The 17th meeting of the Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe, held on 15 and 16 September 2022 at the Melia Lisboa Oriente Hotel in Lisbon, once again proved the importance of international cooperation in our complex world.

The Alliance is the first of its kind, and its purpose is to promote cooperation among bureaux in Europe in order to maintain and reinforce Europe’s strong position as a number one destination for meetings of associations around the world.

In Lisbon, we held intensive discussions on open data and the leading role of national Convention Bureaux in the digital transformation of our sector. In addition, we had workshops on the general social and economic importance of business events and how they can have a lasting impact on destinations (legacy).

Conducting workshops as well as sharing best practices and legacy measurement methodology was the responsibility of: Evelyne Bardyn from Visit Flanders and Annice Rømer from Copenhagen Legacy Lab, a project within the Copenhagen Convention Bureau.

The meeting in Lisbon was also an excellent opportunity to meet in person (POT did not participate in the two previous meetings) and  invite participants to Poland for the ICCA congress in Kraków to ensure an optimal turnout, which had melted away due to concerns related to air transport, increased prices, post-Covid restrictions, and the situation in Ukraine. Members of the Alliance will not let us down, and many have already registered and selected a hotel in Kraków.

At the invitation of the meeting’s hosts, Portugal and Lisbon Convention Bureaux, we could also feel like tourists for a moment. A 90-minute Hippotrip is a unique trip around Lisbon, including a tour through the city and on the Tagus by a specially adapted amphibious bus. On the route, you can see the most famous places in Lisbon, such as the Belém Tower, Jerónimos Monastery, Estrella Gardens, and Praça do Comércio.

In the official part, members of the Alliance also welcomed Visit England with Paul Black as a new member. It is good to see that our initiative is gaining popularity and keeps developing. We are stronger together!

PCB POT, as a founding member of the Alliance, participates in all research projects and most of the Alliance’s meetings. By taking part in efforts to develop common standards for the sector in Europe, we highlight Poland’s position as an attractive region for international meetings and business events. Members of the Alliance include:  Austria, Belgium (Flanders), Catalonia, Czechia, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Monaco, Montenegro, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia (suspended), Scotland, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland. The National Convention Bureaux meetings take place twice a year (one in Warsaw in February 2015).

Read more: https://convention-europe.com/

The meeting was summarised by: Aneta Książek