LJUBLJANA – MTLG 2017

LJUBLJANA – MTLG 2017

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SPIRIT OF THE DRAGON

Ljubljana has congresses written in its genome

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

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

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

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

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

MTLG INDEX / 2017 EDITION

DESTINATION CAPACITY

  • The number of 4* and 5* category hotel rooms: 1,610
  • The number of 4* and 5* category hotels: 18
  • Banquet hall maximum capacity: 1,200
  • The largest hall in the city (in m2): 2,456 m2m2
  • Destination population: 279,756
  • Maximum hall capacity in theatre style: 2,200

MTLG CATEGORY

– MEETING DESTINATIONS

Destinations that can host up to 2000 attendees.

Check out the new MTLG categorization for 2017 here.

A. Natural and cultural factors: 4.89

These are rated highly since Ljubljana is an appealing and attractive tourist destination with a developed infrastructure and cultural offer as well as high experiential value. The focus of this is the Ljubljana Castle and the medieval town. Given the size of the city, it has an exceptional cultural and historical diversity with over 15 museums, 41 galleries, 10 theatres and experientially diverse and varied natural hinterland.

B. General and transport infrastructure: 4.68

Through history the city has expanded organically and, consequently, the overall proportion of infrastructure and transport is solidly regulated. Among the major shortcomings are still the bad airline availability, the unused railway infrastructure and poorly controlled stationary traffic. The city is extremely safe and in the region one of the most sustainably-oriented.

C. Tourist infrastructure: 4.62

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

D. Meetings infrastructure: 4.85

Most of investments in the tourism sector in recent years were aimed at improving the congress infra- structure. With two top-level convention centres and a very well developed hotel meetings offer, Ljubljana is the region’s leading congress destination. Also positive is the operation of the Ljubljana Convention Bureau. Among weaknesses we could count fluctuations in the quality of service and lack of hotels availability in the largest peak times.

E. Subjective grade: 4.68

Ljubljana makes a good first impression, which is partially due to the consequence of the burden with ”apriority” conceptions in the light of the Balkans and Eastern Europe. Instead they find a congress destination which is friendly and favourable to the meetings industry while being competitive in terms of price and quality at the same time. Among all regional capitals it also has a very good image that has also been strengthened thanks to the Conventa Trade Show.

F. Marketing Buzz: 4.52

Ljubljana is very successfully promoted through the Slovenian Convention Bureau, and notably so through the very successful Conventa Trade Show project that has brought the regional congress scene together and which would otherwise not be possible without the support of the city. The Project Ljubljana Strategic Bidding Team, which will this year undertake the start of the ambassador programme with the aim of strengthening the market position on the international associations market, is also highly praised.

LJUBLJANA INDIVIDUAL GRADES 2017 
DESTINATION MARK: 4.33
Natural and cultural factors: 4.89
General and transport infrastructure: 4.68
Tourist infrastructure: 4.62
Meeting infrastructure: 4.85
Subjective grade: 4.68
Marketing Buzz: 4.52
ICCA index: 4.42
Numbeo quality of life Index: 3.32
Numbeo Safety Index4.13
ACI Airport Connectivity Index3.16

BEST INCENTIVE IDEA

The Taste Ljubljana Food Tour is a new themed experience suitable for groups of up to 35 people. Tasting sessions of traditional Ljubljana dishes, the city’s culinary offerings and their historical background are the “fil rouge” of this enjoyable programme.

COMPARISION WITH THE REGION

Based on its conference and accommodation infrastructure, Ljubljana belongs to the group of capitals suitable for medium-sized and smaller meetings (up to 2.500 participants). It is positioned side by side with the new EU member states and geographically in the region of the Western Balkans. Thus, according to congress stakeholders in Ljubljana the most competitive destinations are Zagreb, Belgrade, Prague and Budapest. Compared to the newer EU capitals and countries of South East Europe, Ljubljana is ranked in the second half. It is preceded by Budapest and Vilnius, and we should also highlight the rapid growth of Belgrade. While most countries and cities in Europe, including New York, recorded a minimal decrease in the number of congresses, the cities in our immediate vicinity, mainly from South East Europe, recorded a fall on a smaller scale or record growth. At the end of last year in order to give Ljubljana a new sales and promotional momentum, a partnership called Ljubljana Strategic Bidding Team (LSBT), was established; it is composed of interested partners from both the private and public area.

COOL MEETINGS

ODPRTA KUHNA
On Fridays from mid-March to October, a square at the Ljubljana Central Market is literally occupied by a street food market that has in two years established itself as a true city hot spot. The Open Kitchen is wrapped up in the scents of delicious Slovenian and international dishes freshly prepared by chefs and cooks right there, on the market stalls. Locals mix with visitors from around the globe enjoying a wide array of flavours in a convivial atmosphere. Many people check the weather forecast on Thursdays, hoping it will not rain…

GET IN TOUCH

Ljubljana Tourism/Convention Burau,
Krekov trg 10, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Ms. Tatjana Radovič,
E: tatjana.radovic@visitljubljana.si,
T: +386 1 306 45 84,

www.visitljubljana.com

SOURCEkongres meetologue
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A long time congress tourism addict, Gorazd has many years' experience in creating, planning and organizing large congress projects in cooperation with some of the most respected institutions in the region. He is an accomplished advisor for marketing success in corporate events and congress centers and the owner of Toleranca marketing agency. Gorazd has established himself as the founder and editor of Kongres Magazine and the co-creator of Conventa Trade Show.

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