INTRO
The city of a hundred spires has an immortalised name in Europe, partially because of its picture-postcard bridges and human-centric nature. From the walkable old town to the Gothic district of the castle, the Charles Bridge connects the city’s past with the present. To choose a period that defined Prague architecturally would be unjust. Still, the fin-de-siecle Art Noveau architecture left an indelible mark on the city. Today, many palaces, buildings and stucco-bearing villas from that era house hotels from global chains or shopping malls. Adjoining these refined buildings with preserved facades are countless inns, bars and restaurants that serve authentic Czech cuisine and some of the best beer in the world. But Prague is more than that; the historical centre of Bohemia is home to universities, world-renowned exhibition centres, luxurious and boutique hotels and an artistic scene on the rise. Historically, the city was a hub of panslavism – the movement that aspired to unite Slavic nations through literature, culture and sports. At the same time, German-speaking citizens shaped its history. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, though, Prague blazed its trail in the heart of Central Europe, nurturing its past as a former educational and cultural hub and honouring its brewing tradition par excellence.
Following an involuntary slumber that led to many layoffs during COVID-19, the Czech capital regained momentum, refocused its efforts and began investing comprehensively in polishing its meetings offer. Flight connections are on the up again, with the overseas market returning faster than ever. Prague Airport has cemented itself as a regional air crossroads and thus contributes to the international success of Prague’s meetings industry with over 170 connections. One of the most noticeable projects under construction is the comprehensive renovation of the enormous Vystavitšte, the Prague Exhibition Grounds, constructed in 1891. The project will see Prague welcome an expansive event space with several pavilions. The centrepiece, the Industrial Palace, is set to become a leading venue with cutting-edge technology. Optimists estimate the expansive project will conclude by 2026. A few streets away, the same company revamped the Holešovice Market, thus helping local farmers gain recognition and prompting tourists to discover the city on the other side of the Vltava River. Sports events have become a mainstay of the events industry in the Czech Republic. This year, Prague will host the highly-anticipated Ice Hockey World Championship. Besides modernising exhibition spaces and hosting sports megaevents, Prague is experiencing an “artistic spring”. The recent opening of Kunsthalle, a modern art museum, has already borne fruit, with the venue hosting several internationally acclaimed exhibitions since opening in 2022. Scattered across the city, visitors can also admire the countless statues and installations erected by established and lesser-known local artists. One of them is David Černý, whose outlandish artworks adorn the narrow alleys and courtyards across the city. One of his most famous works is the moving head sculpture of Franz Kafka, which is as genius as frightening. Prague has a broad Slavic soul that will convince the most demanding clients. With views of the beautifully preserved old town and Prague Castle from almost every hotel rooftop, it is hard to say no to an event in Prague.
NEED TO KNOW IN 2024
The wheels of bureaucracy may take ages to roll in Prague, yet once started, they revolve at dashing speed. Hotel chains wanting to open an outpost in the city are a case in point. There have been rumours of a Ritz opening for a decade, yet plans are still only on paper. Conversely, Marriott has been setting up shop around the city steeped in history. One of their newest openings is the Augustine, a Luxury Collection Hotel. The striking boutique hotel is set amid the former monastery of the Augustinians, a few steps from the Prague Castle. When waddling down narrow steps to the hotel’s hidden preserved underground bar, you can taste St. Thomas’s beer, produced according to the same recipe the Augustinians used for decades. If you are lucky, one of the four remaining members might invite you on a tour of their library, housing literary gems dating as far back as the 15th century. Another Marriott opening chose a more modern, rock-and-roll approach. The STAGES HOTEL Prague, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, adjacent to the iconic concert-attracting O2 universum and O2 arena, offers a fresh take on the generic design by Marriott. Instead of dull, pastel-coloured walls, you will find Marshall speakers and an eclectic collection of electric guitars and picks. This hotel knows how to treat rockstars, as each room boasts details that would befit a Wembley backstage. Don’t be surprised to see bread served on cymbals during breakfast. Following the spherical design of the arena across the road, the entire hotel is shaped like a circle, its centre being a courtyard perfect for events or pre-concert warm-ups.
Newcomers will soon enrich Prague’s hotel scene, too. W Prague is poised to open later this year, and other boutique hotels have announced they will welcome their first guests soon. Otherwise, tried-and-tested hotels continue to reinvent their offering, including the NH Prague City & NH Collection Prague, whose chef of cuisine regularly changes menus according to season. It is not only hotels that have been beckoning international delegates to visit the Bohemian city on the Vltava River. Meeting venues are as abundant in Prague as the breweries surrounding them. Apart from the legendary Prague Exhibition Grounds that will add value to the entire city’s meetings industry, the city hides many gems, including the Sacre Coeur, a church-cum-event-space that now hosts raves, techno nights and concerts, all within the confines of a former catholic church. Palaces have a respected status in Prague, too. The Kaiserestein Palace, for instance, regularly hosts diplomatic summits and ambassador meetings. Prague’s high-end hotels include the beloved Almanac X Alcron Hotel, one of the brand’s three properties, which has revived the Art Deco style of the building that had already been synonymous with quality. The hotel’s legendary status has been restored, again connecting the community and the busy street with the happenings within the hotel. If hotels were off-limits for most locals in the past, such establishments have become buzzing hubs of social life today.
The Julius Hotel, likewise a lifestyle brand, brought coffee notes to the Czech capital and enriched the hotel scene with Scandianvian-inspired design and minimalism. Just a few streets away, the K+K Hotel Central Prague dons some of the most unique Art Deco elements in the city and its elevator has become a famed Instagrammable sight. The Radisson Blu Prague’s historical background, quality meeting spaces, and great rooftop ensure guests have a memorable stay. Not to mention Hilton Prague Old Town and Hilton Prague would be unjust. The two hotels have become a staple of event organising in Prague, hosting the most demanding events with a premium background signature of the brand. Under the helm of new General Manager Ryan Gauci, Hilton Prague has ambitious plans to redirect its campaigns, incorporating the local community and inviting local suppliers to cocreate meetings and events.
Event organisers undoubtedly have a carte blanche when hosting their event in Prague – from an evening party in a church, a courtyard reception amid a former monastery to a concert in one of the region’s most advanced event arenas. To help guide them, the exemplary team of the Prague Convention Bureau always lends a helping hand, their knowledge of the hotels, venues and restaurants second to none.
DID YOU KNOW?
In 2024, Prague will exalt the Prague-native writer Franz Kafka, whose works have become a part of the literary canon globally. His novels and short stories even gave rise to a term that describes their quintessential features: kafkaesque – the grip of the bureaucratical apparatus over the masses or “tyranny without a tyrant”. That term is also the eponymous title of the art exhibition in Prague’s DOX Centre for Contemporary Art. It showcases contemporary works relating to Kafka and his timeless works. The 100th anniversary of his death in 2024 will see Prague stage numerous cultural events dedicated to the writer throughout the year. Visitors can also admire a sculpture of the author’s head, comprising 42 steel panels that rotate, portraying Kafka’s complex mind and thoughts.
Hannah Arendt once commented on Kafka’s unique style: “Countless attempts to write a la Kafka, without exception, pitiful failures, only underlined Kafka’s uniqueness.”
BEST INCENTIVE IDEA
Pouring the original pilsner
Beer is a quintessential Czech product. More precisely, pilsner. Brewed in Plzen since 1842, Prague’s omnipresent, most sold product, Pilsner Urquell recently opened a museum and Tapster Academy in the city centre. Pilsner Urquell: The Original Beer Experience includes an immersive museum alongside tasting tours. Overlooking the ever-frequented Wenceslas Square, the venue’s spacious beer hall is the perfect event space for tastings and informal events. Event organisers can take attendees on a hands-on experience where they will learn to pour the iconic pilsner to understand the Czech Republic’s profound affection for beer. Participants will learn and taste three typical Czech pours: hladinka, šnyt and mlíko, and leave neither light-headed nor empty-handed. They will receive a beer bottle with their name. Na zdravi!
BEST KEPT SECRETS
Rarely do visitors deviate from the city’s centre to the hidden crypt under the Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. Those who come here can explore the destinies of the country’s two heroes, Jan Kubiš and Josef Gabčik. During the terror of the Nazi Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, they were selected to partake in a top-secret operation dubbed Anthropoid, aimed at assassinating SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Reinhard Heydrich. The duo succeeded and, following the Nazi reprisals, hid in the crypt of the Church of St. Cyril and Methodius. Outnumbered, both were killed along with five other Czech paratroopers. The historic event that changed the course of history for Prague is remembered today as one of the most heroic acts of bravery in the history of the Czech Republic. Within the church, a keen eye will notice bullet holes from the shooting that remain to this day.
PERFECT GIFT
Most visitors in Prague haul litres of pilsner back home, but there are alternatives for the more design-savvy travellers. Manufaktura is a Czech cosmetics brand that produces quality creams, shampoos and more, even from beer. Their products are a refreshing sight amid a sea of generic products from known brands. Czech companies produce glassworks that adorn some of the finest hotels around in Europe. Preciosa makes stunning crystal glass products and jewellery that turn heads. You can find your favourite piece in their flagship Prague store. To support up-and-coming young local artists, we suggest purchasing handmade postcards from illustrators or one-of-a-kind shirts in the Pragtique shop. Still, why not go for the iconic pilsner, too?
TOP EVENTS IN 2024
Kafkaesque
(9 February – 22 September 2024)
W: https://www.dox.cz/en/whats-on/kafkaesque
Event Fest Prague
(24 April 2024)
W: https://www.eventfest.cz/en
2024 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship
(10 – 26 May 2024)
W: https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2024/wm
Prague Spring Festival 2024
(12 May – 3 June 2024)
W: https://festival.cz/en/
Designblok – Prague International Design Festival
(2 – 6 October 2024)
W: https://www.designblok.cz/
FOODIES
Czech gastronomy has evolved beyond beer accompanying snacks to sophisticated, flavorful dishes with many meat delicacies. The popular Mlynec Restaurant, with an unbeatable location adjacent to the Charles’ Bridge, serves superb modern classics paired with excellent domestic wine, most hailing from South Moravia. The company behind the restaurant is also an established catering organisation that is the first choice for event organisers when wanting to impress attendees. The menu often includes the pork knuckle, the knedliky (dumplings) and the occasional duck with red cabbage. Street food markets are strewn all around Prague. We recommend visiting the Holešovice Farmers Market, where you can purchase fresh local produce or try delicious local specialities during food festivals. For the ultimate pairing of beer and burger, our tip is to stop at Dva Kohouti.
PRAGUE, IN A FEW WORDS
If once regarded as a low-cost, former communist stopover outpost in Central Europe, today Prague is seen as a modern meeting destination capable of hosting the most demanding events. With the revitalisation of formerly deprived districts into lively hubs designed for younger clientele, it has been attracting a different type of event organisers who cherish community areas more than off-limits hotels and prefer authentic local experiences over generic offerings of corporations. Prague is on the rise again, courtesy of new openings that mushroom across the city. But what keeps visitors returning is the unfaked hospitality of locals who understand that highlighting local matters more to international clients than presenting dull international classics. The city of Franz Kafka is back on the global map and right on time for the 100th anniversary of the writer’s death.
Written by Jure Čad
NOTE: The MTLG Destination Update is not a paid advertisement. The Prague MTLG Destination Update was prepared based on a personal visit of Kongres Magazine’s assessor in April 2024. Based on the evaluation, Prague will be evaluated according to the Meeting Experience Index methodology. The MTLG evaluation will be prepared by the end of 2024.
