The professional program, designed under the overarching theme “Changing Perspectives,” focused on key issues regarding the future of the meetings industry. The lectures and workshops shifted focus from technological advancements and event volume to the sustainable, substantive value these events deliver to participants, destinations, and the broader environment. International and local speakers addressed topics such as designing holistic experiences, fostering emotional connections at events, and the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence.
Changing Perspectives
Part of the program included a panel discussion titled “Changing Perspectives, Leading Through Transformation,” where leading industry figures addressed the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of business events. Participants included Petra Stušek, Director of Ljubljana Tourism; Dr Senthil Gopinath; Fredi Fontanot, Director of the Slovenian Convention Bureau; and Angeles Moreno, Managing Director of Jack Morton Worldwide for Spain and Portugal. The discussion focused on collaboration, adaptability, and innovation in response to geopolitical, economic, and climate changes.
During the session, Petra Stušek presented Ljubljana FLOWS, a platform that uses artificial intelligence to predict tourist flows. The model was developed in collaboration with Arctur, a partner in the data platform’s development, and is the first of its kind among the partners of the European project D3HUB. The forecasting process takes into account daily tourist traffic, business events in Ljubljana, and public holidays or other non-working days in key source markets for Ljubljana’s tourism sector. In doing so, the platform supports a better understanding of tourist flows, the planning of measures, and a timely response by the destination.
The panel also highlighted the Unicorn Awards, an international festival and competition for the events industry held in Ljubljana during this period, as a model of creativity and excellence that aligned with the ICCA meeting. The awards ceremony complemented the ICCA meeting’s program and fostered the exchange of innovative practices across various sectors.
Reflections on the bidding process
Particular attention was drawn to the concluding panel discussion, “Association Perspectives: Reflections on the Bidding Process,” which focused on overhauling event bidding procedures and facilitated a direct, open dialogue between international association representatives and meeting participants.
Beyond a mere programme
Ljubljana was not merely the venue for this significant gathering. Still, a host in the broader sense: the participants, nearly 70 per cent of whom were international professionals, primarily from Germany, Austria, Poland, and the Czech Republic, experienced the city through a variety of venues, ranging from the Rog Centre, Cankarjev Dom, and the Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre to the City Museum of Ljubljana and Ljubljana Castle, as well as through its vibrant culinary scene.
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