BusinessTravel Guide
PRAGUE
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A city on the rise
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LYING AT the heart of Europe, Prague represents one of Europe’s finest cities. With architectural influences spanning back more than 1,000 years, the Czech capital houses an abundance of physical attractions and landmarks. Staggeringly, there are 2,000 officially recognised architectural and artistic monuments in the city, ranging from Romanesque to Baroque, Rococo, Classical and Neoclassical. Baroque
Situated in the heart of Europe, the Czech capital continues to grow and develop its offering for business and leisure travellers alike Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Joe Palliser
buildings are arguably Prague’s most renowned treasure – the Valdštejn and Clam-Gallas palaces, St. Nicholas Church, and the Antonín Dvořák Museum are particular highlights for visitors. A vital economic and administrative centre, industries such as tourism and business travel continue to provide valuable contributions to Prague’s economy. According to a study by KPMG and Prague Convention Bureau,
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tourism accounted for €1.6 billion in revenue in 2016, around a third of the entire country’s overall performance in the industry. This represents around six or seven percent of the city’s income, with meetings accounting for around 15 percent of the total tourism sector. This strong performance is reflected by increasing visitor numbers. Last year 7.5 million tourists entered the city, a marked jump of more than seven percent compared to 2016. With so much to offer the business traveller, both professionally for meetings and events and in downtime with its architecture and many cultural sites, Prague looks set to continue growing what has become a vital industry to its economy.
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FACTS & FIGURES Languages: Area:
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Czech 496km2
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Czech koruna UTC+1 +420 .cz Temperate 37.8 °C
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Feel the change SUSTAINABLE FUTURE AND NEW-LOOK PREMISES Being the largest congress centre in the Czech Republic, the Prague Congress Centre (PCC) retains its prestige not only for its size, tradition and business success but it stands-out among the competition also for its environmental awareness. At the PCC we realise that the future is about treating the planet responsibly therefore we take concerted steps to be green and to run our business sustainably. We also believe that happy people do a great job. That is why we focus on the needs of our staff ensuring a pleasant working environment for them to fulfil their goals. Ultimately, we see ourselves as a modern, eco-friendly and attractive venue where organisers are proud to hold their prestigious conferences and congresses; and where employees do their best to provide excellent services. Fresh air was brought to the Prague Congress Centre two years ago when a large reconstruction of the technical background started and an architectural urban design competition to expand the Prague Congress Centre was announced. To date the technical reconstruction was completed and enables annual savings of 855 thousand EUR and cuts down the annual operating costs by at least 30% due to the installation of energy-saving technologies and precisely controlled effectiveness of using the produced energy. What we managed to save (9 740 945 kWh) equals the average annual consumption of 5013 households. The total
transformation of the building continued last year and included cleaning and renovation of the facade, refurbishment of main halls, corridors, foyers and toilets. The centre also got a new information centre at the main entrance. To keep up with the high-tech age approximately 180 Wi-Fi points and 2,000 data slots were installed throughout the building as well as a new digital information and navigation system. Caring for the safety of our costumers we also strengthened our security. Feel the change.
GLAMOROUS HISTORY The building was opened in 1981 on one of the most attractive plots of Prague. With a breathtaking view of Prague Castle, the symbol of the Czech dignity, tthe location in the centre of the city is still less than 30 minutes from the airport, giving the building exquisite status. Built with the best available materials and a generous approach, the building is full of artistic glass chandeliers, oil and graphic paintings and tapestries. Most of the art has been preserved and the visitors of the Prague Congress Centre can not only enjoy the variability of the space of 20 conference halls and 50 meeting rooms, but also admire art pieces by world-renowned Czech glass artists and painters.
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The Business End PRAGUE’S ECONOMY has shifted from manufacturing and traditional industry into services over the past few decades, as highlighted by its growing tourism market. However, new businesses continue to enter the city, including manufacturers of high-tech goods. In August 2018, Japanese company Advanex, producing a range of metal components suitable for the automotive and medical markets, announced the opening of a new factory in Prague for August 2018. The new factory will focus on manufacturing deep drawn, microsprings and plastic over moulding components. Prague Convention Bureau outlines further recent investment into the city: “In autumn 2017, the Belarusian company Wargaming, which developed
World renowned automotive manufacturer Ford Motor Company moved its training centre to Prague at the beginning of 2018
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the well-known PC game World of Tanks, opened a branch in Prague. The Prague branch should become one of the biggest offices of the Company in the following years. “Ford Motor Company, a worldknown automobile manufacturer, moved its training centre to Prague in the beginning of 2018. Previously, the centre was based in the Central Bohemian Region.” With promising technology and automotive business activity occurring in recent months, Prague clearly offers an attractive environment for organisations across diverse industries to invest. Indeed, a recent report released by the World Bank found that Prague outperforms other Czech cities when it comes to its business regulatory environment. In short, it is the easiest place to do business in the country.
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Prague Convention Bureau PRAGUE CONVENTION Bureau (PCB) was established in 2008 as a joint initiative and non-profit organisation devoted to the events and meetings industry. Having reached a decade in existence, a key goal for the Bureau now is to boost awareness of the city’s meetings and events offering. Last year we spoke to PCB’s Marketing and PR Manager Hana Krejbichová about all things business travel and Prague, and once again we caught up to see what progress has been made in the period since. EME Outlook (EME): How has the Prague Convention Bureau developed and progressed in terms of its key objectives and the messages it tries to get across? Hana Krejbichová (HK): Over the last 10 years, we have participated in acquiring more than 630 events with the attendance of almost 293,000 delegates. They have generated a total of 620,000 roomnights worth more than 1.2 billion Czech crowns (€47.5 million). That was something we were really happy and proud to share with the meeting community. We have also launched our new website that includes general information about Prague for event organisers, as well as instructions on how to obtain free
marketing and financial support for their events with the assistance of Prague Convention Bureau. The site also includes an extensive tool for searching certified service suppliers operating in the meetings industry. EME: How would you say Prague in general has developed since then as a business travel hub and what are the key reasons behind its growing appeal? HK: The key success for us was that Prague was ranked in the top 10 meeting destinations in the ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) list. We were ranked eighth and moved three positions up since 2016. In 2017, according to the Czech Statistical Office, 4,127 conferences were held in the capital of the Czech Republic, representing a third of all the events that took place in the Czech Republic. More than half a million delegates participated in the Prague conferences. There is definitely a mix of reasons behind this success. Meeting spaces and venues in Prague are continuously working on offering the best services possible, many are undergoing reconstructions and refurbishments, and a number of new openings were presented. Prague airport is also planning a huge enlargement for future years, as the numbers of the visitors are still on the rise in Prague. EME: What is in store for Prague over the course of 2018 and beyond to continue the good work already commenced and to enhance its reputation as a tourism and business travel hub further in the future? HK: There are various events on the list for Prague in 2018 and 2019, many of them returning after previously successful experiences. We can
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mention the 23rd World Congress of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions for 2,000 delegates, that was held in July in Prague Congress Centre. Another big event is XXII. International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect for 1,000 delegates, that will be held in September 2018. In 2018, we also hosted the 115th anniversary of Harley Davidson, with a total attendance of 110,000 fans. In June 2018, we had the honour to welcome in Prague the 63rd UNWTO Regional Commission for Europe (CEU) meeting. We are glad to share the news that Prague will have a new multifunctional and congress centre in the middle of 2019. The new complex called O2 universum which is directly linked to the O2 arena from the south has four floors and a total area of almost 50,000 square metres. O2 universum will have 21 halls of different sizes at its disposal and a total capacity of 10,000 visitors. Together with the O2 arena, the two venues will have a total capacity for up to 28,000 delegates. In June 2018, Cubex Centre Prague opened its door to public for the first time as well. Cubex Centre Prague is a new multi-purpose centre in one of the Prague business districts. The uniqueness of the centre is the concept of lightings, which has been given a convenient name: Chameleon. This allows personalisation of the entire centre selecting colours
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“We hope that, together with the new openings here in Prague and the data available, we will be able to support the Prague meetings industry even more” according to the client’s needs. Total capacity of the venue is up to 1,200 delegates. Further, at the end of 2017, Prague City Hall launched a new mobile app for tourists called “Prague Visitor Guide”. The app introduces visitors to the lessknown parts of Prague and there are also various thematic routes prepared for users, that are regularly changed and updated. By the beginning of 2019, a new special visitor card, interconnected with the mobile app, should be launched in the format widely known from other destinations around the world.
EME: If we were to speak again another year down the line, what progress and development would you hope and expect to be able to report back? HK: We hope that, together with the new openings here in Prague and the data available, we will be able to support the Prague meetings industry even more. Currently, one of our targets is to get the message about the new capacities to the event planners and try to attract large congresses and conferences, that we couldn’t host in the previous years.
We would like to highlight the importance of the meetings industry on the national and regional level. We already immensely appreciate that the capital city of Prague is aware of the positive impact of the industry on the city and it has been supporting the tourism and meetings industry on a long-term basis. Since 2014, when grants for the meetings industry were introduced, the City of Prague has provided financial support exceeding a sum of CZK 23 million (€885,000) for a total of 49 congresses and conferences on the territory of the Czech capital.
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Out & About AN INCREASINGLY active meetings and events scene is bolstered by Prague’s food, drink and entertainment offering, helping it provide the complete business travel package. On the food and drink front, meetings and event organisers are spoiled for choice as to where to wine and dine their guests. Traditional Czech outlets tend to offer concise menus with a few speciality dishes and drinks. However, the city’s culinary scene has broadened markedly over the past five years, drawing on inspiration from other parts of Europe. Major brands
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such as Mandarin Oriental and Four Seasons have had a major influence in popularising the international restaurant concept. Czechs are also notorious beer drinkers. According to research by Japanese beverage firm Kirin, the Czech Republic has topped the global per capita beer drinking charts for 24 consecutive years. Prague, therefore, is one of the best places in the world to explore an enormous variety of beer, underlined by the fact one of the raved about bars in the city is named the Prague Beer Museum.
Prague is also renowned for its musical vibrancy, the pinnacle being its spring music festival which draws in music lovers from around the world. The city’s orchestras, the Prague Symphony and Czech Philharmonic among them, are also a big attraction for visitors.
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Outlook Recommends “One of our targets is to get the message about the new capacities to the event planners and try to attract large congresses and conferences” – Prague Convention Bureau
CONVENTIONS AND EVENTS Kuoni Destination Management With 30 offices around the world filled with destination experts, Kuoni Destination Management offers unrivalled knowledge and passion for the cities it serves. One of these offices is in Prague, where its team cater to meetings and events, incentives, congresses/ conventions and other destination management service solutions. “We Prague Congress Centre believe in building long lasting client and supplier partnerships through As one of the most renowned and trust, transparency and reliability – elite convention complexes on the with maximum value creation for you,” continent, The Prague Congress Centre its website says. boasts more than 50 halls, rooms and negotiation areas; able to host events Maxin Prague of more than 9,300 participants. Also able to cater for as many as 2,800 delegates, the Congress Hall is the largest of its type in the country, made up of adaptable spaces capable of hosting exhibitions, social events, and cultural productions. “The Prague Convention Centre is frequently recognised by participants of international congresses as one of HOTELS the best located venues in the world,” its website states. “And the reason Corinthia Hotel Prague is simple: many are awestruck by the breathtaking panoramic views over Hotel Pod Vezi Prague with the Prague Castle as the centrepiece.” Appia Hotel Residences
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RETAIL Fashion Arena Prague Outlet The Fashion Arena Prague Outlet is the largest of its type in the Czech Republic; offering a comprehensive array of all well-known and sought-after brands, and always at competitive or event discounted prices. Fashion, sport, footwear, leather goods, luggage and accessories, lingerie, jewellery, watches, cosmetics, toys and much more can be found in the city’s – and indeed country’s – ultimate shopping domain.
RESTAURANTS Wenceslas Square Portfolio Restaurant Coda Restaurant
BARS AND PUBS Iluze Bar Atrium U Slovanské Lípy
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T HE EXCL USIVE PROVIDER OF T EAM BUIL DINGS
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Václav Havel Airport
PRAGUE IS the most well-connected city in the Czech Republic and perfectly stationed as a springboard into the rest of Europe. It is little wonder that many tourists on multi-city trips around the continent include Prague in their itineraries. Popular ways into the city for business travellers include air and rail, with the country’s largest airport, Václav Havel, serving 7,463,975 passengers in the first half of 2018. Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovakia,
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Hungary, Switzerland, Croatia, Serbia and Russia can be reached without fuss by train. In terms of navigating Prague itself, the city is host to an abundant public transport network which includes 130 bus routes, a tram network and metro system. By 2025, a new direct rail link to Václav Havel Airport will boost Prague’s connectivity even further, while authorities have also introduced a city card for tourists. For a one-off
cost of €58 for two days and €68 for three days, Prague Card holders can access the most important attractions and make use of unlimited transport. The tram network has also been updated to include contactless card payments, easing the process of ticket purchasing for visitors. However, due to the city centre’s compactness, travelling around by foot is arguably the best way to explore the many sights and sounds on offer.
PHOTO BY GFORCE800 - OWN WORK, CC BY-SA 4.0
Transport Links
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Landmark Attractions Prague Castle
“Prague Castle [is] an ancient symbol of the Czech State, the most significant Czech monument and one of the most important cultural institutions in the Czech Republic. It is a UNESCO monument with a tradition of more than 1,000 years; a textbook of architecture and art history; and a destination for visitors from all over the world.” – Prague Castle for visitors
Charles Bridge
The Clementinum and National Library
“The Clementinum (Klementinum), one of the largest collections of historic buildings in Europe, is home to the National Library of the Czech Republic. These beautiful Baroque buildings were originally part of a Jesuit College, and later came to house the Jesuit book collection as well as the collection from the Karolinum.” – Planetware
“Charles Bridge is a stone Gothic bridge that connects the Old Town and Lesser Town (Malá Strana)... Its construction was commissioned by Czech king and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and began in 1357. There is a tower standing on each end of the bridge. Both the Staroměstská věž on the Old Town end and the Malostranská věž on the Malá Strana end can be climbed for a view of Prague and the bridge from above.” – My Czech Republic
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BusinessTravel Guide joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com
+44 (0)1603 959 676
ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com
+44 (0)1603 959 672
jordan.levey@outlookpublishing.com
+44 (0)1603 959 668
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