One of the highlights of Conventa - the leading boutique trade show in New Europe, was the award ceremony of the Meeting Star Awards, which are considered the Oscars or "Michelin stars" of the meetings industry. The coveted Meetings Star Awards, the annual competition for the best destinations, meeting venues and individuals took place in Ljubljana on 21 February. Among the most notable award recipients are Slovenian hotels, venues and destinations.
Winners were announced in fifteen categories. The event was attended by 500 dignitaries and key stakeholders in the meetings industry. The award has become a reference point and sort of “Michelin” guide of the meetings industry.
Since its inception, the coveted award has become recognised among event organisers in the meetings industry as one of the only awards based on precisely defined criteria and standards. The assessors evaluate a destination based on the Meeting Experience Index, which includes 75 evaluation criteria. Hotels and venues are evaluated based on the visit of the hidden congress guest, who assesses their quality on the basis of 654 evaluation criteria.
The Meetings Star Awards 2023/2024 were announced in five categories:
A. Best Meeting Destinations in 2023/2024
Among 129 evaluated destinations, winners were announced in four categories (XL, L, M and S destinations) and an additional category that includes destinations in New Europe.
B. Best Meeting Hotels and Convention Centres in 2023/2024
Among 279 certified hotels from twenty countries across New Europe, the winners were announced in five categories (city, resort, spa, boutique and convention centres). The organisers awarded two special awards for the most creative and most sustainable venues).
C. Dreamcatchers/Influencers in 2023/2024
Influencers within the meetings industry were selected among 279 nominated candidates from 24 countries. The award was given to leading destination representatives, meeting agencies, hoteliers, catering companies, technology providers, innovators, marketing and live event agencies and experts in sustainability.
More information will soon be available onThe Meeting Star Awards website, but it is important to highlight that several Slovenian companies, hotels, destinations, and venues were among the notable recipients of the awards. Ljubljana secured the top spot in the Category L for destinations hosting up to 2,000 congress participants, while Goriška Brda claimed victory in Category S for destinations accommodating up to 600 participants. Noteworthy Slovenian hotels and venues such as Vila Planinka, Sunrose 7, Intercontinental Ljubljana, Kempinski Palace, Wellness Hotel Sotelia and Brdo Congress Centre were also celebrated for their excellence in various categories, showcasing Slovenia's remarkable achievements in the meetings industry.
The founding father of the methodology, Gorazd Čad, explained: “Our evaluation is, above all, a tool to improve the competitiveness of individual destinations. It offers destinations an external view of their offer with the aim to drive constant growth and help destinations achieve excellence. As the process is systematic and continuous, the improvement of an individual evaluation criterion can be observed over time. Destinations use our methodology predominantly because they wish to become or stay competitive worldwide. Our research, furthermore, provides up-to-date qualitative and quantitative information to advance the strategic development of destinations.”
Conventa facilitated over 3500 business meetings
This year, Conventa hosted more than 3,500 business meetings, marking a significant increase from previous editions. Since its beginning in 2009, the event has welcomed 3,639 invited guests and 1,975 exhibitors, facilitating a total of 49,263 business meetings.
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