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The city flourishing in creativity and arts

As one of the smallest European capitals by size and by number of residents, Ljubljana offers a boutique experience for it takes only 20 minutes of a leisurely walk to get from the famous Triple Bridge set in the very heart of the city to most of the spots, be it either towards the bountiful of architectural heritage and diamonds, or to the very middle of a natural setting in Ljubljana’s main and most beautiful Tivoli Park. Not just “boutique”, but also “green” is the word that crosses everyone’s mind once in Slovenian capital which has 542 square meters of public green spaces per resident, while featuring 80 hectares of well-maintained green spaces. The process of transforming Ljubljana into a role-model city in terms of sustainable development has been crowned by many awards so far, including the title of European Green Capital 2016 and this year’s title of the »Best Destination of Europe« in recognition for best sustainable practice examples of destination management worldwide.

NEED TO KNOW 2018

Ljubljana’s unique mixture of beauty, compactness, green character and sustainable policies is furtherly strengthened by its cultural and artsy soul. Culture, for example, is embedded in its everyday life and is not considered a privilege. The year-round agenda features a multitude of international festivals and other events, encompassing a wide range of musical and artistic genres, where traditional lives side by side with the alternative. For being the city that flourishes in various colours of creativity and arts, Ljubljana has become renowned as the Open City that welcomes the innovative, unusual, and progressive approaches to showcase its creative and welcoming side. Be it either its squatted ‘city inside the city’, the Autonomous Cultural Centre Metelkova City, or the numerous street, art, and cultural festivals like Lighting Guerilla, Ana Desetnica Street Theatre Festvial, Indigo – Festival of Contemporary Ideas, Feminist and Queer Festival Red Dawns, LGBT Film Festival, or music festivals like Druga godba, Festival June in Ljubljana, Jazz Ljubljana, or theatre festivals like Young Lions. In addition, Ljubljana boasts alternative venues like ŠKUC Gallery, Kino Šiška, Dobra vaga, Ljubljana’s Old Power Station, Glej Theatre, Mini Theatre, PTL – Dance Theatre Ljubljana, and Španski borci Cultural Centre, to name a few.

DID YOU KNOW?

Walking around this small in size, but big in character, Central European city, adds to the city’s sustainable mobility solutions for the core of the city center has been closed for motorized vehicles. The city’s sustainable traffic policy is just one in the line of Ljubljana’s sustainable policies that made it one of the most sustainably-oriented cities in the region. Ljubljana, for example, has been the European capital with the highest share of separated waste collected (63%) and the ‘zero waste’ city which has already exceeded the EU’s recycling targets for 2020 by 10%.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA

Moustache Tour

The recently established Moustache Tour presents a unique opportunity to get familiar with one of the youngest and most creative European capitals that never ceases to surprise. The tour takes on a ride through the lifestyle of architect Jože Plečnik (1872-1957), writer Ivan Cankar (1876-1918), and painter Rihard Jakopič (1869-1943) who all lived in the same historical period and who wore impressive moustache – but of a different style that corresponded also to the difference in their personal and artistic character: disciplined, bohemian, and charismatic.

PERFECT GIFT

Art work from Dobra vaga gallery

DobraVaga, a selling art gallery showcases the work of younger generation Slovenian artists in a very original way. The gallery, located in the Ljubljana Central Market’s previous fish market, with its unique concept, tries to transcend the conventional notion of the art market. Each time, its monthly selection features works by a new set of artists and new approaches to art. Rather than promoting the artists’ names and reputation, it focuses, in keeping with its concept of selling art ‘per kilo’, on the artistic weight and power of exhibited works and the nature of the creative process involved in their production. This serves as the basis for classifying the works for sale into different price categories. Thus, a perfect gift from Ljubljana is to buy one of the exhibited pictures from a young Slovenian artist in Dobra vaga. A different gift and purchase, as alternative as the Ljubljana’s soul and lifestyle.

BEST KEPT SECRETS

There aren’t many European capitals as rich in alternative culture and arts as the Slovenian capital. Ljubljana stands as a real gem compared to other cities when it comes to the bounty of independent venues and events bursting at the seams with alternative spirit. The alternative scene is so accessible that one could almost claim it has been intertwined with the capital’s mainstream lifestyle and beat. Ljubljana, the Open City, has been for decades the welcoming nest for diverse alternative approaches and activities.

Autonomous Cultural Centre Metelkova City, for example, was established in 1993, when mainly underground artists and intellectuals squatted former military barracks and have, since then, developed the squatted infrastructure into an alternative culture centre that has become a worldwide attraction. Diverse artistic practices and events found their home at this ever-changing complex full of creative spirit. A necessary visit for any young congress guest or a congress guest young by heart and alternative by soul looking for a different experience of the city.

OFF THE BEATEN MICE TRACK

For those, seeking independent arts and culture, Ljubljana offers numerous spaces that showcase the best contemporary Slovenian as well as international independent performance arts scene spanning from independent off-off theatre performances to contemporary dance performances and art festivals. In addition, some of the venues can be rented for an out-of-the-box event organisation or incentive programmes.

Located in Ljubljana’s old town, the Glej Theatre is Slovenia’s oldest independent theatre founded in 1970. Also located in the Old Town is the Ljubljana Mini Theatre which through its paradox goal – to be an elite theatre that is accessible to the public, eccentric yet attractive for a wide audience –breaks the traditional boundaries of theatre. Dance Theatre Ljubljana (PTL) is a small but artistically exciting contemporary dance theatre which in its venue presents to the public a wide range of selected Slovenian and international contemporary dance creativity. Part of the premises of Ljubljana’s Old Power Station is Ljubljana’s unique example of a long and well-established international tradition in transforming attractive industrial structures into cultural centres. And last, but not the least, The Španski borci cultural centre is dedicated to promoting contemporary art practices.

WHAT'S HOT 2018

Europrevent 2018 / 19–21 April 2018
The 13th European Congress on Preventive Cardiology
Venue: Cankarjev dom – Cultural and Congress Centre

TEN-T Days 2018 / 25-27 April 2018
The 9th Trans-European Transport Network Days
Venue: GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre

ESTS 2018 / 27-30 May 2018
European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery – ESTS
Venue: Cankarjev dom – Cultural and Congress Centre

ICCA AMP 2018 / 9-11 July 2018
ICCA Association Meetings Programme
Venue: Grand Hotel Union

IGTM 2018 / October 15-18 2018
International Golf Travel Market – IGTM 2018
Venue: GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre

EPH 2018 / 28 November – 1 December 2018
11th European Public Health Conference (EPH) 2018
Venue: Cankarjev dom – Cultural and Congress Centre

Due to its accessibility and the well-developed and diversified meeting infrastructure, Ljubljana is Slovenia’s major congress destination, having the highest share of (international) meetings. When in Ljubljana, any congress guest should seek the non-conventional ways of spending time and getting to know the city, its history and its people. Most of the festivals take place outdoors and for free, and therefore, Ljubljana is not just an Open City because of offering the artsy and imaginative events, but also because it is simply that: a wide open venue for all sorts of non-conventional festivals that allow for a having a fun stay in Ljubljana to any congress guest.

WHO TO CONTACT

Ljubljana Tourism /Convention Bureau

Krekov trg 10, SI-1000 Ljubljana

Ms.Tatjana Radovič

E: tatjana.radovic@visitljubljana.si

T: +386 (0)1 306 45 84

www.visitljubljana.com

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The destination with a bright future

As the second largest city in Slovenia, Maribor oozes the historic charm of a relaxed, medieval town. It is no wonder, then, that in 2012 Maribor was awarded the flattering title “European Capital of Culture”. “A life well lived” could very well be the slogan for the capital of Slovenia’s Styria region, for its greatest asset is its extraordinary access to nature, with an attractive position between the Drava river, the green Pohorje plateau on one side and, on the other, sunny wine-growing hills that stretch all the way to the Austrian border and beyond. With its quality congress/business capacities and opportunities for unique experiences combined with picturesque surroundings and the warm hospitality of the people, Maribor is becoming increasingly renowned as a host destination for conventions, seminars, and other meetings and events.

NEED TO KNOW 2018

Maribor, due to its incredible landscape, offers extensive sports activities all-year-round. As an example of its good practice in preparations and hosting of various sports events, Maribor collected in December 2017 its title as the European City of Sport 2018. In the frame of the programme as the European City of Sport 2018, Maribor has been this year hosting several sports events, including the AETF Senior and Junior European Taekwon-Do Championships, the IXS European downhill cup, the Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship Division II, the Vinoeuro, the European football championship of wine producers, the FIMBA European Maxibasketball Championship (European Basketball Championships for veterans), and the European Kickboxing Championships, to name a few. In addition, Maribor is well known for one worldwide attraction – the annual Golden Fox FIS Ski World Cup which was held in February 2018, while its celebratory 55th edition will be held in February 2019.

Maribor is home to the oldest vine in the world. The “Modra kavčina” or “Žametovka” or “Žametna črnina” (Blauer Kölner), certified as being more than 400 years old, is the Guinness record holder for the oldest noble vine in the world still bearing grapes. The vine, also a protected natural monument, grows at the front of a long solid two-story old townhouse, named The Old Vine House (Hiša stare trte) situated in Lent, Maribor’s old city centre, and near the serene Drava River. The Old Vine House, built in the 16th Century, is apart from being a hotspot of wine tradition and culture of Maribor, Styria and Slovenia, an exceptional event room offering wine tasting of excellent wines from the Styria region and it also offers space for business events and incentives. The uniqueness of the world’s oldest vine, located in the old town core of Slovenia`s second biggest city, spiced up by excellent wine and food creations and the notorious hospitality of the locals, definitely results in the uniqueness of the event itself. This year, a catering & cultural event in front of the Old Vine House for the guests of the Slovenian Incoming Workshop was held.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA

Vineyard Glamping Resort – Chateau Ramšak

Just a short distance from Maribor, nestled among rolling green hillsides and exquisite vineyards, the Ramšak estate offers a fairytale country castle. The heart of the property is the wine-growing infrastructure surrounded by a tree house and glamorous tents furnished like luxury hotel rooms with bathrooms, spacious terraces and a garden jacuzzi. It all adds up to unique comfort mingled with the magic of sleeping under the stars, breathing fresh air, and listening to the sounds of a stream. The estate offers various experiences that give visitors an insight into the wine-making process.

PERFECT GIFT

The wine shop in the Old Vine house offers excellent wines made by local producers (with international success), which are also offered for wine tastings. At the moment, the wine shop boasts of 165 very best wines from the Slovenian Styria region. Unfortunately, the wine made from the Oldest Vine is not possible to taste. It is very precious; the amount is very limited and it is used as the protocol gift of the city. However, there is a great comfort to that – the wine shop sells the wine of the first descendants of the Old Vine. This unique gift can be combined also with a special jewellery made of the oldest vine’s leaves.

BEST KEPT SECRETS

The city of Maribor with its vicinity is a home to two of five best restaurants in Slovenia according to Austrian culinary magazine Falstaff: Hiša Denk in Zgornja Kungota with chef Gregor Vračko, and Mak restaurant in Maribor’s city centre with chef David Vračko. Both of the chefs, Gregor Vračko and David Vračko, are brothers as already their surnames imply. They don’t belong only among the best chefs in Slovenia, but also in Europe.

OFF THE BEATEN MICE TRACK

The Pohorje plateau the pride and joy of the Styria region and its capital Maribor, is a natural wonderland awash with primeval forests, lakes, waterfalls and an abundance of hiking and biking trails that criss-cross its breathtaking scenery. In winter the area is transformed into a buzzing ski resort, one of the largest and most attractive in Slovenia, an additional speciality of which is the longest night-skiing trail in the country.

Additionally, on the Pohorje plateau range, in the embrace of the intact nature of the Natura 2000 Natural Reserve Park, lies a boutique, fairytale village with eco bungalows made exclusively of natural ecological materials such as Pohorje supre timber and wool. The Ruševec Estate, consisting of the Green Village with eco-lodges, eco villa, and eco-wellness, is committed to an ecological experience of nature. This mission is also shown through its Permaculture Circle. The area is ideal for biking, hiking, running, skiing, climbing, swimming, mushroom picking and spending time in the Šumik Primeval Forest Reserve. Special treats come in the form of organised trips to the intact areas of Pohorje – the main attractions being local culture, flora, and fauna.

Maribor is not just a place to be for lovers of sports and for all wine lovers (the vineyard-covered Pyramid hill rises directly above the centre of the town what makes Maribor one of the few world’s cities with a vineyard right in its centre; The Benedictine Dveri Pax cellar storing 50,000 – out of 300,000 – litres of wine in oak barrels; The Water Tower Winery; The Vinag Cellar – the largest cellar in Europe; and the three wine roads), but also for event lovers. The Styrian capital hosts numerous international events all-year-round: Lent festival, Old Vine Festival, Maribor Festival, Wine Festival, and many others. And if that is not enough, a congress guest to get even more adventure should try the traditional rafting on the Drava river. The rafts, built in Robinson Crusoe-style, offer a different insight into the beauty of Maribor’s major attractions such as the Old Vine House, the two defense towers along the river, and the old town Lent. Thus, the conclusion is clear: Maribor, although still growing on the MICE map, certainly can not disappoint with the locations and activities on hand for any demanding meeting planner. It is slowly growing, but with a huge effect and there is a bright future in front of it.

WHO TO CONTACT

Maribor-Pohorje Tourist Board

Tkalski prehod 4, SI-2000 Maribor

Ms. Bernarda Karo

T: +386 2 234 66 08

E: bernarda.karo@maribor.si

W: www.maribor-pohorje.si

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Hidden but impressive meetings destination

When arriving in Lviv, a visitor notices a lively city centre with fountains and statues and even some special gold characters beckoning along the way. The tales from the old times that are visible on every step are accompanied by street jazz players and locals gathering around a mug of beer or cup of coffee.

This is a charm of Lviv, the western Ukrainian city which was called by CNN, “The European cultural capital you’ve never heard of.” Lviv is still a bit hidden and it, thus, presents for newcomers a special discovery. This is especially attractive now, as the condition of ‘overtourism’ has become a normality in so many other European cities.

NEED TO KNOW 2018

Legacies from Austrian rule combined with Slavic heritage produce a beautiful city of 730,000 people. The narrow cobblestone walkways, abundant eclectic architectural palaces, artistic centres and cathedrals in the Medieval city centre have earned it a UNESCO heritage site. Historic monuments and statues hold the colour and character of the city and seem to preside over the bustling café society and youthful spirit.

Though Lviv is a newcomer to the meetings industry, those who have chosen it as a meeting destination have been impressed by the clever and detailed organization and by the beauty of the city. After meetings, one can visit some brand-new clubs or attend a performance in the year-long repertoire of ballet and opera at the landmark Lviv Opera House.

Since Lviv has so many Palaces and Museums, special venues avail for dinners and meeting functions. A recent such event was held at the famous Potocki Palace in its royal mirrored dining room, which can accommodate 80 people for a sit-down dinner. Afterwards, guests went upstairs to view the European art collection followed by a Baroque music concert.

Many foreigners have never seen Lviv or any city in Ukraine. Moreover, Ukraine and its location is pretty unknown, likely because Ukraine was long under foreign rules: the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1773 – 1918, followed by Poland, Russia, Nazi Germany, and then closed off under the Soviet Union until 1991.

With the dissolution of Soviet Union article “the” used with “Ukraine” lost its meaning, as Ukraine stopped being a part of the Soviet Union and became an independent country in 1991.

WHAT'S HOT 2018

LvivMozArt Festival 2018 continues as a sold-out summer event, primarily attributed to the virtuoso and charismatic conductor, Oksana Lyniv. She is the first female conductor of the Graz Opera and Philharmonic in Graz, Austria, but was raised in Lviv where she studied before continuing her training in Germany.

She wanted to bring this festival to Lviv, because Franz Xaver Mozart, musician, and son of Wolfgang Amadeus, lived and worked in Lviv for 30 years. The festival this summer took place 13 – 22 July.

Additionally, Lviv hosts in 2018 Leopolis Grand Prix Festival, Leopolis Jazz Fest, Forum 451°E, Lviv Publishers’ Forum, International Medical Conference of European Hernia Society, IT Arena, European Cities Marketing Conference, to name a few.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA

Lviv has on offer a really special incentive programme: an adventure of viewing the city from the rooftops. Panoramas provide breath-taking views and stories that excite anyone’s imagination. Moreover, the participants get a chance to take superb and exclusive photos of Lviv ‘from above’.

The tour includes an introduction to the legends and true stories of bell tower clocks, trumpeters, broken hearts and scientific discoveries which should be told only closer to the sky. Unconventional sights of Lviv Opera and Ballet House, Armenian Church, National University and a chance to give “High five” to one of the city patrons – ancient god of trade Mercury – are awaiting.

PERFECT GIFT

Since Medieval Times Lviv has been known for its “delicious confectionery” and in the 19th century Europe began exporting chocolate from Lviv. The 18th century witnessed the launch of the first chocolate factory in Lviv called “Svitoch” (torch).

Right now, in the centre of town, one walks past the Lviv Handmade Chocolate and sees huge swirls of chocolate ribbons behind the glass exterior. Best of all, this is also a café, with a chocolate store selling all kinds of beautifully packaged chocolates – a large selection of more than 60 types of marzipan, nut, truffle, praline, chocolate caramel, and chocolate cream sweets.

BEST KEPT SECRETS

Have you ever heard of Lviv as a renowned coffee destination? Or that a café, situated in the central city square mines its own coffee from the underground?

The coffee tradition in Lviv dates back to the 17th century, when Lvivian Yuriy Kulchytskyy, returning from the Middle-East and Ethiopia, brought to Vienna the tradition of drinking coffee. This fragrant drink is now seen in numerous coffee houses of Lviv, which features fine coffee from all over the world. Coffee drinking is now a way of life; it is Lviv’s culture. In the streets you will often hear the phrase: “Let’s have a cup of coffee!”. An invitation for a cup of coffee in Lviv can mean a lot of things: a piece of cake, a nourishing dinner, a glass of beer, a meeting with a “haven’t-seen-you-for-ages” friend, a date, a business meeting, a small talk, and sometimes just a cup of coffee …

And in regard to the coffee being mined from below a café: the Lviv Coffee Manufacture is extremely creative in its spirit, and it, hence, built its own ‘coffee-mine’ and it provides tours to show the visitors how the coffee is being mined from beneath.

OFF THE BEATEN MICE TRACK

Lviv is close to the Carpathian Mountains, which offer hiking, rafting, hang gliding, and waterfall tours in the summer, and skiing in the winter.  Some of the remote villages feature indigenously dressed cultures living in colourful tribal communities, whose knitwear and painted crafts are popular Christmas presents.

Overnight trips provide for a special experience taking to old castles which offer accommodation and Galician cuisine. More locally, a vibrant modern club culture is burgeoning in Lviv, with clubs in ultra-modern spaces or old converted factories. Restaurants in Lviv are varied, with newer ones specializing in continental fare and others with historic cuisine. The Atlas and Baczewski in the city centre are popular for beautifully crafted food and appealing interiors.

VOICES FROM LVIV:

Andrii Pavliv, Director of Lviv Convention Bureau

Andrii Moskalenko, Deputy Mayor of Lviv for Development

Roman Lesyk, Professor, Head of Department for Pharmaceutical, Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry Danylo Halytskyi National Medical University in Lviv

Iryna Klyuchkovska, Director of International Institute of Education, Culture and Diaspora Relations of Lviv Polytechnic National University

WHO TO CONTACT

Lviv Convention Bureau

1 Rynok Square, 79006 Lviv, Ukraine

T: +38 (032) 254 60 99 / +38 (032) 254 60 30

E: info@lvivconvention.com.au

W: http://www.lvivconvention.com.ua/en/

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MEETINGS IN THE EMBRACE OF ALPINE BEAUTIES

“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 Sportwelt, 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.

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.

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 Nightrace 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 Raich, 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 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.

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 Kulinarwerk 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.

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. 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 28 hotels and 4 residences in 6 countries. The excellently designed hotel in Schladming offers with its generous 130 rooms and suites, 4 meeting rooms, lovely restaurant, smart bar and the 1.500m2 Acquapura SPA welness and water world a lot of extras, which generated a lot of praise from locals, tourists and business clients.
The 4 star superior hotel is focused on sustainability, fresh regional cuisine and a modern hearty culture of pleasure. The interior design encompasses natural and local (like loden, wood and Solker marble) 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.

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.

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.

SCHLADMING INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2018

A. Natural and cultural factors: 4.55

The biggest and best known skiing centre in Styria lies in the valley of Enns 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 Schladming-Dacshtein, 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.

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 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.

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 Nightrace 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 long-term 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.

MTLG INDEX / 2018 EDITION

DESTINATION CAPACITY

  • The number of 4* and 5* category hotel rooms: 2,510
  • The number of 4* and 5* category hotels: 54
  • Banquet hall maximum capacity: 800
  • The largest hall in the city (in m2): 1,400
  • Destination population: 6,715
  • Maximum hall capacity in theatre style: 1,200

COMPARISON 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”.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA

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 – Gröbming 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.

MTLG CATEGORY

M – MEETING DESTINATION

Destinations that can host up to 1,200 congress attendees.

OVERALL PERFORMANCE

SCHLADMING INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2018 
DESTINATION MARK: 4.02
Natural and cultural factors: 4.79
General and transport infrastructure: 4.77
Tourist infrastructure: 4.71
Meeting infrastructure: 4.74
Subjective grade: 4.74
Marketing Buzz: 4.52
ICCA index: 1.02
Numbeo quality of life Index: 4.70
Numbeo Safety Index:4.65
ACI Airport Connectivity Index 2.57

Contact

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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Prague – the Golden City, the heart of Europe, the historic, cultural and touristic hub with 1.3 million inhabitants and 6 times as many tourists, who stroll through this city for an injection of something new, something old and a lot for the soul. The Czech capital has for many years been one of Europe’s most visited cities, attracting tourists from all over the world.

INTRO 2018

The long walk through this historic city is a walk by an endless number of concert halls, museums, galleries, movie theatres and clubs all underlined with astonishing architecture that boasts the rich history. Many historic special venues are available to rent for your event. There are more than a few which will trigger your imagination and make it possible to organize a unique and memorable event. To name a few: the Palace Žofín, Convent of St Agnes of Bohemia (provided by Golem Catering), Prague Castle, the Museum of Czech Music, Rudolfinum Concert Hall, the Municipal Hall. Whilst Prague proudly builds its reputation on its history, it has also developed modern venues – the O2 Universum, O2 arena, the Cubex centre, and the Prague Convention Centre are the options for those who are searching for a modern venue. Or for events that need a more cool set-up, Prague is the home of one of the biggest Hard Rock Cafes, that is located in a UNESCO heritage building.

When looking for the perfect venue for your next event, don’t forget to take a moment to sit on a bench in one of the shady parks hidden among the enormous buildings with the souls of past centuries, and spend a moment in peace, away from the busy streets crowded with tourists in this city that seems to never sleep.

A must do in Prague is a relaxing boat cruise down the Vltava river. A cruise to the Devil’s Channel will make you feel for a moment as if you are in Venice. And after the ride you can treat your culinary desires in the floating Marina Ristorante, offering great Italian food and a charming view of Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge. Another good option for more demanding tastes is Mlýnec Restaurant, literally under the Charles Bridge, a modern interior with a modern fusion of unexpected tastes.

Besides the cultural and historic jewels that Prague boasts, there is one more thing typical for Prague. And that is beer. Dlouhá Street is a must visit street, known for pubs of all sorts. Beer lovers should visit the Prague Beer Museum Gastro Pub where they can try a fine selection of over 30 of the best regional craft beers on tap from the whole country.

WHAT'S HOT 2018

The city is famous for its many international festivals, among which the biggest one with 70 years of tradition, famous for its quality multi-genre programme, is the Prague Spring. 

The end of the summer is reserved for the annual festival “Letní Letná”. A very special festival that is attended by around 325.000 visitors hosts the big names of the international circus scene. It has become a solid platform presenting the work of Czech contemporary circus and theatre companies to the general public.

The SIGNAL Festival – the Festival of Lights is the largest cultural event in the Czech Republic whose unique integration of art, city space, and modern technology has drawn over 2 million attendees to Prague in the five years of its existence. The festival brings visually attractive works together with complex installations of international quality, and the concept appeals both to professionals and the lay public.

After ten years, the biggest floorball event in the world, the men’s World Floorball Championship, is coming back to the Czech Republic.
At the end of October the Prague International Design Festival “Designblok” will be held. Designblok Festival is the largest selection of design and fashion shows in Central Europe. This year’s, the 19thin a row, will attract more than 50,000 visitors of all ages from the Czech Republic and abroad.

  • One of Prague’s most famous sites is Prague Castle, that was constructed in the 9th century. The castle buildings represent virtually every architectural style of the last millennium and is a truly astonishing monument. It attracts over 1.8 million visitors every year, and is according to the Guinness Book of Records the largest ancient castle in the world, occupying an area of almost 70,000 square metres (750,000 square feet), about 570 metres (1,870 feet) in length and an average of about 130 metres (430 feet) wide.
  • Besides the world’s biggest castle, Prague also has one of the narrowest streets in the world. You can find it near the Charles Bridge and the Kafka Museum. Its width is a mere 50cm. That is the reason that a traffic light has been installed to regulate the flow of people.
  • The Czechs are the #1 beer drinking nation in the world, consuming the most beer per capita (160 litres or 43 gallons). They have been drinking beer since at least 900 A.D.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA

If you have ever had a secret desire to make a graffiti you can do that legally in Prague. The John Lennon Wall in Malá Strana, opposite the French Embassy is one of Prague’s coolest places to visit and a perfect and picturesque place to take a memory photo from the Czech capital. It also has an interesting historical background.

After 1948 the wall of the compound of the Knights of Malta was mainly used for protests against the communist takeover. In the 1960s it became known as the “Crying Wall” and was still a wall dedicated to protests with lyrics and art, and was regularly painted over by the authorities.

On the day of John Lennon’s murder on 8 December 1980, it naturally became the place for the outpouring of grief and protests against his death. Almost overnight it became covered with paintings of Lennon’s face and quotes from his songs and was renamed the John Lennon Wall. Instantly, this colorful mess became a symbol of freedom of speech, rebellion, and desire for peace. At that time, Central and Eastern Europe was ruled by totalitarian regimes, which was just the opposite of Lennon’s philosophy and state of mind. In fact, just listening to Beatles in those days was a ticket to jail. So the pacifists and the graffiti artists started a war with the Czech police. The police painted the wall over in white many times, but after a night or two, it was once again covered with slogans, quotes, lyrics and portraits of Lennon and anti-communist slogans. And all of that continued until 1989, when the Velvet Revolution put an end to communist rule in Czechoslovakia. After 1990 the Kings of Malta actually gave their permission for the graffiti to continue. And not even the great flood in 2002, which made the wall collapse (and was quickly repaired), could stop the tradition.

Today painting on the John Lennon Wall is also an incentive option offered by some of the PCO’s in Prague. For more information contact AIM Group, Prague office.

PERFECT GIFT

If you want to bring a really special, valuable and “forever” gift from Prague, than a piece of jewellery or a gift item made of garnet is the perfect choice.

Today the Granát, d.u.v Turnov is considered as undoubtedly the biggest processor and manufacturer of original jewelry with Bohemian garnets. It uses the latest production techniques for the creation and production of new jewelry designs as well as great use of the Turnov goldsmiths’ handiwork. Granát Turnov is a leading developer of this art in exhibitions and sets the pace of design and final shape of the jewelry. The biggest collection in the world of historical pieces with Bohemian garnets belongs to the National Museum in Prague; smaller collections can be seen in the Art-Industrial Museum in Prague and in the Moravian Gallery in Brno. The complete collections are also in the professional Jewellers’ School in Turnov and in the Museum of the Bohemian Paradise.

Photo credit: Turnov Granat
Photo credit: Granat

BEST KEPT SECRET

Špejle is a special place with a sense of humour, a great interior, and delicious food. To explain, a špejle is a wooden skewer, mostly used for shish kebabs, but in this bistro, they have found lots of uses for it. The bistro’s concept is based on that of the traditional Czech open-faced sandwich (chlebíček). You can get warm, cold, sweet and savory, cheese, prosciutto – all served on a skewer. The skewer is the design, the gimmick, and even the bill – you pay by the number of skewers you collect. To drink they offer homemade fruit drinks, cocktails, beer specialties, and a nice selection of wines, including sparkling wines. They are the proud owners of one of the biggest gin & tonic selections in Prague.

The skewer nibblets are eaten by hand – therefore a number of wash basins can be found throughout the bistro.

Photo credit: www.spejle.eu

VOICES OF PRAGUE

VOICES OF PRAGUE

Tereza Havlaskova, the General Manager of AIM’s Prague Office

VOICES OF PRAGUE

Jakub Bechyne, Museum of Illusions

VOICES OF PRAGUE

Olga Grillova, General Manager of Old Royal Post Hotel

WHO TO CONTACT

Prague Convention Bureau, z.s.
Rytířská 398/26,
110 00 Prague
Czech Republic

E: www.pragueconvention.cz
W: www.pragueconvention.cz

RESULTS OF MTLG 2018
We visited Prague in June 2018. Prague participates in the MTLG 2018 destination evaluation. The results for this year have just been published.

Read more!

From the desk of: Ajda Borak

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DID YOU KNOW?

Zagreb is the only capital city in the world that hosts one of the races in the Alpine Ski World Cup. The Snow Queen Trophy is organized annualy since 2015 on Medvenica 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 Championship 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 the overall World Cup champion in 2011.

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DID YOU KNOW?

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

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.

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SINGING AND SKYPING DESTINATION

Over the last couple of years, Estonia has been heavily presenting itself as a technologically advanced country and the birthplace of tech giants such as Skype, Hotmail, and Kazaa (an early file-sharing network). On our last visit we were struck by the revelation that Estonia is unjustifiably one of the most overlooked countries out there – it was the first country in the world to introduce on-line elections; it has the most developed broadband internet connection; its citizens pay their parking tickets using mobile phones and it was one of the first countries to store medical details in digital form. This all started when the then Prime Minister, Mart Laar, and his young government laid the foundations of the Estonian economy back in 1992, at a time when the average age of ministers was well over 35. One of Laar’s innovations was to allow for the speedy establishment of new companies without any major bureaucratic procedures, a move that saw the founding of a lot of tech companies, most of them going on to flourish in the international market. Through their actions the young ministers solidified Estonia’s internet future, creating a spirit that can also be felt in the capital city’s dynamic congress industry.

DID YOU KNOW?
The first food meant for space travel was produced in Estonia.
In 1962 a factory in Põltsamaa started producing food in tin-packaging that could be sent to space. It’s fun to imagine Estonian food finding its way to truly the furthest place a man can go.

Old for New
Coming back home from my visit to Tallinn, one question in particular kept sparking my curiosity: What makes Tallinn so attractive for tourists and meeting planners? I realized that it is an intertwinement of the city’s history, its heritage and its fast-paced tempo set by dynamic digitalization. The main city square, old gothic city hall, church belfries and the ferry port are just some of the interesting elements that make up the historic mosaic of this city. The picturesque old city core is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, making cultural tourism an important part of Tallinn’s economy. The new city centre, where traditional Estonian wooden houses merge with glass skyscrapers, lets you know that things are changing and that Tallinn is also a city of the future, the heart of e-Estonia. It’s a city that has changed the way things are done, whether that be health, finance, education, security, civil obligations or filling out tax returns – Tallinn is bringing things into the digital era.

Tehnopol and Technopolis
One of the goals of the Estonian government is the digitalization of society, with the help of information and communications technologies (ICT). Tallinn’s Technopol science park is one of the biggest technological centres in all of the Baltic countries. Built in 2003 by the Republic of Estonia, the city of Tallinn and Tallinn University of Technology, it was designed to support the development of growing start-up companies. More than 200 companies, employing 4,000 people, including 14,000 students and 1,300 researchers, found their home under Technopol’s roof. The companies cover a vast number of different fields from ICT and health to medical and environmental technologies. It acts as an incubator for up-and-coming companies, giving new opportunities to over 30 start-ups. These kinds of projects are a huge encouragement for the congress industry, through which they are achieving major multiplier effects at their events.

Tradition and a Sprouting Revolution
Estonia’s booming fashion scene is closely tied to an ingenuity that proved helpful even in Soviet times, Scandinavian minimalism and the rich folk customs sourced from their past. One of the more prominent parts of their cultural heritage is undoubtedly the Estonian folk and choir singing. It’s been 27 years since the Baltic movement for independence started, called the “singing revolution”, and it is still going strong. Back then, two million people held hands and formed a 600-kilometre-long human chain that connected the three Baltic capitals – Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius – in a symbolic act that demanded democracy and the end of Soviet authority.

Baltic Design
The medieval core of Tallinn is home to numerous boutique shops of famous Estonian fashion designers. Ivo Nikkolo is one of the oldest and most renowned Baltic fashion brands and their first shop was opened by a group of brave designers back in 1994. Today their clothing for men and women has become a fashion statement across Scandinavia and can be found under the Baltika Group trademark. Estonia has proved that Scandinavian design stretches much further than just Denmark, Sweden and Finland. By joining its bigger and more famous neighbours, Estonian fashion now demands every modern design aficionado to have at least one piece of Estonian fashion or industrial design in their collection.

Gastronomy
Tallinn also offers some surprises through an extremely rich culinary experience. It doesn’t offer just the traditional Estonian cuisine, but also Thai, Georgian, Indian, African, Greek, French, Japanese, Italian, Serbian, Russian, Turkish, and much else besides. Restaurant Olde Hansa, for example, is a special gastronomically-ethnical affair – candlelit and to the sounds of the medieval music, waiters dressed in traditional costumes graciously dance around the big wooden tables with hands full of earthen bowls and plates. It’s the signal that it’s time for an abundant Estonian feast: luxurious mushroom soup, exotic bites of salmon and wild boar, quail eggs, raw salmon, black bread, a spread of herbal cottage cheese and, last but not the least, the honey beer.

Tallinn Creative Hub
Tallinn Central Power Station was probably one of the most unusual congress venues in the past (1913-1979). After its 2015 renovation, the venue has become an exceptional congress and cultural centre that has this year been hosting most of the events connected to the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

The specialty of the building is the building itself as it kept the majority of its industrial spirit, including the 16-metre high ceilings, tall chimney and gigantic water heaters built between 1948 and 1949. The revitalization of the building is a success story and today this is certainly one of the hottest concert, congress and culture venues in Europe. The Power Station got its cult status when the famous Russian movie director Andrei Tarkovsky filmed the movie Stalker there. The building today carries a combination of industrial and modern Estonian ‘feel’, as shown in the the furniture and interior design (Saaremaa spa chairs). The Tallinn Central Power Station undoubtedly represents the perfect example of how to revitalize abandoned industrial buildings.

Congress Vox Populi
Estonia’s congress offer has been glorified and the EU Presidency that Estonia took on from the UK this year has certainly added to this. As the former European Capital of Culture (2011), Tallinn has a well developed infrastructure and so could take over the Presidency without any issues. The engine of the local industry is the quality educational institutions, including the technical university, the largest English academy for film and media in Europe, and the Estonian academy of arts. The full congress facilities offer, which is rich and diverse, is tied together by the Tallinn Convention Bureau. The list consists of 55 providers, all the way from the largest hall, the Nordea Concert Hall, to the numerous hotels. The city also offers a surprising number of special venues – we counted at least 25, among them a few (Seaplane Harbour, Tallinn Airport Old Terminal, and some others) without any kind of comparison in the European area. Furthermore, the agency scene is also completely developed, with its many PCO, DMC and event agencies that are capable of producing the most demanding incentive events.

Given their renowned work ethic, Estonian people have acquired recognition through the wide use of the newest technologies. It also goes without saying that this is true for Tallinn’s congress industry too. With its diversity, breadth and top-notch organisation, the Tallinn congress industry can stand as an example to any destination operating with much larger funds. Estonia and Tallinn, after many years of an inferior position in the business, has today become one of the fastest growing congress destinations.

TALLINN INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2018

A. Natural and cultural factors: 4.58

Tallinn’s old city centre is rightly called the medieval pearl of Estonia, as it is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage list. With its cute squares and views over the Finnish bay the city centre is a real paradise for medieval architecture lovers. For this reason, the city offers experiences that attract numerous tourists.

B. General and transport infrastructure: 4.65

The fact that in 2013 Tallinn became the first European capital with free public transport tells a lot about its infrastructure. Furthermore, the traffic in the city has been limited. The quality of living in the city is to a high level and this offers the residents of the city, as well as congress participants, a user-friendly advantage – after all, almost all of the congress locations can be reached on foot, and that is before we start to discuss the supreme digital infrastructure.

C. Tourist infrastructure: 4.68

The engine of Estonian tourism is Tallinn with its excellent tourist infrastructure. For example, an inspiring number of 45 hotels, most of them either new or renovated, and categorized at 3-5 stars, is suitable for congress events. The majority of the hotels are located in the city centre and offer 7,300 rooms, more than enough for the city’s needs. Besides the numerous coffee spots and restaurants more suitable for tourists, the city also offers really good pubs and inns that keep up the local tradition. For these reasons Tallinn is renowned as the most touristy city among all three Baltic capitals.

D. Meetings infrastructure: 4.75

Even in much larger congress destinations would one have difficulties in finding a complex congress offer such as what Tallinn provides. In addition, both the Estonian and the city congress bureaus work well and are adapted to the digital needs of current event planners. One can organise an event either in a classic style or on one of the boats, special venues, museums, etc. Everything is packed into a compact and well-functioning congress product that is both kind to participants and affordable for planners.

E. Subjective grade: 4.75

Tallinn’s trump card is its excellent congress infrastructure, exceptional and special venues, and the feeling that the city will perfectly take care of your and your event’s needs. Everything runs smoothly, and even though Estonian people are more on the introverted side, Tallinn is one of the most tolerant congress destinations. For all of the reasons given here, Tallinn is certainly capable of offers exceeding the size of the city.

F. Marketing buzz 4.71

Tallinn is the new congress destination that has quickly become established on the European congress map, mostly because of Tallinn’s excellent marketing. The branding is efficient, clear and it stands out from the average congress industry. In these times of globalisation that have reached even to the realm of marketing, Tallinn’s communication looks fresh and innovative, but most of all it is functional and mindful about the needs of convention planners. The congress industry in Tallinn has also been growing on the back of its presence at all of the important events.

MTLG INDEX / 2018 EDITION

DESTINATION CAPACITY

  • The number of 4* and 5* category hotel rooms: 4,765
  • The number of 4* and 5* category hotels: 45
  • Banquet hall maximum capacity: 1,200
  • The largest hall in the city (in m2): 3000
  • Destination population: 444,885
  • Maximum hall capacity in theatre style: 1,892

COMPARISON WITH THE REGION

In terms of congress needs, of the Baltic triplets Tallinn is probably the most picturesque and diverse. The city has gone through many historical changes, right through from the medieval salesmen and knights of the Teutonic order, to the protestant reformation, Swedish and Russian imperialism, turbulences of both Wars and then to the Soviet Union, before finally independence and the flourishing of its IT-industry and capitalism. All of these events today create a special culture that is the basis for development of a congress industry not lagging behind the competitive destinations. The congress industry is going through a real boom and Tallinn, with this year’s EU presidency, certainly deserves a strong round of applause.

Tourism: Tourism is a branch of the economy that develops fast. According to the “Tallinn 2025” strategic plan, the capital of Estonia could become a centre of festival and event tourism in the Baltic Sea region.

COOL MEETINGS

The Local Spirit: Vana Tallinn is a sweet liqueur, invented in the 60s. It is tasty whether drunk hot or cold, straight, in a cocktail or a coffee. With the use of natural ingredients, it presents a smooth but bitter flavour, with aromas of cinnamon, toffee, citrus and warm spices.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA:

Fast & Furious in Estonia
Race one of Europe’s greatest retro Russian cars, the Lada (VAZ), for fun around Estonia’s longest rally track (2.3 km), with two cars racing simultaneously on the same track, or for bigger groups (over 40-50 persons) there will be 4 cars racing at the same time. Races are for better times and not against each other, so it is all very safe. A professional instructor will explain and teach participants how to drive safely and with the most fun. This exciting and unusual activity is available all year around and it really is brilliant fun.

www.balticblues-events.com

MTLG CATEGORY

L – MEETING DESTINATION

Destinations that can host up to 2,000 congress attendees.

OVERALL PERFORMANCE

TALLINN INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2018 
DESTINATION MARK: 4.36
Natural and cultural factors: 4.58
General and transport infrastructure: 4.65
Tourist infrastructure: 4.68
Meeting infrastructure: 4.75
Subjective grade: 4.75
Marketing Buzz: 4.71
ICCA index: 4.38
Numbeo quality of life Index: 3.44
Numbeo Safety Index:4.35
ACI Airport Connectivity Index 3.34

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BUCHAREST – Full MTLG

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PARIS OF THE EAST

With its imposing urbanism and a thunderous history under the leadership of the former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, the Romanian capital has not changed much since our last visit in 2009. Acting as a gristly remainder of tough socialist times, Bucharest is still a concrete jungle with a distinctly eastern European presence that is very slowly fading, but somehow impossible to fully shake off. Not much has changed in the field of the congress industry either. The congress scene is mostly run by foreign hotel chains, filling up their spaces with great success. Sadly, a big part of Bucharest’s incredible congress potential is yet to be capitalized on, mostly due to a lack of connectivity in the offer and almost non-existant destination marketing. Bucharest can therefore be marked as a city with one of the most untapped potentials for the development of congress tourism in New Europe.

DID YOU KNOW?
Bucharest’s Palace of Parliament, also known as the People’s Palace, is the world’s largest civilian building with an administrative function and the second-largest building in the world after the Pentagon in the US. It covers some 330,000 sqm.

Secession – Recession – Depression – Regression
Romania lies deep in Eastern Europe and with that come many stereotypes. Today, it is supposed to be living a life of democracy and human rights, and a quarter of a century after the revolution a life of economic growth. At least that is what the official statistics says, but looking at the huge billboards concealing decaying buildings underneath them, a life of prosperity and growth seems more like an illusion, especially understood against the fact that almost 2 million Romanians have left the country to find a job. A more thorough inspection shows that Romania has actually become a colony of western corporations, with numerous shopping centres that overpower Bucharest’s suburbs. Endless streets of apartment complexes full of jumbo-commercials and accommodation space that clearly can’t cope with the fast population growth just adds to the equation. Behind the neoliberal facades are extremely kind and welcoming faces living in the Romanian capital and the initial feeling of mistrust quickly grows into a friendly relationship, a link so often abused in the past by occupying forces and dictators. Despite mixed feelings left by the city, the kind-hearted nature of Romanian people is a great asset for the future.

Urban Generation Y
The Romanian urban Generation Y with the latest iphone in hand is skillfully mastering the terrain of informational technology and seems completely distanced from their Eastern European character and Romanian stereotypes, including those of secret services still controlling Eastern European countries. When talking to the locals, a different vista opens up and you start to see that Romania is actually in some sort of caste division, most noticeable in the schooling system that has become accessible only for those with money. Bucharest truly is a city of mixed emotions, torn apart by communism and a turbulent history. It is somehow unable to rid itself of the bad image, but in the last couple of years it has been starting to get back on its feet. It is the young generation that is raising hope there and I believe they will be the ones that will reorganise the city and move it forward.

A lively night life
Numerous restaurants, bars, cafes and clubs are sprouting up like mushrooms in the old city centre. Among them are also some cool conceptual stories that can easily be compared to those in more reputed destinations and they will definitely capture your interest. Most of the bars are open into the early hours, attracting eager party travellers from all over the world. Bucharest is becoming known as a city with one of the most unforgettable nightlife experiences, which is a pleasant surprise compared to our previous visit. This can certainly broaden your congress visit, but for a more authentic experience you will have to find hidden nooks that only the locals know about. There is no lack of those in Bucharest and currently one of the most popular ones is definitely in craft breweries, offering local craft beer and great food.

Intercontinental Bucharest

White elephant
White elephant is a name the locals like to use when speaking about the imposing Palace of Parliament. It is actually quite hard to avoid in almost every description of Bucharest, as the building is truly monumental, towering over the city like something out of a fiction movie. It is the second largest building in the world with the Pentagon taking first place. It was built on the land of the former Uranus neighborhood, from which all of the residents were removed and the buildings demolished. The statistics about the palace are stupendous: from kilometers of hallways and the longest curtains and rugs to vast spaces that have remained empty to this day. Looking at the sheer size of both the palace and the museum of modern art, it seems that an even bigger congress centre than the current one could be placed inside. But don’t be mistaken: the existing International Conference Centre, founded in 1994, is already colossal, offering 13,125 sqm of space, 8 congress halls and all the necessary accompanying facilities. The congress centre has been the host of numerous conferences at the highest level and is, at least in the field of international associations, the driving force of all events in Bucharest.

Congress Vox Populi
City avenues, fountains and magnificent historical buildings quickly remind a visitor of why Bucharest is known as the ‘Paris of the east’. The largest city between Berlin and Athens is slowly waking up from its transitional congress slumber and becoming an international congress destination. A vivid creative scene and a brutal fusion of modern and socialist architecture makes for an easy comparison with the scene in East Berlin at the start of its transition. Aside from its typically wide boulevards, the romantic charm of Paris perished during the socialist times, but Bucharest was just starting to strengthen its iron character. Right now, the capital is developing with impressive speed, offering equally impressive congress venues including the mind boggling Nicolae Ceauşescu palace, housing the congress centre. Big international congresses are a rare occurrence in Bucharest, despite the fact that it has excellent air connectivity and a rich tourist offer, both of which could transform it into a strong and developed congress destination. In addition to better marketing, connecting individual congress providers is what Bucharest has to do if it wants to escape its overwhelming existence in the congress shadow. In times of rapid digitalization, the electric city seems to be living in isolation from trends in the international congress scene.

BUCHAREST INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2018

A. Natural and cultural factors: 4.31

Along with Vienna, Budapest and Belgrade, Bucharest is one of the four capitals of the Danube region. Located in southeast Romania, the city is crisscrossed by rivers flowing into the Danube and many picturesque lakes. Bucharest is defined by parks, green spaces and seven hills, on which main city areas developed. Due to its position in the midst of the Romanian plains, the surface area of the city is vast but diverse, thanks to monumental buildings and a rich history that can speak for itself. One of the most striking buildings has to be the colossal Palace of Parliament, built by the former dictator.

B. General and transport infrastructure: 4.55

Bucharest is a city of contradictions and surprises. Other than its legendary metro, the public and traffic infrastructure seems a bit in flux and unable to cope with the fast-paced tempo of this mighty city. What shocks visitors are the modern high-fashion shopping streets on one side of the city and the depressing socialist neighbourhoods on the other – a super-modern skyscraper will share its street with an abandoned, gutted office building held together with electrical wires. Despite its many contrasts, everything seems solid and other than some quite sketchy districts the feeling of safety is surprisingly good.

C. Tourist infrastructure: 4.59

There is an endless selection of bars, cafes and restaurants, and 124 hotels providing a total of 8,000 rooms. The hotel offer in Bucharest deserves high praise, owing to some truly excellent international hotel names such as the Hilton Athenae Palace and Intercontinental Bucharest. The entire tourist offer is also incredibly rich and diverse, so it’s a shame that it is promoted and presented so shyly. Finding tourist signs or information centres is quite a task, but nevertheless there is huge tourist potential yet to be exploited.

D. Meetings infrastructure: 4.34

The congress offer is concentrated inside the main international hotel chains, such as at JW Marriott, Intercontinental Bucharest and Radisson Blu Bucharest. A major boon is that there is an abundance of special venues in museums, theatres and historical buildings, capable of hosting up to 800 guests. For bigger meetings there are always options like the staggering Palace of Parliament, Romexo Exhibition Centre, or the Chamber of Commerce’s conference centre. Congress infrastructure and some excellent DMCs and PCOs are currently the strongest links of Bucharest’s congress offer, but they are still left with the challenge of finally coming together and forming a convention centre.

E. Subjective grade: 4.48

What Bucharest is missing is a recognizable congress brand, a working and proactive convention bureau helping the city take advantage of the numerous historical and natural landmarks and a few top-notch congress hotels. Despite the excellent air connectivity, Bucharest seems to be isolated from the international congress industry and not capitalizing on its USPs. Despite a very positive personal impression, it’s hard to disregard the mixed feelings about its overall congress offer.

F. Marketing buzz 3.42

The city has tremendous potential, but for now its attributes are poorly presented. Added to this is the fact that Bucharest is one of the few European capitals that does not have a convention bureau and is therefore losing out on destination marketing – its sole source of quality marketing comes from the international hotel chains. Looking at the creative array of numerous excellent marketing agencies, there is nothing stopping Bucharest from taking advantage of the many digital media and content marketing tools, but it is virtually non-existent and meeting planners have to turn to DMCs and outsider information for more insight.

MTLG INDEX / 2018 EDITION

DESTINATION CAPACITY

  • The number of 4* and 5* category hotel rooms: 3,640
  • The number of 4* and 5* category hotels: 91
  • Banquet hall maximum capacity: 800
  • The largest hall in the city (in m2): 5,110 m2
  • Destination population: 2,106,144
  • Maximum hall capacity in theatre style: 2,100

COMPARISON WITH THE REGION

Bucharest is a city of contrasts, and that can be said for its congress scene as well. Giant palaces and modern congress hotels on one side and a poorly recognizable trademark and unconnected congress offer on the other. This is one of Bucharest’s main drawbacks, compared to more active cities like Belgrade and Sofia. That aside, Bucharest is still one of the most reasonably priced congress capitals. With a little effort you will be able to find anything you need for all kinds of events, and the kindness of the staff in the hotel sector is way above-average. It seems that the city just needs a little bit more energy to position itself next to destinations in the first congress league. Looking at the pace at which Bucharest’s congress development is going, it is where it truly belongs to be. Last year, Bucharest took 81st place on the ICCA scale with 32 congresses, but we think it could do much better, since it has all the available conditions in place to do so. From the time we last visited Bucharest has seen major improvements in air accessibility and the public infrastructure is also getting better every year. The quality of living as well as the overall atmosphere for congress participants also took a turn for the better.

COOL MEETINGS

TUICA
The most popular drink in Romania is made of plums, apples or peaches, and is as strong as whiskey.

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA

World Caffe
Teams representing countries with specific customs and identities must get into the role and put in place, right down to the smallest details… attractive cafés! Customers from all over the world will set foot in the recently opened cafés and will appreciate the originality of the services and products.

MTLG CATEGORY

XL – MEETING DESTINATION

Destinations that can more than 2000 attendees.

OVERALL PERFORMANCE

BUCHAREST INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2018 
DESTINATION MARK: 4.09
Natural and cultural factors: 4.31
General and transport infrastructure: 4.55
Tourist infrastructure: 4.59
Meeting infrastructure: 4.34
Subjective grade: 4.48
Marketing Buzz: 3.42
ICCA index: 4.60
Numbeo quality of life Index: 2.46
Numbeo Safety Index:3.99
ACI Airport Connectivity Index:4.19

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DID YOU KNOW?

Legend has it that Klagenfurt was founded after a couple of brave men had slain the abominable “Lindwurm”, a winged dragon, in the moors adjoining the lake, the staple diet of which is said to have been virgins, but which nonetheless did not spurn the fat bull on a chain that the men had mounted on a strong tower.

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