KONGRES MAGAZINE - Summer 2020 by KONGRES MAGAZINE

August 2020 //

84.

www.kongres-magazine.eu

27 - 28 AUGUST 2020

9 //

WHERE THE MEETING INDUSTRY IS HEADING? // Conventa Crossover

MAGAZINE 16 // KONGRES SURVEY ON COVID-19 // Covid-19

OF 31 // SLICE LIFE //

Slice of Life

CONT RIBU TORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF // GORAZD ČAD Editor of the magazine is a geographer and historian by profession. He united his professional education and love of discovering new lesser-known meetings destinations with love and passion for the meetings industry. In meetologues he shares his enthusiasm with the readers.

SARA TIEFENGRABER // ASSISTANT EDITOR An enthusiastic traveller and wordsmith on a mission of taking the reader for a fascinating and enriching journey. She is inspired by the little things that go unnoticed and shares them eagerly through written word. Her motivation is driven by the belief that even something ordinary can be converted into a powerful marketing message.

NATALIJA BAH ČAD // MEETINGS AND EVENT MANAGER An unforgettable member in the editorial board of travelogues. She has insight into the soul of destinations based on many years of practical experience with the organisation of events. She is interested in everything from the history, geography and destination marketing to care for the tiny little things that make the big events.

JASMINA JERANT // CONTENT WRITER A creative writer since childhood was brought into the meetings industry where she can release her passion for storytelling. She seeks for unusual, hidden, and charming facts that make a town or a building shine in a different way. She believes that places are like people. In each one of them you can find something amusing. BARBARA DIMEC // GRAPHIC DESIGNER Visual explorer, creative problem solver, graphic designer with interest in creating innovative digital and print design solutions. Curious and always in search for new inspiration and knowledge. She strives towards positive attitude in every challenging situation with goal to translate plain information to compelling visual messages.

PUBLISHER AND PRODUCTION Poslovni turizem Gorazd Čad s.p., Kamnica 6B, SI-1262 Dol pri Ljubljani T: +385 (0)1 430 51 03 E: gorazd.cad@go-mice.eu

MARKETING Toleranca Marketing d.o.o., Štihova 4, SI-1000 Ljubljana T: +385 (0)1 430 51 03 E: gorazd.cad@toleranca.eu

KONGRES MAGAZINE

360° MICE ACTIVATION

ANALYTICS Marketing analytics

CONTENT Copywriting and Content marketing

SALES Personal sales

EXPERIENCE Sales events

VIDEO Video campaigns

DATABASE Big data targeting

360° MICE ACTIVATION

PRINT Image building

ONLINE Digital Campaigns

SOCIAL Social media campaigns

DIRECT E-mail marketing and Telemarketing

with TOLERANCA MARKETING

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

TIRED OF VIRTUAL EVENTS A chronic lack of live events GORAZD ČAD //

@gorazdcad

I am bombarded with virtual event invitations on a daily basis. I try to attend as many as I can, but I often turn off my web camera feeling disappointed. What I’m missing is SMELL, TASTE, TOUCH, NETWORKING and PERSONAL CONTACT. I organised a couple of successful virtual events these past few weeks actually. I spent hours checking all of the offers from webinar providers that kept flooding my inbox before I landed on a service I liked. Bloggers are writing about the numerous benefits of virtual events and CEO’s are going on about how much money they will save because of these new tools. No more travel expenses, booking accommodation and exorbitant registration fees. A neoliberal paradise on earth. Our blue marble will also get some rest from our industry. I tried monetizing my webinars but did not really find a suitable solution. When you put a paywall in front of your content, most people that attended the free version vanish. Professional virtual event systems require quite an investment and solutions that are seen as a shortcut have an array of flaws. We are reinventing ourselves that’s it.

"Will be back live soon! Really soon!" Gorazd Čad // Editor-in-Chief

Schizoid personality disorder can be one of the consequences of COVID-19 I am 50 years old and I consider myself a member of the analogue meeting planner generation. Before the pandemic hit, I had a pretty orderly life and a healthy relationship towards events. I have two sons, a happy marriage and a profession that fulfils and excites me. I try to exercise quite often, I don’t smoke, I drink moderately, like to eat quality food and avoid sugar. From the looks of it, everything is perfectly fine. Except for one problem. My problem is a chronic lack of live events. I wake up every day, wishing for there to be a live event in my schedule. I find it quite challenging to wake up knowing I won’t be able to attend a concert or organise a conference any time soon. Regardless of how much I sleep, I always seem to wake up tired, dragging myself through the day, thinking about when we will be able to #meetagain.

I realise that we need to be looking for alternative solutions in total event lockdown. Virtual events are certainly one of those alternatives. These solutions have existed before the pandemic and will continue to develop in the future. What I can not understand are statements from different sources saying the meetings industry will become extinct and live events are a thing of the past. Suggesting different solutions that will bury classical meetings has become a competition among members of the industry in the past few weeks. There is one thing that colleagues keep forgetting; just like classical events, virtual events need to be carefully planned out in order for them to bring the same level of interactivity and digestibility. Moreover, for them to bring appropriate ROI requires a lot of creativity. Mastering a programming language is simply not enough to carry out a successful virtual event. Great meeting planners possess a very specific set of tools that they have developed over the course of their careers. If virtual event planning ever becomes a profession, this new breed of #eventprofs will have a lot to learn.

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

In the flood of articles talking about the benefits of virtual events, I am missing some more critical, in-depth research on the reality of such solutions for our industry. The radically-thinking part of my brain has come to the conclusion that the end result of virtual events is alienated individuals, an automated puppet-like society and losing touch with reality. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get me wrong. The virtual and live world can co-exist in excellent harmony, as proven by the countless apps and solutions that are making our lives easier. Schizoid personality disorder is a real thing, characterized by a lack of interest in social relationships and a tendency toward a solitary life. Virtual events and isolation could lead to schizoid symptoms, emotional coldness, detachment and apathy. This is something that we have already seen happen with excessive use of social media. Maybe these are just human features that some European countries find ordinary, but for the emotion-fueled Balkans, it is something completely anomalous. Compared to live events being cancelled, going virtual is the best option,

but this simply can not provide the same authenticity. Remain critical and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fall for all the promises of online events that are being served to you by tech companies on a silver platter. Let us all strive to bring back more pure eye-to-eye contact instead of spending hours on virtual events. Some people have become so distanced that they are afraid to look you in the eye or smile sincerely, let alone share some honest thoughts on feelings or needs. What happens when nothing can motivate you, excite you and all methods for self-improvement go up in smoke? We have to fight for our beloved meetings industry in order for the ban of events to be withdrawn as soon as possible. A weird paradox is happening in Slovenia; Mass is allowed and events are cancelled. I can not shake the thought that a virtual community is much easier to control than a bunch of unhappy protesters on the streets or a group of likeminded people at live events.

BARCELONA, SPAIN 1-3 December 2020

Inspiring events for better business results Find your inspiration here! Achieve a yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth of business in just 3 days at IBTM World. Join us as one industry and one community at IBTM World in December. Come to do business, reconnect with your peers, and share knowledge, but also celebrate and remember how weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all come together as an industry united in the face of adversity.

Discover more at ibtm.com/kongresmagazine

Connect with us

@ibtmevents

Organised by

CONVENTA CROSSOVER 8

LIVE & ONLINE 27 - 28 August, 2020 Cankarjev dom Ljubljana, Slovenia

FESTIVAL OF EVENTS AND LIVE MARKETING www.crossover.si

CONVENTA CROSSOVER

WHERE THE MEETING INDUSTRY IS HEADING? Interview with Gorazd Čad, Founder of Conventa Crossover GORAZD ČAD //

WWW.KONGRES-MAGAZINE.EU

Q: You chose to move forward with the organisation of Conventa Crossover in spite of the current situation with COVID-19. What influenced that decision? Even in the most difficult times, we mustn’t stay silent. As meeting planners, we need a platform that will allow us to gaze into the future of our industry. The same goes for venues, hotels, congress centres, providers of meetings services, associations, tourist destinations and everyone else involved in the meetings industry. We want to know how to overcome the coronavirus crisis, what events of the future will look like

and if events are still an important part of marketing strategies. Our goal is to find answers and solutions for the survival of our industry through the opinions of international experts and a community of creatives that will come together on 27 August 2020. Due to the unpredictability of the current situation, HYBRID was the only way to go, as backing down was never on our agenda. Despite the new hybrid form, Conventa Crossover will remain the central THINK-TANK for the meetings industry of New Europe. Our goal is to create a good practice case that will empower colleagues and instill optimism for the future

10 CONVENTA CROSSOVER

Q: What does the event’s slogan »Power to the meetings - Live or Online« mean? We think that events have the power to change the course of history and have a permanent impact on attendees as individuals. Events can only be impactful if they are strategically prepared and carried out with clear, measurable goals and bring good ROI. Conventa Crossover attendees will find answers to just that; how to carry out events that satisfy the physical, social and holistic needs of participants after and during COVID-19. Emphasis will be put on the relationship between live and online events.

“Our goal is to create a good practice case that will empower colleagues and instill optimism for the future”

Q: What will the new hybrid format look like? When hybrid cars first started to appear, people said that they took the best from the old petrol world and the new electrified, sustainable world. Right now, hybrid events seem like the most logical answer to the current situation. An increasing number of meeting planners have shifted towards hybrid event models, as they allow people from countries, where the state of the pandemic is getting worse to join the event online, while attendees from countries with loosened restrictions can join live. Regional attendees from countries that are on Slovenia’s green/orange list according to the National institute of Public Health (the list of countries can be found here) will be able to join the Conventa Crossover experience live in Ljubljana, Slovenia and others will join the action through a new online platform. Q: How was this year’s event concept developed? The concept was being developed, while the state of the pandemic kept changing. That meant our strategy kept changing as well. In March, we were naively certain that the event will be taking place live, but we quickly realised that some clever adaptation will be necessary. Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. A crucial part of the event, Conventa Best Event Award also needed to be restructured, now with more award categories and two application stages, so that meeting planners, who had to cancel their events don’t miss out. We never wanted to organise an event just for the sake of organising an event. Our vision for Conventa Crossover was much bigger and the mission of changing the way events are organised always in mind. We want to show how powerful our industry is and that our community of creatives has appropriate answers.

Q: Despite online events flooding the market, do you still believe in the power of personal relationships and Face2Face connections? Absolutely. I think that human to human communication will always win. The fact that digital ecosystems allow endless manipulation is scary. Just think about the fake news syndrom and how it can disrupt the political

and economic situation across the globe. If we automatise society to the point, where all communication takes place online, I seriously question the future of humanity. Critical thinking and progress will be replaced by an Orwellian dictatorship. That is why events are so important. They are the last defence against dictatorship, fascism and all negativity. Through history, events helped society develop and preserve culture. If and when events are completely banned: a time of darkness and retrograde transpires.

Q: Are there any parallels between organising events and high-end TV production? At the moment, event planning looks a lot like TV production. We will have to get used to the new reality, in which live and online platforms coincide. Hybrid events require directors, editors, camera and lighting operators, sound mixers and streaming service providers. The event staff quickly starts to resemble a full-blown film crew. The biggest challenge is taking care of both audiences equally, just like TV shows take care of entertaining a live audience and the people behind their screens. Q: What will happen with the meetings industry after COVID-19. The meetings industry is enduring. This is the third major crisis that I have experienced during my career and more will certainly come in the future. In the 90’s, experts predicted a complete downfall of events, as the internet was just starting to boom. The economic crisis in 2008 shook the world of events again and so did the coronavirus. If we turn the tables, the meetings industry grew stronger and adapted. I believe in the power of positive change and in this context, we want Conventa Crossover to pave the way for regional post-coronavirus events through an innovative event format. Q: You said the goal of the event is to share knowledge from experts, who have already adapted to the new situation. What else awaits the attendees at the end of August? The Conventa Crossover motto stays the same; life is too short to waste time at boring events. As organising events was banned across the world for the past six months, we were faced with a big challenge. How do we help our attendees adapt their business models, marketing strategies and events to the new situation? EASY! Invite more than 30 experts, who have already done it. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn from good practice cases and international professionals, ready to share their knowledge.

"Conventa Crossover will remain the central THINK-TANK for the meetings industry of New Europe."

Q: How will you take care of health and safety? The venue; Cankarjev Dom Cultural Centre and the organisers of Conventa Crossover; Toleranca Marketing have both received the Safe & Healthy Events certification from the Slovenian Convention Bureau.

CONVENTA CROSSOVER 11

We will ensure that the health and safety of the attendees are on a very high level. The participants will feel safe and free at the same time.

Q: What will be the difference between live and online participation? The power of events lies in creating connections. Our goal is to provide the same innovative and daring programme to both live and online attendees. The latter will be joining the action through a new online platform and will be able to play back all the content after the event. We all know that smell, taste and feel can’t be replaced by any virtual tool, but we will make sure that both experiences are as efficient and connecting as possible. We have teamed up with FM marketing agency and a live streaming provider vŽIVO.si to bring attendees an original, Slovenian online event solution. Q: Who will be the main speakers at this year’s Conventa Crossover? We are really proud of the storytellers this year. We will be hosting CEO’s of some of the largest international event agencies. Attendees will listen to Jens Oliver Mayer from the German subsidiary of Jack Morton and Zsófia Dobos from Hungarian Bo Live branding agency. Joining us is Stephanie Dubois, the organiser of SAPPHIRE NOW, who will explain how multinational corporations take on event organisation in these new conditions. A very interesting lecture will be held by Dr. Barbara Neuhofer, an expert in experience design, where you will learn how to use experience design as a philosophy, mindset and toolset. We are also looking forward to two exciting panel discussions with esteemed speakers, who will discuss the future of events and how to restart

destination marketing. Explaining how Germany adapted to the new post-corona crisis situation will be Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the German Convention Bureau. For attendees joining live, we are also preparing 4 really interesting workshops on FRIDAY, 28 August 2020. In addition to the aforementioned content, online attendees will also have access to pre-recorded content and some special surprises. These are just some of the storytellers from a meticulously prepared programme that you can see in detail here. We hope to see you in Ljubljana, Slovenia from 27 to 28 August 2020 or plugged in to our online platform on 27 August 2020. More information can be found at https:// www.crossover.si/

"How do we help meeting planners adapt their events, business models and marketing strategies to the new situation? EASY! Invite more than 30 experts, who have already done it."

12 CONVENTA CROSSOVER

CONVENTA CROSSOVER 2020 – LIVE & ONLINE 27 – 28 August 2020, Ljubljana, Slovenia GORAZD ČAD //

WWW.KONGRES-MAGAZINE.EU

The 5th edition of Conventa Crossover will be taking place in hybrid form, more innovative and daring than ever. A good practice case that will empower colleagues and instil optimism for the future. Conventa Crossover, the centre stage for leading experts in live marketing and event organisation will be taking place from 27 to 28 August in Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, as well as virtually on a new online platform. Joining the event are event managers, creative heads, marketing experts, experts in event organisation, providers of meetings services, experts from companies, agencies, associations, tourist destinations, hotels, special venues,and everyone else closely related to the event and marketing scene. The goal of Conventa Crossover is to find answers and solutions for the survival of the meetings industry through the opinions of international experts and a community of creatives that will come together at the end of August. Events have the power to change the course of history and have a permanent impact on attendees as individuals. Events can only be impactful if they are strategically prepared, carried out with clear,

PROJECT PARTNERS:

measurable goals and bring good ROI. Conventa Crossover attendees will find answers to just that; how to carry out events that satisfy the physical, social and holistic needs of participants after and during COVID-19. Crossover will become a good practice case that will empower colleagues and instil optimism for the future. It will pave the way for postcoronavirus events and show the beauty, efficiency and power of LIVE events. The organisers aim to provide the same innovative and daring programme to both live and online attendees, who will experience Slovenian originality, energy flow and many surprises along the way. Conventa Crossover has teamed up with FM marketing agency and a live streaming provider vŽIVO.si to bring attendees an effective and connecting online event solution. The best spices for successful events are creativity and innovation, which will also be the red threads of this year’s conference. The program will be dedicated to innovation in the meetings industry and all forms of online events, which will be presented by lecturers through good practice cases from the past 6 months.

CONVENTA CROSSOVER 13

CONVENTA BEST EVENT AWARD The Conventa Best Event Award competition for the best event in the region will remain the focal point of the event. The competition has been restructured, with more event categories (online events can compete for the first time) and easier application conditions. This year it will take place in two parts; semifinal 1 and semifinal 2. On 27 August we will already be able to see the works from the first semifinal. Finalists from both semifinals will come together at Conventa Trade Show 2021, where the Oscars of the event industry will be handed out.

an expert in experience design, where attendees will learn how to use experience design as a philosophy, mindset and toolset. Two exciting panel discussions with esteemed speakers, who will discuss the future of events and how to restart destination marketing will also take place. Explaining how Germany adapted to the new post-corona crisis situation will be Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the German Convention Bureau. For attendees joining live, the organisers are also preparing 4 really interesting workshops on FRIDAY, 28 August 2020.

“Conventa Crossover is a flexible and creative community that paves the way for pre and postcoronavirus events with its innovative format. The Conventa Crossover motto stays the same; life is too short to waste time at boring events . As organising events was banned across the world for the past six months, we were faced with a big challenge. How do we help our attendees adapt their business models, marketing strategies and events to the new situation? EASY! Invite more than 30 experts, who have already done it. Welcome to Conventa Crossover which inspires and creates ideas and conditions not only for ROI (return of investment - return on investment in events) but also ROR (return of relationship - making relationships at events)” Gorazd Čad, the heart and engine of Conventa Crossover (available for longer statement or interview).

The venue CD-Congress Centre and the organizers of Conventa Crossover Toleranca Marketing have both received the Safe & Healthy Meetings certification from the Slovenian Convention Bureau, ensuring health and safety will be on an extremely high level. PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS Conventa Crossover will be hosting CEO’s of some of the largest international event agencies. Attendees will listen to Jens Oliver Mayer from the German subsidiary of Jack Morton and Zsófia Dobos from Hungarian Bo Live branding agency. Joining the conference is Stephanie Dubois, the organiser of SAPPHIRE NOW, who will explain how multi national corporations take on event organisation in these new conditions. A very interesting lecture will be held by Dr Barbara Neuhofer,

Full programme available on www.crossover.si/programme/. Contact for media representatives: for accreditation, more information and interviews scheduling Natalija Bah Čad; +386 40 822 444, n atalija@toleranca.eu Gorazd Čad, +386 40 530 112, g orazd.cad@toleranca.eu Toleranca marketing, Štihova 4, Ljubljana

14 CONVENTA CROSSOVER

GET A TASTE OF CONVENTA CROSSOVER’S HOT TOPICS

More about the programme and storytellers can be reached at www.crossover.si

// THURSDAY, 27 AUGUST 2020 ARE YOU SMART (ENOUGH) FOR THE FUTURE? Ivo J. Franschitz, owner of ENITED is bringing his curiosity and energy, and his Styrian accent. Make sure to join Ivo’s session, where he will be talking about a unique opportunity that the COVID-19 pandemic brought for the business events industry.

HOW TECH, UX AND DATA WILL DRIVE CREATIVITY?

DON’T YOU WANT TO KEEP UP TO DATE AND LEARN HOW EVENTS HAVE CHANGED?

CEO’s of some of the largest international event agencies are coming to Crossover. Listen to Jens Oliver Mayer from the German subsidiary of Jack Morton and Zsófia Dobos from Hungarian Bo Live branding agency.

Stephanie Dubois, the organizer of SAPPHIRE NOW, will explain how multinational corporations take on event organization in new conditions.

CONVENTA CROSSOVER 15

DON’T MISS HIS KICK-ASS LECTURE! Want to know what’s next in the constantly changing events industry and how Germany adapted to the new post-coronacrisis situation? Join Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the German Convention Bureau at his keynote lecture.

WE DON’T WANT BORING EVENTS ANYMORE, DO WE?

PANEL DISCUSSION: CROSSOVER LET’S TALK FUTURE: ONLINE VS LIVE

Barbara Neuhofer, Head of Experience Design at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences. The future of experience design for the events industry. Learn more about experience design as a philosophy, mindset and toolset to guide human experiences, It’s a perfect opportunity.

Five provoking speakers from leading international event and marketing agencies talking about the future of our industry. Will the future be virtual or will we go back to meeting in person? Are live events really a thing of the past? Find out in this exciting panel discussion. Janez Kopač Lebar, Event manager at MPG Slovenia, Juraj Holub, Chief Meeting Designer at Slido, Pedja Marković, Television & Event Director at M2Communication, Ivo J. Franschitz, Owner & Managing Director of ENITED and Matej Rus, founder of the Podim conference

// FRIDAY, 28 AUGUST 2020 PANEL DISCUSSION: CROSSOVER LET’S TALK FUTURE: THE RESTART OF DESTINATION MARKETING Five engaging panelists will be talking about drastic changes on the global meetings market caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. How can destinations adapt their marketing? How to prepare communication that raises a destination’s reputation during and after a crisis? Teodora Jilkova, Managing Partner of Veritas Real Solutions, Romana Vlašić, Head of Convention Bureau and International Markets Development at the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, Miha Kovačič, Director of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, Gernot Marx, Head of Salzburg Convention Bureau, Petra Stušek, Managing Director of Ljubljana Tourism

LIVE WORKSHOP: OWN THE ROOM:WINNING THE ATTENTION OF YOUR AUDIENCE Martina Merslavič, CEO of Sistem 2 At this interactive and fun workshop participants will learn simple techniques that will help them win the attention of their audiences and build authentic connections - making their content stick.

LIVE WORKSHOP: ONLINE EXPERIENCE DESIGN Jaka Gornik, CEO of FM Agency In this workshop, Jaka Gornik will present a Slovenian based solution for online events and show you how to use it for your next project. Together with the presenter, you will walk through the platform and create an imaginary event.

A SURVEY ON COVID-19 BY KONGRES MAGAZINE

The editorial board of Kongres Magazine wanted to attain first-hand information from members of the meetings industry and hear their thoughts on the COVID-19 situation. A survey was sent out and Kongres Magazine managed to reach 522 respondents from 35 countries. The survey provides interesting insight into the thought-process of meeting planners when it comes to critical, unpredictable changes like a global virus outbreak in our industry. All data in the survey was gathered by Kongres Magazine according to GDPR regulations and their privacy policy.

NUMBER OF ANSWERS 522 respondents from 35 countries EVENT CANCELLATIONS

On average, every meeting planners has had to cancel 7,86 events and postpone 9,59.

60.9 %

believe we should delay all meetings for the next few months.

18.8 %

believe we should cancel all meetings for the next few months.

11.7 %

believe it should be handled on a case-by-case basis.

4.7 %

believe we should continue to hold meetings in areas that are not significantly affected.

WORK

How concerned are you about COVID-19 affecting your business? 71.7 % of meeting planners are VERY CONCERNED and only 5.5 % are NOT CONCERNED with the situation.

75 %

50 %

25 %

Very concerned

Concerned

What do you think are your chances of getting sick with Coronavirus? When asked about the chances of getting sick with Coronavirus, 55% of meeting planners said their chances of getting sick are MEDIUM, 29.9 % of meeting planners think they are LOW, while only 15.1% think they are HIGH.

84.5 %

said they will continue to work from home during office closure.

10.1 %

said that work is halted, but compensation is provided.

70.3 %

have banned all travel globally for their employees

said that work and compensation are both halted.

10.9 %

have banned only nonessential travel for their employees

10.2 %

have banned all nonessential travel to all affected locations

4.7 %

have not banned travel, but are monitoring the situation

5.4 %

23.734

43.161

How is work handled when an employee is quarantined or in self-imposed isolation (but not infected)? Employee works remotely 74.4 % Employee uses sick leave 20.2 % Employee uses personal days 1.6 %

Not concerned

TRAVEL

A SURVEY ON COVID-19 BY KONGRES MAGAZINE

How would you describe your company's reaction to the outbreak?

BIGGEST RISKS Liquidity Risk - 37.50 %

Late follower 8.6%

Interest Rate Risk - 14.17 % Purchasing Power Risk - 14.17 % Tax Risk - 11.25 %

Pioneer 39.8%

Early follower 51.6%

Political Risk - 10,42% Legislative Risk - 8,75%

Other (3,75%) No income Bankruptcy

Early follower — actively collects external information and reacts promptly Pioneer — acts proactively and makes timely decisions to tackle the matter Late follower — relies heavily on external information Lone ranger — imposes very little change

Can you estimate how much your profits will decrease in 2020 because of COVID-19? 40% decrease in profits – 31,1 % 60% decrease in profits – 25.4 % 80% decrease in profits – 22.1 % 20% decrease in profits – 17.2 % 100% decrease in profits – 4.1 % The fact that most meeting planners think their profits in 2020 will suffer greatly because of COVID-19 are very alarming.

In these hard times, we need: 43.161 Information - 35.52 % Ideas - 26.64 %

Losing members Loss of future work Laying off and subsequently loosing staff Global economic breakdown risk Generally all PEST Factors

ALTERNATIVE EVENT FORMATS

Webinars Video conferences Hybrid events Small team events Live Streaming MOST TRUSTED SOURCE OF INFORMATION The local or national government - 40.3 % Health professionals - 34.1 % News - 17.1 % Other - 3.9 % Social Media - 3.1 % Friends, family - 1.6 % Not Donald Trump

Inspiration - 22.39 %

Scientific and governmental sources

Insights - 15.44 %

Specialised websites

THOUGHTS ON THE COVID-19 SITUATION “Many companies will disappear, especially small ones like ours in Spain. We will have to rethink our business and how to continue … Thanks to Kongress Magazine for this survey and the possibility of expressing ourselves in the face of such a difficult situation. We will read your conclusions” “A disaster but health is more important!” “We need to help us each other… COVID-19 is a sickness, not the end of the world” “It will be a big challenge not only for organisers, associations and meeting planners but also for the meeting industry suppliers. Some companies might not survive this if not supported well by their governments. Still it is a chance for new ideas, new development, strategies and a more sustainable meeting culture in the future.” “It is an unplanned hardship that has come really hard on our industry. One can never be prepared for such a situation, but I Guess people will learn from this and start inculcating clauses to cover for such eventualities while contracting.” “I think we should use this time of less work to rethink, reorganize and prepare ourselves to be more than ready when the market and the travelling industry opens again. Maybe reinvent ourselves.” “I think, especially in Italy and Lombardy where I live, that the meeting industry will come slowly to a normal situation not before the end of the year 2020. COVID-19 has been a tragedy for Italy’s Economy but we are strong and will survive.” It will change our industry dramatically after. Darwin will come to mind again, this will be the survival of the fittest and smartest. It looks like our business plan for 2025 will be happening sooner than thought…” “Many companies will be experiencing difficult times in terms of cash flow and tax payments. It depends how long it will take … many jobs will be eliminated unfortunately. Governments must act rapidly to give financial support to mice and travel industry” “If the crisis continues for more than 3 months it will ruin many businesses. Many companies will go under the ice. We still don’t know how the market will react after the pandemic. How long the 43.161 economic effect will last. Support from the governments through a package of financial measures and business solidarity is crucial in these moments.”

“Fear is a bad adviser”

KONGRES MAGAZINE'S RESEARCH ON POST-CORONAVIRUS MARKETING STRATEGIES Restarting marketing activities after the coronavirus crisis is one of the burning matters that members of the meetings industry face right now. Kongres Magazine wanted to analyse their post-pandemic marketing plans and sales strategies. This is the second survey in a series of research articles that tackle the most interesting trends in our industry. 361 meeting planners completed our survey. All data in the survey was gathered by Kongres Magazine according to GDPR regulations and their privacy policy.

NUMBER OF ANSWERS: 361 respondents TOP PRIORITIES

34.5 % – Carrying out postponed events 25.3 % – Improving engagement with clients 13.8 % – Reaching a relevant audience 11.5 % – Revenue increase 8.0 % – Carrying out cancelled events 4.6 % – Increasing the number of events 2.3 % – Increase in sales COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

How confident are you in the meetings industry recovering after the COVID-19 crisis? The answers to this

50 %

question showed

40 %

us just how

30 %

uncertain the

20 %

current situation is.

10 % 0%

48.3 %

33.3 %

18.4 %

Optimistic

Not sure

Pessimistic

Do you expect your marketing budget to change in 2020? 67.8 % expect their marketing budget to decrease, many of

The most used offline/online communication channels during this crisis

them have already ruled it out completely, as they believe it presents an unnecessary expense right now. 23% think it will stay the same and only 8% believe it will increase.

Social Media (Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram) Website and web portal

23.734

Direct Marketing (newsletter, e-mail) Online events (webinars)

43.161

Sales calls will become the most important lead generation tool after the crisis.

In which of the following digital distribution channels will you INVEST MORE after the crisis? 18.43 % – Website 18.09 % – Social (Facebook, Linkedin) 11.26 % – E-mail 8.87 % – Online events (webinars) 8.53 % – SEO (Organic Search) 7.85 % – Social Communities 7.17 % – Video Advertising

KONGRES MAGAZINE'S RESEARCH ON POST-CORONAVIRUS MARKETING STRATEGIES When do you think is the best time to start marketing your product again?

41.0 % – Visit friends and relatives 16.3 % – Have a drink with friends

Now

12.3 % – Enjoy a nice meal in a restaurant 10.5 % – Travel somewhere/take a vacation

When things go back to normal

5.8 % – Visit a barber and hair dresser

After the ban of events

3.5 % – Stay in self-isolation at home

Next year 0%

What is the first thing you will do when the crisis is over?

20%

40%

60%

SOURCES OF INFORMATION The most useful sources of information when it comes to finding information on event destinations or event venues:

1.0 % – Attend a concert 1.0 % – Go to the movies

How satisfied are you with international MICE associations as a 48.3 % 33.3 % 18.4 % marketing tool during the crisis? 53.5 % - Neutral

Direct contacts Friends and colleagues

20.9 % - Somewhat Satisfied 11.6 % - Somewhat Dissatisfied 8.1 % - Very Dissatisfied

Convention Bureaus

5.8 % - Totally Satisfied

Google MAJOR CHALLENGES AFTER THE CRISIS 1. Distrust and fear of traveling abroad

5. Overload of information

The burning question… is it safe to travel?

Overflow/excess of advertising coming from destinations/providers

2. Security problems with transportation

6. New event formats

Getting people to travel again

Cheaper but more flexible events

43.161

3. Security problems during events with many people

7. Low budgets

Activate the trust in meeting

Price dropping – how to get on the same level as before the crisis

4. Cleaniness and sanitation of hotels and restaurants

8. Market segmentation

Safety and higiene of the venues

Not all markets will recover at the same time/in the same way

WORD CLOUD

CONTENT MARKETING

PROMO VIDEOS

ONLINE EVENTS (WEBINARS)

WEBSITE HIGH-END VIDEO ADVERTISING

SOCIAL MEDIA SEO

SOLIDARITY FUND

CRM

FAM TRIPS

GUERRILLA ADD

If someone gave you 500.000 EUR to spend on marketing after the crisis, where would you invest it? BLOGGERS

ARCHIVE

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic started, Kongres Magazine has been making an active effort to report about the latest developments with top quality content, helping the industry wade through the crisis. Our work was awarded by the readers, who keep returning to the web portal every day. We have received countless questions connected to the withdrawal of the event organisation ban. We are certain that many colleagues wake up with the same question; when will I be able to organise events? To instil some hope and provide information from international meeting planners, we are launching the L-DAY campaign. L-DAY or LIVE EVENT DAY is the day that we will be

able to organise events without limitations. The campaign takes place on different platforms and encompasses a wide spectre of meeting planners from around the world. A key component of the campaign is the COUNTDOWN â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an automatic calculation of received answers, letting us know how many days are left until the event ban is lifted. We have asked valued meeting planners and other colleagues from the industry to share their estimates and information regarding L-DAY in their countries to provide a comprehensive picture of the situation. Follow the countdown and discover opinions about the L-DAY on the Kongres Magazine web portal.

SLICE OF LIFE 31

SLICE OF LIFE

Series of interviews made in April and May 2020. GORAZD ČAD //

PERSONAL ARCHIVE

In the series of Slice of Life interviews, we are trying to get a look behind the business side of our business partners and well-known industry names. We explore what makes them tick, what passions they are pursuing in life and what occupies their day and thoughts when they are not at work. Keep on reading for a glimpse of the names you already know professionally in their spare time.

ANGELIKA DIETMAYER

Interview with ANGELIKA DIETMAYER, Sales Manager at Schladming-Dachstein Convention

Q: What gets you going in the morning? A wonderful, big cup of hot coffee. Q: What is a personal project you are currently working on or wish you were? My garden – I’ve planted a few raspberry bushes last weekend, as well as strawberries and colourful flowers; it’s getting nicer and nicer Q: How do you spend a normal weekend? With cleaning up the house, cooking, and doing sports and outdoor activities in our beautiful surroundings in Schladming-Dachstein – very simple, normal things… Q: What are your hobbies/what do you do for fun? Depending on the season: skiing, ski touring, hiking, tennis, and reading! Q: What do you count as your biggest non-work-related achievement? I’ve got two wonderful daughters: my family is the most important thing in my life! Q: How are you known among your friends? I’m the one for having a nice glass of wine with. Q: What is your absolutely favourite place in Austria that you love to visit and why? Now as the snow is melting, I’m looking forward to one of my favourite hikes: the 3-lakes tour near my home village. It’s a wonderful hike, in the beginning through a forest, passing a great waterfall, heading for the lakes with a spectacular view to the opposite mountains. And with a delicious lunch in the hut near the lake. Q: What kind of conference would you to attend if you could choose? A conference where it is possible to meet with the attendees not only during the conference in a business meeting, but also more personal. It’s always good to get to know people more personal. Q: What is your best source of information? Newspapers (printed and online) as well as online magazines/articles and newsletters. Q: What is the most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this week? The latest detailed information on the international markets, with the COVID-19 effects on travelling, the current situation as well as a preview of trends and changes; a well-researched summary from the Austrian Tourism Board.

"I’ve got two wonderful daughters: my family is the most important thing in my life!"

32 SLICE OF LIFE

ADRIANO COLLENZ

Interview with ADRIANO COLLENZ, General Manager at Mjus World

Q: What is a personal project you are currently working on or wish you were? I’m thinking about what could be the ideal place to live in Italy (always staying in the area where I was born). I love the places where the gaze can get lost towards the horizon ... Q: How do you spend a normal weekend? Normally on weekends, I work, especially when I’m here in Hungary. On Sunday afternoon I take some time for myself and on nice days I go for a walk but above all, I try to find “a little bit of silence”. When I return to Italy, however, I enjoy the days with the family and the places where I was born and raised. Q: What are your hobbies/what do you do for fun? I like to travel and I do it as soon as I can. The destinations are different but I always look for places without too much noise or too many people. Silence helps me find myself. In addition, I love recent history a lot, especially from the post-war period to the present day and therefore I often “get lost” in following documentaries or researching specific topics. Q: What do you count as your biggest non-work-related achievement? The thanks I get when I can do something for someone else. Q: How are you known among your friends? I think this should be asked directly to them :) but if I have to say some elements, surely they could tell you that I am a person with humour and also very direct. Q: What is your absolutely favourite place in Hungary that you love to visit and why? It would be easy to say Budapest which is really a beautiful city but there are so many places worth visiting. Yet my place is perhaps a non-place. The road that leads from Körmend to Zalaegerszeg crosses beautiful countryside, with wide expanses of land and hills. I love to slow down when I am here and enjoy this landscape, especially at sunset. Q: What kind of conference would you to attend if you could choose? Beyond professional training events, at this moment I would like to participate in some personal development seminars such as “Life mapping”. I participated in the past in the first step called “Goal mapping” and I highly recommend it. You will be surprised.

"I like to travel and I do it as soon as I can."

Q: What gets you going in the morning? A sunny day gives me a lot of energy and gives me even more creativity, ideas and strength in facing small or large challenges… and if it’s Monday, it’s even better. I love the beginning of the week as it all starts again.

Q: What is your best source of information? Traditional channels are too influenced by politics. In this period, I read many articles and opinions on LinkedIn. I find it an excellent channel and sometimes I can find the common sense that is missing elsewhere. Q: What is the most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this week? I saw an interview with Arrigo Cipriani, a well-known restaurateur and hotelier (born in 1932), owner of the famous Harry’s Bar in Venice (founded by his father in 1931). In one passage of the interview, he explained a concept that perhaps we never pay attention to but that personally impressed me for its wonderful truth and it is the difference between “hospitality” and “welcome”. In fact, hospitality is given by a place but it is the welcome that is made by people.

SLICE OF LIFE 33

BREDA PEČOVNIK

Interview with BREDA PEČOVNIK, Congress and Commercial Programme Director

If spending the weekend in Ljubljana, I always dedicate several hours to doing sports. This is also an opportunity to perform some routine tasks that have been left undone during the week, to attend social events or spend time in the company of friends.

Q: What are your hobbies/what do you do for fun? My hobbies are different sports: running, golf, skiing, cycling, as well as reading books, watching films, listening to different music genres and getting together with the people I care about. Q: What do you count as your biggest non-work-related achievement? My greatest achievement in life is the birth of my daughter and her own accomplishments – she has obtained a degree in stomatology. I pride myself on raising a person who is honest and good, ready to tackle everything life has to offer. I believe it’s also an achievement to help the underprivileged or people in need; therefore, I donate blood regularly, bring food to the people who are unable to buy it and actively take part in charity appeals. Q: How do you define friendship? True friends are rare indeed. I believe a true friend to be a selfless person who is always there when you need them, in times of joy or grief, always telling the truth no matter how painful it might be. The rest are but fleeting acquaintances you meet in the course of a lifetime.

"I believe it’s an achievement to help the underprivileged."

Q: What gets you going in the morning? I customarily start my day with a smile, some keep-fit exercises and a 30-minute workout on the OrbiTrek trainer. As I have low blood pressure and do not drink coffee, I need physical activity to begin my day. Q: What is a personal project you are currently working on or wish you were? I’d like to learn to play the piano; as a young girl, I played the accordion for my parents. And I’d also like to take lessons in conversational Spanish. Q: How do you spend a normal weekend?

I usually spend my weekends outdoors, enjoying nature at my homestead in the Štajerska region, cultivating and harvesting grapes and taking pleasure in the company of my friends and the people I hold dear.

Q: What is your absolutely favourite place in Slovenia that you love to visit and why? My favourite place is my hometown Maribor, the place of my birth where my loved ones used to live or still continue to live. A place where your eyes can feast on the verdant greenery of the Pohorje Mountains and the vineyards – a sight that gladdens your heart – whose people are open, merry, sincere and resilient. It is a place where I have been given the gift of life, and where I was raised to be an honest, openhearted, hardworking…person. It is the place of my youth. I also often visit Bled, Piran and Slovenia’s other natural and cultural beauties. Q: What kind of conference would you like to attend if you could choose? It has been my wish for some time to attend a conference with over 15.000 delegates. It would be interesting to be the observer, to get an insight into the organisation of such a large-scale event, the logistical details behind the implementation and other services related to professional congress organisation. Q: What is your best source of information? I obtain information from different distribution channels. I get specialist information from scientific literature and the web. I keep up to date with the global, day-to-day information by listening to radio stations. And I keep informed on professional concerns by following national and international communication media. It goes without saying that it has become inevitable to also follow social networking sites. Q: What is the most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this week? This week, I have finished reading a book titled “When the Body Says No” by Mate Gabor. The book contains a lot of interesting details concerning personal growth and calls attention to the wisdom of sometimes decidedly saying “no”.

34 SLICE OF LIFE

GERNOT MARX

Interview with GERNOT MARX, Managing Director of Salzburg Convention Bureau

Q: What is a personal project you are currently working on or wish you were? I’m currently in an executive master’s degree in training and development and I love to learn new things about psychology and neurobiology. So, I also reflect a lot on what’s going on in the minds of people during these particularly challenging times and how things will change, affecting our day to day lives. Q: How do you spend a normal weekend? It depends on where I spend my weekend. If I am in the city, we take an early morning walk followed by a breakfast in a traditional coffee house and sometimes we just walk from one museum to another. If I stay outside the city in our house in the countryside, I mostly stay on the terrace or go to the lakes. Q: What are your hobbies/what do you do for fun? I could list a long list now, but what we mostly do is make use of the arts and culture that Salzburg, but also other cities have to offer. We very often go to theatres, operas, open-air pop concerts and cook a lot which reminds me to probably bring in some sports into my activities Q: What do you count as your biggest non-work-related achievement? I engaged with many NGOs in the past and did a lot of volunteer work for NGOs. I do not count this as work as it was a kind of pay-back to the community. As a matter of fact, I did a lot for community media in Salzburg. I co-founded the Salzburg community TV, moderated a radio program for a non-profit community radio station and developed many diversity projects in the LGBTI community. Q: How are you known among your friends? They would probably see me as a committed person they can speak to about everything, get advice and have a lot of fun with. But mostly they’d say I am totally mad Q: What is your absolutely favourite place in Austria that you love to visit and why? It is the Salzkammergut with lake Fuschl and Wolfgangsee. For ten years we spend our annual leave of 10 days at Wolfgangsee. Although it is only 40 minutes away from Salzburg, it feels like I am far away from home.

"I also reflect a lot on what’s going on in the minds of people during these particularly challenging times"

Q: What gets you going in the morning? It is important to follow the rituals. So, I start with a great coffee and a short mindfulness exercise on the terrace. I rely very much on the weather, so if it’s rainy, I put on some euphoric music to get my systems up and running.

Q: What kind of conference would you to attend if you could choose? I’d like to attend an inspirational business festival that would give me new ideas and bring me in touch with other creative people. Q: What is your best source of information? I think it is dangerous to favour only one source. So, I use many sources for different purposes in order to get various thoughts and perspectives about a subject. However, I do not use social media to gather information, but mostly a vast amount of quality media like newspapers’ and magazines’ online portals. Q: What is the most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this week? I read an article about the VUCA world and how it affects our work 4.0 model. I am very much interested in new work and organisational development which I am interested to see and participate in changing within and after COVID-19.

SLICE OF LIFE 35

JAN ORŠIČ

Interview with JAN ORŠIČ, Head of Business Tourism at Ljubljana Convention Bureau

Q: What is a personal project you are currently working on or wish you were? My family is my priority. Next to that, there are two projects which are taking up my free time. The first one is my PhD thesis waiting to be completed, which is despite my best attempts, constantly being sidelined. The second is the recording of a new album with our band called Viperstone, which is being delayed a bit as the recording studio is shut down due to COVID-19 restrictions. Q: How do you spend a normal weekend?

I would say that the ideal weekend has a perfect mixture of time with family and friends, preferably outdoors, enough sleep at night and breakfast with sunshine and that coffee I spoke of before.

Q: What are your hobbies/what do you do for fun? I would say that discovering the world in as many ways as possible is what I look for in all my hobbies. Traveling would be one aspect of this, I am also a fan of sailing, diving (both scuba as well as apnea) and music. Music is a big part of my life and if I am not playing it, I love listening to music and going to concerts. Q: What do you count as your biggest non-work-related achievement? Definitely, the time spent with my family and friends – be it seeing my kids grow up, having a picnic every year for over 20 years with the same group of friends, making my own music, perfecting it for years and playing it on a stage, meeting friends that live in different countries and picking up the conversation as if we would have been living across the street. I think it is the relationships with people in my life that I am most proud of. Q: How are you known among your friends? Loud, talkative, outgoing and (I hope) also caring and reliable. Q: What is your absolutely favourite place in Slovenia that you love to visit and why? Ljubljana is not just the city I was born in but it is where I choose to live and it is my favourite place as it is close to all my favourite places in Slovenia. To mention a few Žiče Charterhouse, the Vršič mountain view of the bay of Trieste, olive groves above Piran and the drive through the forests of Kočevsko. Q: What kind of conference would you to attend if you could choose? The first conference after the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, just to see how it will be set up and organised.

"Ljubljana is not just the city I was born in but it is where I choose to live and it is my favourite place ..."

Q: What gets you going in the morning? The perfect start of the day is a good coffee. It’s the platform on which the plan for the day is made.

Q: What is your best source of information? I would say that it is my colleagues Tatjana Radovič and Neža Lipanje, as there are so many outlets and the quantity can be overwhelming. Exchanging the information amongst ourselves, often over that morning coffee I was mentioning in the beginning is the best way to be up to speed. Q: What is the most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this week? I just recently saw and would recommend Michael Moore’s movie The Planet of Humans. It got me thinking and worrying at the same time.

36 SLICE OF LIFE

MATJAŽ ŽNIDARŠIČ

Interview with MATJAŽ ŽNIDARŠIČ, Assistant Director of Sales at Sava Hotels & Resorts

Q: What gets you going in the morning? My wife :) Q: What is a personal project you are currently working on or wish you were? Being the best Granddad in the world to my firstborn grandson (born just last month). Q: How do you spend a normal weekend? When not quarantined, I play golf. Unless urgent house maintenance or other chores are on the agenda. Q: What are your hobbies/what do you do for fun? Golf is on the top of the list and it doesn’t leave much time for other things except skiing in the winter. Q: What do you count as your biggest non-work-related achievement? My son and the beautiful relations I have with all my family, my side as well as my wife’s side. Q: How are you known among your friends? I like to believe my friends see me as someone who is kind, intelligent and has a great sense of humour. Although to get an objective answer, we would have to ask my friends. Q: What is your absolutely favourite place in Slovenia that you love to visit and why? Bled and Moravske Toplice. Why? See questions two and three :). Q: What kind of conference would you like to attend if you could choose? Revenue management in a period of demand crises. Q: What is your best source of information? The Internet, of course. Q: What is the most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this week? I liked Miro Hribar’s interview: “The crisis for our industry didn’t start in March, but much earlier” in Kongres Magazine, Friday’s top pick – 10/04/2020.

"I like to believe my friends see me as someone who is kind, intelligent and has a great sense of humour."

SLICE OF LIFE 37

MILAN SAJOVIC

Interview with MILAN SAJOVIC, General Manager at Hit Alpinea Kranjska Gora

Q: What gets you going in the morning? I’ve always been a morning person, but still, my day never starts without an “in-bed” 5-minute recap of all planned activities for the day ahead and a big cup bucket of coffee. Q: What is a personal project you are currently working on or wish you were? With all work-related occupation, it’s somehow difficult to find time for bigger personal projects. Nevertheless, I’d be very happy if I was able to finish building the house after a couple of years. And in the last months, I’ve become somewhat addicted to jogging and home fitness. Q: How do you spend a normal weekend? First, let me know what are normal weekends in the hospitality business? Usually, a part of the weekend is dedicated to business, the rest I just try to relax and spend time with family and friends. Very often we end up taking a trip into the unknown. We especially love to discover new and interesting places to eat and sleep. It’s some sort of an addiction. Taking a 2-hour or longer drive to go to eat to a good restaurant is my weak point, I admit. Q: What are your hobbies/what do you do for fun? Chilling out with friends and family in the garden and admiring the mountain scenery with Triglav in the background. And as mentioned, sports activities together with wining and dining. Q: What do you count as your biggest non-work-related achievement? Uffff, this is a difficult one, especially for a workaholic. I’d say that I take pride in having few but very genuine friends. I feel that today most of the world rotates around having a lot of “colleagues”, but with all relationships being very superficial or fake. My philosophy in this matter is different. Q: How are you known among your friends? They often describe me as being very honest, supportive, reliable, trustworthy, stubborn, and having a great memory. It’s difficult to describe yourself but I frequently hear observations that I have a very calming effect on others. Q: What is your absolutely favourite place in Slovenia that you love to visit and why? I love to visit the Brdo park (great nature, wildlife, lake…) or go on a 10 km trail around the Brdo park. This location is very convenient for me since it’s only 10 minutes away on foot. Another nearby location is the Kokra river canyon. Q: What kind of conference would you to attend if you could choose? A conference with a very atypical set-up and/or location and/or concept (I’m not talking about the content of the conference). Conferences, in general, are still too classical.

"Conferences, in general, are still too classical."

Q: What is your best source of information? Depending on the content. Q: What is the most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this week? Since we are more at home during these corona-quarantine times, I was able to get to know some interesting neighbours better

38 SLICE OF LIFE

NINA ERNEKER

Interview with NINA ERNEKER, Head of Bratislava Convention Bureau

Q: What is a personal project you are currently working on or wish you were? My personal project is to manage my consciousness and become less dependent on circumstances. Whether they happen just like I would want them to happen or not. And try to become more responsive rather than reactive.

Q: How do you spend a normal weekend? With my family and friends. An ideal weekend is to invite them over, to cook together and have a glass of good wine. We are also very fortunate in Bratislava for lots of amazing leisure opportunities, with the Danube river and its beams, meanders and banks full of life, or with the Small Carpathians with vineyards and hiking routes. Q: What are your hobbies/what do you do for fun? Gastronomy is my hobby. I enjoy cooking, tasting, sampling, talking about food and wine, my obsession is Greek cuisine. During the quarantine, I have posted some of my cooking-therapy pieces and I got very positive feedback I shall teach the idiot-proof way of cooking Q: What do you count as your biggest non-work-related achievement? My son Filip. He is so amazing I am almost humbled to talk about him so that I am not considered to be the my-child-is-perfect mother. As none of us is obviously. Q: How are you known among your friends? Relationships are at the deepest core of my values. I believe my friends see me as a genuine friend who never lets them down and helps (at least) with good advice. And besides that, I am a very talkative and positive hedonist. As for the negatives, I am loud, it’s sometimes hard to catch my attention and I am quite stubborn. Q: What is your absolutely favourite place in Bratislava that you love to visit and why? I love strolling around the city centre. It‘s full of beautiful facades, intimate narrow streets, buzzy cafes and cosy wine shops, bars and restaurants. Its relatively small, walkable and is not too crowded. My absolute favourite is a place called Cork, where you can get the best Slovak and World wines by the glass. Q: What kind of conference would you to attend if you could choose? Neuroscience for dummies.

"Relationships are at the deepest core of my values."

Q: What gets you going in the morning? A good portion of freshly prepared juice. I love crazy combinations like green asparagus, apples and strawberries.

Q: What is your best source of information? Reference from people I know and trust plus my intuition in terms of where to dig for information and data. It might sound weird and I probably shouldn’t say that from my professional position, but I never really trust expert forecasts and analyses, as we are living in such complex environs, that pretending you know how things evolve is close to fortune-telling. And this pandemic is showing us clearly that we do not even know what we don’t know. Q: What is the most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this week? Negative self-help by Mark Manson. I love the funny and uncomplicated way he writes about daily life, economy, relationships, life purpose or even deep philosophic questions.

SLICE OF LIFE 39

SANDI KOVAČEVIČ

Interview with SANDI KOVAČEVIČ, General Manager at CUBO Hotel

Q: What gets you going in the morning? A million different things drive me in life. When I was much younger, I had an accident and since than I promised myself, I won’t stress over the things I have no influence on. What also drives me is creating something new. Q: What is a personal project you are currently working on or wish you were? I have to lose a few kilos that I put on after I quit smoking. To stop smoking was my project for the last couple of years and now I finally achieved this goal. Q: How do you spend a normal weekend? Riding horses. It is a way of life and I try to spend as much time with them as posible, so my weekends are reserved for the other part of the family. Q: What are your hobbies/what do you do for fun? HORSES. Q: What is your philosophy in life? Do not worry yourself about the things you cannot influence. Have a goal in life and if you know how to dream, dream big, materialize your wishes in your head and they are bound to happen. Q: What do you count as your biggest non-work-related achievement? I can’t single out one biggest achievement, I would rather say it’s the things that have changed my life in different periods, but more or less everything is kind of connected to work, since this is my hobby as well. One of the recent achievements was marring the best lady in the world, and before that wining a Grand Prix competition in show jumping (with horses), while always having amazing people around me... Q: What is your absolutely favourite place in Slovenia that you love to visit and why? Kostanjevica at Krka, the source of Soča river, Bela Krajina and Portorož, because of the great Kempinski property. I absolutely love hotels. Especially great ones. Slovenia truly is an amazing country with so many beautiful places I couldn’t pick just one. I’ve travelled all over the world and it is for sure my favourite country. Q: What kind of conference would you like to attend if you could choose? I am a big fan of conferences of the future (that don’t involve not meeting in person) and conferences about innovative conference technology. Also an innovative gastronomic conference with food workshops and presentations. I believe mingling and socializing at such events is very important, but even more important, it is fun! I also prefer it when I can make a trip out of it when the conference is not in Ljubljana – as I said, I simply love staying in hotels.

"Relationships are at the deepest core of my values."

Q: What is your best source of information? The Internet. And news applications – local and international. It’s the quickest and easiest way to fresh information. Q: What is the most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this week? That we have the smartest virus in the world, our virus knows exactly when our country does not have any more money for corona measures.

40 SLICE OF LIFE

IGOR KOVAČEVIĆ

CEO at Serbia Convention Bureau and Assistant Professor, Faculty of Economics, Uni. of Belgrade

Q: What gets you going in the morning? I like waking up early. Most mornings I start with my daily training and with the first spring days, it continues on the banks of Danube. Fast walking or rollerblading in combination with sleepy Belgrade, fresh air and the peacefulness of water, creates a free-mind zone I need for the rest of the business day. Of course, I leave my cellphone back at home, since this is time only for me. Q: What is a personal project you are currently working on or wish you were? I have the biggest fights with myself - the biggest friend and the biggest enemy. For the last year, I am focusing, finally, on the personal project combining “mental health” and “physical health”. This helps me to stay in good condition, less stressed and less anxious, with the best me for the people I care about and for myself. I am not making any more mistakes I used to make with “wrong” people. I love this project. It might never end. Q: How do you spend a normal weekend? Back to the business-free environment, replacing the keyboard with a bicycle, shoes with sneakers and shirts with favourite t-shirts. Choosing a casual restaurant for launch and then spending relaxing time at home, preparing for a famous Belgrade night-out, either at Dorcol’s hidden offthe-main-path places or at posh Beton Hala and Danube river floating clubs. Or, escape in the nature, in a hustle-free environment, to listen to the silence of the forest. This combination gives me back the power for the week. Q: What do you count as your biggest non-work-related achievement? There are several aspects. Internal – finally working on self-acceptance in order to pass reality check and face negative sides with real solutions in order to be the best for myself. A never ending aspect. External – to give quality me time and quality time to the people I care about and that are important to me. Not all can enter my comfort zone and get the best from me. And finally, try to change the world and help people without asking anything in return, mostly by believing in them and giving them wind in the back when needed.

"And finally, try to change the world and help people without asking anything in return, mostly by believing in them and giving them wind in the back when needed."

Q: How are you known among your friends? I will quote one of my best friends, currently in the lead HR role for Western Balkans and Baltic in the FMCG sector: “As the friend you want and need in your corner. You can always rely on that he will be there with straightforward and honest answers. He will support you and be there for you from the beginning in your decisions, no matter how big and lifechanging they are, but also will not hesitate to tell you the hard truth if he thinks you are not considering all the facts. It is always fun to be around him, he is always focusing on an optimistic future, considering every day as a new chance for living life in the happiest and most fulfilled way possible.” Q: What is your absolutely favourite place in Serbia that you love to visit and why? I just love Belgrade. Our great witter, Momo Kapor, said that the Belgrade is not a city, but a metaphor of life and a perspective on things. I love the hustle during the day, slow mornings on rivers, some very popular and posh places for a night out, and hidden points to escape from the crowd.

SLICE OF LIFE 41

Maybe Belgrade is not the most beautiful city in the world, but it has the energy and buzz that makes you move. I travel a lot, but the best part of all those is coming back home.

Q: What kind of conference would you to attend if you could choose?

From our industry, I love attending great panels where panellists have something to say and know how to say it, while the moderator is actually on the topic, and knows how to get the panel going and involves the audience. From other fields, I would be interested to join a conference on how new car models are launched and branded. Also, there is a great event on the entertaining and clubbing industry, the Monaco International Clubbing Show, that is first on my bucket list.

JANETTE ŠKORC

Interview with JANETTE ŠKORC, Head of Convention Sales at InterContinental Ljubljana

Q: What is your best source of information? Business-wise, if you want to know what is happening you need to be in the field. That is the reason, I spend a lot of time meeting colleagues from hotels, PCOs, DMCs, venues and AVs, as well as our doctors, professors, professionals from the associations and corporations in person. But the information paradox is evident. It is a skill to find useful information among all the semi-information. Life-wise, specific web sites. Q: What is the most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this week? The movie: Invisible Life (A Vida Invisível, Brazil, 2019). Two sisters separated by a conservative society, are finding life essence believing that the other is living her dream half a world away, although they are separated only by a few streets and situations. Never giving up hope of finding each other. These kinds of movies make you think about what makes the world move and how to fight the desired social behaviour. Being different and above average is sometimes very hard.

"No day with a smile on your face can go wrong."

Q: What gets you going in the morning? My mornings begin in a very relaxed way. Healthy breakfast, a big cup of coffee and a huge smile on my face fills me up with energy and gets me going every morning. No day with a smile on your face can go wrong :) Q: What is a personal project you are currently working on or wish you were? Self-care is my priority and my daily project. Working-out, taking long walks in nature, reading books and meditating are just a few of the things that are on my weekly agenda. I used to ask myself how can I reach balance in my life? Well, now is a great opportunity for me to find it and learn how to maintain it when things get back to normal. Q: How do you spend a normal weekend?

Living in a house gives me lots of opportunities to make the most of the weekend. We are blessed with a good climate and high temperatures in this period so spending quality time outside during the weekend is my favourite. Grilling outside with a glass of good Slovenian wine is a must

Q: What are your hobbies/what do you do for fun? I can surely say that nature has become my best friend. I love taking long walks in nature with my dog, where you can only hear birds singing. Q: What do you count as your biggest non-work-related achievement? Some people say that you “make your own luck” but I say that having the right mindset with a piece of luck, can create a meaningful life. This is what I would call my non-work-related achievement that has helped me overcome my fears and challenges in the past and will make me reach my goals in the future. Q: How are you known among your friends? I believe my friends know me as being honest, reliable, always on-time, straight-forward, hard-working, sometimes stubborn, optimistic, a good organiser and listener. Q: What is your absolutely favourite place in Slovenia that you love to visit and why? Living in such a diverse destination as Slovenia, we are blessed to be able to visit so many different places and enjoy nature at every step. The best thing, in my opinion, is the size of our country which enables us to travel from one side to another in just a couple of hours. Imagine - first half of the day you could climb the highest mountain while in the second half of the day you could already enjoy a good glass of wine by the sea :) Isn’t that great? Since I’m living in the North-Eastern part of the country, I would often visit Prekmurje or Logarska Valley where I can reach a peaceful state of mind for sure. Q: What kind of conference would you like to attend if you could choose? I’ve always been more interested in conferences that had an accompanying incentive programme which enabled us, participants, to get to know each other more and make new friendships. I believe making friendships is crucial and it helps develop future

cooperation much easier.

Q: What is your best source of information? Working in a large international chain enables me to stay connected with other colleagues from around the world, exchange knowledge and best practices with them. Social media such as LinkedIn plays a very important role in our daily life. Not only being part of it but also being an active member where I can be connected with all my colleagues from the InterContinental Hotel Group as well as business partners. Participating at round tables, webinars, reading magazines related to the hospitality industry, makes me stay up to date with all trends that are happening in the world. Q: What is the most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this week? I just finished reading the book “Who says you can’t? You do” by Daniel Chidiac, which I would recommend to everyone. I love reading books that make me think of how I can do things differently in the future to make my life easier. Let me share one piece of advice from the book with you that hopefully will make you think as well: “Dreaming is not enough. You have to go a step further and use your imagination to visualize, with intent! Forget everything you’ve been taught and believe it will happen, just as you imagined it.”

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EDITOR IN CHIEF Gorazd Čad ASSISTANT EDITOR Sara Tiefengraber DESIGN Barbara Dimec DTP AND PREPRESS Barbara Dimec PHOTO CREDIT archive of Kongres Magazine and partners’ destinations The Kongres Magazine is entered into the media register under sequence number 1423. MAGAZINE ISSUED IN January, March, May, June, July, September, November, December ISSN NUMBER 1855-8615 PUBLISHER AND PRODUCTION Poslovni turizem Gorazd Čad s.p., Kamnica 6B, SI-1262 Dol pri Ljubljani T: +385 (0)1 430 51 03 E: gorazd.cad@go-mice.eu MARKETING Toleranca Marketing d.o.o., Štihova 4, SI-1000 Ljubljana T: +385 (0)1 430 51 03 E: gorazd.cad@toleranca.eu ISSUE DATE August 2020 For the content production it is required to get the written editorial consignment.

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