Home FEATURED NEWS The heart of the Slovenian meetings industry is its convention bureau

The heart of the Slovenian meetings industry is its convention bureau

The Slovenian Convention Bureau has been connecting the meetings industry for twenty years

Dec 26, 2023

slovenia_meetings — Photo: Slovenian Tourist Board

The Slovenian Convention Bureau has been the heart of the Slovene meetings industry for nearly twenty years. 2023 marked the first year after the COVID-19 pandemic when event organising returned to normalcy. During the course of this year, the Slovenian Convention Bureau solidified its position as one of the largest and most important specialised expert associations within the meetings industry. That is a direct result of hard work and effort put into diversifying the program of activities. Ten new members of the Slovenian Convention Bureau are a testament to the organisation’s continued efforts. As the year concludes, Fredi Fontanot, the Director of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, summarised and outlined the key events in the past year and plans for the milestone 2024. He stressed that the Slovenian Convention Bureau is a reference point for local and foreign event organisers and emphasised the importance of cooperating closely with the Slovenian Tourist Board.

The meetings industry was named one of the four leading products in the strategy of Slovenian tourism between 2022 and 2028. The four products were identified for their tremendous future growth potential. The activities of the Slovenian Convention Bureau follow the future strategy of Slovenian tourism. In 2022, the focus was on rehabilitation and reviving the meetings industry, while in 2023, the goals were to restructure marketing, find new marketing niches and establish systematic support for international events.

Fredi Fontanot, the Director of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, outlined the excellent cooperation they have with the Slovenian Tourist Board: “Empowering the bureau is a result of superb cooperation that resulted from the appointment of the head of the meetings industry product at the Slovenian Tourist Board. That enabled us to respond to the needs and challenges of the market and aid members of the Slovenian Convention Bureau with agility. That is why we were able to establish new strategic partnerships and strengthen the competitiveness of our product.”

Projects in 2023

Fredi Fontanot also outlined projects that marked 2023:

The 15th anniversary of Conventa focusing on the sustainable transformation of the meetings industry / 1 – 2 February 2023
The Slovenian Convention Bureau co-organises the Conventa trade show annually. The central meeting point of professional regional event organisers was attended by 147 hosted buyers from 30 countries and 95 exhibitors from 15 regional countries in 2022. The meeting of Slovenian Congress Ambassadors took place concurrently with the event. The Slovenian Convention Bureau also organised a two-day journey to some of Slovenia’s most unique event venues.

Presentation at the world’s preeminent trade show IMEX Frankfurt 2023 / 23 – 25 May 2023
Alongside the Slovenian Tourist Board and the Slovenian Convention Bureau, thirteen Slovenian providers presented their services at this year’s IMEX in Frankfurt. They met with nearly 300 hosted buyers, inspired by the interactive presentation of Slovenia and the #sloveniameetings giveaway prize draw.

Can we be the first in line? Workshop for crafting a strategic marketing plan / 22 June 2023
In cooperation with the Toleranca marketing event agency, the Slovenian Convention Bureau organised a workshop to prepare a breakthrough program of activities for the Slovenian Convention Bureau between 2024 and 2030. The workshop concluded with a finished action plan, accepted with broad consensus. It will serve as a great starting point for the future.

The British market offers many new opportunities – C&IT Festival of Forums / 3 – 5 July 2023
At the business event in York, the Slovenian Convention Bureau presented its entire offer. The event was attended by over 50 handpicked corporate buyers. The representative of the Slovenian Convention Bureau conducted more than 20 successful meetings there.

SITE Incentive Summit in Slovenia 2023 / 12 – 15 July 2023
Amid the hot summer in Slovenia, the SITE Incentive Summit Europe drew attendees from 23 countries, including decision-makers in the industry, key stakeholders and seasoned experts in incentive travel.

Fostering opportunities on the American market – IMEX America 2023 / 17 – 19 October 2023
With its innovative and sustainable offer, Slovenia caught the attention of US event organisers. The event hosted a record-breaking 15,000 visitors, including 5,000 hosted buyers. Slovenia’s incentive offer was in the limelight.

13 new Slovenian Congress Ambassadors / 25 October 2023
This year, 13 Slovenian Congress Ambassadors were announced. They helped bring international scientific, expert, business and sports events to Slovenia. The Slovenian Congress Ambassador program has been taking place since 2019 with the continued support of the Slovenian Tourist Board, Ljubljana Tourism and 14 partners from 6 destination clubs.

In the company of congress professionals in Bangkok – ICCA 2023 / 12 – 15 November 2023
The Slovenian Convention Bureau attended one of the most important annual events within the meetings industry. This year, the event was a resounding success, attended by more than 1500 participants. Slovenia was represented by the Slovenian Convention Bureau and Ljubljana Tourism.

Strengthening presence in Bavaria / 22 November 2023
In cooperation with the German MICE Club, the Slovenian Convention Bureau hosted a workshop in Munich. 11 Slovenian partners convened with 21 buyers from Germany. Andreas Reiter from ZTB Zukunfstbüro discussed sustainability, while Irena Fonda talked about the green practices at the Fonda fish farm.

The global crossroads of the meetings industry – IBTM World / 28 – 30 November 2023
Slovenia has been proudly represented at this integral global trade show for over twenty years. 15 Slovenian providers presented their offer in Barcelona alongside the Slovenian Tourist Board and the Slovenian Convention Bureau. This year, the Slovenian stand presented a new visual image, merging modernity with sustainability and showing a green future. Slovenian providers met with almost 400 hosted buyers from across the globe during IBTM World.

Site visits for authentic contact with Slovenia / 5 site visits in 2023
In 2023, five site visits were attended by 40 participants. Among the attendees, most of them came from the Netherlands, Hungary, France and the UK.

Together we can – the future is in cooperation / 3 free educational courses for members and other key stakeholders in the meetings industry in 2023
One of the highlights in 2023 was an educational program led by the excellent Ivo J. Franschitz. The central topic of the educational course was to empower attendees on what a leading destination in the meetings industry should be. The educational program was attended by 77 participants.

The main focus will be on sustainably transforming the meetings industry

The President of the Board of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, Matjaž Žnidaršič, emphasised: “In 2023, we achieved all the goals we set. We also communicated well with stakeholders and associations our organisation is a member of. The work so far is a great starting point for evolving in the upcoming year. Above all, we are glad that the number of members increased by ten, which confirms we are on the right track.”

Fredi Fontanot also outlined the planned activities in the upcoming year. They are based on the results of the workshop with bureau members, which took place in June. The main focus will be on sustainably transforming the meetings industry. The year will commence with Conventa as usual, where the Slovenian Convention Bureau will organise the nascent forum for regional representatives of the meetings industry and decision-makers in politics. Conventa will also be one of the first events to receive a sustainability rating.

In Ljubljana, the IAPCO Congress will take place at the end of February, attended by the leading global PCOs. In 2024, members of the Slovenian Convention Bureau will again partake in leading global trade shows, including IMEX Frankfurt, IMEX America and IBTM World in Barcelona. The Slovenian Convention Bureau will be active in select business meetings of associations the organisation is a member of (ICCA, SITE, National CVB Alliance and PCMA).

The Slovenian Congress Ambassador program will evolve in 2024, further connecting Congress Ambassadors with 14 partners. In addition, the organisation will continue planning site visits. At least two individual site visits will be organised, alongside 3 group site visits. An important focus will be on year-round educational courses, where members will meet and connect.

Vesna Mojsilović, Product Manager of the meetings industry at the Slovenian Tourist Organisation, emphasised: “The partnership between the Slovenian Convention Bureau and the Slovenian Tourist Organisation was extremely fruitful and dynamic in 2023. Through joint efforts, mutual trust and coordinated work, we successfully promoted Slovenia as an exceptional destination for business meetings and events. Our cooperation has contributed to greater recognition of Slovenia on the international market, opening up many opportunities for the further development of congress tourism and tourism promotion. We are proud of the achievements in 2023 and look forward to the future with enthusiasm, hoping that it will bring even more innovative projects and joint successes.”

The 20th anniversary of the Slovenian Convention Bureau

The common denominator of 2024 will be the 20th anniversary of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, culminating with the annual assembly in March.

Important statistical data in 2023

ICCA (worldwide ranking)	40
Number of bureau members	66
Number of received RFPs	more than 80
Number of personal sales meetings	more than 800

The Slovenian Convention Bureau increased the number of contacts in the database by 1,500, thus closing in on the desired 24,000 contacts. As 2023 closes, members of the Slovenian Convention Bureau commented on the successful year.

Mojca Gobina Mravlje, MICE Sales Manager at St. Bernardin Resort Portorož, commented: “2023 is coming to an end for the meetings industry, a year which was a combination of success, intensity, challenges and the awareness that three factors will be important for continued success: adaptability, sustainability and adaptation to extreme weather conditions. People remained an integral part of the resounding success this year. This year’s cooperation with the Slovenian Convention Bureau was primarily about evolution. We kept good practices, upgraded them and introduced some novelties, but above all, we actively communicated, educated ourselves, actively included in discussions and listened to one another. The membership and support of each individual and all of us give a clear message to the world about what Slovenia represents as a meeting destination – a destination of authentic, unique and high-quality experiences – crafted by us.”

Maja Pančur, Head of the Bled Convention Bureau and the newly-elected President of the bureau’s Expert Council, said: “Cooperation with the Slovenian Convention Bureau is integral for Bled, as it successfully presents Slovenia as a meeting destination to event organisers. It addresses one of the key products of Slovenian tourism, crucial for Bled as a meeting destination. Collaboration, networking, knowledge sharing and overcoming local limitations have proven to be key elements of the bureau’s success. We believe Slovenia can only be successful if it is managed with a top-down approach. With the support provided by the Slovenian Convention Bureau, Bled has celebrated many milestones and stood alongside renowned destinations with a much longer tradition. We hope 2024 will also be marked by many successful meetings and unforgettable experiences in Slovenia. In Bled, we will take care of authentic stories that will impress every congress guest. United, we will overcome all obstacles to achieve the desired goals.”

Learn more about the Slovenian Convention Bureau here.

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