400 attendees from 44 countries
The 18th Conventa officially began with a ceremonial inauguration at Ljubljana Castle. The event, firmly established on the European events industry calendar, will introduce twelve groundbreaking innovations this year. As outlined by Fredi Fontanot, Director of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, in his introductory remarks, the entire city of Ljubljana will host the event in 2026. In addition to the main venue, the Grand Hotel Union Eurostars, Conventa will be held at nine other exclusive venues across the city. This year, Conventa will once again honour individuals who have helped shape the events industry through their vision, commitment, and long-term contributions. The Conventa Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Sonja and Franci Jezeršek; the Conventa Hall of Fame Award went to Petra Stušek, MSc, from Ljubljana Tourism; and Mirjana Resner from the Croatian Tourist Board received the Conventa Ambassador Award.
The organisers of Conventa will host over 400 attendees from 44 countries in 2026. They include 192 hosted buyers who will meet with 129 exhibitors from 18 countries. Conventa will also be attended by numerous media representatives, business visitors and providers of innovative event services and technologies. The organisers expect that the event will host more than 3,700 pre-arranged business meetings. Despite the impressive numbers, Conventa’s key focus remains unchanged: quality over quantity. This year’s theme follows this methodology – designed ambitiously, with a focus on current topics, in-depth dialogue and formats that bring attendees tangible, useful and sustainable solutions. To this effect, the organisers are using VERA – the so-called VAR of the events industry. This advanced AI-powered system increases the transparency, objectiveness and business relevance of the event. Based on over 60 carefully selected criteria, credible data, and human judgment, VERA enables the ethical, well-thought-out selection of hosted buyers that deliver true added value. This innovation, developed by Conventa’s team, sets new quality standards in the events industry.
“Conventa makes a significant contribution to raising Slovenia’s profile as a premier event destination.”
“The Slovenian Tourist Board has been working in partnership with the Conventa trade show from its very inception, as Conventa makes a significant contribution to raising Slovenia’s profile as a premier event destination and a destination that keeps pace with trends in the field of business events. The events industry is a key tourism product in Slovenia, characterised by high visitor expenditure, a strong multiplier effect, and a substantial contribution to reducing seasonality, dispersing tourist flows, and supporting the sustainable development of tourism. That is why the Slovenian Tourist Board will continue to highlight the events industry, together with the Slovenian Convention Bureau and key partners. We will also support events within the framework of the new strategy for the Slovenian events industry from 2025 – 2030, Our activities are carried out with the aim of positioning Slovenia by 2030 as an inspiring European destination for medium-sized, regenerative events—events that leave destinations in a better state than before the event and in balance with society, the environment, and participants. We will inspire organisers through connectivity, creativity, reliable partners, innovative infrastructure, and measurable added value,” outlined Maja Pak, MSc, Director of the Slovenian Tourist Board.
One of the most anticipated novelties of Conventa 2026 is the Experience Crawl, a dedicated afternoon programme that enables attendees to explore Ljubljana through bespoke experiences. Instead of a classic networking setting, hosted buyers will discover handpicked venues across the city in smaller groups. There, they will be immersed in local stories, cuisine and content while forging new connections. By hosting the Conventa Experience Crawl, Conventa is becoming the epicentre of events, offering attendees an authentic city experience.
“In developing the program, the team at Ljubljana Tourism played a key role, as we understand the concept of the ‘entire city as a venue’ not merely as a logistical solution, but as a story that the city tells to participants. We have already successfully tested a similar approach in the past at the prestigious Virtuoso Chairman’s Event, for which we received the award for Best ‘Pop-Up’ B2B Event at the Conventa Best Event Awards. This time, we are upgrading the concept and introducing it as a modern approach to organising business events—one that represents an innovation and, we believe, will also be of interest to other event organisers. At the same time, in doing so, we present Ljubljana as an open, collaborative, and trustworthy destination for the most demanding international events,” emphasised Petra Stušek, MSc, Director of Ljubljana Tourism.
A network of extraordinary venues
Conventa 2026 highlights the central topic “The Art of Meetings” – the art of connecting people, ideas and spaces. At a time when many business events lose their identity and human touch, Conventa once again provides a space for authenticity, aesthetics, and meaningful interactions. By doing so, it drives creative, thoughtful, and authentic experiences where business meets art, creativity, and emotion. Conventa’s iconic FAM trips embody this philosophy. The host destination of the trade show is not merely Ljubljana, but the whole of Slovenia. Of the eleven FAM trips, seven will take place across several destinations in Slovenia. The programme also actively involves all regional countries. The organisers have stated that this is the most expansive and holistic selection of FAM trips in the modern history of the Slovenian events industry to date. It will present Slovenia as a connected, diverse and confident global destination.
Fredi Fontanot, the Director of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, the same bureau that co-founded Conventa, added: “One of the most paramount goals of the new strategy of the Slovenian events industry is a more balanced development of destinations, especially the hitherto overlooked eastern part of Slovenia. Thanks to FAM trips, we are making this vision a reality, as international event organisers have a direct opportunity to explore the country’s diversity, quality, and potential. This way, we not only present Slovenia as one destination, but a network of extraordinary venues and experiences – a country that is primed to host world-class business events.”
Slovenia - a key networking platform
In eighteen years, Conventa has hosted 3,989 hosted buyers from 47 countries and 2,211 exhibitors from 19 countries. Through its matchmaking system, the trade show has facilitated 56,813 business meetings, reaffirming Slovenia’s role as a key networking platform in the region. Throughout the event’s history, the organisers and partners have conducted 146 FAM trips. They have played an integral role in advancing the recognition of Slovenia and other regional event destinations.
The second day of Conventa will end ceremoniously with the Meetings Star award ceremony. According to the organisers, this event will be a highlight of this year’s Conventa, recognising leading event destinations, hotels, convention centres, and individuals in the events industry.
The Meetings Star Award, regarded as the Oscars or Michelin Guide of the events industry, will be awarded this evening in Cankarjev dom. The award ceremony will confirm the exceptional achievements and innovation of those who help set standards for modern business events.
Conventa has also published the dates for future Conventa editions until 2030:
- Conventa 2027 – 9 to 11 February 2027
- Conventa 2028 – 8 to 10 February 2028
- Conventa 2029 – 13 to 15 February 2029
- Conventa 2030 – 12 to 14 February 2030
Conventa is organised by the Slovenian Convention Bureau and Toleranca marketing, in cooperation with Ljubljana Tourism, the Slovenian Tourist Board and 21 strategic partners.
Learn more about Conventa here.
