises experiences which are impossible to realize. So be clear and straight forward about what the destination and suppliers are able to offer with 100% quality. No more, no less. Then the customers’ experience will end with great satisfaction.

Q: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12 months?

The trend that has appeared in the meetings industry is the greater emphasis on the quality of services - creating, directing meetings, selection of sites and venues so as to foster a creative atmosphere. The complexity of the offered solutions, flexibility and an open approach to the customer are very important to organisers.

Every facility must meet their requirements, primarily with respect to the size and quantity of the necessary plenary rooms. Accessibility is also very important. The complete furnishing of the facility is a positive aspect, as well as highly advanced technical solutions. On the other hand, an increasing role is being played by a facility’s architecture - a modern, spacious, designer interior is the standard to which conference centres in Europe aspire. I think that this trend will also be noticeable in 2016 - clients will pay attention to quality and originality.

In 2016 clients will pay attention to quality and originality Q: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive attributes that are often overlooked?

The meetings market in Krakow is steadily growing. From year to year a growing number of business events are organised in our city. As many as 5,196 were organised in 2015, account171

ing for 15 percent of all the MICE meetings organised in Poland. For comparison, 3,976 events were held in Krakow in 2014 and 3,413 in 2013.

The data comes from a national report, “The industry of meetings and events in Poland.” Its authors emphasize that the position of Krakow as the leader in the organisation of congresses and conferences has remained unchallenged for several years. As much as 68 percent of all of the events organised in the capital of the Małopolska Region in 2015 are conferences and congresses. I hope that this trend will continue in 2016, especially as more and more organisers are looking for new, less popular destinations that impress the delegates. And this is precisely what Krakow is like - surprising with its wealth of history and culture which, when combined with a modern infrastructure, is a recipe for a successful congress.

Q: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?

To stand out is a real challenge, bearing in mind the strong competition in Europe and the world. From the point of view of the Convention Bureau, cooperation with the local industry is very important - PCO and DMC companies, conference facilities, hotels, the airport - all of which together form not just the business portfolio of Krakow, but also its image. We are jointly working on how Krakow is seen by delegates.

Those who, as they leave, take with them a positive image of the city are the best “carriers” of information about Krakow and its most effective ambassadors.

Q: Tell us something that might surprise meeting planners about your city?

Krakow is a city with a rich history and tradition and it offers an interesting calendar of cultural events and festivals. The beautiful, historic city centre attracts, the former Jewish district surprises and local restaurants and cafes will satisfy the most demanding palates. The contrast of history, which is present at every step, and our modern congress infrastructure impresses delegates the most.

Q: Can content marketing drive meeting planners to your destination?

In the era of a stream of new marketing strategies, rapidly changing trends, increased competition on the MICE market and reaching customers through content marketing is very important. The inclusion of its elements in the strategy of the convention bureau certainly helps in the promotion of destinations, as well as in developing a direct relationship with the customer and commitment to the city’s life. Our office previously used the dedicated www.convention.krakow.pl website and a Facebook page for content marketing, giving these channels the most important content related to tourism business in Krakow, including studies, reports, press releases and news reporting.

We are pleased to see that the group of our followers and recipients of the content presented is steadily growing.

Quick Talk

tional activities are on our web site - www.visitsplit.com - and is also promoted through numerous tourism fairs, tourist agents and journalists.

You can also get information about Split at the offices of the Croatian Tourist Board.

We do know our clients and focus on delivering information they care for

Alijana Vukšić Split Tourist Board Q: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12 months?

The city of Split is experienced in hosting many congresses, seminars, symposiums, conferences, science conferences, incentives and team buildings, held throughout the year. Split has many advantages for developing Congress tourism, such as a good geographical position, good infrastructure, experienced professionals as well as the natural beauty and historical and cultural heritage, suggesting that Split has the conditions in place to become a large convention centre.

Q: How do you see the relationship between the meetings industry and the tourism industry?

The Meeting industry and the tourism industry are an excellent complement. A well-developed tourism industry in Split offers many additional activities and services to Congress guests.

Convention destinations whose offer is not developed for the tourism industry, long-term, will not satisfy all the demands of modern convention guests. Split has the possibility to develop both forms of tourism.

Q: Tell us something that might surprise meeting planners about your city?

In order to discover all the features and benefits of having meetings in Split, we would like to invite all meeting planners to come to Split and see why it is the Winner of: “The best City Break Destination” and “All Year Destination” in 2015, chosen by the Ministry of Tourism and the Croatian tourist board.

Q: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive attributes that are often overlooked?

They are nearly 200 conferences and meetings held in Split annually, organised to a high level. Alongside the mentioned advantages that Split offers for congress tourism, we have also to point out the good location of the conference hotels, most of which are just 10 minutes walking distance from the city centre. Split is also very convenient for the meetings industry because it has a wide range of venues and sites for conferences and related events and a diverse gastronomic offer. The city and the surrounding area is suitable for pre- and post-congress tours and programmes for accompanying persons.

Q: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?

The city of Split, besides all the facilities necessary for Congress organisation, has also many additional offers. We especially emphasize the numerous events that take place in the unique atmosphere of the ancient Diocletian’s Palace.

This “living monument”, as we call it, will offer every visitor a memorable experience.

Information about the congress offer and addi172

Laura Favaretti, Director of Padova Terme Euganee Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Q: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12 months?

The types of events that we most want to attract in 2016-2017 are: - Corporate meeting of Italian companies (banks, private companies etc.), thanks to the central location of the city in the Veneto Region.

The business segment is in a gradual recovery and Padua is located in an advantageous position compared to other destinations in northern Italy.

The north-east is particularly interesting thanks to a solid business fabric and advancement in entrepreneurship and technology. According to major national companies, Padua and Veneto can be an attractive destination for their business events, as it is perceived as a safe and prestigious destination.

- Business roadshow The easily accessible location makes it an interesting destination for roadshows, product presentations, sales events and workshops organised by companies and agencies.

The commercial events segment is a new improvement thanks to new company investments, with areas such as fashion, technology, tourism and finance representing particularly interesting opportunities.

- Italian and European medical and association congresses (in close collaboration with the University and local institutions) The congress sector remains a cornerstone of the target segment, thanks to the strong influence of the University of Padua and to medical excellence – the science-related hospital, the CNR and other important examples of local excellence.

Quick Talk

In Padua numerous scientific medical events are held, for which a greater collaboration with the University institution would certainly be desirable.

Pending a conference venue with increased availability, Padua can undoubtedly propose conferences for around 300 to 600 people.

The sorting work, the new official candidates and any external collaboration can all be done in collaboration with the Convention Bureau Italy and affiliates of the same PCB. - Incentive and international meetings, mainly in Europe (UK, Northern Europe, Germany, Belgium, France) and incentives from countries of growing markets, such as Turkey, China and India.

Foreign markets are those that historically have suffered less with the crisis, particularly some of the European markets like those in Northern Europe, Germany and England.

Italy is always an attractive destination for foreign customers and Padua has a variety of competitive offers with good value for money.

I am currently developing Incentive requests, especially those related to sports and wellness, cultural, or related to music or art events. These are new international growth markets for which it would be worth investing commercial resources in order to increase new business segments.

- Conferences and thematic meetings, particularly related to social - and ecological sustainability.

Padua and its province are particularly sensitive destinations on issues such as sustainability, ecology, sustainable transport, urban development, biodiversity and cycling.

In keeping with the themes of the recently ended Expo 2015 Milan, and enriched with some outcomes of what the MPI Convention in July 2015 and the AIGA conference organised in October 2015 on the lines of this focus on sustainability, the Padova system is able to offer itself targets of being green and sustainable thanks to the many similar characteristics.

Padua is an ancient city that looks to the future, often defined as the green city par excellence.

The new, growing trend that we are seeing is ecological meetings and events with a special attention paid to corporate responsibility.

Padua is the city of bicycle tourists and residents who use their bikes as a mode of transport. It is an ecological city with a modern, functional electric tram system. Then there is even more green in the Euganean Hills, with plenty of sustainable activities to be organised during meetings or events: adopt vines or olive trees, or plant new trees to address deforestation. Many hotels, conference centres and museums are also part of social responsibility programmes that include disabled people in their structure, as are social cooperatives are successful restaurants, catering services, gardens and pastry shops.

It is possible to make a contribution by leaving a positive and tangible reminder of the event, for example:

• Help the planet: Save or plant trees, help with the grape harvest, only use green transport, use the traditional bicycle – all ways to show that you care!

• Help others: catering services with disabled staff, organic locations, pastry produce made in prison, associations that invest in culture – make your event an ethical benchmark.

• Avoid all waste: thanks to the “Food for Good” project, no leftover food will be thrown away during your event, instead local cooperatives and volunteers will organise the collection and redistribution of any excess.

In two years we will have a brand new conference centre for up to 1,600 people in plenary style Q: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive attributes that are often overlooked?

In 2016 we have had an increase of 118% and the city is truly growing, as in two years we will have a brand new conference centre for up to 1,600 people in plenary style.

We are often competing with medium size cities such as Bologna, Verona and Genova, but also with bigger cities such as Florence or Milan.

In recent years Padua has still been suffering from insufficient visibility as a congress destination, although there has been a sharp increase in activity in this regard.

There are also structural limitations, offering at most 700-800 seats in the different conference venues, although these limits will be expanded with the new conference centre that will host events for much more significant numbers.

The location of Padua is also strategic with respect to the road network, located on the main roads linking Italy north-south and eastwest, but also in relation to the main traffic axis through roads and international highways networks.

The city is also easily accessible by train from the main Italian locations and from abroad, although the development of high-speed lines has created a slight disadvantage with the fact that the links favour the north-south rather than east-west.

As for the air accessibility, Padova enjoys a privileged position in relation to the three main airports in Veneto, Venice, Treviso and Verona.

Considered in this geo-strategic sense the location of Padua is an easy to get to destination.

Padua also offers many cultural attractions and two, the Scrovegni Chapel and the Basilica del Santo, are high points, the former for the high artistic value and the latter for religious and cult value. In addition, Padova offers a full calendar of exhibitions across the range of the various 173

fields of applied arts.

There is also the Botanical Garden that in September 2015 opened its new wing dedicated to biodiversity. Historically linked to the scientific realm it has a high added value for the congress sector.

The 2015 opening of Musme, Museum of the History of Medicine and related events in the Palazzo della Salute space, represents yet another a new interesting push forwards.

In general the province of Padua shows a good number and wide variety of resources, but they are not sufficiently utilized as such in terms of tourism, as with other resources that could be complementary to the main existing bid for the potential they represent.

The offer in relation to congress tourism in Padua and the province is made up of 22 convention centres with a capacity of 8,200 seats, 27 historic houses with a capacity of 500 seats and 43 conference-hotel facilities with a capacity of 850 seats.

The hotel offer is varied and there are some high-level structures and with a very good offer.

Many of them are located near the Padua Fair. In other areas, however, the offer appears insufficient, especially as regards the level of services offered and the number of rooms available, as well as the strong seasonal nature of the structures that are not located near Padua city or the area of the fair.

However, Padua is a destination particularly suitable as a location for meetings and conferences of various kinds.

Q: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?

It is not easy, but we have been doing our best for just three years, since 2013, when the Convention Bureau was founded by the Chamber of Commerce and the Province of Padova.

For now the Convention Bureau will pursue the objectives of the congress sector through actions of great importance: in fact it is designed to promote the entire area as an attractive destination for organising congresses.

It has an affiliate system (based on a participation fee) that aims to bring together congress operators to create a network system and offer a concrete proposals market.

It aims to create a synergy among stakeholders, actors and institutions with the goal of promoting the destination as one for events and meetings.

The CB must attract the largest number of events in the area through concrete actions such as: 1. Develop the Padua brand as a destination for events (through web marketing, advertising, editorials, newsletters etc.)

2. Participation in workshops, educational and trade fairs 3. Organisation of promotional events 4. Nominations for meetings and conferences

Quick Talk

5. Support to partner operators nominations 6. Develop the Convention Bureau website In the last year there has been a steady and continuous development of communication activities through newsletters and a press office dedicated to the local, national and international organisation of promotion events.

It promotes the destination through publi-editorials in leading meetings industry publications and constantly participates in major trade fairs, both national and international (see list of activities below). There is also the participation of the industry and workshops of the meetings industry, as well as business to business appointments.

We are a member of Federcongressi & Eventi (Italian association) and personally I’m in the board of the MPI Italian Chapter and in the technical table of the Italy Convention Bureau.

The number of affiliates is currently rising and we plan to continue to grow steadily. Of the affiliates there are Congress centres, DMCs and PCOs, numerous hotels and spas of Padua and the Province, tourist transport services, villas and historic houses, audio-visual technical services, which altogether make up the entire conference chain.

The promotion, as well as the service given, announces a new business appeal to the destination of Padova, attracting new and diverse events in the region, which are supported as set out in the approved codes.

The monitor of the requests received is steadily growing and the CB is working with affiliates and not to the formulation of interesting and competitive offerings that include the entire chain of services in the territory.

We recently started on large national and international applications in collaboration with affiliates, through search systems such as ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) and Convention Bureau Italy.

The objective is to concentrate more and more effort towards congresses with large numbers for the greatest impact on the region. This objective goes hand in hand with the new convention centre.

Q: How do you see relationship between the meetings industry and the tourism industry?

As a Convention and Visitors Bureau we constantly see the cross-fertilisation between the two segments. The strengths and weaknesses are different and a separate promotional plan is necessary to focus on results.

The brand awareness of a tourist destination can help the development of the city as MICE destination, but it is important to focus on the different services and activities when proposing to possible clients.

Q: Tell us something that might surprise meeting planners about your city?

We can help organisers to arrange very special

activities in the city. Check these out: • Rugby, one of the city’s most popular sports: put your work team to the test on and off the pitch.

• Rowing: challenge yourself and the rest of your team on our magnificent rivers.

• Spritz making: the aperitif par excellence was born in Padua and we’ll show you how to make it like a real local!

• Piazza life: drift among the traditional “sottosalone” bars, talk to the locals, make a few purchases and then cook some traditional Veneto dishes.

• Euganean Hills wine tour: explore our green hills to discover the traditional vines along with tasting and aroma tests.

• Cultural and scientific treasure hunt: follow in the footsteps of Galileo in the UNESCO botanic location, made interactive with some digital tools.

attributes that are often overlooked?

Styria, one of 9 federal states in Austria, stands for great price-performance ratio, clean nature, perfect surroundings for relaxation and a diverse cultural offer, sustainability, personal assistance, friendly hospitality and the high quality of the culinary delights – all based on the “Making meetings a delights” motto.

Styria is kind of an insider’s tip for those who attach great importance to these aspects.

Q: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?

On the one hand, in these times of internet and new media, it became easier to make information public; on the other hand, people are overburdened by too much unfiltered information.

Hence there is a need to provide relevant information for your target group.

Q: How do you see the relationship between the meetings industry and the tourism industry?

Due to the high requirement for quality in the meeting industry, it is called the “Royal discipline” in tourism. In Styria the meeting industry is a meaningful figurehead for the business and science location. Moreover, conference tourism is a great promotion for holiday tourism: a conference guest easily turns into a holiday guest, if he or she feels comfortable.

People more and more think of aspects such as sustainability and regionality

Andrea Sajben, Manager of Steirmark Convention Bureau Q: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12 months?

People more and more think of aspects such as sustainability and regionality. Furthermore, as the desire for relaxation and prevention of burnout increases, people are becoming more and more aware of the importance of health. These aspects have a great impact on the development of the offer in the MICE business.

Q: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive 174

Q: Tell us something that might surprise meeting planners about your city?

Styria is a great destination for meeting planners throughout all seasons, as the nature offers great opportunities for sport programmes and great showcases throughout the year. A very special feature is that two thirds of Styria is covered by unspoilt natural landscapes.

Graz, the capital of Styria, is the second largest city in Austria.

Furthermore, Styrian conference providers ensure that a high quality regional and seasonal culinary offer forms the heart of every business event.

Q: Can content marketing drive meeting planners to your destination?

Personal conversations and networking at international fairs and events helps to popularize the offer of Styria and its conference suppliers as an insiders tip that aside from standard conference destinations shouldn’t be missed.

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Elpida Rekka, Sales and Marketing Manager, City of Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau Q: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12 months?

Over the past two years, Athens has experienced positive growth in leisure and business travel.

In 2014, Athens climbed 20 places in the ICCA ranking, and was recognized as one of the best city destination performances throughout the international meetings market.

Athens is making a comeback to the international tourism and travel market, experiencing an average 23% increase in the number of foreign visitors in 2015.

We expect this upward trend to continue, as Athens offers great value for money and there are new hotels and new venues opening and more international events taking place – the rest of 2016 and 2017 promises to be an exciting year for Athens and visitors will not be left disappointed.

Athens is making a comeback to the international tourism and travel market Q: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive attributes that are often overlooked?

Athens is an ideal MICE destination. It is a modern European capital city that has been placed on an upward trend, once again establishing its place as a popular tourism and convention destination at the international level.

It is a dynamic, safe and hospitable destination for business tourists that, with new high-end convention facilities and hotels, a fascinating entertainment scene and a state-of-the-art transportation network, can accommodate the needs of the most demanding of visitors. MICE is a key market sector for Athens as a destination and a central axis of the city’s strategy towards recovery and growth.

Athens is the European Metropolis at the crossroads of three continents and is a city endowed with year-round sunshine, the European capital city with the most blue flag beaches, a booming gastronomic scene and warm, hospitable people.

In addition to all this, with world-class cultural heritage attractions and the longest archaeological promenade in Europe, Athens is a city that offers authentic experiences, enchanting tours and the chance for engagement in action-packed activities, both within and beyond the city limits and all year round.

Q: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?

Athens has faced several challenges the few last years, having experienced some negative publicity due to economic instability, political issues and the recent humanitarian issues.

These have not changed its destination profile and product.

Athens has proactively taken advantage of the media attention and managed to turn the exposure positive by promoting its unique selling points, services and experiences.

We rely heavily on the visitor and user experience, as we know that anyone visiting the city for business or for leisure is certain to have a positive and memorable experience, and will certainly talk, blog and share their experiences.

Q: How do you see the relationship between the meetings industry and the tourism industry?

The City of Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau, along with key tourism providers and partners, have integrated tourism policies and practices into the city’s main development strategy to support and boost the visitor economy.

These two different sectors interact and interweave easily, as the experience of leisure visitors helps build the city’s good name as a meetings destination and vice-versa (business travellers who have the chance to experience Athens on their social events or free time say that they plan to return as tourists).

Both sectors complement each other.

Q: Tell us something that might surprise meeting planners about your city?

Surrounded by stunning seas and mountains, Athens is the only European capital with 15 Blue Flag beaches, marinas and a 50km long Athenian Riviera. The islands off the coast of the Argosaronic Gulf are ideal one-day geta175

ways. Aigina, Hydra, Poros and Spetses are very popular destinations The City of Athens is a true paradise for tourism and a large journey into history and art. This travel-friendly city is filled with gems. Athens is a city that offers authentic experiences, enchanting tours and action packed activities.

Blessed with the unique heritage of being the cradle of democracy, of dialogue and the structural characteristics of Western culture and civilization, Athens is in a unique geopolitical position in the Mediterranean, acting as a bridge between West and East.

The City of Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau (the ACVB) is the official MICE board of the city that over the years has succeeded in building and delivering on the promise of Athens being a dynamic, safe and hospitable city for business tourists.

Our in-depth knowledge of facilities, services, as well as events that take place in our city, enables us to provide you with tailor-made solutions – an absolutely necessary factor for the success of any event.

Q: Can content marketing drive meeting planners to your destination?

Content marketing approaches, when implemented appropriately can certainly drive meeting planners to a destination. A strategy must be carefully constructed ensuring that campaigns meet the interests and needs of the buyers, and that communication initiatives are relevant, current and useful. Content marketing initiatives are successful when the destination has interaction and engagement with buyers and do not distribute blanket generic communication that may be considered junk or spam.

Quick Talk

Q: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?

Very hard, because the competition between cities and destinations is immense. If 1 would be ‘the message is easy to be sold’ and 10 would be ‘the message is a hard job to spread’ then we rate it at 7.

Q: How do you see relationship between the meetings industry and the tourism industry?

We are partners who need each other and who clearly benefit from each other -stunning scenery and cultural heritage are decision-making points of interest for buyers as well! A good partnership/relationship is rated from us as a 9.

Linz is the home of Blue Meetings

Ingrid Krieger & Andreas Zebisch, Convention Bureau Upper Austria

Q: Tell us something that might surprise meeting planners about your city?

As a visitor or a guest you will be absolutely surprised by a whole bunch of our venues. The capital assets of Linz and Upper Austria are a perfect platform stage for business events. The biggest fact that might surprise you is that Linz is the home of BLUE MEETINGS. You’ve never heard of that? We are trend-setters and in short it means: our aim is to surprise everybody positively and touch the hearts as well. You will discover Europe’s most modern music-theatre and last but not least: Linz is listed as a UNESCO city of media-arts.

Q: Can content marketing drive meeting planners to your destination?

Yes. A BIG and CLEAR YES.

Q: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12 months?

Meetings will become more digital! (spot-hotkey word: bring your own device) and Events will become more and more powered and “staged” by regional key-note speakers and artists. They will become greener and greener and more interactive, and the attendants will be younger.

Josef Rychter, Eastern Bohemia Convention Bureau Q: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12 months?

From our point of view, the most important thing today is to ensure safety in the holding of any events. The advantage of Eastern Bohemia in this field is that there is no big agglomeration and it is still a safe region within the heart of Europe.

Q: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive attributes that are often overlooked?

Unfortunately, there are no great congress hotels and venues in our region, but we do have some facilities located in beautiful countryside.

What is more, every part of the region is very well accessible by all means of transport.

A safe region within the heart of Europe Q: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?

We try to take part in various domestic worshops, meetings or trade events where meeting planners are also in attendance and every year we also organise the so called “MICE Trip to Eastern Bohemia”, as a part of which the participants visit some of the top MICE venues in the region.

Q: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive attributes that are often overlooked?

Linz is the capital of Upper Austria and is positioned/ranked No. 3 amongst all of the cities in Austria. We’re already aiming for spot-rank No. 2 after Vienna…

Q: How do you see relationship between the meetings industry and the tourism industry?

Our regional office (East Bohemia Convention Bureau) is the DMC part called Destination 176

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Management Company Eastern Bohemia, which is why I am convinced that these two sectors have much in common. Of course, meeting industry deals are often with much more exclusive requirements.

Q: Tell us something that might surprise meeting planners about your city?

Not only the city of Pardbubice, but all of the Eastern Bohemia region is unique for its local traditions: breeding horses, traditional gastronomic products (honey, ginger bread, plum brandy), Hlinecko Shrovetide Processions (listed in UNESCO cultural heritage) – places and products like this can really enrich the accompanying programmes of every event.

Q: Can content marketing drive meeting planners to your destination?

On our web site (www.eastbohemiaconvention. cz) we have something like a manual for meeting planners, which I think is a very good way to draw the attention of somebody looking for some information about organising events to our region. So, content marketing can certainly help us to promote our destination.

and health care meetings and a further decrease in destination appeal and a stronger focus again on education.

Q: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive attributes that are often overlooked?

We are positioned as a multi-faceted meeting destination, meaning that we can cater for almost any type of meeting in our city. It is this variety – from university level via meeting hotels to our three large conference centres – that makes it easy for the customer of our city to choose the right venue for his/her specific meeting.

Q: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?

If you build up your network with clients over the years and you inform them regularly about news in your destination, then it is relatively easy – you cover more with direct contacts.

Q: How do you see the relationship between the meetings industry and the tourism industry?

They are more and more drifting away from each other – organisers, especially from association congresses, are more and more keen not to be seen as tourism, a trend that will continue.

We can cater for almost any type of meeting in our city Q: Tell us something that might surprise meeting planners about your city?

Probably to experience the reality of how compact and easy it is to orientate in our city and due to the public transport you can reach the key meeting infrastructure within 10 minutes by underground. Sometimes our clients tell us: I could not believe what you told me, I needed to experience it.

Christian Mutschlechner, Vienna Convention Bureau

Q: Can content marketing drive meeting planners to your destination?

I am not so sure – for leading European associations they create content on a pan-European level and therefore rather need perfect infrastructure in order to build the appropriate meeting environment and meeting design.

Q: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12 months?

Nothing spectacular - a further increase in compliance issues for medical meetings, new ways of cooperation between the health care industry 177

Veronika Handl, Convention Bureau Tirol and Christian Mayerhofer, Congress Messe Innsbruck Q: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12 months?

Veronika Handl: Especially nowadays safety becomes more and more important for meeting and congress planners. The trend is to combine alpine-urban tradition and modernity in meetings.

Christian Mayerhofer: Talking about some event highlights for the next 12 months, we are looking forward to welcoming more than 2,000 scientists at the end of May at the Congress Innsbruck. Leading authorities from across Europe and the world, including Nobel laureate Michael S. Brown, will present their findings in Plenary and Workshop sessions at this conference of the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS). Subsequently the Austrian Association of

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Cities, with about 1,000 estimated delegates, will meet in Innsbruck and about the same number of delegates crowded the Congress Innsbruck in mid-May at a medical related conference in the centre of the Alps. A quick change of the setup was necessary, as the Congress Messe Innsbruck just hosted roughly 10,000 contestants at the world’s largest accordion music competition held at the beginning of May. Another highlight will be the world-leading trade show for alpine technologies: INTERALPIN. More than 23,000 visitors and decision makers will be expected for the next edition. Other upcoming events include West Austria’s leading tourism trade fair FAFGA alpine superior, the traditional Tyrolean Autumn Exhibition with over 50,000 expected visitors, as well as further conferences, such as the Congress of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons, with about 1,500 expected delegates.

Innsbruck unites sports and events with great experience Q: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive attributes that are often overlooked?

Veronika Handl: Innsbruck is well positioned and well known. As an Olympic Destination it unites sports and events with great experience.

Walking distances in a city that offers the advantages of a metropolis with the charm of a village makes Innsbruck unique.

Christian Mayerhofer: Not so many people realize that Innsbruck has a long tradition as a conference city, going back to 1867 when the “Dogana” of the Congress Centre Innsbruck was the setting for the first conference to be held in Tyrol. That was followed by the 1897 Meteorology Congress, which was attended by participants from no fewer than eighteen countries, including some that were considered pretty exotic at the time, like the Philippines, Egypt, Mexico, Brazil and the USA. More than a century later, the city of Innsbruck has been firmly placed on the international map, having previously organised two Winter Olympic Games, the International Children’s Games 2016 and several high-profile congresses and trade shows, and established itself as a world-leading ski and snowboard destination. A highly rated University, numerous international enterprises and cultural offerings like the “Golden Roof” are to name but a few of the outstanding qualities of Innsbruck. Set in the outstanding Tyrolean Alps, Innsbruck provides the perfect combination of a rich, legendary past alongside the modernity of future developments.

Q: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?

Veronika Handl: Innsbruck Tourism, Congress Innsbruck and the Convention Bureau Tirol are working hand in hand to spread the message about the advantages of this beautiful city and its possibilities. We are active on many relevant markets, at meeting shows, workshops and several events, and create our own events abroad that represent the flair and the values of Tirol and Innsbruck.

city centre enables delegates and visitors to get a beautiful view across the City from about 2,000 metres for a meeting or lecture session, or just to be enjoyed between lecture sessions.

Q: Can content marketing drive meeting planners to your destination?

Q: How do you see relationship between the meetings industry and the tourism industry?

Veronika Handl: In Tirol the relationship between tourism and the meeting industry is strong. The values are similar: hospitality, sustainability, well-being, regionality, accessibility and infrastructure are important in both industries and the decision-making basis.

Christian Mayerhofer: In other words, the relationship between both of these industries in Tyrol is especially very close and important. Due to the fact that Innsbruck is surrounded by outstanding mountain scenery with numerous ski resorts nearby, the tourism industry is a strong economic sector. Furthermore, exhibitions and trade fairs, such as the FAFGA alpine superior or INTERALPIN, stimulate the local economy in the region and have a significant importance to the local tourism industry.

Q: Tell us something that might surprise meeting planners about your city?

Veronika Handl: Within 20 minutes directly from the city (walking distance) you can reach the almost 2,000-metre above sea level Restaurant of the Seegrube and enjoy a spectacular lunch break or dinner with your group or congress participants.

The Bergisel Ski Jump is characterised by a breathtaking view of Innsbruck, the charm of a ski jumping venue with an Olympic past and modern architecture. The tower, designed by star architect Zaha Hadid, is easily accessible with two elevators and is also a very unusual event and convention location.

Christian Mayerhofer: What will definitely surprise meeting planners about Innsbruck are the short distances from point to point in the city and the wonderful offer there. In Innsbruck you feel like being in a metropolis with all its cultural sights, bars, shopping malls and venues. At the same time, Innsbruck offers fantastic scenery where you can be up in the mountains to ride powder snow in less than half an hour. What will likewise definitely surprise meeting planners is the distance to the mountains; Innsbruck is literally part of the high Alps, surrounded by mountains up to 2,500 metres above sea level. In other words, this city represents both a modern and vibrant urban infrastructure and very best of Mother Nature. A cable car station in front of Congress Innsbruck directly positioned in the 178

Andreas Griessler, Kärnten Convention Q: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12months?

First of all we would like to point out that Carinthia offers two main conference and meeting destinations – the city of Klagenfurt and Villach.

As a MICE destination Villach, as well as Klagenfurt, has experienced a continuous increase of congresses and events over the last years. As the forecast is very positive, both cities expect this upward trend to continue in regards of inquiries and bookings.

It can also be seen that more and more congress participants try to combine their business trip with a short private vacation. Some extend their stay and spend one or two nights more to enjoy the city areas and its surroundings.

Q: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive attributes that are often overlooked?

Klagenfurt is still an insider tip for meetings and events. Its old town exerts a very special charm upon visitors. The Renaissance jewel of the south combines a proximity to nature with countless options of rich incentives, art, culture

Quick Talk

and leisure programmes.

On the other hand, Villach, with the Congress Centre Villach, the largest in Carinthia, has been making a name for itself as a conference town for years. Generally, Villach can be described as an international business town of innovation and energy and is also known as a high-tech location.

Villach’s unique geographic position at the intersection of three countries (Austria, Italy & Slovenia) and cultures automatically ensures international flair and multicultural influences.

Q: Can content marketing drive meeting planners to your destination?

It’s all about connection with the value of the destination. The content has to be clear, authentic, attractive and, finally, inspiring. The customer is drawn into a new, deeply personal and unique experience, stimulating his decision process. Content marketing is an excellent tool oriented towards long term success.

An individual and very personal onestop-shop approach Q: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?

Almost all business sectors are facing increasing challenges every day and want to differentiate themselves from their competitors. As a result, we focus on a high quality customer relationship, based on an individual and very personal one-stop-shop approach, providing tailor-made information. This works very well as Villach and Klagenfurt cooperate really closely with Kärnten Convention. We try to combine our strengths and take advantage of the possible synergies to develop a stronger position as a MICE destination, as well as assert our competitiveness also on the international market.

Q: How do you see relationship between the meetings industry and the tourism industry?

There are big differences between leisure guests and business guests, as they have completely different requirements. As a result, they also need a different service and guest handling.

Q: Tell us something that might surprise meeting planners about your city?

Carinthia can be seen as a hidden treasure for MICE planners. Located in the heart of the AlpsAdriatic-Region Carinthia offers a combination of crystal clear, turquoise swimming lakes, 23 ski regions and many hiking regions, all proudly crowned by the Großglockner, the highest mountain of Austria. This blesses Carinthia with an impressive activity range and a perfect infrastructure for any kind of event. Here you will immediately notice that work and enjoyment go hand in hand.

Due to the geographic position of both cities, Klagenfurt and Villach, you can experience a lot of international influences. Italy and Slovenia are literally just a stone’s throw away, thus visiting and experiencing three countries in a single day is also a very popular topic for an incentive programme.

Petr Ryšánek, Moravia Convention Bureau Q1: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12months?

Meeting planners are looking more for unique venues (chateaux, museums or concert halls), newly refurbished hotels and venues and specific incentive ideas. I have noticed that meeting planners are becoming more responsible for hosting destinations and they are eager to leave a legacy.

The factors that are considered as crucial for event planning are accessibility, flexibility and creativity of suppliers, quality of services provided and personalization during the bidding process.

South Moravia and the City of Brno are improving the region‘s accessibility by looking for new connections between the international airport in Brno and important international hub airports, i.e. the new direct line which connected Brno and Munich in November 2015.

Q2: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive attributes that are often overlooked?

The meeting industry in our destination has 179

been achieving the best figures in recent years.

In 2015, Brno hosted 15 association meetings according to the rankings compiled by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), which means their number doubled compared to 2014. Increasing popularity of our destination has been also confirmed by the Czech Statistical Office, which collects data from collective accommodation establishments in the Czech Republic. Last year (2015) the region hosted 2,107 events, which represents 17% of all meetings held in the Czech Republic.

Our destination is the second most successful in the Czech Republic, following the number one – Prague – with other regions lying far behind.

Brno is a dynamically developing centre of industry, trade, science, information technology, research, and innovation, with business incubators and scientific centres of excellence, such as The Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), branch offices of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and Clinical Research Centre (ICRC).

For more than eighty years, Brno has been one of the largest trade fair cities in Central Europe. It boasts one of the world‘s largest exhibition grounds, with a net exhibition area of 130,000m².

It is a significant university city, with more than 86,000 students, 14 universities with 34 faculties and three university campuses.

“Silicon Valley“ of the Czech Republic.

Q3: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?

The competition in the field of the meeting industry is strong, both in Europe and in the world.

We are focusing on less expensive but efficient marketing activities, like online communication (website, social media, newsletters, etc.), our target market being the Czech Republic and neighboring countries.

Q4: How do you see relationship between the meetings industry and the tourism industry?

Although the main goal of the meeting industry is to transfer knowledge within the community of academics or scientists, I consider it as an important part of the tourism industry, because it generates demand for travel, accommodation, venues and other services providers. Decision makers also evaluate tourist attractiveness of the candidate destination. Last but not least, there is a chance that congress delegates will come back in future as regular tourists.

Q5: Tell us something that might surprise meeting planners about your city?

Our region is heading for the club of the fifty most innovative regions in Europe and thanks

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to its growing business in computer technology, telecommunications, software development and other hi-tech sectors it is known as the „Silicon Valley“ of the Czech Republic.

The meeting planners value the wide range of accommodation and congress facilities as well as its natural and cultural monuments.

Our destination also boasts its rich industrial, scientific, cultural, technical and business tradition. The theatre building in Brno had been electrically illuminated earlier than that in Vienna, and the operation of trams in Brno started earlier than in Prague.

Brno is the place where Johann Gregor Mendel discovered the laws of modern genetics and where Leoš Janáček, world-famous composer, lived and composed his operas.

Plus extra big question: Can content marketing drive meeting planners to your destination?

The meeting industry is the industry of storytellers, where content marketing fits in well.

It takes a lot of time and effort to create good content; on the other hand it is a more efficient way to build a relationship with meeting planners than regular advertising.

flight connections to Prague. Prague currently has a direct connection to 143 destinations.

Q: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive attributes that are often overlooked?

Prague is still perceived as a safe destination for travelling and organising conferences and congresses, which is a very important fact for us today. According to the ICCA ranking, published in the middle of May, Prague is the 11th destination in the world, when speaking of the number of association meetings. In this ranking Prague maintains its long term position around 10th place and with the positive news that number of meetings keeps rising.

Q: Can content marketing drive meeting planners to your destination?

Sure, stories and content marketing are an integral part of every destination. Prague can tell many different stories, which creates great content and are easy to remember, and not only for meeting planners. We are presenting Prague and the entire Czech Republic as an inspirational destination, where important personalities of their time created great things – just think about some famous operas, contact lenses, nanofiber, the sugar cube and many other things. All of them come from the minds of creative Czech people.

Q: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?

The competition in the form of other destinations is tough and we constantly try to highlight the unique qualities that Prague can offer, not only in the field of meetings, but also for the incentive programmes. Prague Convention Bureau regularly cooperates with foreign media, organises press trips and fam trips and uses paid as well as unpaid forms of promotion. We also previously established a cooperation with Prague City Tourism with the goal to unite our formerly different styles of promotion. That was a very significant step.

Prague can tell many different stories, which creates great content

Roman Muška, Prague Convention Bureau Q: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12 months?

In general, we expect further growth in terms of the number of meetings coming to Prague, especially when considering the small and midsize meetings and events where Prague offers plenty of options. Further growth will be supported also thanks to the growing number of direct

Q: How do you see relationship between the meetings industry and the tourism industry?

Meeting and tourism industry are just two sides of the same coin and the connection between them is strong. Both benefit from the basic local infrastructure and services. That’s the reason why the activities, including promotion, should go hand in hand. At Prague Convention Bureau we cooperate closely with Prague City Tourism, the Czech Convention Bureau and the City of Prague to ensure that Prague will be perceived as an ideal meeting as well as leisure destination.

Q: Tell us something that might surprise meeting planners about your city?

Prague is not a huge destination, so some of meeting planners might assume that there is a shortage in meeting and accommodation capacities and services. The opposite is true, however.

We can offer more than 42,000 rooms in nearly 800 hotels and other accommodation facilities.

Planners of larger meetings of up to 9,000 participants can use the meeting facilities of the Prague Congress Centre.

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Vincze Robert, Slovak Tourist Board Q: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12 months?

Slovakia is hosting the EU Presidency this year, which will stress test the capacities of our meetings industry in Bratislava. The SK EU Presidency could generate new topics for meetings and our focus and strategy on cooperation with associations will intensify. We expect growth in incentive travel in all our destinations, given the increasing number of flight connections, new incentive possibilities available and our marketing activities on multiple target markets.

Kosice: European City of Sport 2016 will feature a new Turkish Airlines connection to Istanbul several times a week, opening the city to Asian travelers. This will have an effect on gastronomy, service scope and the cultural scene of Kosice.

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Q: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive attributes that are often overlooked?

Accessibility: Bratislava is one of the best connected capitals in the world, having 2 international airports within a 30-min radius of the city, including Vienna International Airport, one of largest airports in the region. Safety: Bratislava is a safe and stable destination, with a minimum threat level for any delegate. Execution: Bratislava produces many world class products, like the high end premium SUVs of the VW Group – Cayenne, Q7, Touareg, Bentley Bentayga (chassis, body), as well as ESET antivirus software, SYGIC navigations and much more.

Surveys of Meetings and Events Professionals constantly rank accessibility as the No. 1 criteria for destination selection and, in this regard, Bratislava is surprisingly close. You can get to Slovakia’s capital in just 40 minutes from Vienna airport, or 20 minutes from Bratislava airport to the city centre, making Bratislava one of the best connected capitals in the world.

When you’re there you’ll find yourself in a safe, easy-to-get-around, buzzy, compact city where old town beauty and modern urbanity sit side by side.

Bratislava is also an exceptionally smart city, with a burgeoning start-up eco-system and a stellar global reputation as an innovation hub.

Bratislava-based ESET is a world leader in anti-virus software, while Pixel Federation, founded in the city in 2007, develops online games played in over 200 countries in the world.

Renowned as an automotive hub, Bratislava has also spawned Aeromobil, the makers of the world’s first flying car.

But Bratislava is also an innovator in the Meetings and Events industry. Sli.do, the ground breaking audience engagement platform, was born and raised in this exceptionally smart city.

Meeting professionals know the importance of exceptional execution. Strategies and plans are always essential, but without great execution they’re useless. Without precision, attention to detail and total focus, great strategies go awry and brilliant plans come to nothing.

Global automotive leaders like Volkswagen (producing cars for Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, ŠKODA and SEAT, directly in Bratislava), Peugeot Citroën, KIA and Jaguar Land Rover have all opted to locate their massive plants around our city, because for them precision, attention to detail and focus are non-negotiable; they’re a sine-qua-non, as defining for them as their brand itself. You can see that exceptional execution is part of our DNA here in Bratislava – you can rest assured that your meetings and events are in safe hands!

new content – our marketing activities therefore result in high interest. The more messages we broadcast, the more responsibility it takes to carefully prepare the content. We try to build our own network of partners rather than to rely on existing international channels.

Q: How do you see the relationship between the meetings industry and the tourism industry?

The meetings industry and tourism industry share the same infrastructure. A strong dialogue between the tourism industry and meetings industry is a prerequisite for creating successful marketing strategies both for the MICE and leisure segments. Most key destination marketing messages can be broadcast both in the meetings industry and tourism industry marketing.

Bratislava is one of the best connected capitals in the world Q: Tell us something that might surprise meeting planners about your city?

Vienna International Airport is only 30 minutes away from Bratislava and Bratislava Hotels are rated 4th cleanest in the world, with Slovak hotels having the highest guest satisfaction rate in Europe (hotels.info, 6 million users).

Kosice was the European Capital of Culture 2013, is the European City of Sport 2016, is the IT Valley of Slovakia, and Kosice International Airport is part of Vienna International Airport (with great connectivity from Vienna, Warsaw, London, Istanbul and more).

Q: Can content marketing drive meeting planners to your destination?

We believe in the importance of professionally executed content marketing and its effect on a destination’s reputation and appeal. This is closely connected to the interest of meeting planners and the effort needed to sell the destination.

Ozgul Ozkan Yavuz Istanbul Convention Bureau Q: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12 months?

More engagement and greater cooperation between buyers and suppliers than ever before.

Unfortunately, with the recent events that happened/are happening all around the world, our industry nowadays has a new ‘normal’. Not just in our city, but in all major cities, we all have more responsibilities. Immediate reactions will be needed and more solutions to be adopted by suppliers and destination representatives from CVBs at venues along with a need to commit to even greater cooperation. We also need to be more engaged with the local authorities as well as local industry partners to be able to act as a team and send the correct message. Maybe we can call the next 12 months the ‘recovery period’ for our industry…

The harder it gets to be heard, the harder you need to work!

Q: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive attributes that are often overlooked?

Cities like Istanbul, which has a long history dating back 8,500 years, are more likely to be recognized as an ‘Historical City’. Istanbul is not only a UNESCO World Heritage Site but also a modern city and has become a hub for contemporary artistic developments and creative industries. This was the main reason why we have launched our re-positioning campaign - ‘A Tale of Two Cities’. To sum it up; the aim was to demonstrate the breadth and variety of

Q: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?

As a new destination Slovakia attracts a relatively large interest of the industry when publishing 181

Quick Talk

Istanbul, old and new, while highlighting the city’s high-tech modern infrastructure juxtaposed against its monumental history to metaphorically reflect ‘A Tale of Two Cities’.

However, we are still aware that the modern part of the city is often overlooked. For instance, we always highlight that we have historical unusual venues as well as high-tech modern venues for meeting planners, as we know that the first thing that comes to their minds is historical palaces, cisterns or mansions… To be able to shift perceptions, we keep our message clear and consistent.

Q: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?

A bit challenging when you have a lot to say! This is the main challenge for big cities like Istanbul, because there are so many aspects that you want to send across and on top of this there is always something new to say, always. I believe the harder it gets to be heard, the harder you need to work! And this is what we do; keep updating the target that already knows the city and make sure to give as much info as possible to the target that does not know what the city has to offer for meetings.

Q: How do you see the relationship between the meetings industry and the tourism industry?

A close relationship  My background is in the tourism industry, where I spent almost 20 years in the Ministry in different roles, and I believe there is a direct relationship between the tourism industry and the meeting industry.

The tourism industry showcases all aspects of a destination and the meeting industry generates tourism. Istanbul became a city of arts, culture, festivals and international events. Many years of promoting Istanbul effectively also impacted Istanbul’s position as a meeting destination.

Of course we cannot say it’s not only about promotion but also the investments that have been made for Istanbul, such as convention facilities, hotels, new transportation facilities etc.

Tourism and meeting industries are tools for development and a better life.

Q: Tell us something that might surprise meeting planners about your city?

Well, I would say that Istanbul is the capital of diversity and opportunities, so there might be a lot of things to be surprised about, but in my personal opinion the number of universities in the city, which is 53, always surprises planners.

Istanbul is a hub of learning and innovation and this is one of the main reasons that the city is growing rapidly in every way. An historical city with a modern outlook - as mentioned earlier: A Tale of Two Cities…

Q: Can content marketing drive meeting planners to your destination?

Yes, indeed! I believe in the effectiveness of content marketing for destinations as well as other brands. Currently the trend is shifting more to experience marketing, but we always need content. It’s a powerful way to describe your destination’s capabilities, or in other words, its story, in a creative way to the planners. As Istanbul CVB, we have been working on a new marketing strategy for the last 6-8 months and we are collecting video testimonials from the association directors/organisers during their congress in Istanbul. Meeting planners hear about what Istanbul has to offer them from their colleagues, not from us. With this we are spreading their experience to others. We have received really positive feedback from our colleagues as well as planners. Thus, I believe this is a good example for content marketing which shows that it works to drive meeting planners to our destination.

Q: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive attributes that are often overlooked?

According to corporate clients we are a “trendy” destination and they would like to organise an event in Poland. Based on International Congress and Convention Association data Poland is ranked 21st globally and 12th in Europe.

A bridge between East and West, huge scientific potential and a young approach – these are the main positive attributes.

Q: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?

Digitalization and time optimization don’t help; it’s complicated to deliver the message which is unique and interesting. That is why I truly believe that face to face meetings are crucial.

All kinds of association meetings, few shows and personal contact is the king. Not only drinking coffee can help to build relations, but also friends and fans.

We are trying – together with our recommended companies and regional convention – to build a strong relationship with clients and I think it works.

Q: How do you see the relationship between the meetings industry and the tourism industry?

Two different worlds - we need to focus on business relations, city and country development agencies and corporate partners. These are organisations where we want to belong. Tourism means leisure and we are business.

Content plus creativity can change the world

Mr. Dr. Krzysztof Celuch Poland Convention Bureau Q: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12 months?

More educated and professional staff, a multicultural approach and better quality. People take care of their time, so I hope experts will think about this too. The most important trend will be to optimize time.

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Q: Tell us something that might surprise meeting planners about your city?

Content plus creativity can change the world.

Meetings and events are driven by aims and goals. People want to take something home and we need to give them whatever they are looking for. In Poland we have a lot of people who are creating, implementing and changing; they can surprise, but they are also excellent examples to follow. If you add amazing unique venues and hospitality it can be a wonderful mix for your meetings.

Q: Can content marketing drive meeting planners to your destination?

Yes. Content and creativity are the factors that I use to change the world and that is why it is definitely yes. Without content there are no delegates. On the other hand, if you don’t see creativity you are looking for something new.

Quick Talk

Andrey Zhukovsky, Moscow Convention and Exhibition Bureau Q: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12 months?

At the moment, Moscow is about two things: innovations and sports. Innovations – because Moscow is rapidly gaining ground as one of world’s leading centres for high technology and industry, complete with a silicon valley, dozens of technological clusters, outstanding brainpower and substantial investment both from the business sector and the Federal Government.

This, in its turn, results in a palette of hi-techthemed events scheduled over the next 12 months in the fields such as IT, nanotechnology, microelectronics, robotics, space research and biomedical technology. The big event that will put Moscow on the global scientific and industrial map in 2016 is the 33rd IASP (International Association of Science Parks) World Conference that will see the who-is-who among the world science park elite in Moscow for the first time.

Sports-wise, the Russian capital is busy getting ready to host the FIFA World Cup, which will turn Moscow into the sports Mecca of 2018.

The hotel and venue bookings are in full swing, the new accommodation and event facilities are being given final touch-ups. The whole massive infrastructure has recently been put to the test during this year’s IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, and we’re proud to say our city did a wonderful job.

Another important first for Moscow is the Summer meeting of the ICCA Central European Chapter, which our capital is getting ready to host this summer. We are sure the meeting will give our guests a perspective of Moscow’s convention infrastructure and will outline the spectacular possibilities for future international meetings to be held in our city.

Q: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive attributes that are often overlooked?

Over the past 20 years Moscow has gained a reputation as a sophisticated and exorbitantly expensive megacity. Thousands of prospective meeting planners drawn by Moscow’s novelty and splendour were put off by the price tag.

These days, due to a sharp change in the RoubleEuro exchange ratio, Moscow luxury is suddenly turning quite affordable – to the point that one can now organize events of all shapes and sizes in Moscow for 1/2 or even 1/3 of what it cost in 2014. This, in its turn, plays up to Moscow’s popularity on the international meetings destination scene. The image remains the same while the costs have shrunk dramatically.

Obviously, with 12 major exhibition and convention centres, 30 congress hotels and 40 000 sq. m. of congress space, Moscow is capable of hosting massive international events like the 6th Global Entrepreneurship Congress in 2014 or the oncoming FIFA World Cup in 2018. In terms of culture, 450 museums, 64 grand palaces, 182 theatres and a score of UNESCO world heritage buildings make Moscow a fantastic place to be. Still, what makes our capital a really strong competitor on the meetings industry market, and growing stronger by the year, is its appeal of freshness and novelty to international meeting planners. Let’s face it, everybody has been virtually everywhere. The circle of the unexplored and less explored destinations is constantly narrowing, therefore “new” and “discovery” are the buzz words on the market. Incidentally, that is what Moscow has to offer in plenty.

You can’t beat direct communication when it comes to attracting international meetings Q: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?

Some less evident aspects of the city’s allure need highlighting and promoting, others quite simply speak for themselves. The social media, the trade shows, the trade press – the traditional channels are a great help and we certainly rely on them. Still, we strongly believe that most of the promotion is done by word of mouth and through personal contacts, which is why we’re involved in direct bidding for major association events, for example. You can’t beat direct communication when it comes to attracting international meetings.

Q: How do you see relationship between the meetings industry and the tourism industry?

In my opinion the correlation is a very direct 183

one. The overall tourist appeal of a city leads to companies and organizations wanting to hold meetings there. After all, businesses are people and people are driven by the spirit of discovery.

This explains why, according to Tripadvisor, Moscow holds the second place in Europe and the fifth place globally among the most popular developing tourist destinations.

Among the first to appreciate the new visiting opportunities were the practically-minded Chinese tourists. According to the official statistics, the tourist flow from China doubled in 2015 as compared to 2014, reaching the record figure of 670 000 visitors. The estimate for 2016 is even more impressive: over 1 300 000 tourists from China are expected in Moscow by the close of the year. The overall tourist forecast for 2016 is 17 500 000, mostly visitors from Europe and Asia.

Q: Tell us something that might surprise meeting planners about your city?

Probably the size and scale of everything.

Moscow is arguably the biggest European capital, and that goes to most things within the city limits. We’ve got the tallest building in Europe and the largest shopping mall in Europe.

When we do things, we do them proper and solid.

Q: Can content marketing drive meeting planners to your destination?

Definitely. But, like with most other things, we like to look upon the Internet not as a marketing battleground, but as a natural flow of ideas which does not need to be rigidly controlled by the marketeers. For example, Moscow wins the people’s choice award, being the fourth city globally by the number photos published on Instagram – right after Paris, New York and London. We appreciate this recognition, the more so because the city wins “at face value”, not by a specific social media craft.

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Interview

THE SUCCESS STORY OF A NEW HOTEL IN TOWN - THE HOTEL NAVIS, OPATIJA, CROATIA Interview with Zoran Užar, Hotel manager at Navis Hotel

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re you looking for a hotel with exceptional architecture, outstanding furniture design, a top notch culinary offer and a place that provides a “sleeping with the story” concept? Then the Hotel Navis might be jjst the place you’re looking for.

This new, modern 5* boutique hotel, built into the side of a cliff overlooking the Kvarner bay, is a true gem on the Opatija Riviera. The hotel is located in Preluka, 2.5km from Opatija’s city centre, and has 40 designer-decorated rooms and 4 suites, all with their own terrace and sea view. Opened in 2014 Hotel Navis has become well-known for its genuine hospitality, exclusive culinary offer, unique architecture and maritime-like design. The maritime theme pervades the hotel, with each room marked with nautical miles and the corridors painted in dark blue and resembling ocean-going ship corridors. The restaurant serves only the best from the local suppliers and with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients, where every seafood lover can pamper their taste buds with the famous Kvarner scampi and other sea specialities. A personal vibe created by the owners - the Kapetanović family - only adds to the value of the hotel.

We teamed up with Navis’s hotel manager, Zoran Užar, to get a better insight into the hotel’s instant success.

Q: What’s the story behind the design hotel Navis? When and how did the idea of a new boutique hotel in Opatija begin?

The idea began when the Kapetanović family who have been successfully operating Opatija’s renowned hotel, the hotel Villa Kapetanović, including its restaurant Laurus, for over a decade - decided to take a step further in the hotel business and increase Opatija’s hotel offer. Once the opportunity presented itself Mr. and Mrs. Kapetanović decided to purchase the property where Navis stands today and create a completely different hotel story. For starters the hotel Navis boasts a perfect location, as it is built into a cliff rising directly above the sea facing 186

Kvarner bay and therefore gives an impression of a large cruise ship. Also the Kapetanović surname derives from the Croatian word for “captain”, so it was only natural to build a hotel based on a maritime, or more appropriately the “captain” theme. The construction work began in 2014 and was concluded by May 2015, and once their vision came to life they became captains of Navis.

Q: Was it hard to find the perfect location for the hotel?

The location for Navis is truly unique and it was certainly difficult to find. However, as the saying goes “All good things are worth waiting

Interview

for” and in this case it was certainly worth the wait. We also put a lot of effort into researching the construction site and in the development of ideas for creating an iconic edifice that would meet the conditions of both modern architectural design and the exclusivity of the hotel’s indoor and outdoor equipment.

Q: Opatija is the oldest tourist resort in Croatia and a town with the highest number of high-category hotels in Croatia. In what sense does Navis stand out from other hotels in Opatija, or how do you position Navis in such a crowded market?

Taking into consideration that Opatija has a long and successful tradition of tourism it wasn’t easy to create a product that would stand out from the others, especially in a city with such an abundant offer of hotel facilities. However, with careful planning, a strong focus on design and great care invested in human resources, along with the dedication of the entire team, we have managed to position ourselves as a unique destination within Opatija. Our location and our offer combined with the top notch services we provide enabled us to succeed in creating a base of loyal guests that despite their relatively young age continue to choose our hotel for their holiday. Also, the number of new guests arriving at the hotel is growing day by day, which means a great deal to us.

Q: The minimalistic design of the hotel is the complete opposite of Opatija’s well renowned Austro-Hungarian architectural style - how important is the design of a hotel and a hotel room in the contribution to a guest’s experience?

Even though we respect and appreciate the décor of the old and established hotels in Opatija, for which there certainly exists a niche 187

in the tourism market, we decided to choose another path and present a modern, contemporary and different hotel design. We wanted to excite the guests with an alternative design that continuously surprises them; where strong and bold statements are expressed through the bare concrete walls of the hotel rooms that are complemented with warm wooden details, such as contemporary furniture produced by Croatian

Interview

designers. The design is absolutely a strong factor in the guest’s overall experience of the hotel and plays a crucial role in terms of choosing a hotel based on its visual appearance. We believe we succeeded in this particular aspect and managed to stimulate the imagination of our guests and therefore continue to encourage them to come and visit our hotel. However, exceeding guests’ expectations once they arrive at the hotel is an entirely separate matter, but is an area where we truly excel and confirm to our guests that they made the right choice in choosing the Hotel Navis.

Q: The rooms are equipped with stylish furniture made in Croatia, some of them even unique pieces by famous Croatian designers.

Who was in charge of the hotel décor?

When starting a project from scratch, especially when it comes to renovating an existing structure (note: the Hotel Navis was built on to a pre-existing structure of the former “Milde Sorte”disco) the transformation required a vision without compromise, which was in a way an advantage. We had the freedom to choose between a variety of top quality materials, products and design, which also gave us a unique opportunity to put into life the ideas that

the Kapetanović family envisaged for creating an exceptional tourism product. We engaged qualified interior designers and others experts to ensure quality, practicality and maximum efficiency of the hotel equipment, and only noble materials were used to ensure the highest standards of quality.

Q: Opatija is also well known for its gastronomy - how much effort do you put into the food and beverage offer and what are your signature dishes?

The restaurant Navis undoubtedly represents an added value to Opatija’s tourism offer. It is by no means considered as just another hotel restaurant for which the goal is to satisfy the norm and provide guests with breakfast included in the price of the room. Our restaurant is a gourmet experience and a journey for all of the five senses in every possible aspect. Our guests start the day with a gourmet breakfast that includes a vast selection of Croatian and international delicacies.

Our rich buffet offers everything you need for a perfect breakfast. You can also order freshly made hot dishes or order from the breakfast à la carte menu and get the great breakfast foods to start your day. Our à la carte menu is created based on local and seasonal ingredients, with

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a primary focus on fish and treasures from the sea. Our Chef, Nenad Posavac, is one of the best chefs in the area and we are proud to have him as part of our team, ensuring that the gourmet experience is never anything less than excellent.

Q: What is your target group and how do you attract your guests?

Our target group is anyone who appreciates aesthetics and design, and enjoys the finer things in life. Geographically, we have guests mostly from Europe and the majority of those are guests coming from our neighbouring countries, such as Slovenia, Hungary and German-speaking countries.

Q: How much focus do you put on sharing hotel news on social media channels (Facebook, Twitter etc.)? Do you communicate with your guests pre-, during and poststay? And besides the website and Facebook are there any other channels that you’re using?

Considering that we are a relatively small hotel, with 44 rooms in total, we pride ourselves on a personal approach to each guest individually. That personal touch begins with the initial contact with our guests, regardless if it is via

Interview

of the hotel’s offer will be realized in the near future. One of which, and certainly one that will be most visible, is the completion of the hotel’s waterfront project. We are planning to build a multifunctional dock attached to the rocks at the foot of the hotel, which will serve as a dock (small quay) for smaller boats and jet-skies, but can also be used as an additional sunbathing location and access to the ocean. The dock will be directly connected to the hotel’s restaurant terrace via access stairs.

social media or direct contact / inquiry to our sales department… when it comes to caring for our guests we consistently express our respect and interest in their well-being. We constantly share news and up to date information via different social media channels (Facebook, etc.).

Q: What are your strategies for maintaining your top position as a hotel? Are you organising any special events (art, music, culinary, etc.) or collaborating with other partners in order to raise the profile of your hotel?

At this early stage we have not associated ourselves with any group, business or otherwise.

We think the best message transferred to our guests comes from the source and for now our team and our guests are the true promoters of the hotel’s offer. However, we collaborate with various media partners to get our story to our target audience. We also work with various business partners, like tourist agencies, the national tourist bureau and others. To this day we have hosted and organised many different events, such as culinary shows, dinner charity events, business gatherings and team building events with key players from the world business environment.

Q: What are the main advantages of the hotel Navis and what do guests appreciate most while staying at your hotel?

The location of the hotel is greatly appreciated by our guests as it provides a unique opportunity to stay in secluded privacy with beautiful natural scenery. It is also located within walking distance to Opatija city centre, but for those who prefer motorized transportation we also provide a complimentary shuttle service connecting the hotel with the city centre. Our secluded hotel location gives our guests the chance to enjoy

the absolute privacy of their stay, as the also hotel offers a private beach access. The hotel’s design is another attractive element that spices up the whole hotel experience, which combined with great hotel service creates a luxury hotel package that leaves such a strong impression on our guests that they keep coming back.

Q: What have been the biggest challenges you faced since the opening of the hotel?

The biggest challenge we faced was the completion of the project on time. Once the construction of the hotel was finished it took us some time to establish the quality of all the hotel services.

Now the main challenge remains in successfully maintaining a strong position in the market, following and setting trends, and innovating to keep the product and guests’ satisfaction at the highest level.

Q: In your opinion why do guests choose to visit Opatija?

Opatija is a destination with a distinctive advantage when it comes to accessibility; it is very well connected with the central and western European countries. As soon as Croatia became a part of the EU it became even easier for foreign guests to visit Opatija. In conjunction with the accessibility, Opatija’s strong attributes in terms of natural and historical beauties are its mild climate, historical congress and meeting capacities and recognizably great service, along with the exclusive offer in terms of Gastronomy & Oenology, which makes it a popular and a well-established destination.

Q: What are your future plans?

Our goal is to never stop improving the product value and the satisfaction we provide. However, some of the projects envisaging implementation 189

Q: Do you also organise business meetings and does your hotel have the capacity and/or the facilities (indoor or outdoor) to welcome a larger group of people?

We often host business meetings and team building events in our hotel. Moreover, most of the autumn/winter season the hotel is booked by guests from the business tourism sector. We have a meeting room with a capacity for hosting 40 people (depending on the set-up) but often we have used other facilities, for instance the restaurant, to expand our meeting room capacity, or to provide an alternative venue for guests in creating a more casual environment. The beautiful restaurant terrace can and has been used as a venue for dinner parties or casual work.

Q: Do you also engage in promoting business and MICE tourism in conjunction with Villa Kapetanović?

We often work with large companies that often require more meeting space and/or a dynamic working environment. On these occasions, we work closely with the Hotel Villa Kapetanović, which has larger meeting capacities and is in close proximity of the Hotel Navis. Our complimentary shuttle service additionally makes the experience enjoyable, enabling guests to easily move between the two hotels without using their own vehicle.

Q: What was the last event you organised?

Among last events we have organised were large presentations and workshops for an established pharmaceutical company in cooperation with Slovenian doctors, where new products and medical procedures were presented by distinguished doctors and medical workers.

Q: What would you like to share with our readers?

I would just like to add, for those who have not had the opportunity to visit Navis, that Navis is not only a place where one comes to fulfil his/her needs, but is also a place where a guest becomes a part of the family. The panoramic views overlooking the Kvarner bay will take your breath away and make you want to come back. If you find it difficult to take my word for it, you will just have to come down and see for yourself.

Hot Destinations

HOT DESTINATIONS Around the regional top meeting hotels with Kongres magazine REGENT PORTO MONTENGRO, Tivat, Montenegro Category: Resort meeting hotel The hotel sets new regional hoteliers’ standards and sets Montenegro among the most luxurious tourist destinations.

It is not surprising that it was nominated for World Luxury Awards for 2015. Ratings of its individual criteria speak for themselves; the hotel offers comfort, a range of top quality materials, luxurious elegance and a high quality offer of its spa centre for which a visit is a special experience and why many famous and rich people have already visited Regent Porto Montenegro. You too can book your corner among the VIPs in one of its 51 rooms.

Hotel Fantasy

KEMPINSKI PALACE HOTEL, Portorož, Slovenia Category: Resort meeting hotel

Divine Slovenian Luxury

The Kempinski Hotel is the only five-star superior hotel in Slovenia. This means that the rooms are spacious and well-equipped, as befits a top hotel.

The interior colour is subdued, of modern design and appears prestigious, whilst offering a lot of style and freshness. The technical equipment showcases the hotel’s technological sophistication. The modern convention centre is prestigious and well-equipped. Six conference rooms have natural daylight and the largest hall can accommodate up to 220 participants. The heart of the convention offer is Crystal Hall, which post-renovation shines in full splendour and which in addition to the Union Hall in Ljubljana is the most prestigious conference and banquet hall in Slovenia.

It opens onto a century-old park, which is an attractive venue for outdoor events.

RADISSON BLU OLD MILL HOTEL BELGRADE, Belgrade, Serbia Category: City meeting hotel Radisson Old Mill took a risk and it has succeeded. It seems they have captured just the right aesthetic balance. Top quality ingredients are never wrapped with ballast and the new space is balanced with the story of the former mill. The result is an elegant concept of an authentic hotel, a cult restaurant and a dynamic lounge bar, which gives a new dimension to Belgrade tourism and sets new standards.

Omg Experience

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Hot Destinations

FALKENSTEINER HOTEL & SPA IADERA, Zadar, Croatia Category: Resort meeting hotel The overall impression of the new resort is an extremely good one. The hotel follows the known standards of the Falkensteiner group and is an excellent choice for incentive and product launches, as well as smaller conferences. It is important to avoid the high tourist season, go for less frequented dates and carefully plan the arrivals logistics. From what we saw and experienced we can only give it a firm nod of approval.

Beyond Meetings

GRAND HOTEL UNION, Ljubljana, Slovenia Category: City Meeting hotel The taste of meeting organisers can be unpredictable and difficult to follow, but the choice of Grand Hotel Union is definitely a right one, due to the excellent convention halls and, of course, the flexible and friendly staff. In the Ljubljana conference offer the Grand Hotel Union reigns. An excellent hotel for convention gourmets and a true flag bearer of the Ljubljana hotel conference offer since 1905

Excellence in the Heart of Ljubljana

D-RESORT, Ĺ ibenik, Croatia Category: Resort meeting hotel Where a former navy military barracks once stood, today a luxury resort owned by the Turkish Dogus Group company stands as part of the new Marina Mandalina. Architecturally the hotel is highly impressive, yet at the same time remains completely personalised. The decision to reveal the natural concrete skeleton of the building is exceptional and throws up new architectural surprises. The youthful and inspired personnel and this amazing city with its urban culture and very special joyfulness really stand out.

Don’t miss out on www.kongres-magazine.eu latest HIDDEN GUEST reviews.

Seducer of both Heart and Mind

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CONTACT: 'ORAZD ²AD Editor-in-Chief E: gorazd.cad@toleranca.eu T: +386 1 430 51 03 www.kongres-magazine.eu

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The year 2016 is just around the corner. Plan your marketing activities ahead. Add Kongres Magazine to your marketing plan today to help shape the meetings industry of tomorrow!

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Kongres meetologue

Conventions don´t have to be conventional A business trip to Madrid seems less like hard work than most.

Sunny weather, conveniently located conference venues and gourmet lunches are just some of the bonuses for when you visit on business.

A er a busy day, Madrid’s famous museums and elegant stores are a great way to recharge before sampling the vibrant nightlife. info.mcb@esmadrid.com (+34) 91 758 55 28 www.esmadrid.com/mcb

Relax over tapas in an outdoor café or dance until dawn. Whatever you do, Madrid is the business.

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Conventa Addendum

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9 NEW EUROPE EXHIBITION FOR MEETINGS, EVENTS & INCENTIVE TRAVEL

• Its great value for money.

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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.

www.conventa.info

Conventa Addendum

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TH NEW EUROPE EXHIBITION FOR MEETINGS, EVENTS & INCENTIVE TRAVEL

Explore the emerging destinations of Europe over a cup of coffee

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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.

WWW.CONVENTA.INFO

18 - 19 JANUARY 2017, Ljubljana—Slovenia

Conventa Addendum

CONVENTA LAUNCHES CONVENTA CROSSOVER CONFERENCE Best experts in MICE Marketing and Tourism in one place

CROSSOVER

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The Future of MICE and Travel Marketing

The T

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onventa 2017 is proud to announce the first event organized under its patronage. Meetings industry is already buzzing about Conventa Crossover conference, the new international conference dedicated to the future of MICE and travel marketing. Meet the “Conventa Crossover Content Bartenders” that will be pouring you a tall glass of knowledge from 29 to 30 August 2016 at Hotel Lev, Ljubljana, and register to ensure your seat at the ”it” event of this summer.

The Conventa Crossover conference will be a conference like no other. Fresh, creative and most of all bold! As a new joint project of Conventa Academy, Inside and Travel Zoom conference, Conventa Crossover will in a new and diverse format bring to the meetings industry professionals a better understanding of the future of B2B marketing events.

Organized by the agency Toleranca Marketing/Go.Mice and Conventa Trade show with a strong support of Ljubljana Tourism and Union Hotels, the conference is intended for meeting planners, meeting providers, congress destinations and all professionals closely related to tourism and marketing industry. Gorazd Čad, Director of Toleranca Marketing and main organizer of the conference: “We are extremely excited to be able to welcome the best professionals from the meetings industry business and marketing in Ljubljana. Our region desperately needs educational conferences dedicated

Different participation packages are available for delegates that can enjoy the Early Bird Fee till 30 June 2016.

197 to events and experience marketing. That’s why this year we are introducing Conventa Crossover to meetings industry players who are aware of the importance of contact learning and improving their business skills. For us it is a step up from the educational events we have been successfully organizing in the past since this event will offer a “crossover” to a new conference experience. Ordinary or average is no longer good enough for us! We love a challenge and that’s why Conventa Crossover is turning boring marketing events upside down.

Join us in August in Hotel Lev to see what’s trending right now and how you can prepare for the future of MICE and travel marketing.”

This “out of the box” conference will ensure a deepened personal engagement, a more authentic experience and live interaction with speaker by offering different programme formats; marketing ring where speakers will go head to head in a TEDEx format presentations, content bar where they will address the audience in pecha kucha 20×20 format, workshops, elevator pitches corner, etc. Many speakers have already confirmed their participations including Rene Messati (Trend One), Colja Dams (Vok Dams), Thorsteinn Örn Gudmundsson (Meet in Reykjavik), Ciara Feely (FindaConferenceVenue.com), Martijn Timmermans (The Red Line Project & Event StoryBoard canvas), Damjan Obal (UX & Design at GVC group), Tomislav Čeh (Union Hotels), Ivana Preiss (52 Hours Design), Aoife McCrum (SoolNua), Magdalina Atanassova (Kenes Group), Antonia Radić (EX-ALTO), Lea Lipovšek (Madwise), Jovana Miljanović (JM Consulting), Ottavio Cambieri (Mash Machine) and Marcel Wassink (Supervent),…

New knowledge, ideas and business advice will not be the only attraction Conventa Crossover will be serving. The fresh and dynamic conference setting prepared by Hotel Lev and their culinary delights prepared by the tattooed chefs will amaze the delegates used to attending conferences of a standard format.

For more information on the event please visit www.crossover.si

Conventa Addendum

CATCH THE EARLY BUS TO CONVENTA! Early Bird Registration For Exhibitors At Conventa 2017 Is Available Till Mid-June

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egistrations for Conventa 2017, leading B2B trade show for Meetings, Events & Incentive Travel in New Europe, have already begun. Already the 9th year in a row, meetings industry providers from New Europe will take the exhibition floor and proudly present their offer at Conventa 2017 in Ljubljana, from 18th to 19th of January 2017.

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Those who have not yet reserved their exhibition booth should do it before taking off for the summer. Till the 15th of June exhibitors can take advantage of the Early Bird free and save up to 25% as well as start early with their year-round promotion available in scope of Conventa.

Once you’ll see what Conventa can do for you, you’ll not want to try anything else!

Here are the reasons why choosing Conventa ahead of any other trade shows for meetings, events and incentives is a smart thing to do: • Conventa acts on ROI principle: providing a business-oriented platform to develop individual business relationships with targeted meeting industry audiences in a cost- and time efficient manner • Quality new buyers, all cherry-picked: Every year around 90 % of buyers are new. In 2016, more than 62% of hosted buyers were rated as good or excellent by exhibitors.

• Face-to-face business development: The most successful form of selling and of building a personal and direct relationship with meeting industry clients is offered at Conventa.

• Stress free matchmaking: More relaxed One2One meetings and networking in a cosy atmosphere during non-stop coffee break lounges, lunch and evening receptions is what makes Conventa a friendly trade show.

• Social matchmaking: Conventa is fully hosted show. All exhibitors are entitled to participate at and enjoy all social events. Exclusive catering and entertainment enables stress free matchmaking with all participating hosted buyers.

• The most hospitable trade show: Friendliness and effectiveness of show organizer was rated 4,52 out of 5 in 2016.

• You are not just a number, it’s personalized: Every exhibitor gets full personal support and attention of the Conventa team. Compared to other shows, Conventa is just the right size to help you stand out from the rest, position your brand, products and services to a targeted audience and take the best advantage of yearround marketing opportunities.

• Great reputation and trust: In only 8 years, Conventa has recorded 1.974 hosted buyers from 460 countries, its exhibition floor has been filled by 1.037 exhibitors from 17 different countries, 23.816 bilateral talks were held over the years and 13.714 One2One meetings have been pre-scheduled.

• Conventa Experience: A new trade show experience that awakens your senses and delivers positive business results!v For even more reasons to participate at Conventa 2017 or more information, please contact Mrs. Natalija Bah Čad by mail at natalija@conventa.info or by phone on +386 1 430 51 03.

More information about Conventa 2017: www.conventa.si Early bird registration for exhibitors: www.conventa.si/about-us/ registration-for-exhibitors/

Conventa Addendum

Based on Conventa exhibitor satisfaction survey results from 2016, eighty percent of exhibitors will very likely exhibit also at Conventa 2017 and 97,8 % of them would recommend the show also to their colleagues.

Meeting providers about Conventa “Conventa is one of the leading MICE fairs in South East Europe, and gives suppliers the chance to meet professionals from all around the world interested in discovering this area’s opportunities. I would recommend the show to my colleagues, since the high profile of the hosted buyers is a plus and the worshop’s format, one to one pre-arranged meetings, gives the opportunity to meet interesting and really interested people.”

Brenda Lee Fabro, Agenzia TurismoFVG, Italy

199 “As event & meetings provider it is good to be at Conventa as you can get in touch with future partners and also to see what is on the market. I would recommend it to my partners.”

Matic Vozlič, Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Ljubljana, Slovenia “Conventa is bringing CD Congress Centre and our services closer to wider professional audience – to hosted buyers with the interest shown in the region. I would definitely recommend the show to my colleagues. It is business oriented with an appropriate mix of quality suppliers and buyers.”

Maja Vidergar, CD Congress Centre, Slovenia

MEETINGS MYTH: Conventa helps meeting providers save money.

CONFIRMED: Only at Conventa exhibitors pay only 9 Euros for a lead which is one-tenth of the price paid by the exhibitors at other major trade shows.

‘’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-to-face meetings and Conventa concept of offering this is simple and most effective one. Conventa changed the MICE world in Slovenia!’’

Tomislav Čeh, Union Hotels, Slovenia

Conventa Addendum

MEETING PROVIDERS ABOUT CONVENTA – HOSTED BUYERS ABOUT CONVENTA Conventa, a place to be if you are working in meetings & incentive industry Supply and demand side of the meetings & incentive industry meet at Conventa A sophisticated and personal trade show where supply and demand side of the meetings & incentives industry gathers every year. For the 9th consecutive year more than 140 major congress destinations, hotels, venues, incentive providers, catering companies and airlines will be coming to Conventa from all over Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, etc. And meeting planners will be able to meet with them in person!

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The friendliest boutique show will take place in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, from 18th to 19th January 2017.

Discover new destinations in one place With so many and diverse countries participating at Conventa, the trade show introduces meeting planners to around 15 different New European destinations each year. Some destinations are included in this issue of Meetologue, but in order to truly discover their advantages for holding meetings, events, congresses and incentives, meeting planners will have the opportunity to attend fam trip to selected destinations organized in scope of Conventa. In 2017, hosted buyers will be able to personally experience Ljubljana, Bled, Portorož, Zagreb and also some other main destinations in Slovenia and Croatia.

Applying for hosted buyer programme Meeting planners can apply for a hosted buyer programme at Conventa that offers them a true Conventa Experience – business, education & pleasure. This fully hosted programme if fitted for Kings & Queens of the Meetings Industry. To find out more and apply please visit www.conventa.si

MYTH: Conventa helps meeting planners save money.

CONFIRMED: Only at Conventa an investment of 25 EUR brings hosted buyers a VIP treatment worth 1.200 EUR.

Meeting providers about Conventa “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.”

Have a cup of coffee with us!

Linda Pereira, Senior Partner and CEO of the L&I Communications Group Every year the organizers of Conventa upgrade the hosted buyer experience. “I am so happy to have been there and the visit of Ljubljana and the post tour in Zagreb were just amazing. I hope that I will have very soon groups to your wonderful area, since the people, the landscape and the atmosphere is simply great.”

Have a cup of coffee with us!

Jo le Hec’h-Besson, International Venue Finder, HelmsBriscoe “I had never been to Slovenia before I attended Conventa. All I can say is WOW WOW WOW !!!! What a magical, beautiful place with so many possibilities for my MICE groups to enjoy such an incredible place.

The Tour Guide, the wonderful staff from the Convention Bureau were very much part of what made the experience special. The history, the architecture, the amazing foods and delicious wines which were so plentiful were incredible.”

Annette Fitzgerald, Marketing Director at Top Events Limited, Ireland

Conventa Addendum

CONVENTA DIRECT RESULTS 2009 – 2016 EIGHT years or results 1,974 HOSTED BUYERS FROM 46 COUNTRIES 1037 EXHIBITORS FROM 17 COUNTRIES 21,160 BILATERAL TALKS 23,816 ONE2ONE PRESCHEDULED MEETINGS The development of Conventa:

2007

• The first trade show hosted 35 exhibitors and 40 hosted buyers • First ‘Simex’, predecessor of the Conventa show • 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

• 82 exhibitors and for the first time over 157 hosted buyers • The launch of the Conventa brand • Over 3,000 One2One meetings • The start of ‘Academy Conventa’

2010

• Exceeding 100 exhibitors • 266 hosted buyers • Conventa starts to recognise outstanding achievements by granting awards • The launch of the Meeting Services spot

2011

• 23 % more exhibitors from 9 SEE countries • 271 hosted buyers • The launch of the Conventa Wild Card programme • Conventa Hall of Fame award granted for the first time

• 2,232 billateral talks • Conventa wins Sustainable Stand Award at EIBTM • Introduction of ‘Eco Day’ and ‘Eco Village’ • Conventa hosted first IMEX-MPIMCI Future Leaders Forum

2012

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

2013

• Expanding the borders – Turkey joins the Conventa exhibitors • Hosting the SEEPCO meeting • Celebrating the 5-year anniversary – Conventa give me five!

• Inside award granted for the first time at Conventa • Introducing Conventa mingling

2014

• 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) • Introduction of 6 Es (Experience, Engagement, Education, Emotions, Energy and Entertainment) • Congress destinations presented in the highest number so far (12)

• A record number of pre-arranged meetings (3,158) • The best and most extensive educational programme offered (3 days overall) • First Conventa Ambassador

2015

• Record number of hosted buyers (279) • 146 exhibitors • 3,365 One2One meetings • 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

2016

• Conventa Best event award for the first time • In conjuction with SITE Society for Incentive Travel Excellence – SITE educational day • New partnership with Turkish Airlines • Record number of participants from New Europe • Mobile one-to-one system for meetings • Highlighting experience (sound, touch, taste, smell, feel, sight) • Special blend of Conventa Coffee

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Conventa Addendum

“TO BE, OR NOT TO BE” IS NOT A QUESTION Why participating at Conventa is a smart marketing decision

WHY MEETING PROVIDERS SHOULD EXHIBIT?

DISCOVERING NEW DESTINATIONS Conventa opens your meetings horizons. The trade show introduces you to around 15 different New European destinations, 140 meeting providers and offers a personal experience of one destination of your choice at a fam trip.

MEETING CHERRY-PICKED BUYERS Around 90 % of meeting planners are new to the show each year and they all have to meet the organiser’s strict criteria in order to acquire hosted buyer status.

ALL EXPENSES COVERED The hosted buyer programme includes a complimentary economy return air ticket from selected destinations, local transfers, accommodation, meals, evening receptions and a fam trip.

NETWORKING EVERY STEP OF THE WAY Conventa is the only trade show that organises joint social events, making sure exhibitors and hosted buyers can continue networking beyond the trade show hours.

PERSONAL ITINERARY OF APPOINTMENTS You get access to the online hosted buyer zone, where you can schedule one-to-one appointments with the exhibiting companies of your interest.

MARKETING THROUGH CONVENTA CHANNELS Conventa continuously communicates with more than 50,000 meeting professionals. Promoting exhibitors and your stories is what we do successfully 365 days a year.

VIP TREATMENT You will feel like Royals with the 24/7 support of the Conventa team, enjoying great hospitality and positive energy in a relaxed atmosphere all packed into a one-ofa-kind Conventa experience.

GAINING NEW KNOWLEDGE It has always been important to offer free of charge professional education to you as part of the Conventa experience and on the other hand also give you a chance to educate others about what you do best during the show at our Experts’ corner.

GAINING NEW KNOWLEDGE Conventa offers several educational modules discussing relevant topics, following trends and answering burning questions. All free of charge and led by the best meetings industry professionals!

The 9TH Conventa will be held from 18 to 19 January 2017 in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

WWW.CONVENTA.INFO

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SAVING TIME AND MONEY In just two days you have the chance to meet around 170 international and more than 100 regional and Slovene buyers, all in one place. What will impress your financial department most is that at Conventa you pay for a lead only one-tenth of the price you pay at other trade shows.

WHY MEETING PLANNERS SHOULD APPLY FOR HOSTED BUYER STATUS?

Conventa Addendum

CONVENTA EXPERIENCE TOUR 2016 Road trip like no other Based on successful Balkan road trip in 2015, main organisers of Conventa, Gorazd Čad and Miha Kovačič took the Conventa slogan “Business is personal” and turned it to reality.

During the first week of May, they visited 4 countries of Southeast Europe (Bosnia and Hercegovina, Montenegro, Albania and Croatia) on so called Conventa Experience Tour 2016.

The Conventa Experience Tour 2016 in numbers:

• 9 stages (Sarajevo – Podgorica – Tirana – Budva – Tivat – Dubrovnik – Split – Šibenik – Zadar) • 4 countries (Bosnia and Hercegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Croatia), • more than 1818 kilometres driven • more than 40 meetings with professionals from the whole region.

The Conventa experience Tour 2016 route:

Ljubljana – Sarajevo – Podgorica – Tirana – Budva – Tivat – Dubrovnik – Split – Šibenik – Zadar – Ljubljana.

The Conventa Experience Tour 2016 started on Sunday, the 15th of May in front of Hotel Lev of Union Hotels, which were also the sponsor of the road trip. Tour was designed to personally meet and greet important project partners and potential new partners of Conventa 2017 trade show, which will be held in Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia, from 18 to 19 January 2017.

Conventa team was happy again to have a chance for individual and personal approach. The Balkan hospitality again proved to be one of the region’s biggest advantages. *** Conventa Experience Tour on social media: The Conventa Experience Trip 2016 was also very active on social media and you could follow Conventa team on FB and Twitter(#conventaexperience) and actively participate in road trip.

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Inside Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA WILL HOST 14 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESSES IN JUNE In June experts from the fields of architecture, advertising, textiles, political sciences, veterinary medicine, physics, information systems, social security and education will meet in Ljubljana. The capital is expected to welcome around 3,700 delegates from all over the world attending international conferences, congresses and a European forum.

Conferences also marked by the Green Ljubljana Ljubljana Convention Bureau is pleased that organizers of international events have decided to dedicate their events also to Ljubljana as the European Green Capital 2016. Thus, the Faculty of Law will host a conference on “Greening the Urban Living”, while the Slovenian Forestry Institute is organizing the European Forum for Urban Forestry (EFUF 2016). The latter made a contest for the best blog on the topic of urban forestry and thus

a lot of interesting contributions are available even before the start of the forum.

The World Lace Congress will bring the largest attendance in June From 24 - 26 June 2016 Ljubljana will be hosting the 17th World Congress OIDFA - the international organization for bobbin and needle lace. Organizers expect around 800 international participants.

The main program will be held at the GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre, however from 20 June and until 2 July you have a chance to see a whole range of lace exhibitions in Ljubljana and at the Slovenian lace making centres.

The organisers are also preparing a special Mega Lace Making Event which will be held on Thursday, 23rd June. Lace makers from 31 countries will present their work on one of the main streets in the city centre of the capital.

Tips for Incentives from Ljubljana

Ljubljana Beer Experience Photo: Foto Bobo

Ljubljana has a very long tradition of brewing, proof of which are 3,900-year-old beer barrels excavated at the Ljubljana Marshes.

The earliest known brewery in our city dates back at least to 1592! In recent years, the popularity of craft beers made by different microbreweries in Ljubljana and its surrounding area is growing rapidly.

On this new incentive programme you will have a chance to visit five different drink outlets, taste eight different beers made by five different breweries, see the Brewery Museum, set up by the Pivovarna Union brewery, where the popular Union beer has been brewed since 1864, and round off your experience at the Pivnica Union pub.

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Inside Ljubljana

City Hotel Ljubljana Renovated and Upgraded City Hotel Ljubljana has a long family tradition, since it has been opened already in 1903. May 2016 is the month when they started writing a new story with fully renovated old rooms, including bathrooms and a new hall called »Above the City«, where you can wonder off for a little bit and admire the magnificence of the Ljubljana Castle.

City within the City The director of sales and marketing at City Hotel Ljubljana, Tina Možina, explains: “Already since its beginnings the hotel was closely connected to our capital. When renovating the hotel, we wanted to highlight this link and maintain our tradition. In an effort to catch the hidden and different views of Ljubljana, we have teamed up with Žiga Koritnik, the renowned photographer. Therefore, the black and

white wallpapers proudly show our common story, the story of the City within the City. ‘’ Possibilities for various events The fully equipped conference centre with four bright meeting rooms is an optimal venue for smaller meetings. These individual units can be flexibly arranged into six combinations, their maximum capacity being 200 seats theatre-style when joined together.

In warmer months, the summer terrace is a spot for coffee breaks or cocktail parties, while the spacious restaurant, renowned for its exquisite culinary tradition, is most suitable for business lunches. With adding the new hall “Above the City”, where you can have receptions in colder months, their offer is rounded.

A New Version of the visitljubljana.com Website Released April this year saw the release of a new version of the official tourist website of Ljubljana and the Central Slovenia region, managed

by Ljubljana Tourism. The website, updated technically, visually, and in terms of content, now features a reconceived version of the MyVisit planner, which enables visitors to create their own guide to Ljubljana, updated conference pages, and a whole range of smaller improvements, such as the transition to a new e-news system and the integration of the website’s map with Google Maps’ route planner.

Special sections for event organizers The website also includes a special Ljubljana Convention Bureau section, intended for conference and meeting organizers.

The section has been better suited to trends on the global market for international meetings. Apart from an improved conference facility search function, content and visually improved layout, it now also features descriptions of incentive programmes, complete with enquiry forms allowing conference and meeting organizers to get in touch directly with the providers.

An award-winning entrance point for exploring Ljubljana and Central Slovenia The visitljubljana.com website was

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launched in 2008. Since 2011, it has been promoting tourism not only in Ljubljana, but also in 25 of its surrounding municipalities forming the region of Central Slovenia. In 2012, the visitljubljana.com website was one of the first websites in Slovenia to use responsive web design and enable optimal viewing experiences on mobiles and tablets.

The same year, it earned Ljubljana Tourism the Netko 2012 award for ‘Best Digital Project’ in the category Media and Information Portals.

In 2014, Ljubljana Tourism received the international Digital Tourism Think Tank Award in the category of website content for the website’s Tours and Trips section.

In order to enable easier access to the content intended for conference and meeting organizers, Ljubljana Convention Bureau introduces a new, shorter URL that will direct the visitors to the Ljubljana Convention Bureau section of the official tourist website of Ljubljana.

To Meet in Ljubljana, you are kindly invited to visit www. meetinljubljana.com.

Inside Ljubljana

Ljubljana Wins a New Congress for September 2016 Due to unforeseeable circumstances, the Organising Committee of the 34th FIMS World Congress of Sports Medicine had to propose a change in location from the originally planned Istanbul. Among several cities, such as Belgrade and Valencia, whose congress centres could offer the availability in the same date, Ljubljana with the GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre was confirmed in the end of March.

This was just days after the first site inspection, during which Mr. Onur Yeniyigit, Director of Congresses at DEKON Congress & Tourism, assessed the feasibility in the destination.

DEKON’s Operational Site Inspection in Ljubljana Mrs. Tatjana Radovic, Congress Manager at Ljubljana Convention Bureau, was also in charge of organizing and executing the site inspection for a part of the operations team - the Project Manager, Mr. Berk Yumer, and Mr. Adnan Canli.

While also getting a feel of the city they visited the main congress venue as well as several hotels and potential venues for the gala dinner.

Did you know that there are 13 diverse options in a walking distance from the main square in Ljubljana?

About FIMS 34th FIMS World Sports Medicine Congress is an event which attracts around 1,500 delegates from all over the world. Despite the change of destination, the Turkish Sports Medicine Association will continue to lead the Congress organization, supported by the Slovenian Sports Medicine Association and DEKON as the professional congress organiser.

Dedication and Good Cooperation Ljubljana Convention Bureau team is always pleased when they see that the cooperation and professional dedication are always at the forefront in their partners’ minds. Therefore, foreign Meeting Planners always feel at ease that everything will be great for their event, which was also the case with the 34th FIMS Congress that happened on a very short notice.

How can Ljubljana Convention Bureau assist in organizing international events can be viewed on their website www.meetinljubljana.com.

Photo: Tatjana Radovič (Ljubljana Tourism) and a representative of DEKON Group next to the new WOW installation in Ljubljana

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Best event I’ve worked on? »HEALTHY!«

»BE PREPARED!«

ESRA Congress 2015 The European Society of Regional Anasthesia & Pain Therapy, scientific programme combined with exhibition

The 40th World Scout Conference with over 1200 people from 130 countries

»CELEBRITIES!«

»SOUNDS PERFECT!«

Naomi Campbell, Kevin Costner, Ben Affleck …

Gala receptions of the Diners Club Slovenia

Kurzschluss, the hottest pop up festival club in Ljubljana, with Europe’s finest music talentsevery December

»FAST AND EFFECTIVE AS A SUPERSONIC CAR!« The 5th Trade for Automotive parts

GR-L JUBL JANA Exhibition and Convention Centre

w w w.gr-congress.si

Advertorial

ACE OF M.I.C.E. EXHIBITION 2017 Opens Its Doors to MICE Professionals for the 4th Time!

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urkey’s one and only congress, meeting and event industry exhibition, “ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition”, will for the 4th time host MICE professionals in the Istanbul Congress Centre and Istanbul Lutfi Kirdar – ICEC from 22-24 February 2017 with the organisation of Tourism Media Group.

ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition brings under the same roof MICE professionals from Turkey and around the world, and is the nation’s leading organisation of the meeting, congress and event industry. The exhibition offers 3 days of B2B meetings during which it will simultaneously host symposia, conferences and network activities.

As the congress, meeting and event sector’s biggest international gathering the 2016 ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition hosted 339 exhibitors on its 3rd outing and thousands of extra visitors filled the exhibition area. Numerous seminars and panels were held at the exhibition and offered the chance for nationally and internationally renowned industry names to meet and engage with attendees. Event planners and congress organisers from 24 different countries, including Spain, Azerbaijan, Austria and Greece, attended the ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition.

since the early 2000s it has become one of the country’s industrial powers. Beyond the seasonal holiday period the country’s tourism sector is stable, but with the recent growth of the MICE industry there have also been exciting developments both in national and international tourism. The MICE industry has been understood as a branch of tourism most of the time, even by industry professionals, but of late it has developed its own focus in terms of both content and operation. From this the importance of exhibitions and summits that bring together industry stakeholders has increased, and in particular the ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition has filled an important gap in the congress, meeting and event industry by organising an effective and efficient platform for the key players of the sector to come together.

In the wider region, including the Mediterranean, Eastern Europe, Middle East and the Black Sea countries, the meetings sector is growing. Turkey has consequently become a top destination and market, with Istanbul in particular since 2010 being one of the top 10 global congress tourism destinations on the international rankings.

Growth and Awareness in the MICE Industry Have Been Increasing The MICE industry that for a number of decades already has been growing dynamically and enriching countries’ economies has more recently also been developing very rapidly in Turkey.

In the mid-90s the industry really took off and

B2B Meetings = Business Power of the Exhibition The Hosted Buyer Programme, which is the most important step of ACE of M.I.C.E. Exhibition, brought together national and international MICE companies with Hosted Buyers from Turkey and all over the World - Incentive

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companies, professional congress and sports organisers, event companies, DMCs, business and conference travel agencies, PR and advertisement agencies were all able to hold pre-scheduled B2B meetings through an online system, with meetings 20 minutes long and very beneficial for all parties involved. The number of hosted buyers at the exhibition has increased, which has strengthened the size of business and given hosted buyers the chance to build a strong business connection with MICE companies in Turkey.

AME 2016 In Numbers Exhibition Area of 6,246 m 2 14,496 Visitors 339 Exhibitors 750 Hosted Buyers 9,843 B2B Meetings 62 Speakers at 25 Sessions for 3 days WE ARE GATHERING TOGETHER THE MICE INDUSTRY ONCE AGAIN IN 2017 AME 2017 presents the perfect opportunity to leading MICE industry companies from all around the world, as the exhibition will connect them with hosted buyers and help strengthen their business relationships. The exhibition is Turkey’s most extensive B2B event and next year it will gather exhibitors with national and international hosted buyers, MICE professionals, corporate companies and associations.

Advertorial

22 – 24 February 2017

Istanbul Congress Center – ICC & Istanbul Lutfi Kirdar – ICEC

Don’t Forget to Take Your Place at AME 2017!

AME 2016 In Numbers Exhibition Area of 6.246 m2

750 Hosted Buyers

14.496 Visitors

9.843 B2B Meetings

339 Exhibitors

62 Speakers at 25 Sessions for 3 days

This fair is organised with the permission of TOBB in accordance with the law No: 5174

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www.ameistanbul.com

WWW.KONGRESINCENTIVES.NET THE BIGGEST COLLECTION OF INCENTIVE IDEAS IS HERE! 200 INCENTIVE IDEAS / 8 COUNTRIES

“Whether you are looking for an adrenaline, active, CSR, cultural, historical, culinary or luxury experience, the Incentive book has it all. The Book is full of interesting and new Incentive programs from 8 countries and more than 40 providers. With these Incentive programs you will be able to see the yet unseen places, taste un-tasted foods, unknown wines, hear unintelligible languages and experience undiscovered experiences.”

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clients. Exceed your goals. THINK BLUE.

www.kongres-meetologue.eu Destinations include Istanbul Prague Dubrovnik Bucharest Bratislava Split Ljubljana Salzburg

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Sell more, work less.

CRM that fits your needs. www.intrixcrm.com

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Advertorial

THE LEADING INTERNATIONAL MICE EVENT IN ASIA That’s Worth Your Time

Association Day

Benefits To Buyers Source from the largest collection of Asia-Pacific MICE & Corporate Travel suppliers

Programme Available!

Up to 100% Pre-Scheduled Appointments with priority on your preferences Proven business platform with 43% of buyers confirming procurement on-site in 2015 Complimentary City Tours and Post-Show Tours at Special Rates*

A concentrated and dedicated event like this brings together industry leaders, top venues and destinations all under one roof. The variety and quality of the educational sessions complemented by the amazing exhibition made for a very successful event.

Complete access to Education & Networking opportunities

Added Benefits For Hosted Buyers Reimbursable return economy class air fare to/from Bangkok* Complimentary hotel accommodation during the event* IT&CMA helped me to achieve my business objectives.

Sigma Incentive, Portugal Buyer | Ana Claudia Barbosa de Almeida Alexandre, Manager

I’ve been sourcing suppliers and venues through IT&CMA since 2000.

Quest International User Groups APAC, Australia Association Buyer | Daniel Strassberg, Executive Director APAC & EMEA

Travelcorp, India Buyer | Shekhar Niyogi, Director

APPLY AS A HOSTED BUYER!

Use This URL To Receive Priority Hosting Consideration* www.itcma.com/hostme/Kongres

27 – 29 September 2016 Bangkok, Thailand

For Association Buyer registration, email buyers.itcma@ttgasia.com and quote <Kongres>

Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld

*Registration is not a confirmation of hosting. All applications are subjected to validation, terms and conditions.

www.itcma.com

Buyer Hosting (MICE, Luxury Travel & Association Professionals) | Media Affiliate Programme | Event Highlights | Video Interviews | More!!

Organised By

Supported By

Host Country

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Official Airline

Official Venue

C oo A G re at f l c Mor C o eegr ao tiea pl c ngt m s ee it ap tin a it gs l a l Fo r

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