Bratislava: Compact City With High Potential

Slovakia is a relatively young country in the heart of Europe, but its capital Bratislava, has served as a coronation town for the Austro-Hungarian monarchs from the 16th century. The coexistence of several different cultures, that had peacefully coexisted in this space for such a long time resulted in a unique mind-set of this destination. Multilingualism, open-mindedness, safety and hospitality are in the DNA of Slovaks. 

Thanks to all these characteristics and the destination’s hyper-accessibility, Bratislava has been extremely successful at attracting a variety of smaller international events to the city. Besides them, the city hosted several large congresses this year. The WONCA Europe 2019, general practitioners congress with 2.000 delegates and the The 72nd IIW Annual Assembly and International Conference dealing with welding with 1.500 participants. To do so, the organizers had to combine the meeting capacities of major venues and hotels, but the commuting from one hotel to another was more of a relaxing walk in between sessions. At Wonca Europe, the organizers went even an extra mile and organized a walking workshop with Slovak speed walker and current Olympic champion in the 50 km walk, Matej Toth. 

Meeting planners and PCOs choose Bratislava for its compactness, great range of international chain hotels and very reasonable value for money. The actual capacity in the 4- and 5-star category offered by multiple Marriott, Hilton, Radisson, IHG or Falkensteiner brands reach 3.200 rooms. Major hotels and venues in the city centre are accessible within just 40 minutes from the Vienna airport, which enables the delegates to enjoy their spare time on the streets rather than on the bus. And shall you have time to explore, the intimate atmosphere of the city centre with cafés, small shops, bars and restaurants invites you to meet the locals and talk to them over a cup of good coffee. 

The city is able to host large events despite the fact it offers no single auditorium for 2.000 people. However, the plans for a brand-new Bratislava congress centre are already on the table. Bratislava Convention Bureau is currently striving to unite all stakeholders to make this project future-proof. With the focus on city’s unique assets – the accessibility, the innovation and the execution, the chances in getting more business meetings to the city are quite high!