PREDSEDOVANJE EU 2008 EU Presidency 2008 PREDSTAVITEV ...

Column: Srečo Peterlič
Are we fitted with
Shoes of the appropriate Size?
I was in Turkey a short
time ago, having
travelled by plane
from Linz to Antalya.
I wondered whether there
was any possibility of
linking my travel with
the upcoming Slovenian
Presidency of the EU?
I could. Although there
are fewer landings and
takeoffs per day at Linz
airport than at Aerodrom
Ljubljana, it is at least
twice as big in terms of
the surface area available
for passengers.
Then, although Antalya
officially has somewhat
over half a million
inhabitants, unofficially
this figure exceeds one
million (with tourists
included, most likely).
The airport there is
one of the most
contemporary airports
in the world and is at
least five times the size
of Ljubljana Airport.
Over 150 official EU meetings will be held in Slovenia during the
half-year Presidency, with around 25-30,000 participants and guests
expected, bringing with them representatives and members of
delegations. They will probably arrive in the mornings and leave in
the evenings. Currently, Ljubljana Airport is already overburdened
at these times, even without these delegations. So where and how
will the arrival and reception of delegations, VIPs, security and so on
be implemented?
A lot of people have asked me for my opinion regarding the Slovenian
offer of meeting services in comparison with that of the competition.
My answer is that while meeting venues and services are above
average, several restrictions and facts must be observed. We have an
above average number of meeting halls and other venues for the size
of the country and the population, and we are a country with an
essentially greater number of international events and participants.
So what does this mean with regard to the major challenge awaiting us?
At the moment, Germany holds the European Presidency. Of course,
a comparison between Slovenia and Germany would not be sensible.
Perhaps we can compare ourselves to the Finns, however, who
performed an excellent job last year. Aware of their relatively small
size, they did an excellent job nevertheless and organised themselves
at the right time. A year before, they had a team of 28 experts in the
narrowest project group, and then over 40 experts and several hundred
permanent outworkers during the Presidency. Do we know how strong
the Slovenian team is currently?
Austria organised the Presidency before the Finns. Vienna has over
20,000 rooms in appropriate hotels. There are less than 2,000 in
Ljubljana, and these are already filled above average, not to mention
the meeting halls and other venues for social meetings.
We Slovenes are known as excellent hosts and organisers. We are
probably all aware of our objective resources and restrictions in
comparison with the above mentioned countries. Nevertheless, we’ve
hosted a good number of extremely successful meetings in the last
decade, such as President Clinton’s visit, the Bush/Putin meeting, the
OVSE meetings, two visits of Pope, etc. The upcoming Presidency, of
course, cannot compare to these events in terms of scope, the number
of events, the venues required, the necessary logistics, security and
protection or in terms of staff – and nor can the scope of the project
implementation groups. We can, however expect a project upstaging all
previous ones and I am certain that Slovenes are capable of executing
it with excellence. Firstly, we all find out if we are fitted with the
appropriate size shoes, then we step forward together. We, the
Slovenian meeting providers are prepared. Perhaps not all of us will be
required for the project, but nevertheless we can rightfully expect that
its excellent execution will consequently be an opportunity for the
future development of meeting activates for us, as experienced by the
Austrians and Finns. I await the website of the Slovenian Presidency
with impatience, and I hope it includes a countdown of the number
of days left until 1 January 2008.
Srečo Peterlič, Congress Director, Auditoria; Chairman of the Slovenian
Convention Bureau Council
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