Kongres Magazine talked to Tadeja Pivc Coudyser, director of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, who was recently named among the top 10 Most Influential Destination Representatives in 2021. Tadeja shared her advice for newcomers in the meetings industry and expressed her opinion on the future of events.
Q1: What does the title of the industry’s most influential individual in the region mean to you?
I am honoured and flattered to be considered and recognised as an influential individual in the region. There are a lot of projects happening in the region by many inspiring people that inspire me daily at my work. I see this nomination as a nomination for all people who support and inspire me.
Q2: Can we say that you are a newcomer in the meetings industry? What inspires you?
With almost 15 years in the industry, I am not sure I would call myself a newcomer. However, the industry has continuously evolved, and with every project, you learn and challenge yourself. I would say that I am driven by creativity and results and inspired by people who challenge our industry every day.
Q3: You have contributed a lot to the development of the meetings industry. What would you say was your greatest achievement so far?
I joined Slovenian Convention Bureau only a few months ago, so my greatest achievements are still linked to The Hague. I am proud of how we put our webinar series together in a few days and how from a partnership episode with Ottawa, a Global Hybrid Alliance was launched. Together with my colleagues from Ottawa, Prague, Geneva, we brought an idea to life. Now the Alliance counts more than 20 association bureaux around the world. Also, the project won ICCA Best Marketing Award.
Q4: What changes would you like to see in the meetings industry in 2022?
For sure, I would like to see the meetings industry as part of the destination’s strategy, being the bond between leisure tourism and trade investment agencies. On the one hand, I would like to see the industry support a destination’s knowledge and know-how, thus raising the profile and creating new business opportunities whilst supporting the local economy. On the other hand, driving traffic to the destination is integral. That is the trend, and we can see that destinations with such models in place that use destination intelligence are ahead of all the others. Consequently, the impacts are greater for the accounts in the region and congress participants.
Q5: What is your prediction for the future of meetings?
It is hard to predict, actually. But I would say that people are creatures of habits and you can only break a habit if enough time has passed. I hope that meeting planners have looked into their events and returned to the basics and true mission of the event they are organising. There are a lot of initiatives around green events, which make me quite sceptical. I truly hope people will stop talking about sustainability but start talking about circular, as this is more doable in our business.
Q6: What is your advice for young colleagues making their way in the meetings industry?
Get a mentor and take advantage of what the industry offers, from creativity to connecting with countless inspiring people.
“I hope that meeting planners have looked into their events and returned to the basics and true mission of the event they are organising.”
Q7: Were you more exposed in public after being placed on our list? Do you see this as an opportunity to reinforce the prominence of our industry in general?
I think it is too early to say. I do see more visits to my LinkedIn profile, so I guess the answer is yes.
Q8: What are your thoughts on our selection of the influencers?
I think to make a selection in our industry is hard given there are so many projects happening that are touching so many people. I have seen your list, and I cherish and value every person on it, seeing their achievements that have contributed to the recognition and development of the destination. I wish to congratulate all of them.
Q9: In your opinion, who deserves the title of the TOP influencer if you had to choose from the finalists yourself?
I think the listed influencers are part of teams, so I am not even sure if we should be talking about one influencer.
