Kongres Magazine’s selection of the Most Influential People of New Europe has earned recognition from the international meetings industry. The selection is not just another online voting that gives doubtable results. On the contrary, it is a thorough selection of individuals that have left their mark on the regional meetings industry. We hope you will find our list valuable the next time you organise your event. It is with pride that we can say that we have been able to create a credible list of the most trustworthy professional in 2021. Hence, our project is not a competition, rather a professional platform that we will continue evolving.
For each chosen candidate, the respondents had to fill out a grading scale which comprised of five marks (from 1 to 5); 1 meaning that they completely disagree with the statement (terrible), and 5, meaning that they fully agree with the statement (excellent). The final mark was calculated as an average of scores from the following categories:
- CREDIBILITY: The candidate is recognised as a highly credible individual within the regional meetings industry.
- CREATIVITY: The candidate showcased creativity and agility in their work. Particularly during the corona crisis, they executed innovative projects.
- RESULTS: The candidate achieved financial or other multiplicative results that were above average compared to the regional average.
- LEGACY: The candidate left a permanent mark by working for the common good of the meetings industry. Even in COVID-19 times, they strived to find a way out of the crisis.
We would like to sincerely congratulate the winners and all of the nominees on their impressive achievement and pledge to further develop and evolve the project in the following years.
TOP 10 Most Influential Destination Representatives 2021

1. Dušan BOROVČANIN
FINAL SCORE: 4.49/5
Serbia Convention Bureau
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dusanborovcanin/

2. Igor KOVAČEVIĆ
FINAL SCORE: 4.29/5
Serbia Convention Bureau
https://www.linkedin.com/in/igorkovacevic/

3. Fredi FONTANOT
FINAL SCORE: 4.13
Portorož Tourist Board
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredi-fontanot/

4. Małgorzata PRZYGORSKA-SKOWRON
FINAL SCORE: 4.01
Krakow Convention Bureau
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ma%C5%82gorzata-przyg%C3%B3rska-skowron-a57186112/

5. Aigars SMILTANS
FINAL SCORE: 3.97
MEET RIGA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aigars-smiltans-ba20946/

6. Eleni SOTIRIOU
FINAL SCORE: 3.80
Thessaloniki Convention Bureau
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleni-sotiriou-9492a821a/

7. Petra STUŠEK
FINAL SCORE: 3.76
Ljubljana Tourism
https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-stu%C5%A1ek-0027311b/

8. Tadeja PIVC-COUDYSER
FINAL SCORE: 3.61
Slovenian Convention Bureau
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tadejapivc/

9. Anna BÉKEFI
FINAL SCORE: 3.57
Budapest Convention Bureau
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-b%C3%A9kefi/

10. Efi KOUDELI
FINAL SCORE: 3.45
Athens-Convention & Visitors Bureau
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekoudeli/

THE MEETINGS STAR 2021 AWARD CEREMONY
For the first time, awards for the Most Influential People of New Europe’s Meetings Industry 2021 will be handed out in-person, at the gala award ceremony taking place as part of Conventa on Tuesday, 22 February 2022, at 17:00 on an online platform. We hope you will be able to join us.
Shortlisted influencers in this category:

Check out the nominees in this category.