Following two editions in August due to the pandemic, south east Europe specialist MICE trade show Conventa is returning to its traditional winter date for its 15th edition. Between 1 and 2 February 2023, 95 exhibitors from 15 countries will convene in the Slovenian capital Ljubljana, with 146 hosted buyers from 36 countries.
Organisers predict over 2,500 business meetings will take place over the course of the two days.
Miha Kovačič, the co-founder of Conventa, emphasised that the event’s core mission is to foster business opportunities. “As the organisers of Conventa, we often say that we are only as good as our last event. That is why we devote tremendous attention to the quality of attendees and measure their satisfaction. The most recent study among exhibitors has shown that they rated their satisfaction with 4.36/5.00, whereas hosted buyers evaluated the event with 4.54/5.00. We hope to improve that excellent result for our anniversary 15th edition of Conventa.”
Gorazd Čad, the other co-founder is looking forward to the Meetings Star Award Ceremony – one of the highlights of Conventa. This year it will take place 1 February in the Gallus Hall in Cankarjev dom.
“The Meetings Star Award has become a reference point and a sort of Michelin guide for the meetings industry. I believe our project fosters the development of the entire meetings industry,” said Čad.
Fam trips to destinations, ‘Conventa Experiences’, will allow selected buyers to visit Ljubljana, Bled, Kranjska Gora and Bohinj before the event. After the event closes, there are also trips to Zagreb, Portorož, Belgrade and some unique venues across Slovenia.
This year, Conventa will introduce several novelties, including Conventa Green Handbook (downloadable at the following link: https://conventa.si/zeleni-prirocnik/.) and Conventa Green Island in co-operation with the Slovenian Tourist Board, Ljubljana Tourism and Climate Partner. It will allow attendees to learn about sustainable practices and see how they can actually reduce the carbon footprint of an event.
This year Conventa will be measuring the carbon footprint of the event in a collaboration with Climate Partner.
Conventa will also host the Future Leaders Forum in co-operation with IMEX Frankfurt. The educational track is devoted to tourism students working in the hospitality industry who wish to continue their careers in the meetings industry. Around 30 young talents from the region are expected to attend.
Conventa Trend Bar Live will again connect attendees with inspiring content. And there is a line up of expert speakers who will share the latest news about up-and-coming venues, trends and valuable tips.
The show will also host a meeting of Slovenian Congress Ambassadors who’s work is already having a noticeable impact on Slovenia’s success in the internationalisation of science, sports and economy.
