In the wake of Viennacrowned in the new awards CICA as the main conference destination on a global scale, Prague was also able to capitalise on the return of international events. With 616,000 participants in 2022, out of nearly 4,000 eventsThe Czech capital is playing a leading role. Admittedly, business is only two-thirds of what it was before the health crisis, returning to the levels of 2014. But the Convention Bureau of Prague recalls how far the destination has come - from 19th place in 2010, it is in the Top 5 this year - and highlights the good turnout recorded last year, in a context that is still difficult: " The number of congresses and conferences organised at the beginning of 2022 was further affected by the weakening of the pandemic and related restrictions, not only in the Czech Republic but also abroad, as well as the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Although there were fewer events than in the years prior to the pandemic, we saw a huge interest in participation. Prague hosted 616,597 delegates in 2022, which equates to 86 % of event attendance in 2019, a record year for meetings. These figures only confirm that personal contact is irreplaceable, and not just in business communication. "Roman Muška, Director of the Prague Convention Bureau.
The Prague Congress Centre thinks bigger
Prague is growing in the MICE segment, as shown by the format of the events it hosts. Indeed, the majority of events organised before the health crisis brought together up to 50 people. While the most common format in 2022 was between 500 and 1,000 delegates. Another positive trend is that the average duration of an event increased last year, reaching 2.46 days.
Prague now intends to capitalise on these positive factors - as well as on the increased tourist tax, which is intended to finance the promotion of the destination. And the Czech capital should be able to count on tools that are more in line with its ambitions. In fact, the management of the Convention Bureau is planning to launch a plan to extend the Prague Convention Centre, without yet specifying the timetable. " The Prague Congress Centre has long been struggling with the lack of exhibition space needed to host the biggest international events. This is why the centre is preparing to implement the long-delayed project to expand its capacity with a multifunctional exhibition hall. ". Lenka Žlebková, General Manager of the Prague Congress Centre, said: "The Prague Congress Centre is a major event in the history of the city. Back in 2017, the capital's management committed to the architectural competition; covid interrupted our plans, but today we are reintroducing the project for a new hall. The meetings industry has great potential, which Prague should make use of. The project for a multifunctional exhibition space also includes the revitalisation of the public space around the PCC, which will enable us to revive the cultural and social life of the local residents. ".
