In 2023, Budapest celebrated its 150th birthday. However, since the city’s historical past dates back almost two thousand years, the 150th anniversary is not about its foundation but the unification of the three ancient parts: Buda, Pest, and Óbuda.
To mark the occasion, the destination intends to celebrate both historical and recent occasions where its people cooperated harmoniously with each other.
The recent rejuvenation and expansion of HUNGEXPO is a great example of such cooperation: GL Events Group, the owner of Hungexpo, teamed up with the Hungarian government to bring Hungary’s largest event site to a whole new standard.
The development’s primary new feature was the construction of a congress centre with 26 section rooms; state-of-the-art audiovisual technology; and a maximum capacity for 2,000 people in the largest room.
The plenary room is equipped with an ultramodern Gala Seats retractable seating system, which allows the venue to be transformed from an auditorium-like layout to a flat space in a matter of minutes. The 72sqm, high-definition LED wall behind the stage is also a record-breaker in Hungary.
The reconstruction and expansion included two brand new pavilions – one of 7,250sqm and one of 5,700sqm. It also included a new contemporary main building, as well as the renovation of three other halls, overall more than 70,000sqm of indoor and 36 hectares of outdoor space were renewed.
With the two new exhibition halls and the established congress centre, HUNGEXPO is now the largest multifunctional exhibition and congress venue in Central Eastern Europe and can host events up to 15,000 attendees. You can take a virtual tour of HUNGEXPO.
Gábor Ganczer, CEO of HUNGEXPO:
With the established congress facilities of Hungexpo, Budapest is now expected to become one of Europe’s top five conference destinations. Additionally, the Hungarian capital will be able to achieve a better ICCA ranking since it will be able to host and bigger events with more frequency.
The atmosphere and the beauty of the city make it exceptional. We have more than 20,000 hotel rooms with an abundance of nice properties, ranging from big brands to boutique hotels and many hotels in historic buildings of the grand Budapest era.
The city is a very safe environment with a reliable economy, which also has the right infrastructure in place for events. For international congresses, the presence of Hungarian professors in international association boards is another advantage. Hungary is highly regarded for the excellence of our scientists and university faculties.
Accessibility and international connectivity is another key advantage – Budapest is connected to over 100 global cities by direct flights.
More events expected
Major events held at Hungexpo since the reopening included the International Eucharistic Congressand Planet Budapest Sustainability Expo and Summitin 2021.
In 2022 HUNGEXPO hosted the Bocuse d’Or European Selection for the second time. The prestigious chefs’ competition was followed by the European Congress of Endodontology (ESE), with over 1,600 participants occupying the congress centre for four days in September that year.
The Global Special Operation Forces Symposium Europe, organised by Clarion Events, also took place at HUNGEXPO. Last year HUNGEXPO also welcomed the annual congress of AIPC, the International Association of Convention Centres with the theme ‘Reshaping the Future’.
This year EFTTEX, the European Fishing Tackle Trade Exhibition (15-17 June) will open the international events season. The European Academy of Neurology’s (EAN) ninth Congress will take place 1-4 July 2023 with six-to-eight thousand participants.
Congress of the European Pain Society (EFIC) will take place 20-22 September 2023, expecting 2000-2500 attendees from all across Europe.
For the coming years, HUNGEXPO has already secured several large international congresses like the European Respiratory Society’s annual (ERS-ISIAN) congress in 2025 and the Transport Research Arena and Euro PM 2026.
Incentives and hospitality
Budapest has attractions, sights, gastronomic experiences, and luxury shops that may interest business travellers. New hotels, which will also be part of international luxury hotel chains, will soon open in Budapest further raising the capital’s profile.
The Klotild Palota St. Regis Budapest will soon open near Elisabeth Bridge, in the Klotild Palace. It is worth noting that the St. Regis chain currently only has six hotels in Europe, so the Budapest installation will be joining a prestigious group of hotels.
Additionally, Klotild Palace has its twin building on the opposite side of the road, Matild Palace. The locations are the exact image of each other, and a Luxury Collection Hotel has already opened in Matild Palace.
W Hotels, also a luxury brand of Marriott International, is scheduled to open its first Central European hotel in Budapest this year called W Budapest Hotel. The location will be the Drechsler Palace on Andrássy Avenue, better known as the former Ballet School.
The location’s attraction comes from its immediatwe proximity to the State Opera House, and the panoramic neo-renaissance building will house 151 rooms and one suite.
Adding another five-star hotel to the list, The Dorothea Hotel will be part of the Autograph Collection, opening this year on Dorottya Street at the centre of Budapest. The hotel will include an enclosed courtyard covered by a glass roof, creating an internal garden that will be green all year round.
HUNGEXPO team will be attending IMEX in Frankfurt this year on the Hungarian national stand F330, and looks forward to meeting event professionals visiting this year’s show. Discover more about HUNGEXPO through the venue’s curated playlist here.
