easier if there are actually several hundred fewer. Once there are a greater number of hotels in the city, as close to the centre as possible – including three star hotels, perhaps one deluxe hotel and perhaps also a strong international hotel chain – an increased number of direct flight connections, inclusive of discount fares, and a larger airport, our chances against our strong international competition will improve considerably. The tourist offer itself has improved over the years, with new products initiated, and no lack of plans and ambitions or a varied menu of events. The number of open-air activities and the close proximity of numerous attractive areas that could be the scene of social events accompanying meetings only add to the value of the city, which numerous foreign visitors like to describe as ‘cosy’. Maribor began especially to prove itself as a conference town with the help of initiatives from the private sector of tourism. Terme Maribor’s investment in the construction of a contemporary conference centre in the Hotel Habakuk and smaller conference capacities in its other properties has given it an opportunity to really develop these activities. The largest hall in this centre is extremely functional and can accommodate up to 430 participants. Smaller facilities, in specific faculties, smaller city Foto: Zavod za turizem Ljubljana Photo: Ljubljana Tourist Board hotels, companies and the Narodni dom (a first-rate venue for cultural events) round off the offer. The revival of Maribor airport with regular connections to European cities, as well as its proximity to the airport across the Slovenian-Austrian border in Graz, is also increasingly opening this area up to foreign clients. The intertwined history in the preserved old city centre along the Drava River, its superior culture, attractive winter sports venues and the green Pohorje, the excellent thermal and wellbeing products, the food and drink (with emphasis on the wine roads) – all enclosed in a compact region – can be seen as several of the distinctive features of this Styrian metropolis. Nova Gorica is another distinctive town – a young place that bears a rose in its coat-of-arms and has extensive flowery areas where the main engine of tourist development is the HIT Group, one of the largest European entertainment providers. HIT is an entertainment-tourism group present in numerous areas around Slovenia. One of their guidelines is to create a high quality offer for its guests’ leisure time and, through an innovative approach in Europe, supplement a significant share of the gaming, entertainment and tourist markets. In its hotel and Perla conference centre, with the largest plenary facility offering capacities for 280 to 350 people, it has already hosted numerous corporate meetings for both domestic and foreign clients, with Italians prevailing. The numerous water sports possibilities of the nearby Soča River, the World War I history of these areas, the short distance to the picturesque Karst region and the culinary and wine offer with emphasis on the excellent Goriška Brda wine-producers, wonderfully supplement the city's offer, which is well-connected to more distant areas via Ronchi Airport near Trieste. Smaller towns in the shadow of the big cities So how can relatively small towns, or even entire countries, that clients of meetings often overlook, prove themselves in the sphere of sharp competition from global meeting centres? First, there must exist in a place and its inhabitants not only the desire to set up the infrastructure necessary, but also a lively pulse and pleasant ambience of which they are proud and that visitors wish to experience. Natural beauty or cultural heritage are advantages, but local authenticity is also a necessity. Finally, there should also be a good balance between price and quality, which planners gladly ascribe to us in Slovenia. Once the infrastructure exists, a solid approach to marketing both meetings and the basic tourism offers of the city or town is required. A balanced development of offers, from accommodation to traffic (airport) connections, increases an individual place’s competitiveness on the international market. We consider those able to make a holistic approach as winners in the development of the destination. This serves only as a guide to those areas in Slovenia forecasting investments in new conference infrastructure. We should also be aware that the domestic market is very important for meeting planners and, while that is limited, the route to foreign clients is more difficult and takes longer. In this sense, we cannot compare ourselves to larger countries, where national congresses of specialised medical professions often exceed the European congress of the same association in the number of participants. As often mentioned, the chances for Slovenia and its conference towns are reflected in foreign clients’ persistent searches for new locations, often those less stressful than large cities. In short, more friendly, manageable and intimate urban spaces that can offer, among other things, a better price and a more genuine experience of the area, things that we certainly possess. Tatjana Radovič, Congress Manager, Ljubljana Tourist Board 46
Mi to znamo. Smo mednarodno uveljavljeno podjetje za podroËje svetovanja, trženja in managementa v poslovnem turizmu. Imamo reπitve za uspeπno trženje kongresnih centrov in destinacij ter komuniciranje vaπih kongresov in poslovnih dogodkov. Pridobivamo in organiziramo mednarodne kongrese, poslovne dogodke, motivacijska sreËanja, razstave in sejemske prireditve, pri Ëemer uporabljamo najsodobnejπa znanja in tehnologije sreËanj. Pomagamo vam pri upravljanju in vodenju strokovnih in znanstvenih združenj. Štihova ulica 4,1000 Ljubljana, T+386 (0)1 430 51 03, F +386 (0)1 430 51 04, info@go-mice.eu, www.go-mice.eu
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