Despite all the challenges that 2020 brought, Zagreb continues to affirm its status as a successful business events destination, having hosted 520 meetings with 48,564 participants in total last year.
In early 2020, it seemed that the year would bring new meetings industry records to Zagreb. The year’s edition of the Meetex trade show once again gathered a significant number of international business events buyers in Zagreb, numerous international events were announced, as well as upgrades to the meetings industry infrastructure. Croatia assumed the important role of presiding over the European Union, and first major events were successfully held at the new congress centre in the National and University Library in Zagreb. However, even in the course of Meetex it became clear that a difficult time was ahead for the meetings and incentive industry as many events worldwide had already been cancelled. Total lockdown ensued, and the industry continued to live in the virtual world, to the extent possible. While sharing the world’s fate in terms of the pandemic, Zagreb was also struck by the strongest earthquake in the last 140 years, leaving large scars on the city’s charming historical centre.
However, in spite of all the difficulties, Zagreb and its meetings industry professionals demonstrated their expertise, will, strength, flexibility and ability to innovate, even in the most difficult conditions. In truly extraordinary and unprecedented circumstances, Croatia successfully completed its presidency of the European Union, transforming it into the first fully digital presidency. Zagreb-based event organizers, PCOs and DMCs adapted to the new market conditions, supporting their clients in the organization of virtual and hybrid events, which largely replaced live ones in 2020. To conform to the industry requirements, Zagreb’s business hotels and conference venues also adjusted their offer, creating professional studios for the organization of hybrid and virtual events. Besides, Zagreb has shown its adaptability, innovativeness and commitment to following the latest trends through the successful project of creating a digital tourism product, carried out by Zagreb Tourist Board and the Equinox Vision company, using augmented reality to digitally bring the magic of Advent in Zagreb to viewers.
520 meetings with 48,564 attendees held in Zagreb
According to Zagreb Tourist Board (ZTB) records, collected by direct contacting, cooperation with meetings and events organizers and representatives of Zagreb’s meetings and incentive industry, based on statistically processed data, 520 meetings with 48,564 attendees were held in 2020. Out of that figure, 176 meetings were organized by associations, 282 by corporations and 62 by various government institutions, whereas 60 were organized in the virtual format.
In spite of the latest developments in the international market, Zagreb successfully hosted 112 international meetings in 2020 that in total lasted for 244 days and gathered 8,389 participants. There were 408 national meetings, which lasted 647 days in total and had 40,164 participants.
Zagreb continually promoted through ZTB Convention Bureau activities
In the first three months of 2020, when live events were still possible, ZTB’s Convention Bureau organized and implemented two inspection visits and two study visits during which more than 20 meetings and incentive organizers from France, Great Britain, Israel, Russia, Italy, Germany, Austria, USA, Canada, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania and India were introduced on-site to Zagreb meetings and events capacities and incentive options. In addition, during the year, seven formal RFPs from different parts of the world were received and processed, asking about the conference, event or incentive organization in Zagreb.
After March, ZTB’s Convention Bureau continued its activities virtually. Besides taking part in international and domestic virtual conferences on meetings and incentive industry and many online trainings, it continued to promote Zagreb as a business events destination at virtual events. Among them were two workshops, EPEX Virtual and WYRED World Autumn Forum as well as the IBTM World Virtual show. Zagreb’s success as a meetings and events destination, both in real and virtual worlds, is certainly contributed by the continuous efforts of Zagreb Tourist Board aimed at relevant and current communication via online channels: websites, social networks and its Convention Bureau newsletter.
