Conventa Meet 2026 makes Ljubljana the epicenter of New Europe MICE

A professional and highly focused format

The main venue for this edition was the Eurostars Grand Hotel Union in Ljubljana, the event’s new iconic location. For three days, more than 400 professionals from 44 countries participated in the meeting.

Conventa Meet 2026 brought together 192 hosted buyers from 38 countries and 129 exhibitors from 18 markets. The ratio of 1.48 buyers per exhibitor reflects the balance sought by the organization to ensure efficient agendas. In total, more than 3,700 pre-scheduled B2B meetings are estimated, the true backbone of the format.

Ljubljana as a distributed site

One of the major highlights of 2026 was the premiere of the Conventa Experience Crawl, an experiential evening program that offered a new dimension of networking in the heart of Ljubljana. Conceived as an unprecedented format in its scale and approach, the program was co-created by Ljubljana Tourism, the Slovenian Convention Bureau, Conventa and ETC Adriatic with the aim of showcasing the destination through authentic and replicable experiences at real events.

Over two days, hosted buyers toured two circular itineraries designed to combine destination presentations, art and local hospitality with short, targeted meetings.

The first tour, called Synchronisation, included the Atrium of the General Post Office, a hidden space in the heart of the city where a workshop of handwritten postcards claimed the value of personal contact. It continued at Nebotičnik, Ljubljana’s architectural icon, where a sound art experience worked on synchronization and collective creation as a metaphor for new professional connections. The closing took place at the Nebo restaurant with an interactive pub quiz developed together with the Innsbruck Convention Bureau.

The second itinerary, Harmony, took participants to the Bankarium, a banking museum of great historical value, where a dynamic treasure hunt explored trust and cooperation. At the Muza Gallery, a tasting guided by a water sommelier invited participants to discover the nuances and origins of different waters, with a focus on conscious perception. The tour ended in the 369 space at Breg, an urban venue with a contemporary aesthetic.

Sustainability with verifiable metrics

One of Conventa’s differentiating elements is its technical approach to sustainability. In 2026, it has made progress in introducing reports aligned with the European CSRD directive, reinforcing its commitment to structured reporting.

Through its Planet Positive Event tool, the event measures its impact in five areas including emissions management, standards compliance, impact measurement, compensation and attendee inclusion.

Active mobility was another focus of the Conventa Walk and Talk program, which encouraged walking between sites to reduce the transportation footprint.

In the gastronomic field, the collaboration with Jezeršek Catering opted for low-impact proposals and waste minimization, integrating sustainable criteria in the culinary experience.

The Art of Meetings as a strategic framework

Under the theme The Art of Meetings, the 2026 edition focused on the conscious design of meetings. The discourse evolved from mere sustainability to generating a positive impact on the local community.

The content spaces addressed issues such as intergenerational marketing and the growing demand for transparency. The demand for auditable metrics by international buyers is consolidating as one of the key trends for the MICE sector in 2026.

Recognition and positioning

The Meetings Star Awards, considered a benchmark in the region, were held during the event. Ljubljana won second place as the best destination for congresses with up to 2,000 participants, reinforcing its international positioning.

Also, Petra Stušek, CEO of Ljubljana Tourism, was inducted into Conventa’s Hall of Fame for her strategic contribution to the development of the destination.

With this edition, Conventa Meet reaffirms its role as a specialized platform for New Europe, combining commercial efficiency, measurable sustainability and real integration of the destination in the professional experience.