KONGRES MAGAZINE - CONVENTA DAILY 2 by Jan Klavora

2 EXPLORING JEWELS OF SOUTH EAST EUROPE

ROCK OUT LIKE A VIP AT CONVENTA AFTER PARTY

DIARY OF HOSTED BUYER

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS IN 2014

6 TH SOUTH EAST EUROPEAN EXHIBITION FOR MEETINGS, EVENTS & INCENTIVE TRAVEL

23. 01. 2014

THE SIXTH CONVENTA IS BREAKING NEW RECORDS Meetings industry is ranked among the key products of Slovenian tourism Karmen Novarlič, Msc, Tourism Division, SPIRIT Slovenia adds: “Slovenian tourism boasts a number of excellent business events, characterized by professional execution and satisfaction of domestic and foreign business partners. Conventa ranks at the very top of these events and this year with more than 200 international hosted buyers from 25 countries proves once again that events carried out with quality each year attract the most important players from business and congress tourism in the region and beyond. Congress as a product with high added value and multiplicative effects is ranked among the key products of Slovenian tourism, so we are glad about the optimistic forecast of a positive global trend in business meetings and congresses for the year 2014. Positive is also the fact that the organizers of congresses and business meetings are increasingly looking for new destinations,

often with accompanying “outdoor events” where Slovenia can offer attractive tourism products with a good ratio between price and quality of the product offered.” Marko Delbello Ocepek

What do you think about Conventa? It is the first and the best exhibition in South East Europe for MICE. Very nice organisation, excellent exhibitors, and nice place. I will come again next year.

CONVENTA 2015 Don’t miss the leading business-tobusiness event for NEW EUROPE! See you in Ljubljana, at Conventa, from 21 to 22 January 2015.

WWW.CONVENTA.INFO

Pablo Moreno, Director General of Spain Events.

CONVENTA SPECIAL

FAM TRIPS 2014 (EXPLORING JEWELS OF SOUTH EAST EUROPE)

outh East Europe is still relatively undiscovered, despite the fact that it consist of 10 countries and lies in the very heart of the continent. That’s why Conventa organizes exciting fam trips to interesting places that offer you a firsthand experience. Our first, pre- fam trip was Ljubljana on 20 and 21 January. Ljubljana Tourism / Convention Bureau has once again prepared a special pre-Conventa familiarisation programme. Hosted buyers embarked on a 24-hour journey in order to get a feel of the Slovenian capital city. This cosy and vibrant city offers very good value for money when it comes to meetings & incentive products, with an array of downtown venues all within walking distance. We hope to see you exploring Slovenia, Croatia, Italy and Austria at one of the following fam trips:

Bled (23rd – 24th January) Bled is popular tourist destination in north west Slovenia. Beautiful nature provides a fantastic backdrop that enthuses and inspires participants. The lake, island and castle are a truly unforgettable sight, with countless other natural and cultural attractions to stun visitors merely a short drive away. A meeting in Bled will remain in the memory of attendees forever. It is compact, with all its facilities and sights being within walking distance. Meetings at Lake Bled – Inspiration in all seasons!

Zagreb (23rd – 25th January) Zagreb is the capital of the Republic of Croatia, it is one of Europe’s oldest cities and since July 2013 the new metropolis in the European Union. It is the scientific, economic, and cultural center of the country hosting numerous major cultural and sports events, business meetings and international events all year round. Conveniently located on the intersection of several important routes between the Adriatic coast and Central Europe, Zagreb has always represented a unique blend of different worlds and cultures. It has excellent air and road connections with other destinations in the region and beyond. Zagreb boosts energy, motivates and brings out the best in every event and its participants.

CARINTHIA (23rd – 25th January) Carinthia is Austria’s southernmost province that presents itself to its guests with sincerity, a Mediterranean charm, genuine hospitality and a zest for life which is infectious and determines the quality of life and holidays. The many crystal-clear lakes provide refreshment and make Carinthia a lake district but it is also a region of mountains with marvellous sceneries that are perfect for hiking and skiing. Carinthia’s refreshing paradise of nature offers varied and exciting activities at any time of the year. So why not organize your event, meeting or incentive in Carinthia? Once arrived, you will suddenly notice that work and enjoyment go hand in hand. From congress centres, conference hotels and locations to event agencies and transfer partners – experienced partners stand for top quality, customised service and genuine hospitality.

TRIESTE (23 – 25 January) rd

In Friuli Venezia Giulia each event becomes an unforgettable experience. The design and the modernity of the conference centres, combined with the charm of castles and ancient dwellings, provide a wide range of amazing opportunities. Friuli Venezia Giulia is an unspoilt territory - rich in charming locations and ideal for visitors looking for unique emotions - which provides every single event with a touch of originality that will ensure its success. Trieste, a cosmopolitan and multiethnic

city with its Habsburg charm, seems to embrace the sea, or rather, to welcome the sea into the heart of the city.

PORTOROSE (23rd – 25th January) The colour of the sun and the sea, the wind and salt strokes the picturesque Mediterranean towns on the Adriatic coast where every one of the 47km offers a new surprise. The coastal town with the longest tradition of tourism is Portorož. The city got its name from the beautiful surrounding nature as its name means Port of Roses. Portorož combines history and modern beat and is a popular centre for conferences and meetings, with several conference halls capable of holding up to 1,100 guests. The town has also casinos, a modern marina and natural health resorts. Portorož is closely connected with the most charming of the medieval towns on the Slovenian coast Piran.

OPATIJA (23rd – 25th January) Opatija, a cradle of modern tourism in Croatia, is a Mediterranean oasis in the very heart of the Europe. Easy reachable by all means of transportation, Opatija offers glittering, classically designed halls, congress centres, picturesque parks and a spacious open-air theatre... Opatija is like a large stage set of hotels located close to the sea and the main street, only a few minutes pleasing stroll from each other. Its meeting facilities include 10 hotels with 50 halls that can host up to 800 participants. Opatija is convention destination with history.

CONVENTA DAILY Editor-in-Chief: Gorazd Čad Design: Premedia, Andrej Juvan Printing: Demat d.o.o. Circulation: 400 copies Publisher, Production and Marketing: Toleranca marketing d.o.o. Štihova ulica 4, SI- Ljubljana T:+386 (0)1 430 51 03, F:+386 (0)1 430 51 04

www.conventa.info Issue date: January 2014-01-23 Daily is free of charge for all participants of Coventa

Conventa publications are printed on Xerox recycled paper, using environmentally friendly multifunctional printer Xerox ColorQube with revolutionary solid ink colours Solidink. Conventa publications thus reduce the adverse effect of waste on the environment by 90%, while cutting down on costs by 62%. As a sign of respect to the environment, we encourage you to recycle … and consider the ways in which it can be reused.

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EVENTS REPORT

Marko Delbello Ocepek

CONVENTA NETWORKING DINNER WITH THE TASTE OF EX- YUGOSLAVIA

Rock out like a VIP at Conventa After party T his year at the Five-star After Party, which followed the Conventa networking dinner, we focused especially on partying and having fun. With the band Rock Partyzani we relived rock & ex-Yugoslavian beats and thoroughly rocked the dance floor. It was a night to remember!

CONVENTA AMBASADORS

Conventa Ambasadors

Conventa Hall of fame

TIMO HEINARO HAS RECEIVED THE CONGRESS AMBASSADOR OF CONVENTA AWARD

THIS YEAR’S AWARD AND ENTRY INTO THE CONVENTA HALL OF FAME GOES TO ANDREA LEITNER

onventa Academy is for the first time granting an AMBASSADOR OF CONVENTA recognition, dedicated to our longstanding partner and the greatest ambassador of the trade show Rok Klančnik, who is sadly no longer with us. Rok Klančnik (1966 - 2013) was a respected friend of Conventa who since the beginning took care of the promotion of the trade show as Head of the Slovenian Tourist Board representation in Brussels. By his own example he was the greatest ambassador of the Conventa congress trade show. At yesterday evening’s Conventa reception the President of the SCB Tomaž Krušič granted this recognition to the first international ambassador. It was received by Timo Heinaro from the Finnish Agency Fincentive, which has shown an overwhelming support for the promotion and positioning of the trade show.

CONVENTA AMBASSADOR: Timo HEINARO

Andrea Leitner plays a leading role in the recognisable sectors of the international meetings market and highly marketing-oriented conference destination of Carinthia (Kärnten Conventionland). For several years, she has been an active co-creator in the vision of the Conventa congress trade show. With great courage and innovation she has been leading on marketing activities that extend beyond borders. Carinthia is also, thanks to her, today an important business partner of the trade show, which is represented by a comprehensive range of providers. In addition, it is also thanks to Andre Leitner that regional co-operation has started, which only a few years ago could not be imagined. By her example and motivation Andrea encourages her destination and is strengthening regional co-operation, thus we are conferring upon her the special recognition of the Conventa Academy.

Timo has for many years by personal example demonstrated that the meetings industry connects nations and regions. He is distinguished by a remarkable sense of detail and spirit of the time, which ranks his incentive agency among the leading ones in Finland. Timo’s dedication to the meetings industry derives both from the excellent knowledge of the destination as well as from the belief that with better teamwork we can create a higherquality society. Timo was among the first to recognise the great potential of the region and with its partners carried out a number of projects that improve the motivation of employees and are at the same time making them the best congress ambassadors. As a result of his positivity and proactivity we are awarding him Ambassador of Conventa for 2013.

n the final night’s Conventa Networking Dinner, Conventa Academy has traditionally awarded a CONVENTA HALL OF FAME top prize. This year, for the long-standing support to the project of Conventa, Andrea Leitner, director of Conventionland of Kärnten, took receipt of the prize. The award was received directly from the hands of last year’s award recipient, Barbara Vajda. Below you can read details of the prize.

CONVENTA HALL OF FAME: Andrea LEITNER, Conventionland Karnten

Marko Delbello Ocepek

EVENTS REPORT 2

CONVENTA NEWS

CONVENTION BUREAU LATEST NEWS

ccording to the latest Eurostat data, Europe will pass through the recession and is on the path of slow recovery in 2014. At the beginning of the year we would like to measure the temperature and expectations among the various convention bureaus of the region participating at the trade show Conventa.

to focus on future years, with the aim to even increase the number of international congresses and events in a competitive wider region that still has a good potential to attract new business.

TATJANA RADOVIČ,

Visit Ljubljana/Convention Bureau What are expectations for 2014 at your convention destination? 2014 promises to be a very positive year with regards to association congresses in Ljubljana. Based on our research, in the current data we have recorded twenty nine events lasting at least two days and with at least 100 delegates, of which 2/3 are from abroad. Out of this number, nine congresses will attract more than 500 delegates; among them, two have an expected attendance between 1,000 and 1,500 delegates. The congress calendar is dynamic, therefore these figures will be further updated. A positive trend is also visible in the corporate events segment, notably with new markets opening. We are also aware that in 2014 we have 6

What areas and development priorities are you paying the most attention to? The strengthening of the partnership among key suppliers in the destination is an important factor contributing to its success in the future. Maximizing the synergies is an ongoing project that is essential for our long-term development as a convention destination and its positioning on the international market. Talking tech, the initial development of a mobile app platform for the congress destination Ljubljana, following the successful model of the Ljubljana & Central Slovenia mobile app, with a launch after 2014. Among the challenges for this year we could highlight the set-up of the congress ambassador programme. The tourism and meetings industry in general would also benefit from an intensified air access to Slovenia. Your main competitive advantage? Where are you better than the competition? Ljubljana as a destination has a very diversified meetings proposition, especially if considering it is a city of 280,000 residents. Two well-run congress centres with plenary capacities for 2,000 delegates and a functional layout are at a walking distance from a good share of the hotels, as well as from the attractive Old Town quarter. This makes Ljubljana a logistically easy-to-manage destination. A number of hotels with meeting facilities (the largest

among them offers 800 seats in plenary) are in the city centre, and the same goes for an array of special event venues. The professionalism of the entire supply chain, or the human potential as such, is often underlined as an asset. The general value for money in the destination is also often stated as a positive surprise by foreign meeting planners. Each destination in our wider region has its pluses and minuses, and we could even say that an ideal congress city could be created by blending individual elements of some cities into one. I am sure that all of us are investing a constant effort to support the development of the meeting industry in our respective destinations within the available resources, adding an innovative and consistent approach to the destination marketing. We are also asking you for optional answer to the question: How important is the participation at the congress trade show Conventa for your destination? The Conventa Show, that the City of Ljubljana and Ljubljana Tourism have been cooperating in as strategic partners from the very beginning , is an excellent marketing platform for Slovenia, its capital as well as the wider region. Conventa is recognized as one of the major marketing projects for the destination and it is in our interest to support its further development and continue to be its host city.

CONVENTA TOP

HOSTED BUYER DIARY

KAROL CHOLIŃSKI, Specialist for tourism, Delta Tour WHO? My name is Karol Choliński. Since 2009 I work in travel agency Delta Tour in Warsaw, Poland. To my tasks belong: searching and booking the most suitable hotels for our clients, organizing local transport, preparing incentive programs and general coordination of all services. Occasionally I travel abroad with groups as pilot and interpreter. Beside Polish I speak English, German and Spanish which is very helpful and convenient in my job. WHERE? Prague, the capital of Czech Republic, is without any doubt one of the most charming places of Europe. It is known also as “Golden Prague”, “The city of one hundred towers”, “Golden ship on Vltava”, “Mother of cities” or “Heart of Europe”. No matter how sophisticated nickname you will use. Nothing can truly express Prague’s charm and beauty. You must simply take a look on the city and taste it, walk through its narrow streets, admire the comprehensive composition of roman, gothic, renaissance, baroque and classicistic architecture and finally take a rest in an old restaurant with a glass of beer brewed in a local brewery and try delicious specialties of Czech cuisine. Even though you will follow these clues, please do not expect that you will be able to discover all the mysteries of Prague… but you can always try. It is definitely worth! In the heart of the historical center of the Czech capital is located the Charles Bridge Palace Hotel. It is a 4-star-delluxe facility operated by the family Pinelli. The hotel has 77 rooms and suites (from 20 to 100 sqm) with parquet wooden floor which lets you enjoy a sense of elegant style and individual design. There are 55 Individually Designed Rooms, 17 Spacious Junior Suites, each with unique details and 5 Royal Apartments. Among room facilities are: free Wi-Fi Internet, air conditioning, mini-bar, safety deposit box, flat screen satellite TV, telephone, shower or bath, hairdryer, cosmetics, ironing facilities. Moreover, many rooms have view on the Vltava River and Prague Castle. The hotel has also meeting capabilities – you can arrange here a meeting for up to 80 pax in theater-style layout. At your disposal is modern equipment and interpreters, if they are requested. Another advantage of the hotel’s location is that within 25 minutes you can reach the Václav Havel Airport Prague. WHY? In the past Prague used to be very popular among Poles as an urban destination, especially for those who due to political reasons could not travel behind so called “iron curtain”. Now we can enjoy traveling without any obstacles but Prague is, as I already wrote, worth to visit. That’s why we have decided to organize here a city break for a group of approximately 30 pax – employees of one of the leading European insurance companies. It took place between 5th and 7th of September 2013. They wanted to spend 3 days abroad so we had to choose a destination not far away from Poland. Prague was quite obvious decision. As we believe that one taste is one of the most important senses, we invited our clients to the most famous and the oldest restaurant-brewery in the city – “U Fleků” – and let them try its specialties. We are quite sure that many members of our group will return to Prague to listen how beats “the restless heart of Central Europe.”

HOSTED BUYER DIARY

ELENA FEDOROVA, Head of International Department, IBC Corporate Travel WHO? Novartis Pharma WHERE? Each year ERS Annual Congress taking place in different countries. ERS Annual Congress 2013 took a place in Barcelona, Spain in one of four biggest Congress Centre of Barcelona - FIRA Barcelona Convention Centre de Gran Via. WHY? Each year pharmasiutical companies, clinics and hospitals organizing trips for Doctors to participate in ERS Congress. In 2013 we helped to organize a group trip for 50 Doctors who wanted to participate in ERS 2013. Our support included: visa support, all logistic for Doctors from home door to Congress and back, accommodations in Barcelona and Food&Beverages in Barcelona. Also i accompanied the Group in Barcelona to help Doctors with all additional questions.

Whales On Waves Whales On Waves creates sparkling mobile ideas. For the meeting industry we have created a new interactive tool: iConference. iConference is a conferencing tool that gives your audience the opportunity to actively participate in your meeting. It includes all the tools you need for an interactive meeting!iConference includes a voting tool but has also a twitter function and provides the possibility to ask questions during the meeting. But most of all: it has a function to follow the speaker’s slides on your own device. With an optional audio-stream and possibility to follow and participate in the meeting from home, iConference offers a full package to make your meetings more attractive and high-tech. www.whalesonwaves.com

Marko Delbello Ocepek

CONVENTA NEWS

LJUBLJANA UPDATE LJUBLJANA AIRPORT MARKS 50th ANNIVERSARY

It is 50 years, to the day, since the first plane touched down at Ljubljana airport. The airport has served more than 935,000 planes carrying over 35.3 million passengers since. Passenger numbers have been increasing steadily throughout this time, while the airport has seen both ups and downs. Heralded as Slovenia’s new window to the world, the new airport at Brnik welcomed the first aircraft on the Christmas Eve of 1963 as the DC-6B of Adria Aviopromet, the precursor of the Slovenian flag carrier, touched down in the morning.Scheduled flights were launched on 9 January the next year. Flights to Belgrade, Dubrovnik and London were operated by the Yugoslav air carrier JAT, while Adria flew to Belgrade and the Algerian capital of Algiers. The airport welcomed more than 78,000 passengers in its first year, and turnout has been on the increase since except for brief negative spells. “Drawing a line since the foundation, the airport’s traffic has been increasing at an average six percent a year,” Zmago Skobir, CEO of operator Aerodrom Ljubljana, says. The airport, called the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport today, has also seen some difficult times. It has been impacted by the Gulf War, the oil crisis, the SARS scare in 2003 and the 9/11 2001 terrorist attack on the US. But the airport was hit hardest as Slovenia broke away from Yugoslavia in 1991.While passenger traffic neared 900,000 in 1987, it collapsed to less than 350,000 after Slovenia declared independence. It took 13 years for the passenger numbers to come close to 900,000 again in 1999. The one million mark was surpassed in 2004 and the figure peaked at almost 1.7m in 2008 when Slovenia held the rotating presidency of the EU.Since the crisis kicked in in 2009, traffic slowed down again to below 1.2m passengers in 2012. However, the airport saw a new turnaround this year as intensive efforts in the past two years to attract new carriers bore fruit and owing to a recovery at flag carrier Adria Airways. “Ever since its beginnings, the airport has been healthy and has not witnessed financial difficulties since 1997. It has been developing moderately to enable traffic to grow,” Skobir has told the STA, confident that the airport would continue to grow. 8

Ljubljana airport awaits a new milestone as it has been slated for privatisation and expects to get a new owner next year. “Our wish is for the owner to be a strong company that has the skills and leverage to expand and develop the airport,” Skobir says.

STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS TO DEBUT IN SLOVENIA WITH THE NEW FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON LJUBLJANA MONS

New Hotel Marks Starwood Entry into Slovenia in 2014 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced the signing of Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons. Owned by Kranjska Investicijska Družba d.o.o., the hotel will mark the entry of Starwood into Slovenia when it opens in 2014. Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons will be located just 10 minutes from the centre of Slovenia’s capital city Ljubljana and 15 minutes from the international airport. This deal underscores Starwood’s strategic expansion plans to open more than 50 hotels across Europe over the next five years.

Starwood’s Four Points by Sheraton brand’s ‘best for business’ approach provides travellers with everything that matters the most with timeless design, uncomplicated comfort and a genuine and friendly approach to hospitality and service. “I would like to thank Kranjska Investicijska Družba for choosing the Four Points by Sheraton brand as we open our first Starwood hotel in Slovenia,” said Michael Wale, President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East. “With a steady increase in international arrivals over the last few years and its strategic location at the crossroads of main European cultural and trade routes, the time is right to enter Slovenia. Our Four Points by Sheraton brand will provide guests with a fresh, new hotel experience at an affordable price point in the country’s capital city.” “We are very excited to partner with Starwood Hotels & Resorts to introduce an internationally-known brand such as Four Points by Sheraton to the Ljubljana hospitality market,” said Jože Anderlič, Owner and Director of Kranjska Investicijska Družba. “We believe that Four Points by Sheraton is the perfect match for our property. As

CONVENTA NEWS

the first global hotel brand in Ljubljana, Starwood Hotels & Resorts will both strengthen the competitive position of our hotel in the local market and further stimulate the hotel industry in Slovenia.” Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons will feature 114 guest rooms including three junior suites, a restaurant and bar, nearly 850 square metres of meeting and event space, including a large ballroom, two meeting rooms and three boardrooms, as well as a fitness centre and parking facilities. Reflecting the brand’s promise and insight into the needs of today’s traveller, the hotel will also offer all of the brand’s defining elements, including the signature Four Points by Sheraton Four Comfort bed and free bottled water in the room, complimentary Wi-Fi in all public areas, a delicious breakfast with great coffee and refreshing local beer with Best Brews, helping guests to start and end the day right. “Growing our mid-market brands in key European markets is core to our development strategy,” said Bart Carnahan, Senior Vice President Acquisitions & Development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa & Middle East. “Four Points by Sheraton has one of the strongest pipelines in the Starwood brand portfolio and continues

to be an increasingly attractive choice for owners and developers.” The Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons is a conversion of an existing hotel. It will be added to the Four Points by Sheraton portfolio following a renovation and re-branding process and is part of Starwood’s strategic development plan to convert hotels throughout key locations across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

AIR SERBIA LAUNCHES DAILY BELGRADE-LJUBLJANA ROUTE

Serbian flag carrier Air Serbia launched a new daily route between Serbia’s Belgrade and Ljubljana. As a strategic partner of Etihad Airways from United Arab Emirates, the airline will offer a link to the east and is to contribute greatly to the planned passenger number growth at the Ljubljana airport. CEO of airport operator Aerodrom Ljubljana Zmago Skobir pointed out at today’s maiden flight that Ljubljana’s Jože Pučnik Airport was importantly strengthening the connection to Belgrade and increasing the choosing of European air traffic hubs for passengers.He believes the route will attract numerous Slovenians and travel-

Conference Highlights in 2014 2 014 promises to be a positive year for association congresses in Ljubljana. Based on Ljubljana Convention Bureau’s research, the current data shows there will be twenty nine events matching the following criteria: regional / European / international association events with a majority of foreign delegates, lasting more than one day and with at least 100 attendees. Out of this number, nine congresses will attract more than 500 delegates; among them, two have an expected attendance between 1,000 and 1,500 delegates. The congress calendar, published under http://www.visitljubljana.com/en/meetings/congress-calendar/congress_2014/, is dynamic, therefore the figures will be further updated. Last year, the two largest association events were: 5th Conference of the European Survey Research Association – ESRA (Faculty of Social Sciences, 600 delegates) and the Congress of the Paediatric Rheumatology European Society – PReS (Cankarjev dom Congress Centre Ljubljana, 1,000 delegates).

The highlights in 2014 are: the 18th Winter Meeting of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons ESCRS (Cankarjev dom Congress Centre Ljubljana, (1,000 delegates), World Psychiatric Association – WPA Regional Meeting 2014 (Cankarjev dom Congress Centre Ljubljana, 800 – 1,000 delegates), 40 th World Scout Conference - WOSM (GR - Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre, 1,500 delegates), 14th Congress of the European Association of Agricultural Economists - EAAE (GR Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre, 800 delegates), 14th International Congress of the European Association for Japanese Studies - EAJS (Cankarjev dom Congress Centre Ljubljana / University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts, 700 delegates), The Travel Convention 2014 / ABTA - Association of British Travel Agents (GR - Ljubljana Exhibiton and Convention Centre, 500 - 600 delegates) and 11th FIAPAC Conference / International Federation of Professional Abortion and Contraception

lers from beyond Slovenia’s borders.Skobir is happy that despite the difficult economic situation airliners recognised the potential in Slovenia and were expanding their network to offer flights from the Ljubljana airport at competitive prices.Air Serbia director general Dane Kondić said Ljubljana was an attractive and popular destination for Serbian tourists, so the daily route offered important opportunities for tourism in both countries, while also serving well for business travellers.The Serbian flag carrier further underlined the high interest in the route both among people visiting Slovenia or Serbia and among passengers that will only be passing through.Air Serbia was established in October as the successor to Jat Aiways, in which Etihad Airways bought a 49% share earlier this year. It provides direct flights to 29 European and Mediterranean destinations from Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Airport, while also offering overseas flights to destinations in the Americas, in Australia and Asia as part of its partnership agreements.The airline will use an ATR72 twin-engine turboprop plane for the flights between Ljubljana and Belgrade and Airbus A319 planes for routes continuing from Belgrade. By 2018, the airline’s fleet is to be replaced with a newly ordered set of ten new Airbus A320neo worth US$1m.

Associates, (Cankarjev dom Congress Centre Ljubljana, 600 delegates). A positive trend is also reported in the corporate events segment, notably with new (overseas) markets with a strong potential that are opening up. www.visitljubljana.com/meetings

CONVENTA NEWS

A NEW TOURISM DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR LJUBLJANA 2014 – 2020 AND STATISTICS

ast year, one of the most important projects for Ljubljana Tourism has been the preparation of a new Tourism Development Strategy for the destination, covering the 2014 – 2020 period. The previous strategy 2007 – 2013, which defined four main pillars of the tourism offer, has brought very positive results in the product development and its diversification, as well as investments into the infrastructure. Practically all the goals have been reached and this is why the new strategy has to provide guidelines for implementing innovative tools aimed at upgrading the destination’s tourism proposition and

maintaining the positive growth rate from the last decade. The first part of the new strategy focused on the analytical data Ljubljana. The results have been also compiled in the publication Tourism in Numbers 20022012, which gives an insight into the development of tourism in Ljubljana over a ten-year period. The second, strategic part of the document, has been shaped in cooperation with the Faculty of Tourism Studies – Turistica (University of Primorska) as an interdisciplinary project involving, during the process, rep-

resentatives from all the tourism industry segments, as well as important stakeholders in the field of culture, urban planning, traffic infrastructure, civil society, etc. The strategy will by the end of January be passed through the City Council of the Municipality of Ljubljana and thus become an official strategic document. 2013 was another very successful year for tourism in Ljubljana in all respects, which is also reflected in figures. The “internal” statistics compiled by Ljubljana Tourism comprise the majority of hotels and a few other accommodations, therefore the official data, to be released by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia in March 2014, will round up this preliminary analysis. According to the first estimates, the number of arrivals to Ljubljana was 497,553, which is 9 percent more than in 2012. The number of overnight stays was 954,351, which is 11 percent more than in 2012 (851,386). We anticipate and hope that 2014 will be the year when Ljubljana will cross the threshold of one million overnights. www.visitljubljana.com/en/ journalists/statistical-data/

2014 WILL MARK THE 2000TH ANNIVERSARY OF EMONA

t was in 14 AD or perhaps a year later that the construction of the Roman colony of Emona on the site of the presentday Ljubljana was completed with the help of a large donation from the Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius. 2,000 years later, in 2014, Ljubljana will mark the anniversary of the foundation of Emona with a vibrant programme of events: from exhibitions held at the City Museum of Ljubljana, Ljubljana Castle, National Museum of Slovenia, and the Jakopič Gallery as well as open air exhibitions, to theatre and music performances, living history, carnival and other events allowing visitors to experience the Roman Ljubljana first-hand, among other things through pampering their palate with authentic Roman dishes served by some of Ljubljana’s restaurants. “Ave, Emona!” as the Main Event The main event to take place in the year of the 2000th anniversary of the foundation of Emona has been titled ‘Ave, Emona!’ and scheduled to take place from 22 to 24 August 2014. Over the three event days,

the centrally located Kongresni trg square and Zvezda Park will host a large number of events and workshops. Costumed members of history societies from Slovenia and abroad will make sure to recreate the atmosphere of Roman times. You can expect to see Roman legionaries, who will put up a military tent and demonstrate their skills. There will be a Roman market, a taberna, and a programme of workshops on Roman religion, fortunetelling, hairdressing, fine art, pottery, etc. Costumed actors will re-enact a slave sale, the arrival of the Romans and the inauguration of Emona, a Roman legal dispute, an ancient battle, gladiator fights, and a Roman engagement and wedding. Roman dances will be performed. The main event day will be on Saturday 23 August. Emona 2000: A City within an Empire, Special Exhibitions City Museum of Ljubljana, 23 May 2014 – 10 May 2015 The Roman colony of Emona was the first city ever to be built on the site of the present Ljubljana. Like a precisely tuned

machine connected to other similar machines, it helped drive the machinery of the empire. Adhering to a universal shape, architecture, lifestyle, legal regulation, and system of values, it raised its residents to be loyal Roman citizens. Its rituals and rules of operation contributed to the strength of the empires’ ideological and cultural identity. 2000 Years of Emona 1 July 2014 – 1 September 2014: An open-air photographic exhibition on the Jakopič Promenade in Tivoli Park During the summer months of 2014, an exhibition dedicated to the 2000th anniversary of the foundation of Emona will be on view along the main promenade in the heart of Tivoli, Ljubljana’s largest park with a central location. In a place where the bustling city centre gives way to a peaceful green area on its western edge, visitors will be able to experience the spirit of the past merging with the present. www.visitljubljana.com

CONVENTA GOING GREEN

HOW SUSTAINABLE ARE YOU?

s we mentioned in yesterday’s Daily, Conventa’s Sustainability programme highlights 15 sustainable practices imple mented at the Conventa show. We still invite participants to follow these actions. If you carry out at least three sustainable initiatives, you will enter our competition for a chance to win sustainable experiences in the region of South East Europe.

In yesterday’s Daily we disclosed 5 of sustainable guidelines, the rest of them are here.

During your visit of Conventa, take the energy-saving option of not having sheets and towels changed every day. In this manner you can contribute to saving laundry energy and water. And do not forget to turn off the lights, air conditioning and television when you leave your room.

Take advantage of the Conventa mobile page and help us continue to reduce paper usage at the trade show. All relevant information, presentations and trade show materials are available electronically for download.

As a young meeting industry region we are in the course of training- expanding our knowledge and gaining experiences in sustainable event management. If you have any advice on how to make further steps in organising sustainable meetings, we would love to hear it.

Familiarize yourself with sustainable management of the Conventa trade show. For more information visit the Conventa website www.conventa.info.

Marko Delbello Ocepek

Help use reduce paper use and browse the Conventa floor plan on the interactive touch-screen boards. The interactive digital boards allow you to access the list of exhibitors and check out the floor plan without the use of paper.

CONVENTA TOP

NEW HOTEL OPENINGS IN 2013

he editorial board of Kongres magazine has prepared an overview of the newly opened hotels in the wider region of which our partners have been diligently informing us throughout the year. The most vivid has been in Vienna, but some novelties as well happened in the region of South-East Europe, mainly in Serbia and in Belgrade.

January 2013

May 2013

July 2013

FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON KECSKEMET, Kecskemet, Hungary Hotel in the heart of the industrial city between Budapest and Szeged. A special feature is a large conference centre with banquet hall. 130 rooms are equipped in a typical style of this hotel chain. May 2013

SANS SOUCI, Vienna, Austria Lifestyle hotel is located in Viennaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s artistic quarter of Spittelberg. 63 luxurious rooms and own collection of art-work places it in the top hotel offer of Vienna. March 2013

PALAIS HANSEN KEMPINSKI, Vienna, Austria Five-star hotel is located in the building, which was built for the purpose of the World Exhibition in Vienna in 1873. It is located next to the famous Ringstrasse in the heart of the city. The hotel has 152 rooms and a small conference centre. March 2013

HOTEL PUNTIJAR, Zagreb, Croatia New boutique hotel in Zagreb has 31 rooms and three suites and is based on 175 years of tradition of hospitality and tourism of the family Puntijar. Particularly impresses antique furniture and rich features of the hotel. July 2013

HOTEL & CASA VALAMAR SANFIOR, Rabac, Croatia With a complete renovation of Lanterna apartments Rabac has gained a brand new hotel, which is suitable for the more active incentive programmes. The hotel has 242 rooms, together with the neighbouring hotels there is enough space even for larger incentive groups. June 2013

HOTEL AUREL, Podgorica, Montenegro Located in the new business zone of Podgorica, close to the old city centre, the hotel in complemented by a smaller conference centre. September 2013

HAMPTON BY HILTON, Cluj-Napoca, Romania The hotel is two minutes away from the city centre and comprises 109 hotel rooms and a small conference centre. June 2013

FALKENSTEINER BELGRADE, Belgrade, Serbia Four-star hotel is located in the centre of Belgradeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business and commercial districts. The hotel has 140 modern furnished rooms and suites and 6 multifunctional congress halls with a total area of 700 m2.

ZLATIBOR HOTEL MONA, Zlatibor, Serbia A new block was opened at the hotel Mona, comprising an additional 120 rooms. In addition to comfortable rooms it also has a convention centre for a maximum of 500 people.

HOTEL WIEN MARGARETEN FALKENSTEINER, Vienna, Austria Four-star superior hotel in quarter Gratzl includes 177 rooms, 18 suites and 4 multifunctional conference halls. It is an interesting architectural solution and a combination of Biedermeier style and minimalism, which is on the inside spiced by a famous architect Matteo Thun.

CONVENTA TOP

September 2013

BOUTIQUE HOTEL BEVANDA, Opatija, Croatia On one of the most attractive locations in Opatija was created a minimalist boutique hotel that complements one of the best Croatian restaurants. The hotel is at the same time one of the best locations for receptions in Opatija.

October 2013

HOTEL GRAND, Niš, Serbia Comprises 120 luxury rooms, two conference halls and is located in the city centre. This is currently the best hotel and convention space in Niš. December 2013

September 2013

HOTEL NOX, Ljubljana, Slovenia Another new boutique hotel in Ljubljana, which is internally fully equipped with furniture of Slovenian designers. Each of the 24 rooms is different in design. Popular corner is a small conference room for 60 participants.

ME VIENNA BY MELIA, Vienna, Austria Hotel in the highest Austrian building DC Tower 1 The hotel comprises 15 floors of the skyscraper, which is famous for its green design and has 255 rooms designed in the typical style of the Melia group. The congress centre extends over 1.000 square metres.

December 2013

CROWNE PLAZA BELGRADE, Belgrade, Serbia Completely renovated former Hotel Continental received its first guests at the end of the year. In conjunction with the conference halls of the Sava Centre, and given the large number of rooms (416) and 12 fully renovated function rooms it represents a large conference acquisition of the Serbian capital.

Attention Hosted Buyers!

ll Hosted Buyers, who will give their business card at registration, will be automatically placed in the draw. For today’s draw, prizes were contributed by Steiermark Convention, Best Western Central Europe and Vivo Catering.

Some announced interesting openings and some planned renovations in 2014 and 2015 •O ld Mill Radisson Blu Hotel, Belgrade, Serbia, 2014 •P ark Hyatt Vienna, Austria, 2014 • Park Plaza Belvedere Medulin, Croatia, 2014 •A man Resort of Cavtat, Cavtat, Croatia, 2014 •H otel Dubrovnik Riviera, Dubrovnik, Croatia, 2014 •V alamar hotel in Zagreb Poreč, Croatia , 2014 •V alamar Argosy Hotel Dubrovnik, Croatia , 2014 •V alamar Dubrovnik President Hotel, Croatia , 2014 •H otel Bellevue Mali Lošinj, Croatia, 2014 •F our Points by Sheraton Mons Ljubljana, Ljubljana, 2014 •H ilton Skopje, Skopje, Macedonia, 2014 • Four Seasons Vienna, Austria, 2015 •H otel Im Palais Schwarzenberg, Vienna, Austria 2015 •V alamar Isabella Island Resort SEVT Nikola, Poreč, Croatia 2015

TOP 10

TOP SMALL REGIONAL AND LOCAL MEETINGS DESTINATI1. DUBROVNIK | PEARL OF THE ADRIATIC | population: 42,615 | Croatia | 4,61 Dubrovnik is a city growing and developing, a large part of this due to the meetings industry. It will be a big part of the industry future for the entire region, primarily as the most successful Croatian and regional brand on the global meetings market. Without any exaggeration it can be claimed that the destination brand of the entire region will hang on Dubrovnik. This world destination is once again attracting well-known names and world class events. It is the strongest meetings industry brand of the region, one that does not disappoint or leave one feeling indifferent. Dubrovnik ignites love at first sight. It is the flagship of regional tourism and is the first association of meetings organisers we meet daily. However, it has still not reached its full potential, despite being closest in the region to the renowned Mediterranean convention destinations of Cannes and Monte Carlo. It has the greatest potential in the area of corporate and other incentives and after the completion of the convention centre also in the area of international association conventions. 2. BLED | THE IMAGE OF HEAVEN | population: 5,205 | Slovenia | 3,93 Bled is definitely among the leading Slovenian meetings destinations. Its tidiness, the wonderful nature and complete infrastructure are ideal bases for development. As a recognisable brand Bled stands out among other meetings destinations in the region. It most closely resembles Dubrovnik, which has caught up with its pre-war congress tempo by taking all the right steps. The overall personal experience in Bled is a positive one, despite the feeling of a low-season sleepiness. The ratio of price to quality is by and large good, yet the low competitiveness level of the destination is influenced by the disconnectedness of both its offer and marketing. As a result the current perception of quality is lower than that of the largest competitors. In Bled the saying ‘Less is more’ is very true. The potential for the meetings industry is immense - it just needs to be harnessed in the right way. Its advantages were traditionally built on congresses and conferences of international associations, which can once again fuel its development. It just needs to adapt to change more quickly. 3. OPATIJA | VINTAGE MEETINGS | population: 11,659 | Croatia | 3,94 An elegant ‘tourist lady’ on which the years are showing and at times appears a bit tired, but is still very charming. It will need a facelift as soon as possible and a vitamin treatment to be able to fully compete with the competitors on the Croatian Adriatic, and above all to fight for its congress place in the battle with Dubrovnik. 170 years of tourism tradition has been built on the positive energy of the riviera and the exceptional natural conditions. This is a great platform for the revival of Opatija congress tourism, which has recently relaxed slightly in comparison with the hyperactive Croatian Adriatic competitors. The city already boasts a complete infrastructure, but it is hampered mostly by an unfavourable image and somewhat slow adjustment to the new market conditions. A change of the structure of hotels is also necessary, as ‘cosmopolitan’ Opatija today only boasts three hotels in the 5-star category, whilst in Dubrovnik there are now 14. 4. KLAGENFURT | CONVENTIONLAND | population: 94,796 | Austria | 3,92 Klagenfurt, as centre of Carinthia with its tidiness, safety and sound ratio of price to quality, is one of the best convention destinations in the wider region. The personal experience is pleasant and the image of the destination positively affects the result of a congress or an event. Klagenfurt is a likable and pleasant alpine congress destination that in many respects is reminiscent of the Gorenjska region in Slovenia. Not surprisingly, co-operation between the regions has been developing lately, however some competitiveness in the field of the meetings industry can also be sensed. It is interesting that the closeness to the border represents an advantage/opportunity for the majority of meetings industry suppliers. A key advantage of Klagenfurt is definitely the fairytale like well-maintained and pleasant environment, as well as the quality offer and the professionalism of suppliers. In this respect Carinthia and Klagenfurt are slightly ahead of other destinations in the region. Most important, though, is the touristic culture and good co-operation between suppliers that qualitatively rounds up the standard meetings offer. 5. HVAR | ROOM WITH A VIEW | population: 11,103 | Croatia | 3,90 Hvar is still a quite wild and largely uninhabited island. On the beauty of the island, reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, there is no point wasting words, since there is no shortage of various urban legends for better approval. Among other things, it used to be called the Austrian Madeira. Logistically the organisation of events on the island is certainly more complex than on the mainland. However, today, in addition to the quite degraded ferries of Jadrolinija one can use the more comfortable passenger catamaran, which can also be privatised. Despite the notoriety of the island and its profile Hvar is still sweet, genuine and full of sincere, authentic Mediterranean experiences. The island culture fascinates and conquers, even despite its more difficult access – the trip is worth it! None of the more than 1,000 Croatian islands has such karma and recognition as Hvar. Definitely a “must” Croatian destination, right behind Dubrovnik. The distance from the mainland gives it a touch of boutique smallness. 14

TOP 10

ONS 2013 6. PORTOROŽ | PORT OF ROSES | population: 2,849 | Slovenia | 3,84 Portorož is unquestionably an appropriate destination for the meetings industry, given its climate, cultural diversity and range of social and leisure options. The architectural form of Portorož was defined by Edo Mihevc and includes colourful modernist architecture enriched with Mediterranean elements. The expensive yet accurate and precise renovation of the secessionist Hotel Palace and several other historic buildings have ensured that a part of its historic glamour can still be enjoyed too. The historic laurels of the leading Adriatic congress destination are, however, slowly starting to gather dust. Portorož is still in hard competition with Dubrovnik, Opatija and new Adriatic congress destinations that are developing all the time. A rich congress history, tradition and the existing infrastructure are a competitive advantage. The meetings industry is by no means a tree to sleep under and simply harvest the fruit of wealthy congress participants. Despite that, Portorož has proven resilient and adaptable many times in the course of history, so some innovativeness and marketing opportunities should ensure it has a bright future. 7. UMAG | DOOR TO THE ADRIATIC | population: 7,769 | Croatia | 3,77 Sometimes we inadvertently overlook destinations that we recognize primarily as leisure-focussed. With what has changed in recent years in Umag and north-western Istria, it gives a whole new dimension to the destination. Umag is primarily an incentive destination, where the hospitable locals and hotel employees are very convincing. It provides security, comfort and a range of environmentally friendly outdoor activities. The integration of local suppliers is in full swing and gives the impression that the entire destination aspires toward world-class incentive, sports, culinary and experiential services. Among the competing congress destinations, even a year ago Umag would easily be overlooked, but today it is already hosting the most demanding events such as the most important Microsoft event, Windays. This proves that the destination is profiled as a congress and especially an incentive location. Added to the good functioning, a great destination management contributes a great deal, which in a cluster form has since 2010 been promoted under the brand “Colours of Istria”. 8. ZADAR | A COOL MEETINGS DESTINATION | population: 76,343 | Croatia | 4,76 Zadar is an ideal destination for organising smaller conferences and incentives for up to 100 participants. In this area it has the greatest opportunity, as meeting planners are always looking for new, attractive convention destinations. Unfortunately, Zadar is missing a convention bureau and more targeted marketing, which affects the congress image of the destination. The charming city has a thousand years of cultural heritage, the proximity of the islands, five national parks and ever improving flight connections. It’s no wonder that a number of foreign media see it as a cool convention destination. Conference organisers looking for new and different destinations will find Zadar the logical choice, as it has enormous potential of both natural and cultural conditions. Moreover, it is a cool destination with a specific urban rhythm. Currently, the main drawbacks are congress facilities that only allow smaller events as well as congress infrastructure, which is not yet built and functioning. Once everything is in place, Zadar will certainly be an important congress player. 9. ŠIBENIK | THE HEART OF DALMATIA | population: 46,332 | Croatia | 3,72 Once an industrial, military and port city, it now has a sound basis for the development of congress tourism following a period of transition. It offers a very genuine and authentic experience and a real boom. Foreign investors are coming and new tourist facilities are being built, including in the field of meeting industry, and with the appropriate positioning it promises a bright future. Šibenik very rarely raises any association with the meeting industry. In the process of transition from an industrial city into a tourist destination it has not yet asserted its image among competing cities. Despite this it is a fact that it has excellent conditions and is somehow considered to be a hidden jewel of the Croatian congress offer. For ease of accessibility it may be a suitable location for small association conferences as well as a variety of incentive programmes. 10. BUDVA | ON THE FOAMING SEA | population: 18,000 | Montenegro | 3,69 Budva is famous for its night life and it seems that its inhabitants are on vacation all the time, with the cafes full during the day and the night clubs at night: it’s a true posers’ paradise. The fame of Budva eventually overtook the reality, but nevertheless this is a city worth its name and represents a solid convention destination. Budva is one of the central incentive destinations on the Adriatic coast, with very successful marketing, despite numerous deficiencies in its poor accessibility and current capacity selection. The development plans for the ‘Monte Carlo of the Adriatic’, an openness to foreign investors and very liberal policies could position the Montenegro coast very high on the meetings industry map in the next few years, while it is already the leader in the area of incentive programs. If this “wild beauty” improves its accessibility, price competitiveness and infrastructure, it can be a worthy competitor as a meetings destination, even as one of the top destinations in the wider region of the Mediterranean. 15

WHATS HOT 2014

EXPERIENCE

Hosted buyer ‘Chefs challenge’ S pice up your Conventa experience by joining the ‘Chefs Challenge’! Cookery courses and culinary workshops are the right choice for all who want to learn about the little secrets of master chefs. Join us on Wednesday, 22 January at 4pm and Thursday, 23 January at 2 pm. A kitchen surroundings will be created

with all necessary appliances and ingredients. Selected number of participants will be divided into two groups and be assigned to one of the chefs. Teams will compete in making delicious culinary delights and be judged by the Conventa participants.

You can register for Hosted buyer ‘Chefs challenge’ at SORA Catereing stand (No 19) and Vivo catering stand (No 24). SORA Catering chefs and VIVO Catering chefs await for you!

Rock Partyzani J

Marko Delbello Ocepek

WHATS HOT 2014

BECOME AN ICON AT TRAVEL ZOOM!

Active learning, the focus of the fourth Travel Zoom conference From 13 to 14 March 2014 the Sloveagencies: Valontaire from Stockholm, Four nian city of Bled will host the already Werbeagentur from Switzerland and othfourth international conference on ers. The focus of the programme will be on creative and strategic marketing in the interactive workshops where delegates tourism, Travel Zoom. More than 20 will be able to learn how to creatively use of the “hottest” Slovenian and foreign the newest marketing tools. Travel Zoom experts coming from tourism, marketprogramme will include workshops for ing, advertising and IT will share their direct marketing, digital marketing (Lea marketing tips and recipes for success Stanković from communis DDB Serbia), in tourism. Delegates attending the content marketing (Milica Cetinić from upcoming Travel Zoom will be able to Jasno&Glasno, Croatia), advertising attend several workshops offering an (Mayer McCann Slovenia), social media active learning experience. (Damjan Planinc from interactive.agency Mediaservices d.o.o., Slovenia) and a The fourth Travel Zoom will bring new workshops teaching delegates how to trends, ideas and solutions for tourism change a unique selling proposition into and will help advance the delegates skills a unique emotional proposition (Andrej to turn them to “the icons” of tourism. The Pompe from Formitas, Slovenia). 2014 Travel Zoom stage will host Hans Petter Aalmo from Visit Norway, Joseph The educational program will be accompaFratangelo, presenting the world’s largest nied by competition. Public Agency SPIRIT travel sight Tripadvisor and Gloria Molins, Slovenia and the international conference founder and CEO Trip4Real, global comTravel Zoom are for the second year in the EXhIBITORS munity marketplace that connects travelrow inviting local, regional and national hOSTED BUYERS FROm tourism operators tourist destinations, lers seeking authentic, cOUnTRIES YEARS OFquality experiences FROm and marketing agencies to submit their with local RESULTS experts who offer unique accOUnTRIES campaigns for the Golden Zoom 2014. An tivities to do. Extraordinary tourism and international jury comprised of internadestination campaign will be presented by

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TOp TEn

REASONS TO EXHIBIT AT CONVENTA Part 2 FREE EDUCATION Conventa improves with every passing year and upgrades its education programme, which is free of charge for exhibitors.

Fact: We have brought global stars of the meetings industry to Conventa, among others Paul Bridle, Linda Pereira, Patrick Delaney, Angie Mason and many more. The average registration fee for such events is ordinarily 250 EUR. Conventa offers them to exhibitors free of charge.

tional experts will select and award the most creative, strategically sophisticated and effective tourism campaigns. The winners will be announced on 13 March 2014 at Travel Zoom award ceremony. Delegates can register for the conference on-line at www.travel-zoom.si/#registration

ALL YEAR ROUND PROMOTION OF EXHIBITORS

HIGH LEVEL SOCIALISING

Every year we are expanding our range of year-round promotional activities of the trade show, which are included free of charge into the exhibitors’ packages. The promotion is based on the constantly growing database of potential invited guests and tools such as the Meet in SEE e-catalogue, Conventa e-newspaper and the quickly growing social networks of the project.

39,816

Fact: B2B promotion is based on a rapidly expanding database that has reached 39,816 contacts with whom we regularly communicate and keep informed on the project and our partners.

cOnTAcTS

CONTENT MARKETING Conventa is well visited by professional media and their leading journalists. Many of them were so excited about the region that they became media ambassadors and friends of destinations.

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67 LEADIng pRO mEDIA

Fact: Conventa treats invited guests and exhibitors equally, which is why all of the social events are an integral part of the Conventa project and are free of charge for exhibitors, as they represent an integral part of achieving ROI

SOcIAL EVEnTS ARE

FREE OF chARgE

CARING FOR THE QUALITY OF THE TRADE SHOW

Fact: In five years Conventa has been visited by 67 leading professional media, who have brought 119 journalists to the event to spread the word of the meetings potential of the region to the whole world. In partnership co-operation media contacts annually guarantee us free publications and other forms of content marketing to a total value of 65,000 EUR.

gLOBAL STARS AT cOnVEnTA

Through various forms of socialising Conventa enables you to meet as many invited guests as possible. The social events element of the trade show includes coffee breaks, a green corner, working lunches and evening receptions. Conventa is one of a few trade shows that treats exhibitors and invited guests equally and offers this side of the networking in the package.

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A FIRST IMPRESSION COUNTS Conventa has in five years become a respected brand that

Conventa always ensures a high quality of satisfaction of exhibitors and invited guests. Through the analysis of the overall results, participant surveys and individual meetings with every exhibitor we are taking care to improve the quality each year, understanding that this will increase the loyalty of partners and enhance the reputation of the trade show. Fact: Conventa achieves outstanding results in terms of quality. The average satisfaction grade of exhibitors was in five years 4.23 from a possible 5), with the average satisfaction grade of invited guests even higher, scoring the trade show with an average grade 4.44.

SATISFAcTIOn gRADE 4.23

4.44

EXhIBITORS

InVITED gUESTS

IT SAVES YOU MONEY Investment in Conventa is equal to investment in a minimum 250 sales contacts (sales leads). In addition, Conventa is one of the few trade shows that provides exhibitors with a database of all partici-

UNIQUE INCENTIVE IDEAS:

CABLE CAR DINNER

xperience a dinner like never before the gondolas of Krvavec are converted into small, hovering restaurants! A nice change of environment, culinary specialties, comfortable ambience, fantastic views and fresh air – the local companies Krvavec Resort, Jezeršek Catering and Gostilna Krištof invite you to a gourmet dinner in the heart of the Slovenian Alps. Best time of the year: All year round Minimum/maximum number of participants: 2- 3 hours Duration: 40 - 160 Location: RTC Krvavec, Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Slovenia www.jezersek.si/en

Underground adventures in Postojna caves:

FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LUKA ČEČ

he underground adventure is the embodiment of experiencing and getting to know Postojna cave in a different way, outside of the usual tourist trails. With a touch of adrenaline and a true underground adventure is intended for closed groups and is particularly suitable for those who aim to work on mutual help, encouraging team work and getting to know their own capabilities. At the same time it makes adventure participants familiar with the compelling story of this underground world, mainly in relation to the first steps ever taken inside Postojna Cave. Best time of the year: All year round Minimum/maximum number of participants: 3-10 Duration: 2-4 hours Location: Postojna, Slovenia www.postojnska-jama.eu

Marko Delbello Ocepek

Trigger Happy One Eye Guy

e it a reportage from the world’s leading festivals, a fashion book, party beach session or a corporate photography for top automotive brands, Mr. Delbello always delivers something that will make your eyebrow twitch. “Photography is all about catching the moment that will trigger emotional response while watching it. To get this you have to establish the right

contact with the person or object you are working with.” So it’s not surprise Marko’s photography brings that little something that makes it special – be it a portrait or a corporate gig. And that’s why he’s a favorite pick of business leaders, who look for something that will stand out. www.delbello69.com

ADVERTORIAL

STORY OF BERRYSHKA – SLOVENIAN FAMILY BRAND OF GOOD SPIRITS

he story of Berryshka goes far back into the past, originates in 17th centuries where not far away from our distillery still stands and stirs up the mystical spirits ancient tower, named Devil´s Tower. Tower of hidden sweetness and invigorating ecstasy with the mighty stone walls all around the tower is due to its mystique and invigorating breath taking potions, known far away. To every traveller from distant foreign lands represent an escape from outside real world in the mystical, divine world. Once the portals doors are opened, you shall not be returned. Magical and secret garden full of forests unusual plants and juicy fruits guides you in the attractive rhythms of the violin symphony, you can´t not resist. Secret passion to good spirits takes you in immortal experience that you never tried it before. Suddenly, from nowhere appears the most attractive, sophisticated and sensual women, real illusion of desire, locals named her “Jagodka” and the foreign travellers “Berryshka”, named by forest berries. She was known as a wonderful storyteller about spirits from surrounding forests. From the magical garden she chosen the most exquisite flavours and conjures up the most intoxicating and magical potion. This cup was the most breath-taking magical and exceptional mix of invigorating potion with exquisite taste of the forest berry. One sip and you felt true deity of flavours full of passion, energy and secret dimensions of the ancient wild forest.

So can you keep this secret? If so than just take a sip of the best Berryshka products and trust to our good spirits. Let´s the journey begins!.. Berryshka is an exciting Slovenian trademark of award winning and handcrafted products of spirit drinks, liquors and handmade chocolates. Is also the unique creation of a father and a son, established more than 20 years ago, when father Jože initially started with the production of essential oils. Mutual cooperation, skills and knowledge formed a unique range of Berryshka with great passion to discover new worlds based in the family belief and strong trust in good spirits. The range of Berryshka products consists of premium quality spirits, fruit liquors and artisan chocolates.

Local people still beliefs that Berryshka spirit is immortal and still exist to spreading good forest spirits to those who wants to escape from the outside world to mystic, unknown and sensual world. Oral tradition has led us to the fact that we revived this old mystery and share with you the secret of the best spirits from each corner of the ancient forest. Because we only…In good spirits we trust.

E info@hotel-lev.si T +386 1 433 21 55 WWW.UNION-HOTELS.EU

4 1 0 2 S P L A R U O T A N T A U O VENIA O Y L S , E A D E R S RISKA B O G , 4 1 0 2 5, 2– OCTOBER

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CONVENTA 2014

CONVENTA 2014 EXCEEDED ALL EXPECTATIONS FACTS 2014. 2. Conventa, the most important trade show for South East European meetings industry, has this year exceeded all expectations. The sixth edition attracted the largest number of international meeting planners in the history of the show, congress destinations are presented in the highest number so far, the organizers recorded a record number of pre-arranged meetings between hosted buyers exhibitors and more fam trips than ever were available to hosted buyers.

Meeting providers are this year coming from 12 different countries, which is a new best for Conventa. The majority are from Slovenia and are followed by providers from Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Italy, Romania and Turkey.

FIVE

YEARS OF RESULTS

Pre-arranged meetings between exhibitors and hosted buyers remain the core of Conventa. This year, HH meetings were pre-arranged before the start of the show. In the past, exhibitors at the trade show completed on average 22 prescheduled meetings. This year the organizers are predicting this number will reach 25 meeting per exhibitor.

Additional effort that was this year put into the search for the highest quality international meeting planners genuinely interested in the SEE region paid off. To the positive outcome certainly contributed also new foreign partners who used their many years of experience, connections and acquaintances to help find the best hosted buyers. Compared to last year, the number of international meeting planners at Conventa has risen by at least 25 percent. This means the trade show will

hOSTED BUYERS FROm cOUnTRIES

The sixth Conventa also increased the number of fam trips, a professionally guided trips that offer hosted buyers the opportunity to personally experience the destination and confirm the offer presented to them at the trade show. With the help of convention bureaus and local providers, the organizers have managed to offer seven different programs The event will officially end on Thursday, 23 January with the departures of hosted buyer on fam trips. But this will not mean the end of activities for Conventa participant. Their work will continue with developing and building up the newly establish connections, sending out the offers and finally closing the business deals that Conventa help create.

TOp TEn

EXhIBITORS FROm cOUnTRIES

Organizer:

ALL YEAR ROUND PROMOTION OF EXHIBITORS

Co-organisers and international partners:

Every year we are expanding our range of year-round promotional activities of the trade show, which are included free of charge into the exhibitorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; packages. The promotion is based on the constantly growing database of potential invited guests and tools such as the Meet in SEE e-catalogue, Conventa e-newspaper and the quickly growing social networks of the project.

REASONS TO EXHIBIT AT CONVENTA Part 2

39,816

HIGH LEVEL SOCIALISING

Fact: B2B promotion is based on a rapidly expanding database that has reached 39,816 contacts with whom we regularly communicate and keep informed on the project and our partners.

cOnTAcTS

FREE EDUCATION Conventa improves with every passing year and upgrades its education programme, which is free of charge for exhibitors.

Fact: We have brought global stars of the meetings industry Technical to Conventa,organizer: among others Paul Bridle, Linda Pereira, Patrick Delaney, Angie Mason and many more. The average registration fee for such events is ordinarily 250 EUR. Conventa offers them to exhibitors free of charge.

1,205 616 11 36

CONVENTA 2014 SUCCEEDS DUE TO

Official partners:

host over 170 hosted buyers from as many as 25 countries and over HH national and regional buyers.

67 LEADIng pRO mEDIA

SOcIAL EVEnTS ARE

FREE OF chARgE

CARING FOR THE QUALITY OF THE TRADE SHOW

gLOBAL STARS AT cOnVEnTA

119

jOURnALISTS

A FIRST

SATISFAcTIOn gRADE 4.23

4.44

EXhIBITORS

InVITED gUESTS

IT SAVES YOU MONEY