Kongres Magazine July 2013 FPO

ISSN 1855-86159 771855 861009www.kongres-magazine.euVOLUME VII, ISSUE 4 // JULY 2013/10/ ENTHUSIASTER FROMTHE HOUSE OF EXPERIMENTSMiha Kos, The House ofExperiments/14/ BAROMETER OFPRICES FRO CORPORATEEVENTS IN CENTRAL ANDSOUTHEAST EUROPE/51/ EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWPeter Fuchs, President of theManagement Board, ValamarDaniela Kos, Poslovni turizam/74/ KONGRES TOP 10TOP 10 TITOS INCENTIVE STORIES

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Our selectionCONTRIBUTORSPage 6In focusExperience marketingPage 10Grand InterviewMiha Kos, ph.d.“ENTHUSIASTER” FROM THE HOUSEOF EXPERIMENTSPage 14Surveys And ForecastsBarometer of prices for corporateevents in Central and SouthEastEuropePage 16Voice from the topTomaž Krušič, CEO Intours DMCPage 24 - 25Global VillageYoung TalentsOlja Zvizdić, Jan Oršič, Anamarija Portada,Nikolina Pavlek, Mojca VidicPage 30 - 43Fresh MeetologuesHVAR, ŠIBENIK, ZADARPage 46 - 49Hidden Congress GuestHotel Maestral, PržnoHotel Ramada, PodgoricaHotel Avala, BudvaHotel Bristol, SarajevoPage 51Croatia AddendumInterview Peter Fuchs, ValamarPage 66 - 67Who Is WhoTanja Žibert, Lana MihelčičPage 70KONGRES TOP 10Page 74Top 10TITOS INCENTIVE STORIESJoanne BROOKJoanne is the Head of AudienceEngagement at UniversalWorldEvents. With over 20 yearsexperience, Joanne has considerableknowledge of all aspects of eventmanagement including operationaldelivery of events from 10 to 2000delegates, financial and procurementinitiatives and client servicing.Joanne’s role is to promote a rangeof engagement tools and solutionsto both new and existing clients, inthe rapidly evolving digital world.DANIELA KOSDaniela Kos graduated fromZagreb’s Faculty of Business andEconomics. An entrepreneur with aspecific interest in marketing, afterstarting her career in the IT industryand culture Daniela has goneon to today run the first Croatianmedia for the meetings industry.Robert COTTERAlongside his work for Kongres, Robis a regular contributor to MPI’sOne+ magazine as well as MICENETAsia and MICE Japan. He attendsinternational MICE events to seek outbest practice and share this with theinternational meetings community.Gorazd ČADEditor of the magazine and by professiona geographer and historian. Heunited his professional education andlove of discovering new, lesser-knownconvention destinations with a loveand passion for the meeting industry.In Meetologues he will try to sharehis enthusiasm with the readers.Natalija BAH ČADAn unforgettable member of thetravelogue editorial board, who ateach destination adds her icing onthe cake. She has insight into thesoul of destinations, based on manyyears of practical experience withthe organisation of events. She isinterested in everything from thehistory, geography and destinationmarketing to taking care of the tinylittle things that make the big events..@kongresmagazineG www.facebook.com/kongres.magazineEditor in Chief Gorazd ČadAssistant to the Editor in ChiefDanaja BesnardEditor of Croatia Addendum Daniela KosEditor of Kongres Telescope RobertCotterEditorial BoardRenata Balažic, Gorazd Čad, Anuša Gaši,Miha Kovačič, Viljam Kvalić, Srečo Peterlič,Tatjana Radovič, Maja VidergarDesign Nenad Cizldtp and prepress Premedia, Andrej JuvanTranslation Danaja BesnardPrinting Grafični studio K, LjubljanaCirculation 6000 copiesISSN Number 1855-8615The Kongres magazine is entered into themedia register under sequence number 1423.Magazine issued inJanuary; March; May; July; September;NovemberPublisher, Production and MarketingToleranca Marketing d.o.o.,Štihova 4, SI-1000 Ljubljana,t: +386 (0)1 430 51 03f: +386 (0)1 430 51 04e: kongres@go-mice.euIssue dateJuly 2013For the content reproduction it is requiredto get the written editorial consigment.Official magazine of the SlovenianConvention BureauMember ofkongres magazine is media partner of

A word from the editorROCK‘N‘ROLL MEETINGS:MANIPULATORS OF ENERGY LEVELSHow to organise meetings that RockGorazd Čad, Editor, Kongres magazine@gorazdcadCame, sang, thrilled.Have you ever talked with the style andenergy of a stage-show that was incredibleand contagious? ‘Sound is energy that propagatesthrough space like a wave’, loosely goesthe textbook definition. Like a wave it spreadslike a fuzzy noise or superior tone with itsheight, its colour, its strength and its duration.At an event or a congress, these are thechallenges that we are dealing with. We areturning this fuzzy noise into a steady toneof a suitable height, colour and dynamic.Pianissimo lectures to fortissimo partiesare connected by a special congress energy,through which participants feel the sincerelove and passion unique to the event. Usingcheap tricks doesn’t work; a guitar is neededto play live and to the full, full lungs areneeded to sing. Congress power is similar tothis power of music. To reach the nirvana ofjazz improvisation or top rock pleasures wehave to practice a lot, so in addition to talent,experience also counts for a lot.Think then about how you feel when you enterthe reception area of a conference and instantlyfeel the energy. Despite it being a place fullof unfamiliar people, you know instinctivelythat you are in exactly the right place andwith the right people (it’s the same with hotellobbies – ‘old cats identify good energy intuitively’,as we say). I dare to venture that mostof the communication at an event takes placeon the energy level, and less so on the verbal,which makes it surprising that congress receptionsare still so closed and formal. Fromthe world-class hotel with excellent receptionone can properly learn what it takes for communicationto flow smoothly and more directly,yet at the other end of the spectrum, killingthe flow of energy, are the classic fixed formathalls. Perhaps it is precisely for this reasonthat time and again your editor finds himselfslipping towards hibernation in these halls.Advice on the energylevels of events is actuallyvery simple. Despitethe sometimes negativeconnotation of the word,we congress organisersare MANIPULATORSOF ENERGY LEVELS.Successful manipulatorsorganise an eventwith a lot of love andwithout ill will: simpleand creative, ethicaland moral. It is necessaryto provide for theflow of energy betweenorganisers and participants,speakers andthe audience, betweensponsors and delegates.It is necessary to arrange spaces in sucha way that the energy flows freely, like atrock festivals. In doing so, we can even beinspired by some modern-day festivals,which are an elementary school of energyflow between the audience and the band.This year, in addition to the legendary Exitin Novi Sad, a whole lot of rock and electronicevents flashed up on the Adriatic.Welcome to the school of Rock ‘n’ Rollenergy for all event organisers.Above all, good energy we can get if wemanage three basic elements of events.The first of these is the element of surprise,which some call ‘a first impression’. If wecan establish a genuine relationship that isspontaneous and natural, we have solvedthe first part of the energy puzzle. If we arecreative, we are usually full of the surprisesthe participants crave.The second element, very important today,is communication, which before, duringand after an event generates the energyand transmits it all the way to the heightsof modern hybrid social communication.Thirdly is the effective dramaturgy, whichhas already been outlined and includes thescenery ambiance, design of rooms, lightand, for rockers, also the true rock congressriffs.The uniqueness of your event is based onthe energy levels. An event can be quicklyevaluated as successful if it was executedwell and in line with the objectives. Butonly a few events are truly effective, whichare those in which atomic congress energyflows to the participants who become apart of the energy. Such events raise customerloyalty and event reputation.Energy levels of an event is an importanttheme, so it will be interesting to hear moreabout energy levels from Mike van derVijver, main speaker at this year’s INSIDEconference.5

In Focus - ExperienceEXPERIENTIAL MARKETING FOR PREPARATIONOF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN EVENTSAnd now the participant will lead congresses?text by Gorazd ČadAnd now the participantwill lead congresses?In this issue of Kongres magazine we are startingfrom the assumption that only events and conferenceswill survive that will in addition to topcontent also sell an experience and create interactionthrough the personal experience of congressparticipants. We will try to discover the trueheart of the problem through discussion with Dr.Miha Kos and expert for engagement from theUniversal World Events agency, Vicky Pratt.Successful brands have for many years been usingthe strategy of experiential marketing, using itmost in the area of corporate events. Events areone of the best selling experiences. The Englishagency Universal World Events has recently setup an Audience Engagement team, which consistsof eight top experts. The Audience Engagementteam is experiencing a real boom and need forsharing best practices.All this could be summed up with the concoction“Meetingstainment”. The combination of expertcontent and entertainment are found today in allkinds of key events. There is not a lot of room leftfor differentiation of events in the postmodernera; we can only consider the experience andthe possibility of personal communication withparticipants on the emotional, physical, intellectualand spiritual levels.Participants may enter through the experienceof active participation and communication. Theevents have a variety of options to create suchexperiences, the most common being:• Entertaining experiences which relaxesparticipants and prepares them to assistand network• The educational experience, like House ofExperiments• The aesthetic experience, which is inducedby the use of specific sites with high aestheticvalue-added• The escape experience from everydaylife in the form of various teambuildingprogramsAll kinds of experiences trigger emotional reactions.Most events are used as a hybrid combinationof different stimulations. It is importantthat they are genuine, as only in this case can weearn the trust of the participants.Using elements of experiential marketing atevents is today a paradigm for the future andthe foundation of differentiation of your event,mainly because it is based on communication,which is not intrusive, but authentic, and it interactswith the participants, only when they reallywant this. Therefore you have to encourage dialogue,choose unobtrusive communication andenable participants to co-create your event.In this summer issue of Kongres magazine, weconfirm that the experiential events have becomea way of life and thinking. It has to be based ona good story. Events have to encourage thinking,sharing, interaction and engagement. Only whenyour participants find themselves in your storyand identify with it, then they will become yourloyal followers and co-creators of events.6

In Focus - ExperienceLIFETIME EXPERIENCESMaking the impossible event possibleInterview with Antonia Radić. EX ALTO d.o.otext by Špela JerucANTONIA RADIĆDaily work in tourism and in destination marketing,continuous improvement, frequentbusiness and study trips allow me daily trackof the latest global trends in tourism, the constantchanges in the general development andthe needs of tourists of a new era.Long-term cooperation and work with internationalcompanies in the field of events andexperiential marketing helped me becomeaware of the importance of a positive attitudeand to develop and adopt a positive and proactivebusiness philosophy in general. I havelearned about tourism, hospitality and experientialmarketing in a dynamic, multilingualand multicultural environment, and thusrealise the importance of personal experienceand perception. Today I share experience,associated with tourism and marketing withclients, employees, colleagues and studentsas a guest lecturer. Formal education has evenfurther shaped my previous study and workexperience in this, above all, dynamic businessbranch. Experience, unique and attractive iswhat I consider my daily mission both in businessand private life.Could you explain to us the concept of experientialmarketing from your point of view?Lifetime experiences result in a customer devotionto the product the experience is associatedwith. The essence of the experience has tomatch the one the brand is designed to achieveby translating the 6-dimensional impact (5 senses+ spiritual) to targeted audience senses and consciousness,perhaps sub-consciousness as well.The closest concept to experience producingmarketing belongs to tourism. In Croatia the linkbetween the two related professions somehowseem to sometimes be lost, but the secret is in applyingboth in the same goal. Providing lifetimeexperiences is the key to success in both.What is the importance of experiential marketingas a medium of communication forevents?Producing unique, individual, lifetime experiencesis the most efficient and convincing media ofdelivering a message to consumers. Impressionsprinted into the minds of consumers must be permanent,always desired and addictive.The message of the brand or the concept hasto be holistic, overwhelming, the messenger anempathy driven maniac obsessed with details…How best can you “wow” conferenceparticipants?By providing the electric feeling of goose bumps,by tantalising and mesmerising the audience.Ideas are bulletproof; unexpected, incredible,fascinating, concerning all the senses and unitingin a single place and moment regularly incompatibleconcepts. Our clients, Homo Ludens andHomo Turisticus, both desire excitement, thrills,news, education, fascination, emotions, drivensatisfaction. Nowadays technology exceeds ourrecent expectations and our audience expectsnothing less: HERE, NOW, ALL OF IT! Matchthat, and only then a good job has been done.What are some of the greatest challengeswhen conceiving and staging a successfulevent for a brand?Making the impossible events possible. Courage.Who dares wins. To be a revolutionary in producingemotions by providing experiences ofextraordinariness. The most incredible ideas putto life produce the most powerful impact. Ideasare bulletproof, but to recognize and catch themoment of fascination is a skill of the profession.To know how to grasp the moment before it isgone in a flash.Each never-seen-before, a brand new eventconcept and idea are ever more exciting toproduce.The audience is more mobile, faster, ever well educatedand experienced. To match the modernera fascination for challenges is more demandingthan has ever been. The human component of theevent or the experience producing concept is inmy opinion the key. Humans are social beingsdepending upon each other. The key instrumentis to involve total consumer attention. The mostcomplex and sophisticated emotions-producingmarketing messenger that ever existed is a realperson in action. Entertainment, performers,hosts, hostesses are the brand ambassadors, intheir very essence producing the experiences.That is what I am dedicated to: to produce theperfect match of individual, human interactionscan only be achieved by engaging the properteam of co-workers and performers.What do you see as the future of experientialmarketing right now?Marketing (Promotion) will start by a first, superficial,but fast impact; digital media beingthe perfect platform to provide the engagement.Today, without the credibility, vivid colors, fullnessof aromas, sounds, flavours and touchablesenses of the targeted experience, no essentialimpression or drive could be delivered.Expectations are high and brands need to provideexperiences or access that can’t be found anywhereelse.Here are some tips for experiential marketingin practice: Keep it simple, you have less than10 seconds to attract, engage, educate, discoveremotional trigger, be authentic, entertain, createa relationship with your client/consumer.People bearing the message, real people, are thefuture. Leading by an example, people are the keyto success. Teams of professionals delivering themost precise message including self devotion,emotions and fascination in the experience theyshare.Body, mind and essence alike.7

In Focus - ExperienceAUTHENCITYEvent organisers are the creators of theSIMULATED AUTHENTICITYtext by Gorazd Čad Photo credits: Srce SlovenijeUltimate rock’n’roll bands are marked byauthenticity, by the use of instrumentsfor their performance or the basic ideaof the band. Fakes do not work - browse throughyour musical memories. Do you still rememberthe fake German duo Milli Vanilli? Throughouttheir careers all the great musicians have beengenuine and generally modest.In difficult times, it seems that people want toresort to the good old days. Positive memoriesoutweigh harsh realities, and the genuine is allthat is authentic. This nostalgic search for authenticityis also interesting for meetings participants.We all like to look for and invent uniqueexperiences that are nothing other than the authenticwith slightly nostalgically spiced stories.Authentic cuisine, authentic music, special historicalsites and cultural history are at the coreof any good event, from incentives to large conferences.Participants like returning to nature,and will be happy to pay for learning about anauthentic way of life, those feelings, smells andplaces.Event organisers are the creators of theSIMULATED AUTHENTICITY. Most oftenwe try to conjure it up through the use of spacethat is evoking positive nostalgic feelings. Specialvenues are great added value to meeting destinations.Sometimes we do not even see them all atall and they have to be invented. Such cases areoften abandoned industrial facilities.With simulated authenticity at events, moreover,it is possible to use a wide range of positivestimuli. Some are indispensable. In the first placeare the various culinary stories that go back todifferent historical periods. An excellent exampleis the Tastes of Slovenia project, based on ancientrecipes and allowing us to learn about traditionalfood and Slovenian culinary diversity. Duringcoffee breaks we can play with a variety of retroproducts that are an integral part of the service.For example, to drink Cockta in SE Europe is atypical retro product that exudes authentic nostalgicfeelings.As part of the scenery many organisers useobjects from the past and memorabilia withwhich the community was once connected. Thismay also be photographs of important events ofprofessional associations or key personalities,and everything triggers a positive collectivememory. This could, for example, be a receptionunder haystacks in the original hayracks museumin Šentrupert in Dolenjska.The most basic element, however, is definitelymusic. If you know how to capture the spirit ofthe participants, then only with music can youconjure up a special atmosphere. It is importantto catch the spirit of the times in which most ofthe participants grew up.The ideal is to create events that are genuine intheir own right, those that trigger intense positiveexperiences. For this we need firstly to bevery familiar with our audience. Car artefactsand TOP GEAR stories are more likely to positivelyaffect men.If we build events on authenticity there is a goodchance that we will initiate positive emotionalreactions. But here we also have great responsibility.We must when we can provide evidence orconcrete historical sources with which we cancorroborate our story. We can only refer to thestories that are true, verifiable and relevant.The biggest mistakes are fictional historicalcharacters or events that only pretend to begenuine.Case study: Rolls-Royce race ApenfahrtRace Alpenfahrt was the first sports motoringevent, which took place over the territory ofSlovenia. Among the participants of the first racein 1911, there were five silver ghost Rolls-Royces.Without any major problems they travelled a1,820 kilometre long route.This year, the Slovenian roads once again hostedthe vintage Rolls-Royce, and alongside the promotionof the new Ghost an alpine trial collectionwas hosted. This event is a great example ofplacing products on the basis of the authenticityof the experience and nostalgia.8

In Focus - ExperienceAUDIENCE ENGAGEMENTFocus has to be on the contenttext by Joanne Brook, Universal world eventsAUDIENCE ENGAGEMENTTo achieve a return on investment from an eventthe focus has to be on the content. Technologyprovides tools that enable us to engage with audienceslong before an event starts - to build anticipation,to involve audiences in selecting contentand enables delegates to network with eachother. So with ever more tools at one’s disposalwhere does the process to deliver the optimummeeting start?Setting the Objectives. The PhillipsMethodology Return on Investment model requiresthat objectives be set at 5 levels. Focusingon the first 3: Level 1 is aboutthe perceptions we want tocreate amongst the attendees,level 2 is about learnings: whatthe learning objectives are thatshould be conveyed and level 3is about actions - specifically inrelation to applying the learningobjectives into the delegatesorganisational roles.Meeting Format. A single presenterstanding up and deliveringa PowerPoint presentationis unlikely to result in maximummessage retention and engagement.To follow are a number ofoptions for consideration:a) A traditional debate is aneffective way to engage audiencesin discussions in alively way and shift opinions. Speakers raisetheir game and the audience is more involved.b) Presenting a case study can be engaging whenbrought to life by asking the audience toprovide their views at key times when decisionswere made. The use of more than onespeaker can also help in this respect.c) If you have a guest speaker who could talkon numerous topics of great interest to youraudience, the question is which ones should becovered? The simple answer is let your audiencedecide. This way you are engaging thembefore the content has even started.d) Another option is to take some of your keystakeholders and ask them to host a table.You then invite small groups of the audienceto rotate amongst the tables to allow them amore intimate interaction with the table hosts.e) Another simple idea is to break your audienceinto small groups, ask them to identify keyissues on certain topics. They then interactwithin their groups with a view to presentingback to the whole audience. This is engagingand leads to a high level of cascadingof the information, as there is a high sense ofownership.Use of technology in the meetingTechnology should not be used for technology’ssake. It must be there to enrich the experiencefor the audience and not simply to make thecompany seem leading edge or because otherpeople are doing it. Used inappropriately it willbe distracting, waste time and money and nothelp you to achieve your objectives. Ideally itneeds to add to the engagement by increasing theaudience’s involvement and enriching their experienceso they retain more of the key messages.Looking at some of the ideas above, the use ofinteractive technology such as tablets, apps,mobiles etc. would work well as you can recordthe interest levels in each of the topics and usethis for follow up purposes. A confident presentercan ask further questions around the chosentopics and use the feedback to hone the contentfurther. Once this repartee has started the flowof interaction can be high. Audiences can use interactivetechnology to record information theyhave learned and will be sharing with the broaderaudience or their colleagues and teams.Pre- event CommunicationEvent websites and apps are a vital tool in today’sworld and provide a key role in the communicationprocess. The more one can involve audiencesin the build- up to an event, the better; providingit is relevant and going to add to their experience.For example, you can ask them to post a shortvideo about a topic they wouldlike to discuss that their fellowattendees will vote on to see ifthey are given airtime. As themeeting host you can use thisinformation to plan and enrichyour content further as well asbeing confident that your audiencesare going to receivecontent that is of utmost interestto them.On-going CommunicationThere was a time wheneverything was focused on thelive event itself with little attentionto the pre or post communication;this is a huge opportunitylost in terms of using all availablechannels to achieve a ROI.To maximise the value of yourevent, it is important to developa communications plan encompassing pre, postand on going communications. One example can9

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In Focus - Experience‘Enthusiaster’ from theHOUSE OF EXPERIMENTSGrand interview MIHA KOS Ph.D.text by Gorazd Čad photo credits: Hiša EksperimentovWe talked to Miha Kos Ph.D., Head of the Houseof Experiments in Ljubljana. For many years hehas been the ‘enthusiaster’ of the young and thenot so young for science and an advocate of thepromotion of knowledge and science. With aPh.D. in physics following professional developmentin the United States he chose the path ofinspiring other people to learn. Dr. Kos is a bigproponent of the idea that knowledge belongs toeveryone and is open source. Such is it also withhis house experiments, with tests outside openinghours also available on the internet.From Miha we meeting organisers can also learna lot, as he is himself attending various conferencesand congresses.Your ‘Sciencetival’ (Znanstival) has recentlyconcluded. How satisfied are you with its implementationand results?This was the fifth consecutive Sciencetival andI am very pleased. Maybe a little less so with theweather. Sciencetival is an event that is stronglydependent on the weather. The highlight of thefestival was a spectacle in which we designeda special bicycle for an equilibristic ride overLjubljanica.Due to this event, I can say that this year’s fifthrun of Sciencetival was a big turning point in itsprofile. Despite the fact that we had 2 days of badweather, there were only slightly less visitors thanlast year. Last year there were 14,000 visitors,this year there were 12,000 and this event gaveanother message: Bicycles could only be drivenby older than 18 years and we thus gave a messagethat science or the House of Experiments, andin particular continuing education, is meant foreverybody, especially the elderly.What is the mission of the House ofExperiments?‘House of Experiments’ is a nice name, very plain,but when many people hear such easy wordsthey think this is for the kids. If the word doesnot include dissemination and knowledge-basedsociety, then it somehow seems that it is notserious. We ourselves insist that we are a veryserious institution for the promotion of education.My opinion is that people only know what theythemselves learn through the sweat of their browor rather through the sweat of their own brain.Everything that anyone else has told them hasgone in one ear in and out the other, or they wereable to say it in such a way to impress us that weourselves learned that we are taking things intoour own hands and we actually own the thingswe processed. This is also a cancer of educationsystems around the world, as well as ours, thatwe have teachers ... no! We should have ‘enthusuasters’,because teachers do not teach you - a goodteacher inspires you to learn yourself.Humour is a kind of lever thathelps to move stones in the formof problems or dynamite to helpblow them up or like a spring thathelps to skip them... But humouris also a very powerful tool forcreating enthusiasm, somethingthat opens people’s hearts,which opens communication.How do you think it is possible to encouragean interest in science?First, you have to stimulate an interest in learning- the interest that I take things into my own hands,that you take things up and are digging deeper,looking into these questions that have arisen andthat you have energy and stamina for looking foranswers, that you are not happy with the firstanswers and you are happy to go further. It isimportant that you doubt the fact that new discoveries- innovations - are created only from thefact that people are questioning what exists. Thus,new things are created. If you simply believe, thenyou will soon grow wool over your skin and beginto “bleat”.How to impress this for science, so that youenthuse to learn, so that you show science insome way, when learning becomes fun, is throughlearning becoming a hobby, science here andthere a game when you have already learned alot, a lot revisited when you may have specialisedand discovered something new...For detection there is always time; very fewthings have been so far already discovered. A lotof things can still be found, but there are differentapproaches and if we look at the activities of theHouse of Experiments, we already provide sometools on how to impress for science. However,these are not all the tools, but if we want thingsto move or if we want to reach the goal, we musttake the first step.What are visitors to the House experimentsusually most enthusiastic about?When people come to the house experimentsfor the first time, they are inspired by the experiments,all of which are in turn built safely, yetstrong enough to be put through a lot of hands,small hands... Then, of course, such that whensomeone stops to handle with them and ‘brain’with them they are ready for a new visitor.You like to stress the role of humour as a didactictool. How to use it in practice?Humour is a necessary thing in life, especially ifyou want to get through. I take life as a series ofproblems. We always have problems, you never getto a situation where you do not have any problem,or if you get to such a situation already Murphysays that something is always wrong, the problemis probably in the background. It is important thatproblems are of various sizes and classes, we needto determine whether the problem is the size ofTriglav or the size of a pebble in the sand box. Andwhen we realise this, and when we realise thatlife is actually just a series of problems... whenwe accept it as a fact, and when solving problemsslowly becomes first a challenge, then a kind of aroutine, because of the challenges that we haveovercome so far, we have learned something, andwhen problem solving becomes a hobby, then lifebecomes something pleasant. Maybe we are evenlooking forward to the next problem, because itwill teach us something new ... then it is easier tostart solving things.Humour is something that helps us to diminishthese problems, so that we know how to grabthe problem from other end. Humour is a kindof device that helps us move stones or the dynamiteto make them explode... or as a springboard,which helps us to skip them ... But humour is initself a very powerful tool of enthusiasm, somethingthat opens people’s hearts, something thatopens communication.If people, like in many countries in the world,were able to walk and smile, and smile when they11

In Focus - Experiencelook at the other fellow, life would be automaticallymuch easier.What can we event organisers learn from thehouse of experiments?Some thing which can be learnt in the House ofExperiments is definitely teamwork. I think thatevery successful company, every successful institution,must have a successful team behind it.One thing is the leader that someone has to be,but following discussions someone has to say let’stake this way… but the team is very, very crucial.Teamwork means that the team has as manypossible colours that it can, consisting of bothmen and women, consisting of people of differentreligions (or atheists), people coming fromdifferent backgrounds ... As you start to experienceproblems, various elements of the team willtackle the problem from different angles, whichmeans ‘the ideal’.A team also means more listening and less talkingand we will continue to think of it; what you saidis also good for your colleague in another team.If this works, I think it is an open flow of ideas,innovation, since this is what gives you the energyto make your heart beat.What programmes of the House of Experimentscan be prepared for closed groups?The flexibility of the House of Experiments is important.If, of course, the event has been plannedfor long enough, as conferences usually have tobe, and if we have enough time to prepare thetopic from any theme a science show can, maybean experiment… there is no field from which anexperiment cannot be prepared, only the teammust be the right one.Congresses, despite all mannerof social media, e-mail, Skypeand so on, are still a face to faceconversation, from gesture togesture, from ear to ear; theyare still the best way of contacting,maintaining contactand communication itself.The characteristic of our team is that it is open.When we for example were doing an experimentin Slovenian dialects, we needed an expert inSlovenian dialects and we turned to a college fromthe faculty of philosophy and got Vera Smole, whois a master of this. When we worked on a geographicalexperiment, we again got the expertsin this field...One should not do things one does not know. Onemust do things one knows and the saying “everyoneknows everything” is a saying that applies toa team, but if we think of it as “everyone knowseverything”, then this certainly will not work.How can you adapt to large congresses?If this is a Congress with a thousand people, thenthey are hard to be all at once placed in the Houseof Experiments, at least to date. Once the appropriatehouse of experiments will be built - I hopeit will be in this century - then we will have betterspatial possibilities. But for now we can accept 80people in the house for an hour and then seriallycontinue to accept a large number of people.Another thing is, as I said, the science shows areour speciality, interactive adventures, or in otherwords ‘to jazz the science’, because it is knownthat if you want to play improvised music, thenyou must first damn well know how to play followingnotes. Our experts are highly trained andknow how to react when they find themselves indifficult situations, and do not teach but ratherinspire and, in particular, they say ‘I do not know’when they do not know some things, as it can bethe case that an expert is in the audience and willhelp or come up with a new idea, or the truth.Then there are certainly also workshops wherefrom simple objects interesting wonders can becreated, interesting magic...What about teambuilding programmes?Science is nothing but magic that you know howto explain, and this is certainly something. We12

In Focus - ExperienceTeamwork means that the team should consist of as many coloursas possible, that it consists of both men and women, that it consistsof people of different religions or atheists, all kinds of people,it is composed of people coming from different backgrounds. Asyou start to experience problems, various elements of the teamwill tackle them from different angles, which means is ideal.started with teambuilding activities. We organiseteambuilding events in the House of Experimentsfor companies.For now these events occur once a month, but Ithink this will soon be weekly and it will be verysoon 4 times a week, not more often, because wedo not want inflation of teambuilding.Likewise we organise birthday parties in theHouse of experiments only on Fridays and only2 birthdays a week. And because of that parents– and I’m not saying just parents, because thiswould be a mistake, we also had 90-year-olds celebratingtheir birthdays here… - in short, thosewho are celebrating their birthday, should, likeorganisers of congresses, think in advance whenthey have their birthday, because we are usuallybooked about 4 months in advance.What is your crisis advice for meetingplanners?Which companies thrive in the world? Those whoinvest a lot in their development. If you lag behindand think that you’re going to live forever with aproduct, this is a great big illusion. Your productmust be refined, you must clearly examine thecompetition and always add extra value to yourproduct, invent new things... and this is only possibleif you have a good research team and if youhave a good head of the business.The company needs hands, needs legs, needs abody, needs nerves, needs muscles… it needs allthat. It is true that in crisis situations we maybe able to lose a finger and still live on... no onewould want that, but sometimes it is just so. Evena fox when caught in a trap will sometimes biteoff its foot to be able to come out of it... it will beof lesser quality, but still it will live on. If you’rebiting off your head or if you cut it off then it is theend of the story. And that goes for the country, thisapplies to business and this applies to the Houseof Experiments. So invest in the heart of innovationin thinking, in doubt, in questions in resolvingissues and in asking for advice, communication.You do not fit the stereotype of the scientist -why do you think that is?I think I correspond to the stereotype of the scientist.For example, what is now a stereotype… astereotype is a bad word, but I do consider myselfto be a scientist, and I consider a lot of people tobe scientists. Even those who have never been inany laboratory, and have never studied physics,chemistry, biology or geography. If you think, ifyou have doubts, or if you ask yourself questions,if you are happy to search for answers to thesequestions, if you are not afraid of mistakes, errors,if you are taking positive steps in your own education,if in other words you know how to learnsomething from your mistakes, you pose hypothesesand are checking up on them and then and areimproving your life, you are a scientist.If someone thinks that a scientist is someone thatis locked up in a laboratory, someone that has atleast 10 dioptres and is blending tubes and wherethings are constantly detonating, he or she has thewrong idea about the scientist.Is there any thing else that you would like tocommunicate to meeting organisers?I think that congress programmes are alwaysovercrowded. It is clear that one comes to theCongress once a year and then everyone wantsto pass on messages on what they did, and eachwould like to know what everyone else did.Congresses, despite all manner of social media,email, Skype and so on, are still a face to face conversation,from gesture to gesture, from ear to ear,they are still the best way of contacting, maintainingcontact and communication itself.For this reason, I always suggest as many socialevents at conferences themselves, starting withcoffee breaks, then the areas where people cansit down where several people may sit at the sametime, but not to review their e-mails, but becausethey found one man, be it for the commonEuropean project, or to share some ideas, eitherbecause it’s a soul mate, maybe even love... if weallow this networking at the Congress, then thisis a good Congress.Could hybrid technologies replace meetingsand events?A video conference can perhaps be 10% of theevent within the conference. In a video conferenceespecially, since this is not the native language,not the natural language and often we donot really know what the “poet” wanted to say, sothere may be lack of understanding, and sometimeseven resentment, although all this was notintended. It is possible that there are two personsphysically present on the one hand, then thereare 5 on the other. These two can wink at eachother, show something with hands that otherscannot see, and are already in an unequal position.Therefore personally I swear on “face toface” communication.13

Surveys And ForecastsBAROMETER OF PRICES FORCORPORATE EVENTS IN CENTRALAND SOUTHEAST EUROPESofia and Belgrade the cheapest, whilst a corporateevent in Vienna or Graz is the most expensive.At the start of the summer theKongres magazine editorial boardsent inquiries to key SoutheastEuropean destinations, asking for the priceof an international corporate event inSeptember or October and using a standardquestionnaire divided into two parts:conference and accommodation. The priceof the conference part included hiring aconference room for 100 people and:• classroom set-up for 100 pax• LCD projector, screen, laptop, speaker’slectern, speaker’s podium, 4 microphones,AV technician• 2 standard coffee breaks (0,2l water, 0,2ljuice, coffee/tea, pastry)• 1 buffet lunch (prices without drinks)• Cocktail party for Welcome Reception(prices without drinks)• Farewell dinner, served, 4-course (priceswithout drinks).The accommodation part included a bedand breakfast in 4 star hotel.The prices returned were highest in Graz,Vienna and Warsaw, and least expensivein Belgrade and Sofia. The most expensiveaccommodation was in Vienna, withthe cheapest in Sofia, Zagreb and Athens.Bringing all the data into a daily cost for anevent, the least expensive cities are Sofiaand Belgrade.DESTINATIONSingleroom /nightConferenceroomF&B:CoffeebreakF&B:BuffetlunchF&B:CocktailpartyF&B:FarewelldinnerTOTALPRICEConferencepart (withoutaccommodation)VIENNA 13.000 7.400 incl. incl. 1.500 2.800 24.700 11.700GRAZ 12.500 5.400 incl. incl. 2.500 4.200 24.600 12.100WARSAW 10.000 3.470 740 2.300 1.500 3.300 21.310 11.310PRAGUE 12.000 1.545 700 2.100 1.700 3.000 21.045 9.045LJUBLJANA 11.000 790 950 1.900 1.500 2.900 19.040 8.040BRATISLAVA 11.000 835 800 2.200 1.700 2.300 18.835 7.835DUBROVNIK 9.700 750 800 2.000 1.500 3.600 18.350 8.650ATHENS 8.900 free 400 2.500 1.200 3.000 16.000 7.100ZAGREB 8.900 520 500 1.800 1.100 2.400 15.220 6.320BELGRADE 10.000 300 250 1.200 1.000 1.500 14.250 4.250SOFIA 7.000 500 300 1.500 700 1.900 11.900 4.900NOTE: The editorial board is not responsible for the accuracy of the data received from the destinations included in theCongress barometer. Prices are in EUR, for 100 participants.14

Voice from the topVOICEFROM THE TOPTomaž KRUŠIČCEOINTOURS DMCHave you always wanted to work in the meetingindustry?Not really. When I was kid I wanted to be a firemanor football player, but when I got poisonedwith hospitality business, the story was as it shoudbe: first working as a guide, than as tour leader,than as representative for a big tou operator ondestination -something completely different thathoery, which we were absorbin at the university.But a must-do for everyone who wants to work inthe hospitality business.Experiences with the meeting industry came in thelate 90’s when the situation in the Adriatic regioncalmed down and when the first meetings andincentives started to be organised in the region.Now I am happy to be part of this special »movement«,because I am sure it’s the most complex,interesting, challenging and demanding segmentof the hospitality business.Why is your destination/country the best in theworld?It offers a huge variety of high level services in asmall area, value for money is good, it’s still newand an undiscovered destination. A big positivesurprise for most of people from our business whocome for the first time.What would be the first thing you would showevery visitor to your country?Ljubljana and the vibrant atmosphere along theriver banks is unique. A world top class wine andculinary experience in the Brda wine growingregion or the Vipava valley is also somethingspecial, even for the most “spoiled” visitors. Canyoningin the river Soča valley is something toremember – because of the adrenalin, the naturalbeauty and an after party with the local guys.What has been your star moment so far and yourfavourite project with which you would praiseyourself?The biggest one was a world press launch of a newcar model – we did a great job and we got lots ofcompliments for creativity, more than professionalservices and excellent prepared routes. And journalistswere also so happy that finally they wereinvited to a new, small, quiet, picturesque destination,because most of them are already fed upwith traditional car launching locations like Spain,France or Portugal.It also feels good when experienced incentive plannersand participants after the event honestly sayto you that for them this was best ever experienceso far, knowing that in previous years they visitedsome top world destinations. It happened this yearon the island of Hvar and it shows that also lessexpensive events on less known destinations canbe a big success. It’s all in the creativity, the passion,the right feeling and fair communication.What motivates you the most at work?It’s the passion to convince the agent or client thatour destination could offer better value for moneyand more intense experiences than competitive destinations,that participants will go home happy andfull of positive impressions and that the client willdefinitely fulfill his mission. Of course, another issueis putting together a really interesting program,using all the local expertise we have.Nevertheless, working in and for the meeting industrymeans also getting in contact with so manydifferent and interesting people from all over theworld, which gives you a chance to learn from caseto case and to gain skills and experiences which nouniversity can offer.In what way do you deal with stress?Sport is the best stress killer. Many times also culturefills my brains with positive energy. And familyand kids, now both sons are already at an age whenthey could be together than the toughest businesspartners.When were you last angry / disappointed and why?This spring, when a client did not recognise the benefitsoffered to them. But later participants rewardedour efforts.What will be new in your business in year 2013?New markets showing an interest for our region,new approaches from the operational side.What have you learned last week?Weather cannot be regulated – stay calm and thinkpositive even in pouring rain and hurricane winds.At the end it’s all about good experience.Where will you spend this year’s holiday and why?On an island, in a small village with no hotels, withtwo small local inns, with a different way of life. Andwith crystal clear sea, a totally relaxed atmosphere andenough time and opportunity to do nothing but enjoygenuine food and have fun with kids and friends.If there were no time and financial constraints,where would you go?Not to Shanghai or Dubai, but for heli-skiing toAlaska or Canada. Perhaps also exploring New Zealand,or trekking at Kamchatka, or for a true PhotoSafari. Back to the roots.What would be the title of your life autobiography?Titles are given after books are written, so no titleyet.16

MEET THEWORLD HEREMeet over 3,100 globalexhibitors in just 3 days.CREATE YOURMEETINGS ANDEVENTS HERENETWORK ANDCONNECT HEREMeet face-to-face and makeconnections that matter.FIND INSPIRATIONHEREFind out what’s new andsee the latest innovations.EIBTM. Where the global meetingsand events industry connects.Join over 15,000 professionals at the leading global meetings, events andbusiness travel exhibition for three days of networking and unlimited businessopportunities. Discover over 3,100 international venues, hotels, destinations,technology, business travel and events services providers essential for yourmeetings and events. Attend EIBTM for a unique and powerful opportunityto make the connections that matter to drive your business into the future.EIBTM. Create your meetings and events here.Register to attend or apply to be hosted at www.eibtm.com

Been ThereEXPERIENCE SLOVENIAIN ITS BESTSlovenia in a flash from 5 to 7 July 2013text by Gorazd Čad Photos: Azra BotonjičSlovenian Convention Bureau with SPIRIT Publicagency, Intours DMC and selected members hosted afam trip for clients coming from eight European countries.The two and a half day trip included the major Slovenianmeetings industry destinations. In search of its favourite locationsand country’s diversity participants were able to experiencethree geographic and three climate regions over aweekend.The whole fam trip was organized as an incentive withouthotel site inspections but with the idea to experience Slovenianservices and FEEL the vibe of the country.The fam trip programme started with welcome lunch at theenchanting Brdo Estate surrounded by old parks and forests.After lunch we continued to the Slovenian coast, where ourfirst stop was old Mediterranean town of Izola.After short stop in one of the local restaurants participants hada chance to explore Slovenian coast from the sea. On the boatthey discussed with Slovenian suppliers about their propertiesand different destinations.Next stop was Piran, the medieval fisherman town withnarrow streets and rich cultural heritage.The coastal host was Kempinski Palace Portoroz, one of thefinest in the region. The dinner followed with wine tasting atone of the finest wine cellars in the coastal region, Santomas..The cuisine was prepared by one of the best Slovenian cateringcompanies Jezeršek.Next morning the action continued underground. Postojnacaves belong to the largest underground cave system butare easy accessible by an electric train. The highlight of thesecond day was the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana. Guests hada chance to experience the city by bike. Everyone was amazedhow easy it is to explore and enjoy one of the safest Europeancities, internationally awarded and marked by architect JozePlecnik.The day was completed by a warm welcome of The ArtNoveau Grand Hotel Union, who was overnight host.On Sunday the fam trip we headed to the Alps. Lake Bled isthe flagship of Julian Alps in Slovenia. With over 1000 yearsof history the place is filled with stories and scenery that tookparticipants’ breath away.Some thoughts from participants:“I really appreciate the organization and the concept of thefam trip with European participants and suppliers staying intouch 3 days long. BRAVOFurther to my “Slovenian experience” I would say that Isincerely trust in the MICE potential of the destination forthe French market: eco friendly geography, quality of foodand wines, top class hotels and last but not the least, I observedgreat professionalism: Slovenian Convention Bureau,Ljubljana Convention Bureau and all the suppliers we met:DMC, hotels, team building, activities..I’ll do my best for turning back to you with good business.”Didier J.AndrieuSenior Consultant Twim Events“First of all it was truly a pleasure to meet you all. I thank youand all your providers very much for this beautiful and highlyinteresting familiarization trip.I appreciated a lot your concept of educational tour withpartners. Everything was perfect!Congratulations for you high professionalism, your warmwelcome and your kindness.You show us that Slovenia is a wonderful destination forboth Incentive and convention. And perfectly adapted to theFrench market.”Pascale Le BorgneMICE Consultant - Senior Project Manager“I would like to thank you for the very nice and well organizedtrip. It was a very good opportunity to see so much insuch a short time frame. I have a very good impression of allpossibilities in the country.”Dennis ValkAmerican Express Meetings & Events“Big thank you for the perfect organisation and for guidingus around your beautiful country. It was a pleasure meetingall of you”Grtz, Ilse, MVG, Ilse18

Been There01020301 Coming to Piranby boat02 Breakfast at theGrand Hotel Union03 Exploring Ljubljanaby bike04 Wine tasting at SanTomas Wine Estate05 Team activity atBled Castle06 Dinner at San TomasWine Estate07 Team buildingat Bled island04050608 On the boat inthe Piran bay09 Lunch at the Duckisland, Brdo Estate10 Lunch in Ljubljana- Restaurant As11 Exploring Ljubljana12 Dinner at restaurantŠpajza Ljubljana07080910111219

Conventa NewsCreativity never ends!Photos: Tadej BERNIKThe Conventa team once again steps outof the box, leaving behind formal invitationsand coming up with a creative wayto invite hosted buyers to the show – an ode tohosted buyers. We thought it was a cool, freshand creative approach!Conventa offers all you need,One2one meetings are the best indeed.Never ending business opportunities arise,Visit the best South East European destinationsand be surprised.Education, entertainment and experience isthe key,Numerous hosted buyers do agree.Taking advantage of hosted buyer benefitsis a thrill,Application form is the only thing left to fill.Introducing Hosted buyers help deskA brand new on-line Request for Proposal (RFP)form helping meeting planners search for suppliersin the SEE region has now been addedto the long list of benefits Conventa offers tohosted buyers. The RFP will help all those whoare planning to organise an event in the SouthEast Europe region, but don’t know whom tocontact. By filling in and submitting the form,meeting planners will receive an e-mail from theorganisers of the trade show, helping them withsuggestions of suitable suppliers in the region.The RFP form will be an additional year-roundservice offered to meeting planners in searchfor meeting providers, adding to the one-to-onemeetings conducted at the trade show.Looking for the perfect venue and services foryour next event has never been easier!More at www.conventa.si/hosted-buyers/request-for-proposalConventa extends a hand to emergingmeeting industry providers from theSEE regionMeeting providers coming from countries witha lower trade per capita have a chance to applyfor Conventa wild card, a “helping hand” programmegiving them the opportunity to exhibitat Conventa 2014 show free-of-charge.The Conventa wild card programme is designedto help new or emerging meeting providersto enter the global meeting industry marketand therefore increase the competitiveness ofthe entire region of South East Europe. TheConventa free wild card grants the meeting industryproviders coming from Albania, Bosniaand Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Former YugoslavRepublic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania,Serbia and Turkey, who had never before exhibitedat Conventa, an opportunity to present theiroffer at the Conventa 2014 show free-of-charge.Each winning exhibitor will receive the BlackSea package complimentary. The winners willalso benefit from marketing support to assistthem in presenting their product/ offer to theaudience of international buyers before and atthe show.Despina Kozarovska from Exploringmacedonia.com, one of last year’s winners, rememberswinning: “Conventa, as the leading business-to-businessevent in the area, is a valuableopportunity for every business tourism orientedcompany from the region. We are glad thatConventa supports and gathers industry professionalsat an event that is building tradition,know-how and expertise for a global competenceof the South East European region on the busi-ness travel world map. We perceive the ConventaWild Card Programme as an outstanding possibilityto increase our brand awareness, not onlyto Exploringmacedonia.com as a tourism portal,but in general for Macedonia as the unexploredMICE destination in the region.”Eligible applicants should submit the applicationform by 5 November 2013. Decisions will be announcedby 20 November 2013.More at www.conventa.si/exhibitors/conventa-wild-cardEco providers will again be raising theirvisibility in the meeting industry worldEco village presents Conventa’s inspired initiativeto raise awareness of the importance of environmentalprotection and social responsibility inthe growing meeting world of South East Europe.Exhibitors in the Eco village will again be ableto build or enhance relationships with potentialclients. Eco providers are thus invited to registerand present their eco products and servicesfor hotels, eco products for event planners, ecotourist products and services and other environmentallyfriendly products and services at the6th Conventa. Early Bird registration is possibletill 30 September 2013.More at www.conventa.si/exhibitors/eco-village-packageConventa welcomes technologyprovidersThe ‘Meetings Services’ spot gives providers ofinformation technologies and systems, technicalequipment, congress and promotional materialsand marketing and event production a uniqueopportunity to reach and develop personal relationswith new clients from South East Europe’smeetings industry. Presenting to an expandingmarket, providers will be able to develop the positioningof their brand, products and services inSouth East Europe and generate new businessleads. This year Start-ups have a 50 % discounton registration fee. Deadline for Early Birds is 30September 2013.More at www.conventa.si/exhibitors/meetings-services-spot20

6 thSoUtH eASt eURoPeAN eXHiBitioN foR MeetiNGS,eveNtS & iNceNtive tRAveLexplore the emergingdestinations of South east europeover a cup of coffee.www.coNveNtA.iNfo22 - 23 JANUARY 2014, Ljubljana—Slovenia

Use it!✃Kongres Magazine is far from beingjust a magazine. It is the only providerof integrated congress marketingcommunications, with which you canmake effective dialogue with congresscustomers. Because we know whatcongress customers really need andhow to ensure their long-term loyalty, we can makeabove-average, high-quality, relevant, independent,in-depth and interesting congress stories. In 2013they will dedicate to you and your customers evenmore.SPRING ISSUEMarch 2013DO NOTDISTURBREADINGMAGAZINEHUMAN issue: we are going to shed light on newneeds and changes in the habits of congressparticipants, which will affect the future of theindustry.SPECIAL ISSUEMay 2013KONGRES MEETOLOGUESUMMER ISSUEJuly 2013EXPERIENCE issue: The central theme is going tobe all aspects of experiential marketing with afocus on ways to involve event participants inexperiencing brands.FALL ISSUESeptember 2013EMOTIONAL issue: The success of events depends onthe emotional transaction between participants andorganisers. Only if the meetings industry finds away to address the emotional side of participants,it will be successful.WINTER ISSUENovember 2013COLLABORATIVE issue: What will social networksof the future be like and how they will affect themeetings industry, what will be innovations andwhat the future of the industry, all is going to bedisclosed in the last issue of 2013.CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST EUROPE MEETINGS INDUSTRY MAGAZINEwww.kongres-magazine.eu

Inside ConferenceInside conference will look intoThe future of meetings designFrom 30 to 31 August 2013, the beautiful city of Rovinj will hostthe second Inside Conference. Delivered in partnership with IBTMGlobal Events, Conventa trade show and Convention Bureaus fromSlovenia and Serbia, the conference will look into the future of theMeetings Design and will bring new content to the countries inSEE by combining training, teasers and practical examples.Inside will offer an intriguing conferenceprogramme with several opportunities fornetworking with meeting professionalsfrom the region. The conference will explore allaspects of design in relation to meetings. A threepartMeeting Design workshop led by Mike vander Vijver, Managing Partner at MindMeetingBV, promises a great learning experience. Mikewill answer questions such as “What are thecharacteristics of meetings as a form of communication”and “What distinguishes them fromother forms of communication”. Delegates willbe able to experience how Meeting Design worksin practice, while the “Solution Room”, a peer-topeerand participant-led session, will put themwhere meeting participants during meetingsshould be - in the driving seat.How to design a successful international eventin always a burning question asked by clients aswell as meeting planners. The representativesof Belgrade Design Week, an international conferencefamous for its workshops, master-classesand exhibitions, will reveal what makes theirevent so successful. The International HeraldTribune declared 2007 Belgrade Design Weekone of the most important and singular creativeevents in the world, while the Turin world festivalranked it among the world’s five best designweeks in 2008.How to stand out from the competition?Maybe the key lies in creativity. Davor Bruketafrom advertising agency Bruketa&Žinić, theagency that is ranked second most efficientindependent advertising agency globally, willpresent the idea behind the visual identity ofthe exceptional Inside venue and a uniquedesign hotel in Croatia. Hotel Lone is a showcaseof Croatia’s creative industry, with several ofthe nation’s best architects, designers and artistsinvolved in its creation. It represents a design-focusedsynergy of functionality, harmony and elegance.By attending Inside, delegates will get achance to explore the hotel facilities and meetwith the creative agency responsible for thevisual identity.Meeting professionals from the region that wantto keep up with the trends of the ever-changingmeeting industry can register for the conferenceat www.insidemeetings.com.Welcome to Inside, welcome to Rovinj from 30to 31 August 2013!NEW KNOWLEDGE ANDUNDERSTANDINGEvent agencies and planners• Obtain know-how and tools to create moreeffective meetings• Gain the professional background to positionyourself as a meeting consultantRepresentatives of Hotels, accommodationsand congress centres• Obtain know-how and tools to consideryour venue as a site for experiential learning,rather than as a box with square meters• Obtain know-how on how to use your availablespace more effectivelySales people• Obtain know-how to engage in a value-addedconversation with your clients• Obtain know-how to position yourself as aseller of solutions, instead of products andservices23

Global VillageYOUNG TALENTS1. Who are you?2. What is yourfavourite meetingsbrand?3. What’s thebravest thingyou’ve ever done?4. What’s youralternative careerfantasy?5. What are youobsessed with atthe moment?ANAMARIJA PORTADAARSENAL Zadar1: I am the head of sales events at Arsenal inZadar. This year I’m celebrating my 29thbirthday and adding another year of work withbeautiful Arsenal, otherwise a heritage monumentbuilt in the Venetian Republic and nowunder the direction of Ilirija d.d. By profession Iam a graduate Tourism communicologist fromthe Department of Cultural Tourism, Universityof Zadar, who is in love with a unique life andbusiness environment.2: I’m following a Historic ConferenceCentres of Europe marketing organisation,which presents superb historical monuments asvenues for conferences and other events. Itshows a series of valued cultural and historicalbuildings from the EU, which is actively in thefunction of MICE tourism.3: The bravest thing I’ve ever done is to acceptresponsibility for a demanding job that Idid at a relatively young age. More about theother “brave” ventures on another occasion.4: If I didn’t work in my profession, I’d like tobe a writer and painter with a permanentresidence in the middle of pure nature.5: With progressing the quality of tourism inthe Zadar region, with additional personaleducation and motivations, and of course withselling events at Arsenal in 2014.JAN ORŠIČProject manager LJUBLJANATOURISM CONVENTION BUREAU1: It has been four years since I joined theLjubljana Tourism / Convention Bureau,prior to which I was working as a freelance localtour guide for eight years, which gave me valuablepractical experience. To take my mind offwork I love travelling as far, free-diving as deepand making music as loud as I can.2: Ljubljana- A Cool Capital for GreatMeetings! If I focus on other destinationsthere are many fantastic examples, but I wouldsay Lyon is at the top of my list for being out ofthe box, yet aesthetic and very efficient in theircampaigns. I find also that Korea and Australiaare doing some incredible stuff and we can learnfrom their example.3: Most often when you do something brave,you don’t feel courageous at that verymoment and after you feel happy that all wentwell, only to start looking for a new challenge. Iwould say diving to 34 m on a single breath of airis at the top of the list, but now I want to godeeper.4: I could find nothing more interesting andexciting than travelling to distant andunknown locations, so to be an astronaut wouldbe my choice.5: As I found this to be the industry I enjoy Ihave stared PhD studies focusing on destinationmarketing. I guess that is my obsessionright now.24

Global VillageMOJCA VIDICSales , HOTEL LEV, Ljubljana1: Since May 2009 I’ve been representingHotel Lev as the conference manager. Igained my first experience in tourism as the receptionistat a Spa hotel. As a postgraduatestudent at the tourism faculty I joined theSlovenian Convention Bureau, where I had theopportunity to cooperate with the professionalsat the first Conventa show.2: Since my professional career in MICEstarted on Conventa, I still feel bound to itand support the project. In the MICE industrywe have many different brands, but the realreason why MICE has grown in my heart is theconstant contact with MICE professionals,making good relationships and new friendships,no matter where a show takes place, be that inGermany, Spain or at Conventa in Ljubljana.3: For me, I think there were many things, butthis one is kind of funny as well. I had theopportunity to host the event of one Europeanassociation in the hotel. As I was discussing thedetails with the executive director of the organisationI just could not remember the English expressionfor head microphone, so at that momentI just told him: “The Madonna style” microphone.We both started to laugh and we connectedon that other level immediately. Being spontaneousmostly works the best.4: If the meeting industry falls apart – whichis impossible - I will start breeding EnglishBulldogs. I’m just joking, but I really like EnglishBulldogs; it is my favorite breed, and I canimagine having at least 5 English Bulldogs.5: At the moment I have no specific obsession.I am looking forward to summer, a vacationand everything that will come along.NIKOLINA PAVLEKTerme Tuhelj, Croatia1: Nikolina Pavlek from Zabok, 25 years oldand graduated in the field of tourism managementfrom the Faculty of Tourism andHospitality Management Opatija in 2011. I’veworked in the sales department of Terme Tuheljfor 5 years, and the last few years as a sales representativein the field of business tourism andteam building.2: I would have to highlight the hotel »Well«- Terme Tuhelj, where I work! Last year,with the opening of the new part of the hotel andconvention centre with 4 stars, we got a brandnew look. So, Terme Tuhelj became the right destinationfor seminars, events, promotions,conferences.3: At this moment I can’t single out anythingin particular, but I would point out that Isuccessfully finished college on time while I wasworking at the same time. This was a time whenI really needed a lot of discipline, patience andperseverance, so that I could complete both sidessuccessfully. Now, I am happy to remember thosemoments, which are behind me and represent avery important chapter in my life.4: I certainly imagine my career in tourism,because working and meeting new peoplecompletes me. I like working on the agreements,organising events and conferences, whichinclude a lot of details, services and ideas. Mydesire one day is to have my own travel agencyand specialize as a PCO.5: With preparing a project for positioningTerme Tuhelj as a business centre with avariety of features and innovations that we wouldlike to offer our business guests. Our goal is tobecome a leading MICE destination in continentalCroatia. Objectives and challenges are set – wehave to be persevering and give our best to successfullyimplement our goals.OLJA ZVIDIĆGreater Houston Conventionand Visitor Bureau1: My name is Olja Zvizdic and I am fromSerbia. I live in Houston, Texas, USA and Ihunt alligators for a living. Just kidding! I workfor the Greater Houston Convention and VisitorsBureau, Department of International sales.2: There are many - MPI, SuccessfulMeetings… However, the EIAT conferenceis where my ‘engagement’ with the meeting industrystarted. And that’s where I got my first jobtoo. The most exciting one and the one that I amthe most proud of!3: I’ve decided to experience the meeting industryof the other continents, so I movedto Asia, Qatar, alone, without knowing anyonethere. After a while, I did the same thing again - Icame to the United States, Houston where I nowam.4: Photography. I was always impressed withthe fact that photography is able to captureone moment in time and through that onemoment tell the story of an entire life. It gives youan opportunity to always keep close people andthings you love disregarding how far away theyare.5: I am trying to bring more meetings fromEurope to Houston. Nevertheless, I amblending my hospitality sales knowledge with thesales tools we are using in the Convention Bureauin order to make outstanding results. I am lookingforward to participating in IMEX Las Vegas thisOctober.25

TelescopeSecond Date withan Indian BeautyThe top end of the Indian markettext by Robert CotterFirst dates, as we all know, can be trulydaunting – am I choosing the right placeto go? Am I wearing the right clothes? AmI ready to say all the right things?Luckily, there is more often than not the chanceto learn from the experience of our first date andmake any changes we need to for the second date.After the meeting industry’s very own first datewith the Indian beauty that is IT&CM India, thesecond date is now scheduled to take place fromAugust 20-22, and it appears that the organisershave made some changes from their first encounterto guarantee the second date will be a rousingsuccess.After the maiden event’s presence at Delhi’sIndia Expo Centre & Mart, a venue a littleremoved from the downtown area, organisershave brought the venue into central Delhi and tothe city’s newest landmark hotel, the KempinskiAmbience. With a banquet hall holding up to6000 guests, making it India’s largest, it promisesto offer a resounding second date impression.This new capacious venue for 2013 offers IT&CMIndia the chance to blossom from the first outing,which was noted by Mr. Darren Ng, ManagingDirector of TTG Asia Media, as “small, witha focus on quality” and with “exhibitors in anenviable position of being able to make up to ahundred appointments over the two businessdays.”Exhibitors who could take full advantage of theintimacy of the 2012 event – benefitting frommore than 800 participants involved in morethan 5,000 business appointments in a healthybuyer/seller ratio – can this year look forward toeven more business taking place.As with its maiden outing, IT&CM India 2013will also maintain its strong focus on educationalongside the business activity.“Education is a key factor in a market thatis growing as rapidly as India’s MICE andluxury travel market,” noted Ng. “ThroughIndia Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB)’sConventions India Conclave (CIC), and our longstanding partnerships with GBTA, AuSAE andCSAE, we are confident of creating an event thatis as valuable as it is relevant.”The value of the 2013 event is showing especialinterest and support from three key internationaldestinations on the exhibitor list: Hong Kong,Singapore and Malaysia.Carrying on the elements that made a real impressionon the first date, the event will againthis year offer delegates access to the ICPB’sCIC in its 8th outing. In addition to this delegatescan also upskill themselves by participatingin GBTA’s Fundamentals of Business TravelManagement – Associate Level course as well asother partnering events, making the second datea richer experience. Further insurance that itwill be properly luxurious too, IT&CM India willonce again incorporate luxury travel in additionto MICE brands, offering buyers the top end ofthe Indian market.All in all, it looks like this fledgling relationship isset to go places. And with such an Indian beautyas its reward, it’s most certainly worth all theeffort.26

TelescopeTwist and Shout!text by Robert CotterThe 7th iteration of IT&CM China, theinternational MICE event setting outto “Promote China to the World andthe World to China”, was held from April 17 to19 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition &Convention Centre.Forming the bedrock of an expanded ShanghaiBusiness Events Week, the objectives of thisyear’s IT&CM China provided a few twists indirection, as well as a whole range of new initiativesto go with them, all of which ensured therewas yet again a lot for the MICE industry to shoutabout in Shanghai.The main twist to this year’s event was the increasedfocus on attracting domestic buyers, at65% the Chinese buyers for the first time makingup the lion’s share of the total buyers.“This emphasis on the Chinese buyers iswhat IT&CM China is about,” said Darren Ng,Managing Director of TTG Asia Media, co-organiserof the event. “What makes IT&CM China’svalue proposition unique from the other IT&CMevents in Bangkok and India, is the opportunityfor exhibitors to explore business potential withthe Chinese market.”With shoring up domestic buyers a new focus for2013, a part of this twist in the event’s gaze was toexactly who they would consist of, one that tookthem in the direction of association and corporatebuyers.“Our exhibitors tell us that they are also interestedto meet with association buyers and corporatetravel buyers,” explained Dake Zhu, EventDirector of CITS International MICE, co-organiserof IT&CM China. “Thus, this year, the compositionof Chinese buyers will have a higherpercentage of [each of these] buyers.”Building on and enhancing these new directionsfor 2013 was the second major twist of launchingthe inaugural Association Day and CorporateTravel Forum. This was developed with industrypartner the MCI Group and offered keynoteaddresses and forums by reputed experts in thefields, including from the MCI Group themselvesas well as from the American Societyof Association Executives (ASAE), the GlobalBusiness Travel Association (GBTA) and otherleading groups.Having ensured that the event programmetopped the richness of 2012, the organisersfurther ensured that other new initiatives wouldassist delegates in getting as much as they couldfrom everything on offer. A key facilitator of thiswas the new online diary that allowed pre-showscheduling of 100% of appointments, meaningdelegates could arrive and be up and runningfrom the off.“More than 90% of exhibitors took advantageof this facility, and further, over 40% of exhibitorsachieved 80% completed schedules 10 daysbefore the event,” noted Ng of the initiative’ssuccess.With a packed diary and an endless amount ofhigh quality material to choose from, a furthernew initiative for 2013 meant that should delegateshave missed something that was on theirradar, there was always the chance to get a holdof it the next day.“Thanks to technology, we are able to bring videohighlights of the event from the day before (onYouku - China’s video streaming site), right to ourdelegates,” said Ng. “These video dailies not onlycapture the essence of the key sessions that tookplace, but also give delegates, or other industryprofessionals who are not present, a glimpse intowhat took place. Complementing the existingprinted TTG Show Daily: IT&CM China 2013,this is our way of taking communication withour delegates and the industry to another level.”The results of all these new initiatives were reflectedin the 2013 event indeed reaching a newlevel – 3,000 MICE professionals from sectorsincluding DMCs, PCOs, corporate travel andassociations engaging in more than 10,000 businessappointments and connecting through 60business, education and networking sessions allhelped to make 2013 the best IT&CM China yet.The deluge of one-year advance booth bookingsfor 2014 and an uplift in buyer and media registrationsare further signals of the upward trajectoryof this key event, just like its host city ofShanghai, for promoting China to the world.“We are extremely satisfied with this year’sresults,” said Darren Ng, Managing Director ofTTG Asia Media. “The show’s new initiativeshave proved a hit among delegates, while achievingits objectives of bringing IT&CM China 2013to the next level. The industry can look forwardto an even more compelling IT&CM China 2014from 15 to 17 April.”As a key industry figure Kongres is one partyeagerly anticipating what will be making nextyear’s event even more compelling, and looksforward to reporting back on what can beshouted about the next iteration of IT&CM Chinain summer 2014. Watch this space for some moretwist and shout!27

Join us at the 5thTRADE SHOW OF SPA &WELLNESS TOURISM inCENTRAL EUROPE

AdvertorialSPA-CE taking overHungaryThis year SPA-CE, the trade show of spa and wellnesstourism in Central Europe, will be held from 3 to 5October in Hungary. The Royal Spa City Sárvár willhost more than 30 exhibitors from Central Europe and around50 hosted buyers from all around the world attending one ofthe most important spa and wellness events of the year.There are no boundaries for SPA-CE. Since its beginnings in2009, the trade show has been growing every year. Interestto host SPA-CE in other European countries with a great spatradition has made it even more attractive for spa and wellnessproviders from all over the world, as well as for the mostserious buyers looking for new spa and wellness services tointroduce to their clients.Hungary, as one of the Top 5 destinations with the most abundantthermal water resources worldwide and one of the Top10 medical tourism destinations in Europe, with the townof Sárvár as the only Hungarian spa town that is a memberof Royal Spas of Europe, are the perfect hosts for this year’sevent.“Our goal is that this year the Visegrad co-operation makesSPA-CE 2013 in Sárvár the main Spa event and workshop ofthe year,” said Csilla Mezősi, Health Tourism-Spa Tourismadvisor of the Hungarian National Tourism Board. “Weare pleased to welcome you in Royal Spa City Sárvár in2013, at the 5th SPA-CE event.”The fifth SPA-CE will continue to offer a different boutiquetrade-show experience enriched with a great conference onNatural healing factors in Central Europe and Trends andtendencies in health tourism, as well as post-show tours toHeviz or Budapest. The focus of trade show will remain onpre-scheduled meetings between providers and hosted buyers.To date organisers are delighted with the results: from 30 expectedexhibitors, 21 spa and wellness providers from Croatia,Czech Republic, Hungary and Croatia have already confirmedtheir participation. All interested exhibitors and hosted buyerscan register on-line at www.spa-ce.eu.SPA-CE, the best place to find ideas for relaxed and healthyway of living!29

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MeetologueZADARA COOL MEETINGS DESTINATIONIt seems that Zadar has a very specific Mediterraneanrhythm and urban culture. In the morning, the oldtown on the peninsula is full of people who shop and fillthe main street Kalelarga or a wide street. The highlight isbetween the eleventh hour and noon. Cafes with their specificcultural experience are filled to the last corner. Each generationand each group can find a special place in Zadar. Inthe afternoon, the city is completely asleep in the Dalmatiansiesta and looks like deserted until five o’clock, when it isrevived again. And Zadar really impressed me with something.Zadar’s waterfront is quite different from the otherson the Adriatic. With new architectural installations and nomass bars it is, especially early in the morning or at romanticsunsets, a true zen experience which you will not find inother places on the Adriatic.The Croatian coast is a place of historic urban tradition. Themajority of towns were created in the Greek or Roman times.Probably the oldest town in this area is Zadar, which hasalready developed in the Iron Age as Liburnian settlementand was the capital of Dalmatia until the Italian occupationin 1918. Recently the city has experienced a lot of transformationin the field of tourism and conference infrastructure. Themost prominent are the architectural installations Sea Organand Greeting to the Sun, which were built in 2006. On theorgan play waves and create an interesting harmony. Sundialis also a small solar power station. With such projects, Zadaris increasingly becoming a lifestyle destination and one of thenew tourist-meetings brands. To this also contribute eventssuch as the Garden Festival, which placed Zadar on the mapof Croatian club scene and in their own way raise the imageof Zadar as a cool place. In recent years, it has been waking upfrom the former socialist drowsiness and is becoming a youngand scintillating city. For the real experience of Zadar and itssoul, you need to visit the well-stocked city market and thefish market. Feast for the eyes, body and soul.Friendly atmosphere and exceptional cultural heritage createan extremely diverse experience. In the old town alone thereare over 34 old churches. Thankfully, most of them survivedthe air raids of the Second World War. The city, which beforethe war, was under the influence of architecture of Venice, hasreceived much socialist modernist buildings. The aesthetics ofthese buildings could be discussed. Specialty of the micro-locationof Zadar are many islands that surround it, and provideopportunities for incentive trips and nautical adventures.Zadar has one of the biggest Croatian marinas; the archipelagohas 24 major and about 300 smaller islands. In the vicinityof Zadar there are five national parks: Paklenica, Plitvice,Kornati, Krka and Velebit, which offer to more responsiblecongress organisers more active and diverse experiences.The historical tourism development of Zadar was influencedby the establishment of regular shipping lines to Trieste. Soonafter the establishment of shipping, the first hotels developed.Zadar got the first modern hotel in 1890, when the GrandHotel was opened. A little later, in 1902, the hotel Bristol wasconstructed. Zadar and its surroundings have experienced atourism boom in the sixties and seventies of the 20th century.The city experienced another tourist transformation recently.At the same time, the highway Zagreb Split built in 2005,which greatly shortened the journey to Zadar and literallyallowed the development of congress tourism. Arrival of lowcost airlines to Zadar is in full swing. It seems that the Directorof the Zadar airport Katic Pupić Bakrač managed to revive theentire tourist region.But that’s not all. Planed ferry and cruise port Gaženica willrelease the transport from the old town and make it more attractiveto tourists. Unfortunately, the project is in a slowerimplementation phase. Among the advantages of Zadar we canalso add the fact that a large part of the city is closed to traffic,which makes it very pleasant for pedestrians.In April this year Zadar with its surroundings was the sceneof the European premiere of the Chevrolet Trax car. Over1000 journalists from 38 European countries have becomeambassadors of Zadar. The focal point of the presentationwas artistic presentation of the devilishly red Chevrolet Traxin coulours of Manschester United with signatures of allplayers in an artistic 3D instalation by street artist GregoraWosik. The presentation took place in the carismatic ZadarArsenal. The main locations of the event – Arsenal and thenew Falkensteiner Hotel & Spa Iadera are the two key meetingsengines of Zadar. Arsenal is a former Venecian armoryconverted in a multifunctional convention-event space. Thisis probably one of the most special and original conventionvenues of Croatia. The really special ambience is offering alarge central hall, which acts as a town square and can accommodateup to 1000 participants for major concerts or events.Flagship of conference hotel offer is Falkensteiner Iadera inPetrčani. Within the resort there is a top smaller conventioncentre, which is among the most modern in the Adriatic. In thecity centre, there are convention halls in Kolovare Hotel withthe largest hall for a maximum of 230 participants. Smallerconference facilities are also in the boutique hotel Bastion.For larger events, a modern sports hall Krešimir Čošić is alsosuitable in principle. In addition, the city is overflowing withspecific locations for receptions and other special meetingsexperiences. All event organisers have not yet discoveredZadar as meetings story here is relatively new and unknown.A great advantage of Zadar is that it has a University, whichis the oldest in Croatia, since it was founded in 1396 and ititself generates a lot of smaller congress events. Unfortunately,Zadar is missing a convention bureau, which would greatlyhelp in the further promotion of the whole destination. Alsobecause of this, Zadar and its surroundings are too often anoverlooked convention destination. Even the developmentand diversity of congress products can be currently estimatedto be average.31

MeetologueCongress organisers will usually choose Zadar because ofits location at the crossroads of the greatest natural beautiesof Croatia, history and culture as well as the better overalland conference infrastructure. Zadar is becoming very advancedand viable conference city, which boasts an exceptionalcultural offer. With such potential it can competewith Mediterranean destinations of Spain, Italy, Portugaland Turkey. In the future it will have to do some urgent organisationaland infrastructural interventions to capture therhythm of most of the more advanced Croatian conferencedestinations.Destination grade:Quality Congress DestinationGrading explanation:5 excellent meetings destination4 quality meetings destination3 advisable meetings destination2 average meetings destination1 pretty OK meetings destination4, 06Individual grades:Natural and Cultural Factors 4,20Natural geographic position at the crossroads of different regions, richhistory, indented coastline and terrain and untouched nature, together withthe mild Mediterranean climate and vegetation is an excellent prospect forthe development of congress tourism.General and Transport Infrastructure 4,20It seems that Ryanair transformed the tourist map of Zadar and returnedZadar among the important tourist hubs in the Adriatic. The city is experiencinga traffic and infrastructure renaissance and gives a sense of urbantidiness. Even the quality of life seems to be at a high level.32

MeetologueTourist Infrastructure 4,40Zadar with over 4000 beds, several campgrounds and resorts is a developedsummer destination for leisure and a yachting paradise. With the advent ofnew air connections, construction of new and renovation of existing hotelfacilities, conditions for the development of congress tourism and exploitationof the extremely rich and already-developed tourist infrastructure.Meetings Infrastructure 3,40Zadar is an ideal destination for organisation of smaller conferences andincentives for up to 100 participants. In this area it has the greatest opportunity,as meeting planners are always looking for new attractive conventiondestinations. Unfortunately, Zadar is missing a convention bureauand a more targeted marketing, which affects the congress image of thedestination.Comparison with the region:Conference organisers are always looking for new and different destinations.Zadar is the logical choice, as it has enormous potential of naturaland cultural conditions. Moreover, it is a cool destination with a specificurban rhythm. Currently, the main drawback are congress facilities thatonly allow smaller events as well as congress infrastructure which is notyet built and in function. Once everything is in place, Zadar will certainlybe an important congress player.Cool meetings:Maraschino liqueur is made from ‘maraska’ cherries after the originalrecipe from the 16th century. It is attributed with healing effects.Subjective Grade 4,10The charming city with thousand years of cultural heritage, the proximityof the islands, five national parks and improving flight connections.It’s no wonder that a number of foreign media see it as a cool conventiondestination.Photo credits: Zadar Touris Board, 201333

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MeetologueŠIBENIKTHE HEART OF DALMATIABeing the home of Dražen Petrović, the famous basketballplayer, is the first association that comes tomind whenever the road takes me to Dalmatia. Thelegendary Croatian basketball player, for many the greatestEuropean basketball player of all time, began to hone histalent in Šibenik; he remembers it with love and pride. Amemory basket is fixed in front of his birth house and soonthere will also be a monument. For basketball players Draženis eternal and still popular - basketball is written in the genesof this Dalmatian town.The city is also connected with the karst river Krka, whichis famous for its majestic waterfalls, beautiful lake with anisland in the estuary flowing into the sea, at which the entiretown Šibenik has developed. Krka starts its journey from thetown of Knin, where through a series of waterfalls it meandersto the Grand Canyon with Lake Visovac. If the neighbouringcities of Zadar and Split are said to be close to the Croatiannational parks, then Šibenik is located right in the heart of theKornati and Krka National Park. The city is in the midst ofthe idyllic Dalmatian towns of Pirovac, Vodice and Primošten,which form the core of the Dalmatian region. Primošten iscreated on the picturesque island and is today mainly a resorttown; Vodice is one of the centres of entertainment and alsoincreasingly one of a quality congress offer; and in additionto the Kornati, the Šibenik archipelago is a paradise for nauticalincentive aficionados. The fairly wild islands of Kaprije,Krapanj, Prvič, Zlarin and Žirje are part of the most indentedstretch of the Adriatic coast, which for lovers of sailing isknown to be an outstanding area.The stone cathedral of St. James, along with the RenaissanceTown Hall and the Prince’s Royal Household, form one of themost beautiful Adriatic markets. It is a joy to walk throughthe streets of the old city, which has developed in the shadowof Zadar, Split and under the long-term impact of Venice, butat the same time is the oldest and most Croatian city. It wascreated as a counterweight to Byzantine Dalmatia. The Oldtown and the St. James cathedral are now a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site and a remarkable architectural monument.Nowhere else in Dalmatia can you as easily relish the old citycentre and Renaissance monuments. The central part of thecity is closed to traffic, which makes strolling through the cityon foot a special pleasure. With quick tourism development,the general urban sanitation and quality of life of inhabitantsof this Dalmatian town is also improving year on year.Various tourist guides and the Top 10 somehow overlookedŠibenik. After war destruction the city needed some time tomake a new breakthrough. In addition, the status of the industrialcity of the industrial zone to the east of the city appearedquite unattractive. Despite this and in the shadow ofmore media exposed destinations it is experiencing a fast andhigh-quality tourism development. The centre of happeningis the hotel complex Solaris, situated in a peninsula coveredwith Mediterranean vegetation, which comprises of thematic5 hotels, apartment and villas complex with a Yacht marinaand a campsite. Carefully arranged resort offers a wide rangeof facilities. One of the most recognizable brands of Solaris isDalmatian Ethno Village, unique tourist attraction situatedin heart of Solaris Beach Resort. Its stone cobbled courtyardsand stone houses reveal on completely new world and all thebeauty of the traditional Dalmatian lifestyle with its almostforgotten crafts & delicacies. It is an authentic and educationalexperience.In addition to Solaris major tourist resorts can also be foundin Vodice, with the hotel complex Olympia and Punta. InPrimošten the main provider of tourist facilities is the hotelZora, in addition to which there is no shortage of privateapartments. However, a lot of criticism could be targeted at theexcessive ‘apartmentisation’ of the destination and in Šibeniksome city hotels that would thoroughly enrich the tourist offerare also missing. Commendable, though, is the re-organisationof the public beach.The hotel offer is followed by numerous, perhaps even toomany, restaurants and the usual tourist offer. Among otherthings, the region around Šibenik, especially Vodice, is theCroatian party paradise. Šibenik is famous for its Terraneoeco-festival, although visitors are usually mostly attracted bythe prominent musicians on show. With the investment ofthe Turkish Dogus Group, which has built a marina for megayachts, Mandalina, the image of the tourist destination maybe taken to a higher level. In addition to the marina, a varietyof tourist facilities are also planned, including a hotel to beopened in 2015.Congress first category of Šibenik is Solaris congress centre. 12multifunctional congress halls in the area of 2000 m2 are sufficienteven for the most demanding conference guests. Thelargest hall has a capacity for 500 people. The advantage ofthe village is a diverse hotel offer in hotels Ivan ****, Jure****,Niko ****, Andrija **** and Jakov ***. The advantage of theresort is a wide variety of thematic restaurants, beach clubsand bars, teambuilding possibilities, sport and recreation facilities,entertainment and animation programs and many othervarious facilities.The advantage of the village is a diverse hotel offer in thehotels Ivan ****, Jure****, Niko ****, Andrija **** and Jakoc***, whilst the advantage of the resort is in a wide variety ofrestaurants, bars and places for receptions to be held in nature.The main Olympia congress hall in Vodice is multi-purposeand can accommodate a maximum 500 participants. In addition,the hotel also has the Athena hall for up to 80 participantsand the Artemis hall for up to 200. A great improvementand update will be the new halls after the construction of afive star hotel. In Vodice smaller conference facilities are alsoavailable at the Imperial and at the Hotel Punta. In Primoštenthe congress centre is in the Hotel Zora. The largest hall,Kravata (Tie), can accommodate 500 people and the smallerone 240. Both halls have daylight.35

MeetologueThe Mayor of the city, Franko Vidović, sees the future developmentof the city as a centre of green industries. Within thisstory we could also place the meetings industry. There is roomfor such development of congress tourism, just the right productsand the corresponding ROI will have to be developed.There is no shortage of opportunities. The national parksaround Šibenik, rafting on the Cetinje rapids, the race withold boats, all lend themselves to creative incentive programs.Meetings infrastructure 3,4Meeting capacities in Šibenik, Vodice and Primošten areadapted to medium-sized congresses. Virtually all of the conventioncentres are completely renovated as part of the strategyto fill capacities in the pre-season. In Šibenik, a commondestination management - in the sense of establishing a conventionbureau in order to properly position the destinationamong the competition of neighbouring Dalmatian citiesof Split and Zadar,- means there is a significant untappedpotential.Subjective grade 3,9Destination grade:Quality Meeting DestinationGrading explanation:5 excellent meetings destination4 quality meetings destination3 advisable meetings destination2 average meetings destination1 pretty OK meetings destination4, 06Individual grades:Natural and cultural factors 4,5Because of the natural beauty, a major part of the area aroundthe Krka is declared a national park, of which the geographicalcentre is Šibenik. This gives the whole area an outstandingexperiential value and also numerous opportunities in thefield of congress tourism. On the seaside one may wonder atKornati, the most dynamic and diverse group of islands in theAdriatic and a sustainable paradise.Once industrial, military and port city, it now has a sound basisfor the development of congress tourism after a period of transition.It offers a very genuine and authentic experience and areal boom. Foreign investors are coming, new tourist facilitiesare being built and also in the field of meeting industry, withthe appropriate positioning, it promises a bright future.Comparison with the region:Šibenik very rarely raises any association with the meeting industry.In the process of transition from an industrial city intoa tourist destination it has not yet asserted its image amongcompeting cities. Despite this it is a fact that it has excellentconditions and is somehow considered to be a hidden jewelof the Croatian congress offer. For ease of accessibility it maybe a suitable location for small association conferences as wellas a variety of incentive programmes.Cool meetings:‘PEKA’ (BAKING): in a cast iron container, under the heatedlid covered with coals, are baked meats of all kinds, which isalso great with fish and octopus. Large quantities of vegetablesand potatoes are required, which provide juiciness anda good taste.General and transport infrastructure 4,1The location is perfect and surprisingly favourable for congresstourism, although it is currently simply ignored. Accessvia the highway is elegant and simple. Nearby there are twosufficiently frequented airports, Split and Zadar. The fact thatthe city is located in the triangle of three extraordinary nationalparks - Kornati, Krka and Paklenica - and close to thePlitvice Lakes and Northern Velebit is particularly attractive.Tourist infrastructure 4,2The Hotel Renaissance outside the city should soon be followedby one in its very heart. Otherwise, Šibenik and its surroundingsis one of the most diverse and developed regionsof Dalmatia for tourists, where there is no shortage of entertainment,festivals, world-class cuisine and also offers forthe more discerning guests. It’s also worth remembering theharmony singing (‘klape’), which in the area around Šibenikis also the most developed on the Adriatic.Photo credits: šibenik tourist board, 201336

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MeetologueHVARROOM WITH A VIEWEvergreen Hvar is one of my favourite Adriatic islands.I no longer count how many times I have visited theisland. Most of the experience is a summer-holiday - Ispent several summers on the island where I cooked octopus,baked fish and enjoyed the beautiful nature. We never getbored of it. This is the life that recharges your batteries forthe year ahead, where the delightful climate helps you toforget your everyday problems and, above all, the unbeatableHvar home kitchen creates a stress-free, peaceful and deliciousatmosphere.Hvar is still a quite wild and largely uninhabited island. Onthe beauty of the island, reminiscent of the Garden of Eden,there is no point in wasting words, since there is no shortageof various urban legends and superlatives. One relates to thesinger Beyonce, who fell in love with the island so much thatshe gave her daughter the name of one of the island’s plants- Blue Ivy (blue ivy). When the ferry brings you closer to theisland, it smells of Mediterranean plants; in the summer cricketsalso start with their symphony… it’s no wonder that it wasgiven so many different names! Among other things, it usedto be called Austrian Madeira. In Hvar, the urban has beencoexisting with the rural for centuries. The towns of Hvar,Stari Grad, Jelsa and Vrboska and on the other hand the lesstouristic places of Poljica, Zastražišće and Zavala are balancedby the charm of the inland, which can be felt on the old roadthrough Brusje, full of wonderful views of the neighbouringislands and the lavender fields.Hvar lives two tourist lives; the summer crowds and thevisits of celebrities from Tom Cruise to Prince Harry is eventuallyreplaced by the autumn-winter lull and the true Hvar‘fjaka’. It has not always been so at the coolest Adriatic island.Interestingly, tourism here first began to develop in the wintermonths. Due to the mild climate, the island has been a climatichealth resort ever since 1868. It also offers a lot more outsidethe main tourist season - world-class wineries, olive oil, rockclimbing, biking and rural tourism. The island offers so muchmore than beaches, the waterfront with luxury yachts and theinfamous parties at the club Carpe Diem.Perhaps part of the problem is also messy destination management.In terms of marketing, four destination organisationsoperate with the island - Hvar, Stari Grad, Jelsa and Sućuraj,which is too many for such a small and incredibly specialisland. On the other hand, the island receives the constantattention of foreign media and numerous awards. In 2012,Lonely Planet announced Hvar as one of the top five destinationsand Conde Nast one of the top 10 islands in Europe.The visits of stars and mega yachts fills the pages of the yellowpress and provides free promotion of the island.Over 2,400 years of wine-making tradition is concentratedaround the ‘Stari Grad’ (the Old Town), which is now on theUNESCO heritage map. The oldest vine, plavac mali, can befound on the island of Hvar, the root of a tradition continuedby famous winemakers ‘Zlatan Otok’ (Golden Island), Tomić,Carić, Plančić and Duboković. It is necessary to try the nativewhite variety, Bogdanuša.Today Hvar is primarily the scene of a variety of events. Thisyear the Ultra festival will be held there, which will attractover 60,000 visitors to Split, including 5,000 VIP guests inHvar, who will be entertained at a special venue at the HotelAmfora. The list of various convention events is also interesting.In June this year, Hvar will host a large start-up conference,with a number of smaller events also lined up, mostof them to take place in the flexible convention centre of theHotel Amfora.The hotel company ‘Sunčani Hvar’ (Sunny Hvar) has raisedthe quality of their hotels that now satisfy even the most demandingguests. The largest of their hotels is the Amfora, amodern hotel with a conference centre and luxurious extras;it is away from the old town, where they renovated the boutiquehotels Adriana and Riva. The full offer is complementedalso by hotels of lower category. Stari Grad and other smallertowns still remain, as regards the offer of accommodation, inthe shadow of Hvar.Logistically the organisation of events on the island is certainlymore complex than on the mainland. However, today,in addition to the quite tired ferries of Jadrolinija, you can usethe more comfortable passenger catamaran, which can also beprivatised. Each year Split Airport has more connections, evenoutside of the peak season. The number of flights during theseason surpasses those of many of the South-East Europeancapitals. Road connectivity within the island, however, requiresa bit more patience, especially during the high season.Culinary gems are always a bit hidden, among them beingPalmižana on the nearby Paklinski islands, but otherwise youwill find authentic taverns around the island where they willprepare meat or octopus baked “ispod peke” style for youHvar hides such gems as the village of Velo Grablje, with justseven inhabitants, which is the manufacturing centre of Hvarlavender.In the middle of summer Hvar is really overcrowded, but inearly autumn and spring it is a perfect choice for organisingcongresses and incentive programmes, both at sea and on land.The meeting industry goes hand in hand with cuisine and oenology,which makes the island of Hvar also interesting fromthis point of view; it is one of the hottest Croatian wine points.41

MeetologueDestination grade:Quality Congress DestinationGrading explanation:5 excellent meetings destination4 quality meetings destination3 advisable meetings destination2 average meetings destination1 pretty OK meetings destination4, 12Individual grades:Natural and Cultural Factors 4,50The central Dalmatian islands have been inhabited since prehistorictimes. Due to the island characteristics they create ageographical and cultural-historical finished package. Hvaris now on the UNESCO list of natural heritage sites and is themain adventure pearl of the Adriatic.General and Transport Infrastructure 3,80Since Split is now accessible from the highway, the way toHvar is significantly shorter.Sunčani Hvar is aware of the difficult access to the island,which is particularly problematic for congress and otherbusiness travellers who come for 2 - 3 day’s events. Improvingflight connectivity weighs up even in the worst case a twohourdrive from Split to the island.Tourist Infrastructure 4,30Sunčani Hvar took care of the cosmopolitan transformation ofHvar into one of the world’s top destinations. The renovatedRiva and Adriana hotels in the old town can meet the needsof the most demanding guests, without missing good restau-rants, bars and exclusive beaches. A well maintained walkwayconnects the old part with the largest hotel, the Hotel Amfora.Meetings Infrastructure 3,60Hvar has put itself on the meetings map by building a conventionhotel, Amfora, with a congress centre and two largehalls. The largest one can take up to 370 people theatre-style,the other 320. Both are flexible, A/V connected and can beconverted into five break out rooms, complemented by threeadditional ones, designed for smaller, intimate meetings.For special events and receptions, the Hotel Palace offers awonderful ambience at San Marco terrace on the main townsquare.Subjective Grade 4,40Despite the notoriety of the island and its visibility Hvar is stillsweet, genuine and full of sincere, authentic Mediterraneanexperiences. The island culture fascinates and conquers,despite the more difficult access. It is well worth it!Comparison with the region:None of the more than 1,000 Croatian islands has such karmaand recognition as Hvar. Definitely a “must” Croatian destination,right behind Dubrovnik. Distance from the mainlandgives it a touch of boutique smallness.Cool meetings:Hvar wine and the island’s culinary art have thrilled thegourmet and world traveller Anthony Bourdain, who alreadyafter the first visit became one of Hvar’s chief promoters. Youwill also definitely be reminded of Hvar by the taste of oliveoil, red wine and the fragrance of lavender.Photo credits: sunčani hvar, 201342

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Extended stayEXTENDED STAYSTRMOL CASTLEVILA BLED AND BELVEDERENoble Residence10 kilometres from Brdo estate and just 3 kilometres from Jože PučnikLjubljana international airport lies a beautiful castle from 13th century.The castle was professionally renovated in 2010 – 2012 and represents aperfect location for boutique events. The elegance of a former noble residencecertainly is the right choice for lectures, presentations, meetings,working groups, press conferences, signing an important document, smallcultural event or smaller wedding ceremonies and receptions. They willbe more than happy to take you on a guided tour of the ancient noble residencewith extremely rich history, many stories and exciting adventuresof former owners.Contact information:Strmol Castle, Dvorje 3, 4207 Cerklje na Gorenjskem, SloveniaGPS: N 46° 15.899’, E 14° 28.728’T: +386 (0)4 260 16 82, F: +386 (04) 260 17 94E: brdo-eu@gov.siwww.brdo.si/grad_strmol/predstavitevThis former presidential summer residence is nowadays a synonym forwarm hospitality, selected comfort, timeless elegance, high-end gastronomyand unforgettable experiences. Peaceful environment of Vila Bled isparticularly inspiring where one can relax and unwind. Its luxurious interioris ideal for organizing meetings, celebrations and receptions at thehighest level. Just a stone’s throw away from the Vila Bled proudly standsBelvedere, the perfect location for wedding receptions and other celebrations.Vila Bled used to be the summer residence of Yugoslav president Tito.Contact information:Vila Bled, Cesta svobode 26, 4260 Bled, SloveniaT: +386 (0)4 575 37 10F: +386 (04) 575 37 11E: vilabled@gov.siwww.brdo.si/vilabledPHOTO CREDITS: JGZ Brdo, 201344

Extended stayGRAND HOTEL UNION EXECUTIVEGarden RestaurantHOTEL LEV5 stars luxuryThe Hotel is located in a quiet part of the Ljubljana city centre. It has 194 spaciousrooms in the executive part and 133 comfortable rooms in the businesspart, 12 suites and 16 apartments. Grand Hotel Union offers indoor swimmingpool, fitness centre, sauna, massage, 21 conference rooms and a securedgarage. Their culinary offer is big; from Aperitif bar, Coffee shop with a rangeof their sweets, Smrekarjev hram restaurant and Garden restaurant which isthe perfect green getaway in city centre of Ljubljana and offers high-end classicalcuisine with a Mediterranean touch. Special daily menus from 9 EUR.Dance evenings with live music every Thursday.Contact information:Grand Hotel Union ExecutiveMiklošičeva ulica 1, SI-1000 LjubljanaT: +386 (0)1 308 12 95, F: +386 (0)1 308 10 15,E: hotel.union@gh-union.siwww.gh-union.siThe 5 star Hotel Lev , located in the very heart of Ljubljana, combines classicalelegance and modern minimalistic accommodation.It features 24/7 roomservice, exclusive restaurant “Pri Levu” , hotel garage.The modern a’la carte restaurant Pri Levu serves Mediterranean Cuisinewith a special touch, whereas the Apertiiff Bar & Lobby is an invitation toa relaxing drink.Contact information:Hotel Lev, Vošnjakova ulica 1, SI-1000 LjubljanaT: +386 (0)1 433 21 55, F: +386 (0)1 230 25 78,E: info@hotel-lev.siwww.hotel-lev.siPHOTO CREDITS: Grand hotel Union, 201345

Hidden Congress GuestHOTEL MAESTRAL PRŽNO★★★★ PREMIUMCROSSOVER HOTELPhoto credits: HOTEL MAESTRAL4, 06Final ScoreCATEGORY★★★★OPEN FROM1971, renovated in 2004STANDARDHotel with conference facilitiesNUMBER OF ROOMS196 rooms, 18 suites (apartments)ONLINE PRICE162 - 179 EURADDRESSMAESTRAL,RESORT & CASINOPržno bb, 85315 Sveti StefanCrna Gora, Montenegrot +382 33 410 100f +382 33 410 190hotel(at)maestral.infowww.maestral.infoFACILITIESCasino Maestral, Wellness Centre,Lumpar Restaurant, Maestral Club,Laurus Bar, Snack bar barka, Hairdressingand beauty salon, LagunaBar, Wellness and fitness centre,Tennis courtsRESULTS OF ANALYSISLocation 4,90Accessibility 3,92First impression 3,87Lobby 4,02Employee attitude 4,16Reception 3,86Hotel room 3,28Hotel bed 3,72Bathroom and restroom 3,26Hotel breakfast 4,16Bars and restaurants 4,08Congress hall 4,67Additional offer 4,86Total: 4,06FINAL GRADEpremium hotel 4,06LuxuryPremiumBusinessEconomyBudget★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★LOCATIONBuying the hotel in Pržno in 2001, just a hop away fromthe famous Sveti Štefan (St. Stephen), has proven tobe a success story for the owner, Slovenian companyHIT, which has successfully realised the strategy of thelargest entertainment tourist complex in Montenegro.Today it has quite a lot of competition on the market,but conference guests are still attracted by the integrityof the offer and a romantic bay in the formerfishing village of Pržno. Also because of this the hotelhas become the centre of meeting tourism on theMontenegrin coast.ACCESSIBILITYThe hotel is situated half way between Budva and SvetiŠtefan and the airport in Podgorica is 70 kilometresaway. It is just a few minutes away from the Sveti Štefanexclusive tourist complex, one of the most attractivelocations on the Montenegrin coast. Parking for guestsis well taken care of, although accessibility can sometimesbe spoilt by a very busy road to Budva. Guestshave a shuttle bus to Budva available, which runs every20 minutes.COLD APPETISER – Architectureand aestheticsThe hotel is unobtrusive and placed pavilion-style inthe bay of the Pržno fishing village. Green surroundings,a magnificent bay and the picturesque backdropnicely outweigh the hotel architecture with its brickfacade and terraced structure that fits nicely into theenvironment. The Hotel Maestral has had so much cosmeticchange that it is possible to differentiate it fromthe competition, be it the renovated reception or thesmall changes in the rooms, which are already callingfor a more comprehensive and thorough overhaul.WARM APPETISER – Personneland culinary offerIf rooms are the weakest part of the hotel, on the otherhand the staff and culinary offer are the more powerfulpart of the story. The staff, with the exceptionof the reception, is extremely professional, which tothe meetings industry above all counts a lot. They aretrying hard with the cuisine, which is most evident inthe richly-stocked buffet breakfast with a large selectionof home baked pastries and culinary surprises. Ifstaying in Pržno for a longer time, a more authenticMontenegrin cuisine an also be tried out in the village.MAIN COURSE – Congress and hotel offerThe rooms and the hotel as a whole appear of goodquality, but not luxurious, as might be expected from ahotel of this category. The bathrooms are solid, but notat the level of competing hotels in Budva. Some hotelcosmetics are missing that you would expect in a hotelof such category. The hotel is well maintained and veryclean.The convention Centre was among the first inMontenegro and with its multifunctional design itworks very well. The largest hall, Bankada, takes 368participants and has technical equipment in accordancewith expected standards, as far as the height of ceilingsand transparency are concerned. In addition, there arealso two meeting rooms.DESSERT – Additional offerFriendly and hospitable restaurants in the fishingvillage of Pržno.-FLOP – negative surprisesVery unstable and slow internet, and rathertired hotel rooms.+TOP – positive surprisesThe congress Centre, which is in excellentcondition and very functional, in combination withthe rich additional offer of the resort.Final impression and credibilityHotel Maestral is a kind of crossover between theconvention centre, the hotel and the casino. It canbe considered the pioneer of such forms of tourismresorts in Montenegro. Soon after the conceptwas copied elsewhere on the Montenegrin coast.Maestral, despite the competition, managed to maintainthe meetings primacy, but for perfection it stillneeds some improvements in hotel rooms. In anycase the talent over the years matures and improveswith age.46

Hidden Congress GuestRAMADA PODGORICA★★★★ PREMIUMBUSINESS CLASSICPhoto credits: RAMADA PODGORICA3, 97Final ScoreCATEGORY★★★★OPEN FROM2012STANDARDHotel with conference facilitiesNUMBER OF ROOMS110 roomsONLINE PRICE90 - 119 EUR (June 2013)ADDRESSRAMADA PODGORICABlv. Save Kovačevića 7481000 PodgoricaMontenegroTel: +382 20 622 62FACILITIESPanorama Restaurant,Lobby LoungeWellness centre Soko GymMall of MontenegroRESULTS OF ANALYSISLocationAccessibility 3,75First impression 3,49Lobby 3,99Employee attitude 3,97Reception 4,07Hotel room 4,20Hotel bed 4,45Bathroom and restroom 4,32Hotel breakfast 3,82Bars and restaurants 3,56Congress hall 3,89Additional offer 4,02Total: 3,97FINAL GRADEpremium hotel 3,97LuxuryPremiumBusinessEconomyBudget★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★LOCATIONThe newest hotel is also the first international hotelchain hotel in Podgorica. The hotel is an integral partof the Mall of Montengero shopping centre with whichit shares a common parking garage. It is located in thebusiness section of Podgorica, very close to the citycentre. With the arrival of the hotel the city is enrichedwith a solid multifunctional congress centre, whichforms the new future meetings backbone of Podgorica.ACCESSIBILITYAccess to the hotel is easy and parking is free of chargefor hotel guests. The city centre is only a stone’s throwaway, and very near are also the airport in Podgorica andthe bus and train station. Because of its size, Podgoricais easy for transport. The most problematic part is therelatively poor air accessibility. This is improving fromyear to year, but still does not allow for the rapid developmentin the low-convention season.COLD APPETISER – Architectureand aestheticsThe hotel is part of the Mall of Montenegro shoppingcentre and represents a typical shopping architecture.It does not meet our idea of ‘hotel architecture’, but it isin its own way very practical. It is better on the inside,which follows the classical lines of the hotel chainRamada. This is modern and compact hotel equipmentthat does not stand out in any way, but at the same timeit cannot be reproached for anything in particular.WARM APPETISER – Personneland culinary offerThe staff is friendly and professional and is sufficientlyrefined for its class to stand out from the destinationaverage. Check-in and check-out was quick, efficientand without undue delays.The Restaurant on the fifth floor offers beautiful viewsof Podgorica. The breakfast is average, but if you wantsomething more authentic the nearby offer is notlacking.MAIN COURSE – Congress and hotel offerThe rooms are spacious and solidly equipped, lackingonly a few fancy gadgets that are now becoming standard,for example in the bathroom. Solid, correct and ofgood quality - after all the hotel is practically new - thisis felt at every step.A small conference centre on the fifth floor has thelargest hall for 217 persons.DESSERT – Additional offerIf it can be called additional facilities, the hotel is nextto the largest shopping mall in Montenegro, with overthree million visitors each year. In addition to the storesin the centre, there is also a bowling alley and a varietyof services, cafés and fitness.-FLOP – negative surprisesNot very well organised breakfast and presentationof dishes.+TOP – positive surprisesExcellently functioning Wi-Fi. Probably oneof the best and fastest in the region.Final impression and credibilityA classic business hotel that tries to convince itsguests with functional design, timeless hotel eleganceand solid hotel rooms. This makes it veryuseful for business people and is a pleasant refreshmentto the hotel scene in Podgorica. The ‘GoldenMean’, which is complemented by favourable pricesand which faithfully follows the standards of theRamada hotel chain.47

Hidden Congress GuestAVALA RESORT & VILLAS★★★★ PREMIUMDANDY DESIGN HOTELPhoto credits: AVALA RESORT4, 34Final ScoreCATEGORY★★★★OPEN FROM1937 renovated in 2011STANDARDHotel with conference facilitiesNUMBER OF ROOMS303 roomsONLINE PRICE208 EUR (June 2013)ADDRESSAVALA RESORT & VILLASBeppler & Jacobson d.o.o.Mediteranska 2, P.O. Box 4485310 BudvaT: +382 33 441 527E: mice@avalaresort.comW: www.avalaresort.comFACILITIES- Spa & Fitness Club- Casino- Beach Club 88- Bruno Lounge Bar- Panoramic Buffet Restaurant- Own beach- Energy Clinic SpaRESULTS OF ANALYSISLocation 4,90Accessibility 3,75First Impression 4,68Lobby 4,28Employee Attitude 3,88Reception 4,02Hotel Room 4,69Hotel Bed 4,90Bathroom and Restroom 4,85Hotel Breakfast 4,07Bars and Restaurants 3,98Congress Hall 4,37Additional Offer 4,02Total: 4,34FINAL GRADEpremium hotel 4,34LuxuryPremiumBusinessEconomyBudget★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★LOCATIONIt isn’t possible to be any closer to the centre of Budva.The hotel has acquired its pre-and post-war fame fromits picturesque location near the old town. Its 1939 constructionplaced Budva on the tourist destination mapand outlined the development of the city outside thewalls of the Old Town. The modern architecture and itspositioning in the environment divides opinion, but itis important to recognise that the location mixed withthe kitschy views of old Budva is exceptional.ACCESSIBILITYBudva is an air destination. Access to the city is easiestthrough the Tivat airport, which is less than 26 kilometresaway, or through the airport in Podgorica. Thenumber of airlines has increased from year to year andfrom this year, hoteliers can rely on low-cost carriers.The hotel is very large and orientation is sometimesslightly confusing, because of the dark corridors.Parking spaces are available.COLD APPETISER – Architectureand aestheticsThe hotel’s architecture is clear and divides into thosewho love it and those who hate it. In any case it remainsa fact that the renovated hotel attracted a lot of controversy,with both its exterior and its interior notafraid to be special. The proportions of the hotel havebeen tightened and the stone facade has been spicedwith black façade elements. Blackness and strong contrastscontinue in the interior, which impresses withits unique and very special appearance. One man’sunusual is the next man’s excitement, and perhaps athird man’s idea of something unacceptable. We thinkthat that is good!WARM APPETISER – Personneland culinary offerThe staff, with a great sense of detail, is otherwise a bitcold, although mostly professional. The hotel breakfastis solid, but not excellent, and the quality of servicevaries from time to time. A little more warmth and hospitalityis missing, that a hotel of this category and withthese prices should provide. From the culinary perspectivethe Bruno restaurant stands out, but for completenessit also lacks a more sophisticated offering.MAIN COURSE – Congress and hotel offerFunction, as with the design of the hotel this aspectdoes not suffer. All the spaces are luxurious andthrough panoramic walls offer panoramic views ofBudva. The hotel rooms are stylish and functionallyset. Bathroom equipment is top quality; ergonomics,quality of bedding, mattresses and furnishings are alsoon the level.The convention facilities are smaller, so the hotel isparticularly suitable for incentive groups. The mainconference hall can accommodate 236 participants,and next to it there are three smaller halls available. Itis a very comfortable atmosphere overlooking the sea.DESSERT – Additional offerThe Restaurant Bruno is particularly impressive, probablythe best club and space for organising receptionsin this part of the Adriatic, a space that can accommodateup to 200 participants.-FLOP – negative surprisesPayable Wi-Fi nowadays at hotels of such categoryis unseemly.+TOP – positive surprisesStriking architecture and luxurious interiordesign of hotel rooms and suites.Final impression and credibilityA hotel with great potential, which stands out withits appearance. It is flirting with luxury clients andtries to understand their most demanding requirements.A hotel that wants to be the best on theMontenegrin scene, but will have to continue towork hard on its ‘software’. However, it surprises inmany ways and convinces mostly with its lifestylestory. With its dandy design its shortcomings areeasily forgiven. It is therefore not surprising that inthis month the spectacular Cavalli fashion show isbeing held here as well as many other events of thisrank.48

Hidden Congress GuestHOTEL BRISTOL SARAJEVO★★★★ PREMIUMFLIRTING WITH THE HIGHEST QUALITYPhoto credits: HOTEL BRISTOL4, 35Final ScoreCATEGORY★★★★OPEN FROM2011STANDARDHotel with conference facilitiesNUMBER OF ROOMSTotal of 186 rooms in the hotel ****Of which 16 suites (apartments)ONLINE PRICE145 - 160 EUR (June 2013)ADDRESSHOTEL BRISTOLFra Filipa Lastrića 271000 SarajevoT: +387 33 705 000F: +387 33 705 001E: reservations@bristolsarajevo.comW: www.bristolsarajevo.comFACILITIES- News Restaurant- The Brasserie Restaurant- Cafe Bristol Coffee Shop- Convention CentreRESULTS OF ANALYSISLocation 3,90Accessibility 3,95First impression 4,05Lobby 4,20Employee attitude 4,35Reception 4,15Hotel room 4,27Hotel bed 4,95Bathroom and restroom 4,91Hotel breakfast 4,57Bars and restaurants 4,05Congress hall 4,86Additional offer 4,30Total: 4,35FINAL GRADEpremium hotel 4,35LuxuryPremiumBusinessEconomyBudget★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★LOCATIONFor hotels we like to say that with redesign they becomemature. The Bristol Hotel has had quite a long time forgrowing up, which after total war demolition was fullyrenovated and from the old one only the outside can bereflected on. The Hotel Bristol Sarajevo, on the accessroad near the city centre, is now a part of the Shazahotel chain and is considered one of Sarajevo’s firstclass business facilities. With its turbulent history thisis a hotel with a story. The renovation was led by the AlShiddi company from Saudi Arabia, with managemententrusted to Shaza hotels of Dubai.ACCESSIBILITYThe hotel is situated by the road going into the citycentre on the edge of the business centre of Sarajevo,with the assembly and other important buildings closeby. From Sarajevo Airport it is located less than 6 kmaway and to Baščaršija in the city centre it takes 5minutes. Commendable is smaller underground parkinggarage. The location is not the most picturesque, but itis practical enough to meet the needs of business guests,in particular because the taxi in Sarajevo is among thecheapest in the region.COLD APPETISER – Architectureand aestheticsPractically only the façade remained the same at thishotel. This is a typical modernist architecture that doesnot thrill at first. The interior of the hotel was thoroughlyrenovated. All architectural interventions havegone in the direction of the luxury experience, with finematerials in place and the space dominated by subduedwarm colours, a monotony occasionally broken by interestingdetails. The hotel rooms are felicitous andsuitable for the mark, as the hotel today embodies thequality of their hotel chain.WARM APPETISER – Personneland culinary offerThe Hotel Bristol is not only handsome and attractive,but the staff is professional and always cater to yourdesires. In addition, all the lobbies and rooms are veryclean and well maintained. Last year the hotel was declaredthe best hotel in Bosnia and Herzegovina in theWorld Travel Awards competition.Guests accustomed to European hotels are surprisedby a complete ban on alcohol in the hotel and an adaptationof halal cuisine standards. In practice, however,this is probably a smart business decision, which meansthe adaptation to Muslim tourists who are more andmore in Bosnia. The breakfast is very good, well exceedingthe level of four stars.MAIN COURSE – Congress and hotel offerHotel rooms are a bit dark, and for this category theyare relatively small, but well-equipped. When bookingit is necessary to pay particular attention to this. Amongthe better parts of the hotel is the fast and reliable Wi-Ficonnection. The whole experience of hotel roomswould near five-stars if the rooms had better dimensions,because of the luxury equipment of everything,from leather details to selected fabrics.Shortly after the opening the congress centre hostedone of the most important events in Sarajevo. Fourmultifunctional halls convertible into one can accommodateup to 400 participants. In addition, there aretwo smaller meeting rooms and a conference hall for252 participants. All halls are equipped with modernmultimedia equipment.DESSERT – Additional offerThe spa and wellness centre, which is solidlyequipped. Disturbing is only an awkward entrance,which is possible only through the hotel lobby.-FLOP – negative surprisesMini bar is free, but for the taste of pamperedguests it is poorly stocked.+TOP – positive surprisesI-pads with daily news in the breakfast roomand probably one of the best beds in the region.Sleeping in such a bed is comparable to winning themain prize at the lottery!Final impression and credibilityA well-managed business hotel, which to theSarajevo market brings the experience of internationalhotel chains. The Hotel Bristol offers businesstravellers and convention guests excellent workingfacilities and service on a global scale, flirting withthe highest quality. Smart details, fine fabrics,comfort and everything else that belongs to the topclass business hotels. European guests are disturbedonly by the prohibition of alcohol, which could bemore clearly and explicitly communicated.49

50Croatia Addendum

Croatia AddendumCroatiaAddendum1Daniela KosWHAT DOES THE EUROPEANUNION BRING US?512Roko PalmićCroatian BusinessTourism + EU = Ready?!3InterviewPeter Fuchs – Croatia’scompetitiveness lies in beautifulnature and good value for money4Falkensteiner Hotel & SpaIadera – a green resort5Marko BošnjakHow to recognise highly professionalcatering & banqueting?Editorial Board: Daniela Kos, Aleksandra Uhernik Đurðek, Roko Palmić

Croatia AddendumWHAT DOES THE EUROPEANUNION BRING US?Croatia has just become the 28th member of the world’slargest association. Whether we are going to be a starand illuminate the skies over a fatigued Europe, or justbe the last star on the EU flag, depends mostly on us.text by Daniela Kos52Croatia today is a country torn between the dream of its ownunfulfilled potential and the harsh reality that puts us at thebottom of the world scale of economic competitiveness of developedcountries (according to the International Institute forManagement Development - IMD), although we are rankedsomewhat higher in the World Economic Forum competitivenessin tourism rankings, in Europe being 23rd out ofthe total of 42 tourist countries. Croatia, a country with 4.5million inhabitants, is for the sixth quarter in a row officiallyin recession; unemployment is high and tourism, thanks to theAdriatic coast, for years has been playing the role of saviour ofthe national economy.The 1st July 2013 is a historic date for the small CentralEuropean and Mediterranean (as we like to say)country of Croatia. After the breakup of Yugoslaviaand life on our own, as an independent state for the last 22years Croatia now joins the great world political and economicassociation - the European Union. What will this meanfor us, its citizens, at a time when most European countriesare struggling with recession, or with the protests of its disgruntledresidents unsatisfied with living conditions and thedecisions of their political elite? What will this mean for thedevelopment of our meeting industry and the opportunitiesthat such a community and a new, huge common market couldoffer?Does it have to be so in a country that has one of the cleanestand most beautiful coastlines in Europe, incredible naturalbeauty, hard-working people, a land still safe to walk thestreets in? I think we’re really lucky, but that, as a result ofthe struggle for survival, we are not aware of this. Instead ofshowing Europe and the world all of the country’s beauty,being open to the various possibilities of co-operation andlearning, we are closed. A number of administrative barriersand the often complicated and illogical legislation that doesnot exist (or is much easier) in the rest of Europe imposes thison us. Rather than taking advantage of the numerous opportunitiesoffered by the single market of half a billion people andattracting a large number of business people, investors, andtourists right throughout the year, and not just in the summer,we are practically at the beginning - we remain in search ofour own identity.Where new business is concluded and the economy is developed,there are business meetings organised, conferences,meetings. Germany is a prime example of this. The NationalConvention Bureau has defined six competitive areas in accordancewith market trends - medicine and health, logisticsand transport, chemical and pharmaceutical industry,technology and innovation, energy and environmental protection,and the financial sector. Almost 60% of all corporateevents in Germany are linked to these sectors, and conventionbureaus are supporting these sectors and competencies,promoting meetings in these areas and networking with the

Croatia AddendumCONGRATULATIONSON CROATIA’SMEMBERSHIP OF THE EUAt midnight on June 30th Croatia became the 28th member of the EuropeanUnion. This historical event was celebrated with 170 distinguished guests andaround 20,000 people coming together at Zagreb’s central square in the centreof Zagrebbana Jelačića and took place to the sound of ‘Ode to Joy’, the maincelebration performed by the HRT Symphony Orchestra and accompanyingchoirs. They were also joined by singers from other Croatian cities that alsoheld celebrations.Ground-breaking night for Croatiais also important for the EU. To manycongratulations also joins the editorial board of the Kongres magazine.CONGRATULATIONS CROATIA AND WELCOME TO THE EU!53world’s leading corporations and associations related to them.Without a strong national, export-oriented economy, withoutdefining the most strategic sectors, and without focusingmarketing efforts precisely to these sectors, there will be nosuccess in the meeting market.In addition to defining and communicating what we arebest and most competitive in, to succeed in the internationalmeeting market a true and not just declarative co-operationof all participants in the market - from convention bureaus,conference organisers, to suppliers and intermediaries in thechain – is absolutely necessary. In recent times, it has beencalled co-opetition (a compound word co-operative competition).As long as everyone performs only for themselves andis looking purely from a self-interest perspective, our meetingindustry will not be homogenous or strong enough to be recognisedas an important part of the Croatian economy. Untilthen we will not have large convention centres, nor will weincrease the number of flights; hotels will be interested only inprofit by the number of overnight stays in the summer season,agencies will be interested only in their own commissions ...Dialogue is the key to all involved, and if nothing else, thenwe need to learn from Europe to lead a constructive dialogue,until we find common solutions. If Monaco, a small Europeanprincipality, can unite in a joint campaign of the NationalConvention Bureau, the largest convention centre, hotels andDMC agencies in the destination, so can we.There is still a lot of work ahead of us. If we are going to beopen to dialogue, we will find the best way to highlight thecompetition and attract new people and business to Croatia.If we are not, then everyone else will be blamed as being completelyat ease on the wide, high seas of the European Union.The good news is that a small, export-oriented country caneasily adapt itself to find a way out of the crisis. Even betternews is that from 2013 to 2020 we have more than 13 billioneuros available from the European funds, from which wecould fund good, innovative projects and tourism.So, everything is in our own hands. On this journey, I wish usjust a little more wisdom, courage and openness to others andnew ideas. Everything else we already have!

Croatia AddendumCroatian BusinessTourism + EU = Ready?!Croatia’s azure Adriatic coastline dottedwith over a thousand verdant islands hasalready won a spot on the world touristmap - will July’s 2013 EU entry of Croatiafurther boost the tourism sector?text by Roko Palmić54Due to its abundant natural resources, Croatia isoften called a “national park of Europe”. Its accessioninto the EU as a full member in July 2013 isexpected to induce European tourism demand on Croatiaas a holiday destination. But what about Croatia as a newEuropean Business and MICE destination?The EU entry will certainly improve Croatia’s image as atourist destination and provides a key support for Croatia’seconomy. One positive impact is definitely the unified taxationand custom rules within the EU. I am sure that every hotelieror DMC in Croatia had the experience that important conferencematerials for a congress or meeting were stopped atcustoms, as clarification was not clear, papers were missing,customs office hours….etc. – but these times are now over.EU membership might, however, have some negative impacttoo - Croatia has had to introduce visas for tourists fromRussia, Ukraine and Turkey to comply with the bloc’s rules.These markets in particular delivered a travel increase, inthe past years, to Croatia. An easy visa application process atCroatian Embassies or on airport arrival could help to keepthis travel trend stable. According to ICCA the Russian marketis growing fast, as approximately 73% of all Russian corporatemeetings are still held outside Russia, as there are limited facilitiesavailable within the country. Croatia should not missthis potential by having strong and difficult visa regulations.But my question now is if Croatia is ready for somechanges on their supplier markets – has Croatia sourcedfor new upcoming, expanding EU markets and has it usedall the EU Tourism possibilities?When discussing the trends and skill needs in tourism, it isalways interesting to start with some facts and figures on thecurrent situation of European tourism. The general outlookfor this dynamic sector is, in relation to other traditionalEuropean economic sectors, positive and quite optimistic forthe coming years. Tourism is generally and globally acknowledgedas being one of the (very) few economic sectors that hasmore than significant growth prospects and is characterisedas a catalyst for peace and prosperity.Despite the increasing competition in overall world tourism,Europe is still the number one destination. It has the highestdensity and diversity of tourist attractions. Tourism, however,is still an internal European phenomenon, as 87% of the touristswho visit Europe come from EU countries. Althoughmost travel is still undertaken for leisure, 20% is for business.Certain trends in European tourism have been identified, suggestingthat tourist arrivals will double in the next 25 yearsand that this doubling will take place in Europe – whichmeans that Croatia will also be affected by this development.What about Congress and Business Tourism demand forCroatia after entering the EU?Congress tourism is an important part of business tourism inEurope. In recent years it recorded huge growth across theworld. Congress tourism contributes to the transmission andexchange of experience and knowledge, as well as generatingemployment in the area of the congress site. Its development haspositive influence on tourist results in the Republic of Croatia.According to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, in the periodfrom January to March 2013, compared to the same periodof 2012, the total number of business meetings held in theRepublic of Croatia increased by 15.6%. In the same period,the total number of days at the business meetings decreasedby 1.3%, while the total number of participants at the meetingsincreased by 4.3%. Each meeting lasted two days on average.By professional organiser, 70.2% of business meetings wereorganised by corporations and companies and 29.8% by associationsand institutions. According to type, the most meetings,60.0% of them, were business meetings and 36.4% were congresses/conferences.As we can see, still potential for growth!The congress industry generates a number of main features.First of all, occupancy of the capacity is in the pre- andpost-season. It can then also be noted that there is significantlygreater consumption by congress participants thanby tourists on holidays. An additional advantage is that eachbusiness meeting includes short trips, so participants have achance to see the natural beauty of Croatia. Satisfied congress

Croatia AddendumRoko Palmić is a hotel industry professional, specialisedin overall sales and marketing, strategic planning andthe execution of plans. He ahs held positions as, amongothers, Director of Sales and Marketing for the SacherHotels, Marriott Hotels, the Carlson Rezidor Hotel groupand managing director at JumpUp Hospitality & TourismConsulting. Currently he is holding the Director of Sales &Marketing position at the Westmont hospitality group.55and other business meeting participants are the best promotersof Croatia as a tourist, business, scientific and culturaldestination.The most important factors influencing organisers when decidingin which country to host an international event are:• cost• connectivity• quality of accommodation• quality of service• quality of meeting facilities• availability of venues/hotel rooms• travel time to destination• security/safety• time of year• transport at destination• weather and range of leisure optionsAll of above-mentioned Croatia can offer!Therefore, Croatia can expect great opportunities ahead fromincreasing demand for congress tourism. A significant impacton the development of tourism in Croatia is, and must be, congresstourism. Croatia is an ideal destination for this type oftourism. It has good transport links, good infrastructure andsupporting content such as cultural and historical heritageand natural attractions.By following the MICE trends for 2013 – where it’s becomingmore about developing instant, personalised & bookable services– Croatia should develop as the new EU MICE rising staron the blue European flag. For Croatian destinations’ MICEand tourism companies, what matters is offering customisedand relevant information by gaining access to large amountsof data from multiple EU sources. DMCs and congress organiserswill now get direct access to different EU Programmes,Fronds and Associations, which are offering huge potentialfor growing business.Now it’s time to switch the Croatian holiday image to aBusiness image – so how is this possible?Let’s have a look at another well-known EU holiday destination:Cyprus. In July 2012 Cyprus took over the Presidency ofthe EU. The island was the venue for a large number of top linemeetings and congresses during the Presidency and Cyprusused this period to perfectly promote Cyprus as the upcomingbusiness destination.Malta is another well-known EU holiday destination. JosefFormosa Gauci, CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority, said atIMEX 2013. “We need to stay on top of our game and listento what the client wants, in order to further grow this sector.”Despite the global economic scenario, Malta has witnessed asustained increase in conference and incentive travel over thepast three years. The gathering of people in Malta is simplifiedby the fact that via a three hour flight the islands are easilyaccessible from the main European gateways. Additionally, thesmart and flexible local meetings industry is always at handto provide solutions tailored to the needs of particular conferenceand incentive groups – and don’t forget, the MalteseIslands are members of the European Union, the Eurozoneand the Schengen agreement.My conclusion is that Croatia, on the doorstep of the EU, hasstill a lot of other doors and possibilities to open – so let theEU MICE business in!

56Croatia Addendum

Croatia AddendumPeter Fuchs: Croatia’scompetitiveness lies in beautifulnature and good value for moneyValamar Hotels&Resorts is the biggest hospitality managementcompany in Croatia. They operate 23 hotels, sevenapartment villages and nine campsites, mostly in two maintourist regions in Croatia, Istria and Dubrovnik. We spokewith Valamar‘s CEO Peter Fuchs, who has held this positionsince 2007.What are your predictions for this season in Valamarhotels in Croatia?The preparation for this season was quite challenging for us.Firstly due to weather conditions, which weren’t ideal, andsecondly, due to the early Easter break this year, which correlatedwith the ski season. We can say June was again a challengingmonth for us, but we are now on track with our plans.We are constantly improving and keen to set high targets.Valamar is looking forward to nice business opportunities inautumn and, since the weather is an unpredictable factor intourism, we hope it will continue to be in our favour. We areambitious to set higher and higher standards every year andto continuously improve our offers and services in all possibleaspects. As always, we are fully prepared for this season andexpecting our guests with great excitement. Last year, as adestination we did very well and we are convinced this trendwill continue for Croatia in 2013, as well as for Valamar.Valamar has recently invested around 8 million euros inthe renovation of Hotel&Casa Valamar Sanfior in Istria.Are there any other investments planned for this year?In 2013 we invested around 23 million Euros in our properties.Our biggest investment was in hotel Valamar Sanfior inRabac, in Istria, which became a four star property for leisureguests with high demands. Our second biggest investmentthis year went to Camping Krk on the island of Krk. This 4*eco-friendly camping, which was awarded ISO 14001 certificateand carries the Blue Flag for its beach, now offers a heatedoutdoor pool and the first camping SPA zone in Croatia andluxurious mobile homes with their own yard. After this repositioning,Camping Krk has become a kind of open-air hoteland one of the best 4* campsites in Croatia.Investments in Valamar are always carefully planned beforethey are realised, so we are proud to say that one of our projectsfor the next season is expansion and remodeling ofValamar Dubrovnik President Hotel to a 5* hotel offering newluxurious suites, outdoor swimming pool and an upgrade ofall rooms and public spaces. The project is planned for completionin 2014, and the estimated investment level is around20 million EUR. Also, Hotel Zagreb and Hotel Argosy willjoin Valamar’s 4* hotel portfolio after planned renovation andinvestment.Besides investing in our facilities, Valamar is also investing inour greatest resource – the employees. This contributes to thecontinuously improving quality of service by introducing thehighest quality standards in every aspect of operations. Wehave developed our own platform for training and educationof key operating and management functions. Our standard operatingprocedures and many certificates for quality businessmanagement are at the highest international level. Since ourguests are at the center of our attention, we give great importanceto further development of human resources as themain factor of service quality in tourism. These investments,together with the EU entrance, make us set optimistic goalsfor the coming season. At Valamar we see an opportunity inthe future, since we are heavily investing in our properties andquality of service. That is very important if you want to keepyour guests and attract new ones.Croatia will benefit from entering the EuropeanUnionCroatia has just joined the European Union. In what waywill this help to improve Croatian tourism in general?I think the European Union is a good thing for Croatiantourism. Economic indicators show that Croatia will definitelybenefit from entering the European Union. This willalso reflect on tourism and have a positive impact. The overallresults demonstrate that Croatia is becoming more and moreinteresting to foreign tourists and I believe the EU entrancewill help to raise awareness about Croatia as a beautiful andsafe country for tourism. Tourists will be able to travel andcross borders faster and in the long-term might be able to payin a single currency if they are coming from EU countries.Croatia’s competitiveness lies in beautiful nature and goodvalue for money. It is not the cheapest destination, but for sureit is one with a good level of service and high-quality properties.The coast and Adriatic Sea are really unspoiled naturalresorts and if we put all of that together, I am sure tourists willfind Croatia a great place for a holiday and lasting memories.Croatia has many devastated hotel properties in stateownership that are going to be privatised. Do you plan toinvest in some of these properties in the future?As a tourism company, we are actively keeping track of projects,companies and properties in the tourism sector inCroatia. We are continuously analyzing opportunities forfurther growth and development of our business, which alsoincludes hotel properties in state ownership. Our interest foreach case will certainly depend on tender conditions and profitabilityof such investment. High level of indebtedness of such57

Croatia Addendum58hotel companies is very often the obstacle for realising theseprojects.You are German, living in Croatia for many years. Haveyou noticed any significant changes of the businessclimate in Croatia over that period?The investment climate in Croatia is getting better, but thereis still a lot to be done to remove administrative burdens fordoing business and for investments. We are paying many taxesand levies that are influencing our business on daily basis.All this is acting very discouragingly for investors. Valamargroup is one of the biggest investors in Croatian tourism. TheCroatian government made some steps in investment climateimprovement and I hope that a new Tourism strategy will additionallyhelp Croatia to become one of top 20 destinationsin the world. Certainly, there is room for improvement in thecurrent construction and land legislation.Besides this, I have to mention that some of the major issuestoday in Croatia are unemployment, high taxes on labor coststhat cause a great problem for employers and employees, aswell as inflexible labor regulations which do not ease up theprocess of employment, nor the mobility of employees. Weall hope the government will do its best in encouraging employmentby ensuring new workplaces and stimulating theoverall Croatian economy. EU entrance could help speed upthose processes.Valamar adopting dolphins in CSR campaignThe Meetings & Events segment is very important forValamar. What can we do as a destination to become morecompetitive in the international meetings market?Valamar Lacroma Dubrovnik is one of the biggest congresshotels in Croatia. With a capacity of approximately 1,200guests in our congress hall, we have the leading congresscentre in the Dubrovnik region and one of the leading ones atthe Adriatic coast. By definition, Valamar is a leisure tourismcompany. Most of our guests are families and couples but sincewe are building a strong MICE segment, we have many businessgroups and individuals that are business related.In order to become more competitive in the meetings market,our country needs stronger destination management thatwould provide guests with additional content and experiences.Tourists still don’t know that Dubrovnik, former DubrovnikRepublic, is the cradle of modern diplomacy and even whenthey come to Dubrovnik there is little developed offeringabout the history. Development of such products will have astrong influence on Croatian tourism in the future.Unfortunately, Croatia still isn’t perceived as a year rounddestination and that is a huge challenge for Croatiantourism in general. That is also one of our priorities inValamar. How to bring a guest to Dubrovnik or Istriaoutside the season and provide him with memorableexperiences?I find that the public sector, especially the Ministry of tourism,must have a development strategy plan for congress tourism,which has recently occurred through the new Strategy fordevelopment of tourism of the Republic of Croatia to 2020.Croatia is lacking serious, big congress centres that can accommodatea few thousand guests, and this is where I see thestrong role of the state as a partner or investor in building sucha centre in one of the most attractive destinations in Croatia.The state also has to encourage the initiation of regular airlines with leading European cities outside season as well,because the short season is one of the leading problems ofCroatian tourism. One of the most ideal ways of lengtheningthe season is congress tourism itself.Last year Valamar introduced an interesting MICE campaigncalled „meetINblue“. Can you tell us more about itand its first results?The Adriatic coast is by far the most popular Croatian touristicregion, with 11 million tourists every year. Crowned with1244 islands, islets, rocks, reefs and blue crystal clear sea, itis one of the most desirable sailing destinations of the world.As a leading hotel chain in Croatia and socially responsiblemember of the community, here in Valamar we are focusedon the protection of biological diversity of the Adriatic sea.Since 2012 we’ve been supporting the Blue World Institutein protecting Adriatic dolphins. Funds gathered during theproject from the area of socially responsible business ‘’meet-INblue-Valamar blue meetings’’ in 2012, we have adopted 42dolphins from Adriatic Sea, thus contributing to the preservationof this protected species. Thanks to realising the leaseof our conference rooms for the events in which 100 or morepeople participate, by donating 700 Kunas for every lease ofthat type we can adopt one dolphin. Innovation and the importanceof the project, which supports the work of non-governmentassociation Blue World, was recognised by theprofession and meetINblue received the prestigious rewardCBTour in category for the best responsible Croatian businesstourism program in 2012.Interviewed by: Daniela Kos

Croatia AddendumFalkensteiner Hotel & SpaIadera – a green resortThe Falkensteiner Hotel & Spa Iadera, locatedin the heart of Dalmatia, is a unique example ofsustainability and ‘green hospitality’ in Croatia60Located on the peninsula of Punta Skala, near the beautifulantique city of Zadar, the luxury FalkensteinerHotel & Spa Iadera is a member of renowned internationalhotel association “The Leading Hotels of theWorld.” Inspiring architecture, unsurpassed design, perfectwellness experience, a first-class service, superb Alpine-Adriatic cuisine and Mediterranean charm provide an exclusiveholiday oasis that sets new standards. In addition tothe holiday focus, the conference centre at the FalkensteinerHotel & Spa Iadera hosts various kinds of business events,from conferences, incentives, and seminars to major conferences.But what makes this story truly unique is its location inthe heart of Dalmatia and its green philosophy; sustainabilityis one of the key corporate values of Falkensteiner, and inthe construction of the resort special emphasis was placedon the conservation of the environment and the welfare ofthe community.Already in the design stages of the future Falkensteiner PuntaSkala complex consideration was given to the synergy of costefficiency, high quality services, energy efficiency and independencewith the environmental benefits of the houses. Inco-operation with international experts a complex systemwas implemented to minimise the long-term effect of human“action” on the environment. Environmental protection,wastewater treatment, waste reduction and optimisation ofenergy consumption are the basis of this system. To ensurenatural cooling, the designer buried the garage underground,lighting switches across sectors are equipped with sensors,thus avoiding unnecessary power consumption, and on top ofthe garage is a green area.“The issue of energy independence is very important to us,”said Georg Unterkircher, general manager of Punta Skala. “Asthe Zadar area is facing potential problems with water duringthe summer months, but also having to provide our customerswith the highest possible quality of service, we have built aplant for seawater desalination. The system is supplying theDiadora and Iadera hotels and Senia apartments with drinkingwater of high quality.”Pipes pump sea water to the plant, where it passes throughmembrane filtration during which sodium and chlorine areremoved. The water is then enriched with minerals and drinkingquality water is then used for all purposes in the hotel:cooking, showering, filling the pool. Waste water from thehotel is not discharged into the sewer, but is treated, processedand used for watering the green areas, with the resulting solidwaste dried and used as fertilizer. In order to reduce the costsof heating and cooling (and consequently the use of fossil fuelsthat pollute the environment) heat pumps that use the temperatureof the sea are utilised. These devices convert energyinto heat energy, in turn used to heat the hotel.“Whenever possible, we also use local food suppliers,” saidUnterkircher. “For example, every day we buy fresh fish fromlocal fishermen, to ensure the highest possible quality, andalso to contribute to the development of local economy.”Attention to detail can also be seen in herbs: rosemary, lavender,immortelle and other native species are not only givinga pleasant smell, but they also serve as an everyday spice tocooks. The menu is based on regional ingredients.“For cleaning we use only biodegradable products, and alsoanother “small step” was the introduction of soap dispensersthat can be refilled, reducing the amount of packaging waste,”added Unterkircher.“We are aware of pollution that occurs as a result of emissionsfrom vans,” continued Unterkircher. “Therefore, in the resortwe have two electric vehicles for internal communications.For next season, we plan to invest in solar power - photovoltaicsolar cells - which would further increase the independenceof the complex, achieve cost savings, reduce CO2 emissions,hire a few more workers and thus contribute to the realisationof our vision of sustainability.“Although we have already done a lot, there is still room forimprovement,” said Unterkircher. “One needs to start withsmall steps, day by day, by which one can achieve a lot. Ourdesire is to be recognized as a truly ‘green resort’, so we areconstantly working on improvements.”Events to rememberA unique harmony of high technology and environmentalprinciples make business events a unique experience for allparticipants. Thanks to the modern concept of design with its

Croatia Addendumown separate entrance, reception hall with cloakroom, lobbyand business centre, the conference centre is a separate entitythat provides the necessary peace participants require for alltypes of business meetings.The Convention Centre, which extends to over 600m2 includesseven innovatively equipped conference rooms thatcan be rearranged as required by the organiser. From theneighbouring lobby one can go directly to the Sotto VoceLounge Bar terrace. The business centre is fully equippedwith computers, internet access, printers, phones and faxmachines. The arrangement of the centre provides flexibilityin combining space, depending on the needs of the organisers,from small intimate meetings to events for up to 200 participants.The rooms are air-conditioned and soundproofed,boasting excellent audio-visual equipment for conferencesand presentations.“Arranging large, successful meetings and conferences is anintegral part of what we love to do,” said Unterkircher. “Wecan arrange everything to make the stay of business guestsa memorable one: the relaxing fun after work, special spatreatments for partners and groups, to exciting excursions inthe beautiful countryside around the resort. The exceptionallocation of the hotel on the Adriatic coast and the amazingsize of the resort offers a unique location for professional recordingof commercials and fashion editorials, and especiallyfor the launch and presentation of international car brands.We are proud that our clients are Porsche, Ferrari, Peugeotand Chevrolet.”Punta Skala is located in the immediate vicinity of Zadar andNin and national parks such as the Krka waterfalls, the PlitviceLakes, Paklenica, Velebit and Kornati, all of which providecountless opportunities for fun, trips, team building, and awide range of activities covering off road and cave exploring,trekking, canoeing and rafting. These can all be accompaniedby enjoying the splendid Dalmatian cuisine and local wine.“Charlie Bravo” for lovers of nautical tourismThe Hotel & Spa Iadera has one of the largest wellness and spacentres on the Adriatic coast: Acquapura SPA wellness centrecovers an area of 6000m2. It has as many as 17 treatmentrooms, a private spa suite, several indoor and outdoor pools -one of which is filled with seawater, relaxation rooms whererelaxing teas are served after treatment, sauna world with aunique panoramic view of the Zadar archipelago, as well as amodern interpretation of the Turkish hammam which extendsover 700m2. All of this guarantees an extraordinary wellnessexperience.And for lovers of nautical tourism, there is something reallyspecial! The hotel offers its guests a 12 metre yacht - CranchiZaffiro 36 “Charlie Bravo” - to enjoy the beauty of the Adriaticcoast, its hidden coves and clear blue sea.61

Croatia AddendumHow to recognisehighly professionalcatering & banqueting?What used to be considered luxury is today anintegral part of business and private events.Of course, we are talking about catering.text by Marko Bošnjak62At the outset we need to clearly define the differencebetween a highly professional catering & banquetingand what the law in Croatia defines as “catering facilities”.Today in the market almost every restaurant, pizzeria,bar, snack bar, tavern, etc. offers catering services as a side job,and this can be attributed to the current legislation. Beforethe law it is almost the same if one is organising the deliveryof one pizza or a party for 200 people, as they are bothbusiness entities considered to be “catering facilities”. Thisallows individuals to abuse the system, leaving the organisersof business and private meetings unprotected, because theymust themselves assess and explore the degree of quality ofworks. Unlike catering, hotels are categorised and organisersfrom the start know what quality of service they can expect ina hotel with three, four or five stars.How to hire a quality catering?When hiring catering services one needs to begin to take stepsthat can clearly indicate what kind of service one can expect:• Check whether the restaurant that offers catering services isspecialised in this area or is its main activity restaurant, bar,cafeteria, snack bar, etc. As in all other industries, also hereit means a lot if it is a company specialising in a particulararea. Thus the activity can be performed much better and isinvesting a lot more effort if it is the main and only sourceof income of the company.• Check the capacity of the kitchen, warehouse, the fleet ....It often happens that the “paper suffers anything”, so it isimpossible if you want to be sure of the safety of food anddo not want to jeopardize the entire event. Getting a quotefor organising a reception for 350 people from the cateringfacility whose kitchen has 35m2, three fridges, one personin the kitchen and food transports are done with a small vanwith no cooling system… in such a case our common sensedictates that a deal with such capabilities is not possible.• Check how long the company has been operating in themarket and be sure to check the reference list and experiencewith similar projects.• If you care to make a good impression on the event you organise,certainly insist on looking at food preparation, coolingappliances in the kitchen, the fleet with which the caterercarries out its activities, staff uniforms, big and small items(tables, chairs, accessories, cutlery, plates, etc.). There is abig difference between what you are promised in a telephonecommunication and what the real situation and the possibilitiesof performance in the field are. So you take a little timeand ‘scan’ through to the end capabilities of the caterer, sinceyour business reputation greatly depends on this.• Be sure to ask for special purposes and food tasting, but rememberthat for five people almost anyone can prepare aquality food tasting, so it is very important to pay attentionto all the other indicators.• Check the food safety control system. According to legislationHACCP is a minimum and is mandatory for all restaurantsin Croatia, while ISO 22000 is a maximum and reducesthe possibility of any health defects to zero. ISO system requiressignificant investment in space, training, equipment... therefore, we recommend that you seek ISO certificationand be sure.• One of the most important things is to check the stability ofthe company. For example, if in 2013 you organise a congressfor 2015, you need to be sure that the company will still existin two years.• Care must be taken that only carrying out searches onthe web site can be risky, because what looks great on thewebsite may be far from the reality.How to send a request to a quality catering?Given that the catering is often a very complex process andrequires individual application - as opposed to restaurants,hotels and other fixed locations, this is still working on some“other” location - the individual needs of the group, the improvisation,and the handling of the new space is of paramountimportance.Therefore it is important to query the catering and specifythese few things:• The location and date of the banquet and the number ofguests• Time and duration of the banquet• Specify whether this will be a gala lunch or dinner withseating areas or stand up versions with cocktail tables

Croatia AddendumMarko Bošnjak / Catering FavoryFor the last ten years Marko Bošnjak has been working inthe hospitality industry, of which the last four years in thecatering Favory, one of the leading Croatian highly professionalcaterings. In addition to standard private and business facilities,the branch Opatija is specialised in the field of business andcongress tourism: they have devised special menus for events,interesting concepts with food and drink for team buildings,gala dinners, presentations, incentives, and much more.63• Take into account the wishes of the guests and the age of thegroup, sex (whether a predominantly male, female or mixedgroup), religion (Halal, Kosher, etc.), opportunity, languagebarriers (waiters and chefs who speak a certain language)• State the budget - if it is defined, it is easier to adjust and determinewhich direction to go in, without much loss of timeOnce you make the above checks and insights into companiesmeeting the criteria, please contact the catering and ask fora meeting with a specialist who will listen to all your wishes,will know how to advise you well, and propose a joint visitof the site ... Bids on paper in this case are just a formality. Itsaves your time and engagement of experts so that you canavoid misunderstandings, relax and concentrate on the restof your project.Types serving and menuHighly professional and quality catering can offer differentways of serving, often come up with a completely new conceptof lunch or dinner, set a new trend ... This can be a standardbuffet in all its variants, to show cooking (e.g. preparingvarious pasta, risotto, stew, etc. in front of guests), prepareinggrilled meat in front of guests ... all the way to Tellerservice, which is often the most challenging, because a qualityperformance requires a large number of waiters, cooks andequipment.To make the performance good, it is essential that in just afew minutes a group of 200 guests gets the food on the plate,that one waiter is serving a table of eight people, etc. There isalso a more classic version of serving food on trays (very littlerepresented in organisations, business meetings). A significantproportion have stand-up receptions with finger food menusthat again can be set in the buffet or served as a flying service(the waiters are circulating with trays of food between guests),or a combination of these.Co-ordination of the event on the groundThis is the stage where the days and weeks of good planningcome to the fore and are reduced to a day or two-day operationalactivities. It is important to arrange details with othersuppliers working on the project (music, lighting, tent, etc.)beforehand to prevent crowding and confusion on site.So it should be determined who is coming to the location andwhen, and possibly arrange to open the location a day beforeto prepare the space. All details should be negotiated with justone or two persons in charge of catering to avoid misunderstandings.During the event, it is best to negotiate exclusivelywith the head of catering, not directly and individually withthe staff at the reception. Thus one avoids the destruction ofalready established concepts and avoids confusion of operationalstaff. Of course, the person in charge of catering musthave at any time a concrete response to the situation andmust know the potential and actual problems and situations.Mutual trust is very important for a successful business.ConclusionGiven the current major disruptions in the market and thefight for every job, the organisers of events often find themselvesin a dilemma as to whether to accept the best pricedoffer of catering. However, price-quality ratio is extremelyimportant: in order that the value of deals can be compared,be sure to compare them using all of the above items. Price asa numeric amount is a very misleading basis for comparison.Quality is what you should take the decision on, because thisis a very sensitive segment in which there is not much roomfor corrections.So it is useful, before a concrete offer, to visit the site with acatering specialist, as it could turn out that they are offeringyou something impossible at this location.

Extended stayEXTENDED STAYTHALASSO SPA LEPA VIDASečovlje, SloveniaRimske terme Business WellnessSpa Resort, Rimske topliceRimske Terme, SloveniaIn the northern part of the Sečovlje Salina Natural Park, a new and uniqueoutdoor spa centre was opened in the spring 2013. Visitors are offered aspecial experience of traditional thalasso therapy in a unique natural environmentamidst salt pans using natural products. Due to its sensitive locationin the heart of the landscape park, special attention was given to thearrangement and final appearance. The architectural design of the facilitiesis visually adapted to the geometry of the salt pans since the smallerwooden facilities are designed parallel with the lines of the salt-pan worker’shouses. All the facilities are energy efficient and built in accordancewith the principles of sustainable development.Contact information:Sečovlje Salina Natural Park, Seča 115, 6320 Portorož, SloveniaT: +386 (05) 672 13 60E: lepavida@soline.siwww.thalasso-lepavida.siRoman Spa with their rich history and beautiful surroundings is the perfectplace for business meetings. Your business event will be a little differentand in the middle of unspoiled nature which will give a very special charm.We offer you multi function rooms equipped with cutting-edge technology.You can still enrich your business meeting with culinary and wellness experiencewhich won’t leave you or your colleagues indifferent.Contact information:Rimske terme Business Wellness Spa Resort, Rimske topliceToplice 10, 3272 Rimske Toplice, SloveniaT: +386 (0)3 574 20 15, F: +386 (0)3 734 63 12,E: Barbara.blaj@rimske-terme.siwww.rimske-terme.si64

Extended stayWAHAHA PARADISE SPORT &FAMILY RESORTFeriendorf, AustriaLAGUNA POREČPoreč, CroatiaOur 4-Star Resort is located on the banks of the Drava River and the perfectsetting for your business event. Choose from a variety of seminar rooms ora state-of-the-art event hall and try our special seminar packages includingteambuilding activities!Contact information:Wahaha Paradise Sport & Family ResortFeriendorf 1, 9181 Feistritz im Rosental, AustriaT: +43 4228 377 33 502F: +43 4228 377 33 77E: sales@wahaha-paradise.comwww.wahaha-paradise.comPlava Laguna – Laguna Poreč is one of the biggest tourism and hospitalitycompanies in Croatia. In our 13 hotels we offer you conference halls andmeeting rooms from 10 to 600 seated places with audio-visual and otherequipment. You will find everything you need for Professional organizingbusiness events and a pleasant Mediterranean climate with the natural environment.We will merge business with pleasure – and this may be the goalof our offer - to organize congresses, seminars, sport events, weddings andgala-dinners.After your regular program, we offer you the opportunity to relax with excellentsports and recreational outdoor facilities or in our sports halls, fitness,swimming pool and the wellness center. Therefore it is best to see for yourselfand be sure how your stay in Laguna Poreč facilities brings you real success,because: YOUR SUCCESS IS OUR GOAL!PLAVA LAGUNA d.d., LAGUNA POREČRade Končara 12, 52440 Poreč, HrvaškaTel. 00385/52/410-222, Faks 00385/52/410-412E-pošta: mice@plavalaguna.hrwww.lagunaporec.com65

Who is WhoKuoni EventsTANJA ŽIBERTProject managerKuoni EventsSHORT CVOriginally from a small village close toSmarjeske Toplice in the Slovenian southeastregion, which prides itself on Thermal springsand the beautiful castle Otocec.She completed degree in Organisation andManagement a year later and hungry foranother internship experience landed atAngela Shanley Associates. In this multiculturaland international company met a diverserange of people and gained fundamentalknowledge from leisure FIT’s and corporateMICE organisation in the travel industry.Her career evolved in 2011 when I joinedOctopustravel.com. Today she work as a ProjectManager at Kuoni Events, which is partof the Kuoni Group, one of the leading globaltravel and destination management servicescompanies.What are you most proud of in your businessand private lives?Business wise I’m most proud to have fullyorganised a corporate event in Fuerteventura,which hosted over 70 people and was quite achallenge to manage, due to the out of seasontravel date and limited flight accessibility.However I satisfied delegates expectationsand ran a very successful conference with abit of an incentive flavour, which was greatfun! Personally I’m very proud to have had thecourage to move abroad whilst never cutting tieswith family and friends in Slovenia.Life wisdom/motto?‘The world is a book and those who do not travelread only one page.’ (St. Augustine)Where are you going to spend this year’sholiday?This year my dad celebrates his 50th, so Idecided to spend a big portion of my holidaytime in Slovenia.What was your favourite vacation?I just returned from a surfing adventure in theCanary Islands, which was exciting and a totallynew experience.Where would you go if there were no timeand financial constraints?I would definitely take a trip around the world.First time around I would travel with my friendsand second with my family.What is your favourite indoor/outdooractivity?Volleyball and Beach Volleyball.What is you favourite dish and restaurant(anywhere in the world)?I enjoy a good steak at ZUMA Restaurant inLondon, which prepares it heavenly. They offersomething completely new - a sophisticatedtwist on the traditional Japanese izakaya styleof informal eating and drinking. They strive todeliver an authentic flavour of the east whilerespecting the traditions of the past. I stronglyrecommend it!What is you favourite gadget?I have to be a bit boring and say iPhone/iPad.Which song do you most often play on youriPod?At the moment the song “Mirrors” by JustinTimberlake.Which part of the day and of the week is yourfavourite?Evenings, when I can meet with friends, go tothe gym, enjoy musicals and movies and otherindustry events.What is your favourite mode of transport?Car would be my preference.If you could return to the past or hurry to thefuture, how old would you like to be? Why?I would return to the past and speak to myself at18, to take the opportunity to study abroad afterGymnasium Novo mesto.If you could witness any event in historywhich one would you choose?It’s a sad moment but I would love to be at theF1 race when Senna passed away.What was the best party you have attended?AN open spa party at London bridge few yearsago. The set up of the stage and all the spa facilitieswas made by London architects in a veryunique and interesting way. I got to enjoy goodmusic, have a few drinks and swim as well assauna at the same time. Perfect!The last film, book, concert?I just saw Superman, read a book called Lovehas wings and saw a Guns ‘n’ Roses concert.What fantasy character would you be?Mulan. She is courageous, self-reliant, a naturalbeauty that is sometimes clumsy, outspoken butalso very independent and adventurous.What did you learn last week?I read this on my friend’s Facebook profile: “Didyou know that Bees sometimes get drunk whileout ‚working‘ and when they go back to the hivedrunk, they get executed by guard Bees?”I did some research and its proved to be true.So I definitely learned something new… Didyou?66

Who is WhoConferenz, NZWhat are you most proud of in your businessand private lives?Finding the courage to leave a good job that Ihad in Ljubljana, leave my family and friendswho I really miss, and go to the other side of theworld to live my dreams.Life wisdom/motto?‘Save the Earth, it’s the only planet that haschocolate.’ I can’t live without chocolate…Where are you going to spend this year’sholiday?I haven’t quite planned my next holiday yet,but either it will be skiing in Queenstown (NZ),surfing in Fiji or visiting family and friends inSlovenia.What was your favourite vacation?Backpacking around Cuba, a surf trip to Portugaland living in New Zealand (I’ve been here for awhile now, but it still feels like I’m on holiday).If you could witness any event in historywhich one would you choose?First Olymics in ancient Greece.What was the best party you have attended?A house party in a barn above Ruapuke – it wasjust so random, in the middle of some hugefarm above the ocean, and all the locals werethere (from neighbouring farms), from kids togrannies.The last film, book, concert?Movie: Hangover 3. Book: Let the great worldspin, Colum McCann. Concert: Fly my pretties(Womad Festival, Taranaki).What fantasy character would you be?Spiderman – I love the way he climbs theskyscrapers.What did you learn last week?A magic trick with a disappearing coin.LANA MIHELIČIČConference managerConferenz, NZSHORT CVWhile studying at the Law Faculty of LjubljanaI was working as a hostess, in Cankarjev domand in Auditoria. After graduation I workedfor the Tomaz Cad Law Office, but decided toleave the job as I got a one year working holidayvisa for New Zealand. As a traveller and asurfer I have always dreamt of living close to theocean. My dreams came true in a tiny surfingtown called Raglan. After meeting my partner Iended up ‘extending’ my holidays. After a yearof working in local cafes I was desperate for amore challenging job. As my law degree is notvalid in NZ I decided to go back to event management.I got a job at Conferenz, NZ’s leadingconference organiser. My role as a conferencemanager is to write programmes for differentconferences. As I am able to work from myhome office in Raglan and surf during lunchbreaks, I can say that I live my dreams J.Company web page: www.conferenz.co.nzMy email: lana@ujusansa.siMy blog: www.coconuts4sale.wordpress.comWhere would you go if there were no timeand financial constraints?At the moment, I would love to go home, to seemy family.What is your favourite indoor/outdooractivity?Indoor: reading books by the fireplace with ahot chocolate in hands. Outdoor: surfing.What is you favourite dish and restaurant(anywhere in the world)?Food: My granny’s crepes; my mom’s vegetablelasagna; my partner’s thai green curry.Restaurant: Gostilna Cad in Ljubljana.What is you favourite gadget?Surfboard.Which song do you most often play on youriPod?September, Future Prophecies.Which part of the day and of the week is yourfavourite?Mornings. Monday to Sunday.What is your favourite mode of transport?Bike.If you could return to the past or hurry to thefuture, how old would you like to be? Why?It might sound boring, but I’m quite happywhere I am: I look like I am 25 and I think Iknow as much as I would have known when I’min my 60s.67

AdvertorialAnyone looking for excellence,comes to BrdoAt the Convention Centre, which was headquarters tothe Slovenian Presidency of the European Union, areal difference is created by experienced organisers.The natural environment provides a memorable relaxation,and business Hotel Kokra a superior accommodation.Glass modernity in the middle of natureThe Brdo Estate has historically been a venue for importantgovernmental events. Renaissance castle Brdo, villa Zois andother attractive premises in the middle of the superbly designedpark were in 2007 joined by the modern Congress Centre,which was also the seat of the Slovenian Presidency of theEuropean Union. Behind glass fronts of the building, which inarchitecturally thoughtful way blends with the natural environmentand the Alpine peaks in the background, there are around9 thousand m2 of premises. Adjustable larger and smaller halls,meeting rooms, business rooms, booths and halls offer an excellentenvironment for large congresses and conferences andfor smaller meetings and work conversations. The equipmentis designed in such a way to allow for a wide variety of layouts.Superior custom-made implementationThere are all devices for multimedia work, free wireless accessto the Internet throughout. Interpretation booths for translatorsare available, workplaces for journalists are arranged.Depending on the needs of the event the Convention Centreteam can arrange for any additional details. Experts, tested atevents of the highest protocol level, are advising in meetingsorganisation - from the first talks through all the way to flawlessexecution and to the final thanks to participants. At anyevent special attention is given so that it all corresponds to theorganiser, participants and content of the meeting.Staying with specific tastesDuring the event chefs at Brdo can provide everything fromsnacks, informal cocktail receptions to comprehensive entertainmentboth on the premises of the Congress Centre and in selectedand properly arranged other facilities at Brdo. Participantscan be accommodated at the Kokra Hotel, which in addition togreat rooms and restaurant also offers a wellness centre.The integrity of different experiencesPark Brdo, with its natural features, with lakes and a duckpond, with an elite restaurant Zois, with the cottage Jezero(lake), a golf course and many other venues, is also an excellentchoice for unusual motivational meetings! For specialmeetings you can also select the Brdo Castle and the nearbyCastle Strmol.www.brdo.siThe true difference is in detailsActually, everything starts and ends with a cup of coffee. In-between your wishes arerevealed, plans and possibilities discussed, detailed organisation of the event set, andperfect performance carried out. Our experienced team guarantees your event in theCongress Centre Brdo or in the recently renovated Strmol Castle will not only meet yourexpectations but leave an impression. Welcome drink awaits you at Brdo!T: +386 4 260 15 01brdo-eu@gov.siwww.brdo.si68

Tips For Special VenuesLJUBLJANA SPECIAL VENUES1. THE CEKIN CASTLELocation: Celovška cesta 23, 1000 Ljubljana,SloveniaIf you don’t know where to take your businesspartners, friends or associates, there’s a possiblesolution concealed in the heart of Ljubljana`sCekin Castle: the Ceremonial Hall. It is a beautifulroom, quiet and peaceful, and thus suitablefor a whole range of activities.Contact information:Cekin CastleT: +386 (0)1 300 96 10, F: +386 (0)1 433 82 44E: irena.ribic@muzej-nz.siW: http://www.muzej-nz.si2. FOOTBALL STADIUM ANDMULTIPURPOSE SPORTS HALL STOŽICELocation: Vojkova cesta 100, 1000 Ljubljana,SloveniaStožice Centre is Ljubljana and Slovenia’s sportingheart, where mass sport and top sport bothdevelop. The entire complex includes a soccerstadium, a multi-functional sports hall and, soon,also external sports facilities. The centre is designedin a very modern way and with a lot of interactionbetween sports programmes and business,all with the intention to contribute as muchas possible to a better health condition and thewellbeing of all visitors to Stožice Centre. It wasopened in August 2010 with more than 22,000visitors and has since hosted a variety of worldclass sports teams and musical artists.Contact information:Football Stadium and multipurpose sports hallStožiceT: +386 (0)1 431 51 55, F: +386 (0)1 231 77 84E: info@sport-ljubljana.siW: http://www.sport-ljubljana.si3. FUŽINE CASTLELocation: Pot na Fužine 2, 1000 Ljubljana,SloveniaHalls with renaissance paintings, the park or thegardens offer an exceptional environment fora variety of business and social events. FužineCastle can accommodate up to 800 guests and isa good place for business meetings, receptions,promotional events, conferences and many otherevents.Contact information:Fužine CastleT: +386 (0)1 548 42 73, F: +386 (0)1 548 42 70E: anja.zorko@mao.siW: http://www.mao.si4. INTERNATIONAL CENTREOF GRAPHIC ARTSLocation: Pod turnom 3, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaThe International Centre of Graphic Arts is aspecialist museum and producer of printed andcontemporary art, based on the heritage of theBiennial of Graphic Arts and 20th century art ofprinting. It has been their job from the outset toperform a number of activities that are interrelatedand complementary in nature. It also takescare of the extensive collection of prints andartists’ books produced after the Second WorldWar, with works available to view in the StudyRoom. There is also a publicly accessible library.Contact information:International Centre of Graphic ArtsT: +386 (0)1 241 38 00, F: +386 (0)1 241 38 21E: info@mglc-lj.siW: http://www.mglc-lj.si/5. LJUBLJANA CASTLELocation: Grajska planota 1, 1000 Ljubljana,SloveniaLjubljana Castle offers halls and premises forrent intended for various occasions in an idylliccastle environment. You can organise press conferences,presentations, fashion shows, receptions,gala dinners, weddings, diverse culturaland artistic exhibitions and more, all raised aboveand well away from the city bustle below.Contact information:Ljubljana CastleT: +386 (0)1 306 42 30, M: +386 51 335 654E: maja.pangrsic@ljubljanskigrad.siW: http://www.ljubljanskigrad.si/6. THE SLOVENIAN PHILHARMONICLocation: Kongresni trg 10, 1000 Ljubljana,SloveniaThe Slovenian Philharmonic is the mainSlovenian music institution with a rich traditionthat is more than a hundred years old. TheSlovenian Philharmonic Orchestra plays underits auspices, as well as the Slovenian ChamberChoir. It was founded as a successor to theAcademie Philharmonicorum from 1701.Contact information:The Slovenian PhilharmonicT: +386 (0)1 241 08 00, F: +386 (0)1 241 09 00E: info@filharmonija.siW: http://www.filharmonija.si7. TIVOLI MANSIONLocation: Pod turnom 3, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaTivoli Mansion is the oldest building in today’sTivoli Park. It connects to the city through theJakopič Promenade, which was widened in the1930s by the architect Jože Plečnik, who planteda new border of trees on each side. Initially, cityofficials were housed in the mansion, and thentenants after the Second World War, who livedthere until 1986, when renovation work began onthe building for the opening of the InternationalCentre of Graphic Arts. The Tivoli Mansionbuilding is listed as a protected monument.Contact information:International Centre of Graphic ArtsT: +386 (0)1 241 38 00F: +386 (0)1 241 38 21E: info@mglc-lj.siW: http://www.mglc-lj.si/8. NATIONAL GALLERY OF SLOVENIALocation: Prešernova 24, 1000 Ljubljana,SloveniaIn the National Gallery of Slovenia you can rentspace for your representative events in the glassentry hall. At the far edge of the city centre, butstill in the heart of the city; at the junction of thegray and green of Ljubljana, between busy streetand the green oasis of the Tivoli Gardens; theNational Gallery can host the perfect event for500 invited guests.Contact information:National Gallery of SloveniaT: +386 (0)1 241 54 00E: info@ng-slo.siW: http://www.ng-slo.si9. OPERA HOUSELocation: Župančičeva 1, 1000 Ljubljana,SloveniaThe central Slovenian Musical Theatre boasts awide repertoire of operas, ballets and concertsthat derive from both modern and classical creativity,as well as around 150 season and off-seasonrepeat performances on stages at home andabroad. The Slovenian National Theatre Operaand Ballet Ljubljana has been successfullystaging its own productions as well as cooperatingwith various international and Slovenianco-producers.Contact information:Opera HouseT: +386 (0)1 241 59 01E: janez.rozman@opera.siW: http://www.opera.siPhoto credits: Visit Ljubljana, 201370

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Tips For Special Venues10. AUERSPERG PALACE – CITYMUSEUM OF LJUBLJANALocation: Gosposka ulica 15, 1000 Ljubljana,SloveniaJust a few steps away from the Ljubljanica riverbanksin the Old Town, the modernly renovatedAuersperg Palace is becoming an increasinglypopular special venue for the organisation ofreceptions, banquets, smaller conferences andother events.Contact information:Auersperg Palace – City Museum of LjubljanaT: +386 (0)1 241 25 21, F: +386 (0)1 241 25 00E: marketing@mgml.siW: http://www.mgml.si11. CENTRAL POST OFFICELocation: Čopova 11, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaThe building features a particular function space– the Atrium, which is an attractive setting forreceptions, banquets and other events. Its styleslightly resembles the atrium of the NationalMuseum, as the two buildings were created atabout the same time.Contact information:Central Post OfficeT: +386 (0)1 243 16 20E: mitja.kobal@posta.siW: http://www.posta.si12. FESTIVAL HALL – PIONIRSKI DOMLocation: Vilharjeva cesta 11, 1000 Ljubljana,SloveniaThroughout the year, the Festival Hall hosts anumber of local and international dance eventsand balls, concerts, fashion shows, wedding partiesand other social function. Recent refurbishmentshave made this venue even more attractive as aspecial location for meetings and events.Contact information:Festival Hall – Pionirski domT: +386 (0)1 234 82 00E: festivalna.dvorana@pionirski-dom.siW: http://www.pionirski-dom.si13. VIBA STUDIOLocation: Stegne 5, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaThe Viba Film Studio has been the venue of numeroussocial and business events demanding alarger and very flexible custom-designed setting– from cocktail reception during the NATOParliamentary Assembly to a BMW car launch.Contact information:Viba Film StudioT: +386 (0)1 513 24 08E: suzana.zirkelbach@vibafilm.siW: http://www.vibafilm.si14. ZRC SAZU – RESEARCH CENTREOF THE SLOVENIAN ACADEMYOF SCIENCES AND ARTSLocation: Novi trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaThe ZRC Atrium is used for promotional activitiesand often hosts events, meetings and presentationsthat focus on art and science as well ason the research work. The Research Centre alsoattracts the general public, especially by holdingcultural events such as literary evenings and classicalmusic concerts.Contact information:ZRC SAZUT: +386 (0)1 470 64 16E: irena.naglic@zrc-sazu.siW: http://www.zrc-sazu.si15. KINO ŠIŠKA, CENTREFOR URBAN CULTURELocation: Trg prekomorskih brigad 3, 1000Ljubljana, SloveniaKino Šiška, Centre for Urban Culture is thecentral Slovenian institution for contemporaryand urban culture, visual and performing arts andalso for business meetings, press conferences,and a wide range of seminars, lectures, articlesand promotional events.Contact information:Kino Šiška, Centre for Urban CultureT: +386 (0)1 530 30 00E: info@kinosiska.siW: http://www.kinosiska.si16. KRIŽANKELocation: Trg francoske revolucije 1, 1000Ljubljana, SloveniaFestival Ljubljana produces the oldest summerfestival and one of the most important in theregion. It is located in Križanke, in the exTeutonic Knights monastery that was renovatedby one of the most important Slovenian architectsJože Plečnik. He transformed Križanke intoa very special venue for different kinds of eventsand in the unique tourist attraction.Contact information:Festival LjubljanaT: +386 (0)1 241 60 00F: +386 (0)1 241 60 37E: info@ljubljanafestival.siW: http://www.ljubljanafestival.si7217. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SLOVENIALocation: Prešernova 20 and Maistrova 1, 1000Ljubljana, SloveniaCovered patio can accommodate up to 600 standingand 200 seated guests. It is suitable for galaevents, parties, concerts and entertainment. TheNational Museum of Slovenia – Metelkova offersa conference room for 60 guests and a terrace.Contact information:National Museum of SloveniaT: +386 (0)1 241 44 39, F: +386 (0)1 241 44 22E: tjasa.gracner@nms.siW: http://www.nms.si18. LJUBLJANA PUPPET THEATRE– STAGE UNDER THE STARSLocation: Krekov trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaHall the size of 19 x 19 m accepts 300 visitors andhas all the necessary offices, from the changingrooms to the lobby with restaurants facilities.With the system of shading, exclusive locationand flexibility of installing the stage and auditorium,the stage is becoming the most popularamong the organizers of cultural, protocol andbusiness events.Contact information:Ljubljana Puppet TheatreT: +386 (0)1 300 09 74E: organizacija@lgl.siW: http://www.lgl.si19. NEBOTIČNIK SKYSCRAPERLocation: Štefanova 1, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaDating from the 1930’s, the then first skyscraperin Ljubljana, which now displays a fusion of theold architecture and new aesthetics, has been ameeting place for generations of Ljubljana residentsand visitors alike. Since a few years, it hascome back to live with a renewed content and afresh approach to creating a flexible venue formultiple generations and a variety of occasions.A special mention goes to the stunning view ofthe city and the Old Town that unfolds from thisvenue, which lends it a special atmosphereContact information:Nebotičnik SkyscraperT: +386 (0)40 233 078E: info@neboticnik.siW: http://www.neboticnik.siPhoto credits: Visit Ljubljana, 2013

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Top 10TITO’S INCENTIVE STORIESThirty three years after his death, opinionon Tito remains divided. Undoubtedly,it is difficult to put it in black and white,but he definitely left a mark in the history of theSouth Slavic peoples. However, he was a masterof self-promotion, which today has become atrademark. We believe that this is an interestingpiece of history for a variety of incentive programmes.It is a fact is that such programmesreap success abroad. Unfortunately, today thepotential is relatively underutilised. In the editorialboard, we have looked at where one can orwill in the future meet with the marshal’s legacy.1. BRIONI ISLANDSFažana, CroatiaTito’s Brioni, as we used to call the islands, arenow a national park and a memorial area. Todaythe islands have beautiful nature, but the hotelsare in much worse condition. Tito spent nearlyhalf the year on the Isles, often in the company ofthe world’s greatest stars of politics and film. Thefamous Brioni Declaration of non-alignment wassigned on the islands. The old glory still attractsand offers excellent opportunities for a varietyof incentive programmes on the magical islands.2. TITO’S DOUGLAS DC6Salzburg, Hangar 7, AustriaThis unique aircraft was built in 1958. The realbeauty has been thoroughly restored and since2004 it flies in the Flying Bulls fleet, which wasdreamt up by Red Bull owner Dieter Mateschitz.The aircraft was built according to Tito’s wishes.In 1975 it was sold to Zambia, until it sadlystarted to decay. Today it is completely restoredand offers a genuine adrenaline experience.3. VILLA BLEDBled, SloveniaRight at the top of Tito’s Slovenian destinations.As the summer residence it hosted NikitaHruščev, Indira Gandhi, Emperor Akihita andeven North Korean Kim Il Sung. Today, as part ofthe Slovenian protocol it re-opened as a hotel inthe middle of our most renowned Alpine resort.Tito was known for his cosmopolitan attitudetowards good food and even today at Villa Bledthey know how to conjure up a part of nostalgicculinary atmosphere. He even had his owncinema there.4. BLUE TRAINBelgrade, SerbiaTito’s Blue Train is again on the tracks since2006, when it was launched for incentive programmes.The former special train of MarshalTito was for those times luxuriously furnishedin the style of art déco, and today it is an authenticincentive experience with its base station inBelgrade. Once transporting crowned heads andworld leaders, today you can learn all about thehistory of Yugoslavia and its President.5. BRDO CASTLEPredoslje, SloveniaBrdo Castle was nationalised in 1947 and belongedto the then Yugoslav President Josip BrozTito, who used it until his death for summer andprotocol residency. Tito has hosted a numerousof foreign statesmen and diplomats, Slovenianand federal officials and various delegations atBrdo. Among other things he had at the Brdoestate his hunting log cabin. Brdo Castle was thelast residence of President Tito - from there inJanuary 1980 he went to the University MedicalCentre in Ljubljana, where on 4th May he died.The castle today is in excellent protocol conditionwith a modern convention centre, suitablefor all types and forms of meetings.6. TITO’S BUNKER KONJIĆKonjić, Bosnia and HerzegovinaThis underground atomic shelter is located 280metres underground, and measures a luxurious6500m2. A long kept secret, in case of atomicattack it would guard Tito and about 350 leadingpoliticians. It was built over 25 years and hasbeen designed for six months of life outside ofcivilisation. The bunker is now perfectly preservedand offers an insight into one of the mostclosely guarded secrets of the former Yugoslavia.An ideal environment for spy games.7. KARAĐORĐEVOBačka Palanka, SerbiaForested complex with picturesque lakes on436 acres, located 130 km from Belgrade. UntilJanuary 1980, Tito regularly travelled to this protocolfacility, where he acted as a hunting guideto top world leaders. Today, the facility is operatedby the military of RS. The building is todaycompletely in the style of the seventies and is inneed of renovation. From the former opulencewas left only the luxury of nature.8. SCHOOL SHIP GALEBRijeka, CroatiaSchool ship Galeb (Seagull) is today despite thefact that it has the status of cultural heritage, ina rather sad state in the port of Rijeka. Todaythe ship is owned by the city of Rijeka and theyintend to turn it into a museum and gallery. Thisyear you can see on the ship avant-garde art exhibitionand feel a part of the former luxury of theyacht, with which Tito spread around the worldideas of the Non-Aligned Movement. An interestingadditional offer of Rijeka and the Kvarnerwith Opatija as one of the centres of Croatianmeetings.9. KUMROVEC ETNO VILLAGEKumrovec, CroatiaA place that was once besieged by hundreds ofbelievers, is today transformed into an ethnologicalmuseum the Old Village (Staro selo). Withinthe village is also the birthplace of Broz whichis a unique Croatian Skansen. It consists of theoriginally preserved houses from the passage of19th to 20th century, showing traditions. Thehighlight, of course, is Tito’s birthplace. An idealsetting for themed incentive programmes.10. MEMORIAL CENTRE JOSIPBROZ TITO DEDINJEBelgrade, SerbiaHouse of flowers, where Tito at his own requestwas buried in the former winter garden is anintegral part of the memorial centre near allimportant stations in Belgrade of Tito’s history.Nearby is the White Palace, where Tito receivedthe highest statesmen and many other ceremonialobjects.This is only part of all the facilities. In Belgradethere is no shortage of various programmes andpractically in every capital city of the formerYugoslav republics there is at least one objectfrom that period. Cities that once proudly woreTito’s name are now a bit embarrassed of thepast. But the image of Tito refuses and to fadeaway and it is time for you to also offer it to yourmeetings guests who want to experience differentincentives and feel right ‘TITOSTALGY’.Photo credits: Archive KONGRES MAGAZINE74

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Adrenaline ParksADRENALINE PARKSAdrenaline parks are very common in team buildingprogrammes due to their numerous possibilities andsafety. The participants are faced with new challengesand issues they are not used to from their everyday life and canbe successfully solved only with the help of team work, communication,leadership, cooperation… And that is the aim of allteam building programmes – getting to know the advantagesof your team through games.To all of you who never faced this kind of adrenaline or neverbefore tried a team building programme in an adrenalinepark, I suggest you carefully read the next pages presentingthe parks from region and conquer your fears.More on www.kongres-magazine.eu1. ADRENALIN PARK BOHINJ, SLOVENIAThe High ropes course is an obstacle course built on woodenpillars 8 m above the ground. Under the supervision of our experiencedand professionally trained High ropescourse trainers,the participants will have a chance to experience totallynew and extraordinary situations.Name of the park: ADRENALIN PARK BOHINJ, SLOVENIALocation: Hostel Pod Voglom (Bohinj, Ribčev Laz)Contact: podvoglom@siol.net+ 386 (0)4 5723 461Website: www.hostel-podvoglom.comSpecial features: Located directly on the shore of the lakeBohinj2. ADRENALIN PARK BOVEC, SLOVENIAIn 2012 the Soca valley got another adrenaline attractions.Zip-line, flying fox, kenopi…whatever we call it, our park isreally! Park is big, worth a visit and plans that will grow.Name of the park: ADRENALIN PARK BOVECLocation: BovecContact: podvoglom@siol.net+ 386 (0)4 5723 461Website: www.ziplineslovenia.siSpecial features: Biggest zip line park in Central Europe3. ADVENTURE PARK BETNAVAPustolovski park Betnava is set in a forest on the outskirts ofMaribor. It has seven different courses set on trees from 1 to8 meters high.Name of the park: ADVENTURE PARK BETNAVALocation: Maribor – TaborContact: evod@telemach.net+386 (0)31 787 425Website: www.pustolovski-park.siSpecial features: 7 courses, appropriate for children over 34.ADVENTURE PARK GEOSS, SLIVNA, SLOVENIAIn The Adventure Park Geoss you can pick up from the ground to the treetopsand experience the real adventure. They offer five climbing routesof varying difficulty for children aged 4 years of age and adults. Relax innature.Name of the park: PUSTOLOVSKI PARK GEOSSLocation: Vače - SlivnaContact: info@pustolovski-park-geoss.si+386 (0)30 332 332Website: www.pustolovski-park-geoss.siSpecial features: Relax in nature.5. AREA 47, AUSTRIARafting, canyoning and more outdoor-adventures, events and water fun atthe outdoor park in Tyrol.Name of the park: AREA 47Location: Ötztaler Achstraße 1A-6430 Ötztal BahnhofContact: info@area47.at+43 5266 8 76 76Website: www.area47.atSpecial features: European leading adventure parkOutdoor Area, Water Area, Event Area, Living Area6. ADVENTURE PARK BLED, SLOVENIAAdventure Park Bled is a climbing park set in a forest containing 5 differentclimbing courses with different difficulty levels. The park is aimed at individualvisitors, suitable for families as well as larger events.Name of the park: ADVENTURE PARK BLEDLocation: BledFamily Adventure Park Bled is located on the peak of the skiing area, StražaBled.Contact: info@pustolovski-park-bled.si+386 (0)31 761 661, +386 (0)31 513 645Website: www.pustolovski-park-bled.siSpecial features: Top-notch location above Bled provides for interestingteam building experiences. Besides the park they offer a summer adrenalinslide.7. GLAVANI PARKBarban, Pula, CroatiaNewly built high ropes climbing park complete with 11 metre high swingand “devil’s causeway” suspension bridge across the valley. 10 zip lines, thelongest 120 metres, 20 metres above valley floor. Park is open every dayincluding weekends throughout the year from 9.00 to 20.00hName of the park: GLAVANI PARKLocation: Glavani, Barban; 52207, Istria, Croatia(20 km from Pula)Contact: Nigel Simpson 00385 (0) 91 896 4525Nevenko Bulic 00385 (0) 98 224 314info@glavanipark.comWebsite: www.glavanipark.comSpecial features: Open two years. Won TripAdvisor’s„Certificate of Excellence“ 2012 and 201376

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Adrenaline Parks8. HORNPARK TREETOPSADVENTURE, TIROL, AUSTRIAThe biggest adventure park in St. Johann in Tirol in theKitzbühel Alps allows an exciting experience for the wholefamily, company and friends. With 8 different courses, 14 ziplines (Flying Fox) and 88 stations ranging from 2 to 21 metresabove the ground, there’s something for everyone.Name of the park: HORNPARK TREETOPS ADVENTURELocation: St. Johann in TirolContact: abenteuer@hornpark.at05352 / 63063Website: www.hornpark.atSpecial features: The Hornpark provides a great day of thrills,laughter and adventure and is an unforgettable experience.9. POLETNI PARK KRVAVEC, SLOVENIAFrom the beginning of July Krvavec will be the home of aSummer park offering different games, activities and openair fun to people with healthy ideals. A varied selection ofactivities includes a climbing adventure park, cycling park,mountain maps, mountain scooters, climbing tower, trampoline,archery firing grounds, motion skills course, frisbee golfand tuba downhill.Name of the park: POLETNI PARK KRVAVECLocation: Krvavec, 1,500 above sea level, 8 minute ride witha cable carContact: info@rtc-krvavec.si+386 4 25 25 911, +386 4 25 25 930Website: www.rtc-krvavec.siSpecial features: 10 activities suitable for all individuals andfamilies with children10. LJUBELJ, SLOVENIAThe first Slovenian Adrenalin park set in the beautiful surroundingof Karavanke. Try yourself at multi-level climbingpark and try courage on a Pillar of courage and Giant swing.Name of the park: ADRENALINE PARK LJUBELJLocation: Podljubelj 297 SI4290 Tržič SLOVENIAContact: info@koren-sports.si+386 4 59 22 700+386 31 513 645Website: www.koren-sports.siSpecial features: Giant swing, the pillar of courage + wellequipped to carry out team building programmes.11. ADVENTURE PARK PETER KLEPEC, SLOVENIAAdventure Center is located in the beautiful surroundings ofthe hotel Kolpa Valley Farrier. It was built in 2004.Name of the park: ADRENALINSKI PARK PETER KLEPECLocation: Sela pri OsilniciContact: info@kovac-kolpa.com+386 (0)1 8941 508Website: www.kovac-kolpa.siSpecial features: Entirely built from local materials and familyfriendly.12. POHORJE ADRENALIN PARK, SLOVENIAAdrenalin park on Maribor Pohorje offers numerous activities.Unforgettable adventures in unspoilt nature among the forests of Pohorjeand at the same time near the city.Name of the park: Adrenalinski park PohorjeLocation: Trikotna jasa clearing, Maribor Pohorje (120 km)Contact: info.park@sc-pohorje.si+386 (0)5 925 90 23Website: www.pohorje.orgSpecial features: High above sea level, in the immediate vicinity of Maribor13. ADVENTURE PARK POSTOJNA, SLOVENIAPustolovski Park Postojna is a climbing park set in a forest containing 5different climbing courses at different difficulty levels. The park is aimedat individual visitors, suitable for families as well as larger events.Name of the park: ADVENTURE PARK POSTOJNALocation: Postojna - At the park Postojna cave, right next to the Hotel JamaContact: info@pustolovski-park-postojna.si+386 (0)40 567 046Website: www.pustolovski-park-postojna.siSpecial features: Great location with conference facilities and the proximityof the Postojna Cave14. ADRENALINE PARK TUHELJ, CROATIAVisit the adrenaline park near Zagreb, park with a healthy dose of adrenalineand entertainment.Name of the park: ADRENALINE PARK TUHELJLocation: 40 km from Zagreb to Tuheljske TopliceContact: Terme Tuhelj, Ljudevita Gaja 4, 49215 Tuheljinfo@terme-tuhelj.hr+385 49 203 000Website: www.terme-tuhelj.hrSpecial features: Problem solving activities, corporate Olympics15. OTOČEC ADVENTURE PARK, OTOČEC, SLOVENIAThe Otočec Adventure Park is an adventurous trail along the forest, but noton the ground! Visitors are lifted up into the treetops where they commencetheir exciting climbing journey among the trees along the range made upof bridges, ladders, nets and other props.Name of the park: OTOČEC ADVENTURE PARKLocation: Grajska cesta 2, 8222 OtočecContact: Terme Krka, d.o.o., Novo mesto+386 (0)7 38 48 600booking.otocec@terme-krka.siWebsite: http://www.terme-krka.si/en/otocec/pustolovski-park-otocec/Special features: The activities at the park are exciting for children as wellas grown-ups, individuals as well as groups, families and also work teams.78

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Special venuesSOUTHEAST EUROPE SPECIAL VENUESPhoto credits: Archive KONGRES MAGAZINE1. OTOČEC CASTLELocation: Grajska cesta 2, 8222 Otočec ob Krki,SloveniaOtočec Castle, a jewel rising out of the mistsof the Krka River, is the only water castle inSlovenia and the wider region. Otočec Castlehas a special position, situated halfway betweenLjubljana and Zagreb. It provides rooms for ethnologicalevents, sports events and business andpromotion exhibitions.Contact information:Otočec CastleT: +386 (0)7 384 89 00E: booking.grad-otocec@terme-krka.siW: http://www.terme-krka.si/en/grad_otocec/2. SEA STARLocation: South Adriatic, CroatiaOne of DT’s unique selling points comes througha partnership with the event ship Sea Star. Thismultipurpose ship with a capacity for up to 400people adds a mobile dimension to congresses,presentations, meetings, exhibitions, seminars,workshops, weddings, entertainment, expeditionsand fine dining experiences. Based inDubrovnik, MS Sea Star is available for departurefrom different Adriatic ports, upon request,thereafter sailing along the whole coast.Contact information:Head OfficeObala Stjepana Radića 2520 000 Dubrovnik, CroatiaT: +385 20 313 555, M: +385 20 313 550E: Croatia@dt-croatia.comW: http://www.dt-croatia.com/group-cruises/event-ship-sea-star/4. VILLA POLESINILocation: Obala maršala Tita 15, 52440 Poreč,CroatiaVilla Polesini is a classy event venue on the Porečwaterfront with great gardens and an extensivewine cellar, perfect for celebrations. Up to 300people can be accommodated at a cocktail gardenparty and from here you can take in the manymarvels of this fascinating region, including themagnificent 6th century Euphrasian Basilica,now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Contact information:Valamar Riviera Hotel & ResidenceT: +385 52 408 052, F: +385 52 451 331E: lana.radolovic@riviera.hrW: http://www.villa-polesini.com/5. THALASSO SPA LEPA VIDALocation: Sečovlje Salina Natural Park, Seča 115,6320 Portorož, SloveniaIn the northern part of the Sečovlje Salina NaturalPark, a new and unique outdoor spa centre wasopened in the Spring 2013. Visitors are offered aspecial experience of traditional thalassotherapyin a unique natural environment amidst salt pansusing natural products. Due to its sensitive locationin the heart of the landscape park, specialattention was given to the arrangement and finalappearance. The architectural design of the facilitiesis visually adapted to the geometry of thesalt pans since the smaller wooden facilities aredesigned parallel with the lines of the salt-panworker’s houses. All the facilities are energy efficientand built in accordance with the principlesof sustainable development.Contact information:Thalasso Spa Lepa VidaT: +386 (05) 672 13 60E: lepavida@soline.siW: http://www.thalasso-lepavida.si6. WAHAHA PARADISE SPORT& FAMILY RESORTLocation: Feriendorf 1, 9181 Feistritz imRosental, AustriaOur 4-Star Resort is located on the banks ofthe Drava River and the perfect setting for yourbusiness event. Choose from a variety of seminarrooms or a state-of-the-art event hall and try ourspecial seminar packages including teambuildingactivities!Contact information:Wahaha Paradise Sport & Family ResortT: +43 4228 377 33 502, F: +43 4228 377 33 77E: sales@wahaha-paradise.comW: http://www.wahaha-paradise.com3. ARSENAL ZADARLocation: Trg Tri Bunara 1, 23000 Zadar, CroatiaArsenal is a renovated heritage monument andan atypical space for organizing various MICEevents, which is interesting for organisers whowant to impress their clients. Arsenal is certainlyone of those environments that inspires and providesgreat opportunities to realise extraordinaryevent ideas. Their organisation team will helpyou to make your ideas become reality.Contact information:Arsenal ZadarT: +385 23 253 821, F: +385 23 253 830E: info@arsenalzadar.comW: http://www.arsenalzadar.com0280

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AdvertorialNews from Malaysia7 - 12 May 2013 at the prestigious Kuala Lumpur ConventionCentre (The Centre), welcoming more than 3,000 delegatesincluding 500 international delegates.With the theme “Synergizing Practice Excellence with ModernTechnological Advances”, APDC 2013 featured internationalkeynote speakers from various specialisation in the differentareas of dentistry. Apart from its overwhelming response inattendance, APDC 2013 also featured an exhibition with 240booths with approximately 3,500 visitors from the public.MALAYSIA WINS MEA 2014As the first South East Asian country to host the conference,MEA will be taking place in the country from 15-17 May 2014at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.The MEA conference was first held in 1975 and has becomethe pre-eminent meetings industry conference in Australia.The main objective of the conference is to gain invaluableknowledge and improve the understanding of futurebusiness directions in the meetings industry. MEA alsopresents new trends, benchmark service delivery andnew technology, which aims to refresh and motivate participantsthrough experiences and knowledge sharing.MEA 2014 in Malaysia is set to bring Asia’s and Australia’smeeting industries closer together. The supporting partnersthat will be working together with MyCEB in ensuring thesuccess of the Conference include Kuala Lumpur City Hall,Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia Airlines andRadius Malaysia.MALAYSIA WELCOMESDENTAL EXPERTS FORTHE FOURTH TIMEThe 35th Asia Pacific Dental Congress (APDC 2013) arrived tothe Malaysian shores again for the fourth time in two decades.Supported by the MyCEB, the APDC 2013 was held from theMalaysia was selected for the fourth time to host APDC 2013due to the strong support by the authorities in the country’shealthcare system especially The Ministry of HealthMalaysia (MOH) in providing healthcare facilities such aswell-equipped hospitals and stringent training policies formedical practitioners.MYCEBLAUNCHESBUSINESSEVENTSMOBILE APPIn view of the growingdemands for Malaysia asthe preferred global meetingsdestination, MyCEBrecently launched itsnew Conference MobileApplication and DelegatesPrivilege Card. Both productswhich form part of theDelegate Welcome Kit aimsto provide destination information to further facilitate businessevents delegates as well as to award international delegateswith special privileges.Applicable to conferences which involves more than 500international delegates, users will be able to obtain informationon the conference they are attending including schedules,conference speakers, surveys and announcements. The82

Advertorialmobile app also comes with a destination feature which guidesdelegates on attractions, shopping and dining options aroundKuala Lumpur. In later development stages, MyCEB will beexpanding the mobile app to feature other states around thecountry. As an added attraction, delegates will also be presentedwith a Delegates Privilege Card which entitles them toredeem discounts and privileges at selected food & beverage,retail, entertainment outlets, attractions and transportationservices.MORE BID WINS: MALAYSIAPICKED AS FIRST ASIANHOST FOR OTC 2014The Offshore Technology Conference OTC Asia 2014 (OTCAsia) will take place from 25 - 28 March 2014 at the KualaLumpur Convention Centre. OTC’s flagship event is held annuallyin Houston, Texas, U.S.A., and OTC Asia is an expansionof this successful conference, which will target more participationfrom the Eastern Hemisphere.The conference will be attended by experts and professionalsincluding engineers, technicians, executives, scientistsand managers from all fields in the offshore explorationand production industry. The aim is to promote and furtheradvance the scientific and technical knowledge of offshoreresources and environmental matters in the region throughthis gathering.According to Mr. Stephen Graham, Executive Director ofOTC, “Malaysia is an obvious choice as our first Asian host asmany of the world’s most well known international oil and gascompanies are present. On top of that, the support which wehave received so far from local organisations such as MyCEBhas been tremendous.”MALAYSIA TO WELCOME55TH ICCA GENERALASSEMBLY IN 2013The Sarawak ConventionBureau proudly announcesit latest bid win, whichis the 55th InternationalCongress and ConventionAssociation (ICCA)Annual Congress (ICCA2016). Organised annuallyby ICCA, theevent will take place in year 2016, attended by industryprofessionals for five days of education sessions,chapter meetings and business exchange opportunities.ICCA 2016 is expected to bring over RM 2,000,000 (Euro556,000.00) to the local tourism and hospitality sector as wellas opportunities for Sarawak’s growth in the business eventsindustry. The event expects the arrival of between 700- 1,000leaders of the business events community.RAWRAWARDS TORECOGNISEEXCELLENCEIN BUSINESSEVENTSINDUSTRYMalaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) andthe Malaysian Association of Convention and ExhibitionOrganisers and Suppliers (MACEOS) recently announced thelaunch of Malaysia’s inaugural business events awards namedthe RAWR Awards 2013 which will take place this September.This collaboration between MyCEB and MACEOS as joint organisersaim to recognise excellence, leadership, professionalstandards, innovation and best practices within the industry.It is also to further establish Malaysia as Asia’s premierebusiness events destination in line with the country’s missionunder the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).83

AdvertorialEUROPA D.D. – SARAJEVO CITY,BOSNIA AND HEREGOVINAWhy wouldn’t you come in a hotel where PenélopeCruz, Javier Bardem, Mickey Rourke, AngelinaJolie and Brad Pitt spend the night?Europa d.d. is a group who owns 4 hotels: Hotel Europe,Hotel Art, Hotel Astra and Hotel Astra Garni.Hotel Europe was built in 1882, at the crossroads of theOriental and modern style, Hotel Europe is imbued with thebest attributes of both worlds. Positioned in the heart of theSarajevo city, just a few steps away from the tourist Old Towncore, this Austro-Hungarian building with its external splendouralone will have you captivated.Hotel Art was opened in 1998 and it is a business hotel.Business success is reflected in the modern facilities of thehotel, as well as an individual approach to each guest. The ArtHotel also has a conference hall with a capacity of 50 seats.The hall is ideal for seminars, conferences, workshops andprivate meetings.Hotel Astra is a modern, luxurious European hotel withoptimum air-condition and double bed luxury rooms andsuites (Jacuzzi, mini bar, TV, telephone, Internet, music ondemand, lift, etc.). It also has a gallery and restaurant withnational and European cuisine.Hotel Astra Garni is an oasis of tranquillity, comfort and goodtaste. After first moments spend behind always open doors,you will notice a dedication to every detail.We will invigorate your soul and make your stay inSarajevo a genuine experience you will always rememberwith a smile.Hotel Europe SarajevoVladislava Skarića 5Sarajevo 71000Bosnia and Herzegovinawww.hoteleurope.ba84

INSIDE CONFERENCE 2013HOT SPOT for Meetings Professionals • TOP International andlocal speakers • Experiental Learning • Guided Networkingwww.inside2013.euHotel Lone, Rovinj, Croatia, August 30 – 31, 2013TolE®AnCa

Conventa 2014MEET US AT CONVENTA 2014Prostor raznovrstnih doživetijA place of diverse experiencesDobrodošli, veselimo se vašega obiska vse dni v letuWe look forward to your visit any day of the year!Ljubljana Castle, Slovenia, T: +386 1 306 42 93, www.ljubljanskigrad.sidt-conventa.indd 1 10.5.2013. 10:4786

Conventa 2014Soča Valley, where you can....JUMP into the emerald river Soča * CROSS the Devil’s Bridge and discover hidden treasures in thedepths of the Tolmin gorges in Triglav National Park. * TAKE the Walk of Peace and listen to itsstory * Find the beauty of nature at Kozjak Waterfall.VISIT the outdoor museum of World War I.* TASTE Cheese Tolminc in one of the mountain pasturesor in the Planika Museum. *FEEL the beat of the traditional Carnival in Drežnica village. * MAKE astop in one of the local restaurants and feel like at home!Simple but comfortable, in the center of local life but quiet,not much but everything you need.www.visit-soca-com; info.kobarid@lto-sotocje.siMEETINGS WITH A VIEWBEST WESTERN PREMIER HOTELLOVEC BLED 4*- 61 rooms and suites- indoor pool, massage tub- Grill Restaurant, Lovec Pub- meeting room for up to 140 participantsand two boardroomsBUSINESS MEETINGSHOTEL KOMPAS BLED 4*- 95 rooms and suites- indoor swimming pool- sports massages and lymphaticdrainage massage- squash court,- café with panoramic terrace- five meeting roomsBEST WESTERN PREMIER HOTEL LOVEC & HOTEL KOMPAS Bled, Slovenijasandra.cerar@kompas-lovec.com | www.kompashotel.com | www.lovechotel.com|87

Conventa 2014A COASTALJOURNEY AWAITSIn Le Meridien Lav Spliteverything comes with a view,including meetings, conferencesand events. State of the artconference facilities on singleDISCOVER EUROPE’SHOTTEST NEW DESTINATIONFor more information or to makean enquiry pleasecall +385 91 4444 379 or e-mailkovacevic.ozren@lemeridien.comLE MERIDIENLAV, SPLITN 43° 3’ E 16° 32’T +385 21 500500lemeridienlavsplit.comAre you organizing a congress? CONTACT US!Plava Laguna – Laguna Poreč is one of the biggest tourism and hospitalitycompanies in Croatia. In their 13 hotels you will not only find conferencehalls and meeting rooms with up to 600 seated places, but everythingyou need for your business events in a pleasant Mediterranean climate.Business with pleasure. After your regular program,there is a plenty of opportunities to relax at excellentsports and recreational outdoor facilities.Your success is our goal!PLAVA LAGUNA d.d, LAGUNA POREČmice@plavalaguna.hr, www.lagunaporec.com88

SLOVENIAMEETINGSFeel the people.Taste fresh ideas.www.slovenia.infowww.slovenia-convention.com

BUSINESSRegister now imex-frankfurt.comPOWERED BYimex-frankfurt.com/registerOR CALL: +44 (0)1273 227311@IMEX_GROUPThe worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events.

A cool capitalfor great meetingswww.visitljubljana.com/meetings