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Conventa was the last major international B2B event before the coronacrisis, and the first to really happen after a year of hibernation of the meetings industry. The organisers have moved Conventa 2021 from January to August and combined it with the Conventa Crossover conference. Both events are half the size of the pre-crisis period and will be hybrid events. Nevertheless, 77 exhibitors, 113 international and 33 Slovenian hosted buyers will conduct more than 2.000 business meetings over the two days. International participants are coming from 24 countries. Both events are proof that large business events can be safely executed even in times of great uncertainty.

Conventa started on Monday, 23 August, with familiarisation trips (FAMS) to Ljubljana, Bled and Styria. The visits will continue after the event, when guests will visit Istria, Kranjska Gora, Portorož, Zagreb and Salzburg. Hosted buyers met the exhibitors for the first time at the welcome reception in Grand Hotel Union. The programme continues today and tomorrow with One2One meetings that are at the heart of the event. The exhibitors, most of them from hotels, convention centres and bureaus, are joining the event from 13 countries in New Europe.

Miha Kovačič, co-founder of Conventa, said: “Thirteen is my lucky number. It has been with me all my life and it brings me happiness. May the 13th Conventa experience also bring happiness to all the participants who will be celebrating the meetings industry in Slovenia this week.”

One of the highlights of Conventa Week is also the selection of the best events in New Europe. A renowned international jury has chosen 18 finalists who will compete for the prestigious Conventa Best Event Award on Thursday evening.

The organisers are closing off the week with the Conventa Crossover conference, which maintains its position as the central THINK TANK of the meetings industry in New Europe, creating a space to test innovations and respond to industry challenges for the sixth year running. Top speakers, master marketers and experienced event organisers will each present their views and confront opinions.

The organisers are taking special precautions to prevent the spread of Sars-Cov-2 strictly following the guidelines of the “Safe and Healthy Meetings & Events” certificate. This will ensure that the event is safe for all participants and support staff.

Conventa Crossover’s founder, Gorazd Čad said: “We are very proud that we have been able to bring Conventa and Conventa Crossover to fruition in the midst of the pandemic. Our aim was to prove that events can take place even in complex situations. We have successfully proven it and you will be able to experience it this week. Hybrid solutions have made it possible to carry out events regardless of the situation. Conventa brings optimism and points to the future direction of the industry. Many say that Conventa is the light at the end of the tunnel.”

What is going on during Conventa Week?

CONVENTA TRADE SHOW 2021
Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 August 2021 from 10.00 to 17.00
The oldest regional MICE trade show
Location: GR-Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre

CONVENTA BEST EVENT AWARD 2021
Thursday 26 and Friday 27 August 2021
Competition for the best event in New Europe
Location: GR-Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre

CONVENTA CROSSOVER 2021
Friday, 27 August 2021 from 09.00 to 21.00
Festival of events and experience marketing
Location: Švicarija Creative Centre (Tivoli Park)

STAY FOR THE ENTIRE CONVENTA WEEK

Extend your stay in Ljubljana

For the first time, Conventa Trade Show and Conventa Crossover conference will be carried out in the same week, or as the organisers like to call it – Conventa Week.

Extend your stay in Ljubljana and attend the hottest event of the summer – Conventa Crossover taking place from 26 to 27 August 2021. The conference is all about exchanging knowledge, ideas and promoting high-quality networking opportunities. This year, the conference will raise awareness about the changes that the pandemic is going to bring and open a healthy conversation around it. There isn’t a better place to learn about the new reality of the meetings industry than at Conventa Crossover. The event is an opportunity to learn from the best in the world, as it invites world-renowned experts in event organisation and marketing every year.

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A long-time meetings industry addict, Gorazd is the Founder and owner of marketing and event agency Toleranca Marketing. He has many years of experience in planning, preparing and carrying out large international meetings and exhibitions. As the founder of the "Power to the Meetings" methodology, he still firmly believes in the power of live events and human to human communication. He is also the author of numerous articles and editor-in-chief of the meetings industry magazine Kongres Magazine.