Prague is Banking on Its Intellectual Capital as One of Europe’s Leading Destinations

Prague has little to prove as a tourism destination. Its international reputation, architectural heritage and cultural offer have long secured its place among Europe’s most recognisable cities. Its credentials as a congress destination are equally compelling, with a strong position in international rankings, a growing portfolio of venues and an established network of local scientific and professional expertise. Yet the next chapter is about more than consolidating that standing. It is about connecting international congresses more closely with the city’s ambitions in research, innovation and economic development, while making their contribution to local communities more tangible.

On the final day of my visit to Prague during DesignBlok 2026, I was invited to the Prague Convention Bureau’s offices to discuss this broader vision with Roman Muška. Our conversation explored the destination’s evolving meetings strategy, the importance of local ambassadors and the potential of congresses to leave a lasting intellectual and social legacy.

Author: Manuel A. Fernandes, HQ Magazine Manager
 

Over the past few years, Prague has considerably expanded its portfolio of event venues. We have covered several of them at Headquarters, including the Prague Congress Centre and Prague Event Hub, and recently the Prague Exhibition Grounds. How significant has this diversification been for the city’s MICE offering? Does it give you the range and flexibility you need to attract more international events and match organisers with the right venues?

I wouldn't say it's the perfect setup, but it's a great addition. If we compare the situation with ten years ago, Prague had just one congress centre: the Prague Congress Centre, which at the time had not even been fully renovated. Some refurbishment work was under way, with improvements that needed to be completed before the ICCA Congress in 2017. The venue was already showing its age, having been built in the late and, whilst some clients were comfortable with its advantages, others felt it did not fully meet their expectations. We also faced a recurring problem with date availability. The main congress seasons are spring and autumn, and demand often converged on the same dates, leading to scheduling conflicts and overbooking.

Shortly before the pandemic, O2 universum opened next to the O2 Arena. It offered a venue of a broadly comparable scale, but with a different internal configuration. This gave us an alternative to the Prague Congress Centre. If one venue was already booked, we had another substantial option to present to clients. Over time, we have found that being able to offer both venues is valuable. When clients come to Prague for a site inspection, they are not necessarily arriving with a firm preference for one or the other.

The Prague Exhibition Grounds add another dimension to this portfolio. It is a very distinctive venue, and one that we had been missing. When it was operating at full capacity in the past, it was an excellent setting for social events and even conferences. Just yesterday, I spoke to the owner of one of the major PCOs attending the event, who recalled a successful association congress there in 1999, with 4,000 delegates. So it can certainly accommodate congresses, provided organisers do not require an excessive number of breakout rooms. It was particularly well suited to business events, where organisers could use one wing for the meeting programme and the other for a social event, such as a dinner or a space where guests could relax. And it is not only the Industrial Palace that makes the grounds such a valuable addition. The building itself is impressive, not least because its size and capacity give Prague something it previously lacked: a historic venue capable of hosting events on this scale.

So, the suitability of the venue will depend on the scale of the meeting, the size of the association and the resources and spaces it requires. As you mentioned, organisers may need a gala dinner venue or a separate venue within the conference area.

Yes, it is a valuable addition to the two convention centres we already had. When a large-scale congress comes to Prague, the Exhibition Grounds can provide the social venue for the event. This was something we did not have in the past, or had lost for almost 20 years. It is a multifunctional space, which can accommodate either an entire event or just one part of it, whether corporate or association-led.

For associations, in particular, the venue offers something special. If large associations are considering a major convention, the possibilities extend beyond the Industrial Palace to the wider Exhibition Grounds. There is the new Spiral Theatre, with a capacity of 780 people, and the Pyramid, which can accommodate up to 800. Both could serve as breakout spaces or additional plenary rooms for large-scale events. The Spiral Theatre also hosts conferences, including product launches, design-related events and award ceremonies, often in a TEDx-style format. Its programme also extends to cultural performances.

These facilities would not be under one roof, but the wider site offers scope for a varied programme. An exhibition, for example, could combine indoor space in the Křižík Pavilions with outdoor displays. This could work very well. Alongside these three venues, we also have a fourth option, which is primarily an exhibition centre. However, it is now looking to attract more conventions and potentially association events, having added two conference halls, each with a capacity of approximately 650 people. This gives us another option for events where the meeting programme may be relatively small, but the exhibition itself is larger.
 

Press tour of the Industrial Palace at the Prague Exhibition Grounds | All rights reserved

What are the main barriers Prague still faces when attracting international events, and how do you address potential concerns or misconceptions among clients?

There are several points that come up in these discussions. A major one is air connectivity. Although Prague is very well connected, we are still missing some long-haul routes and have yet to recover the network we had before COVID. This is particularly true for connections to Asia and North America. Some of the routes we do have are seasonal, although their operating periods are gradually being extended. It is not, however, the ideal situation.

On the other hand, I think Prague Airport has done a great job, particularly considering that we no longer have a national carrier. We also lost a significant amount of traffic from the East, including Russia, which previously accounted for many flights into Prague. The airport is not dependent on one major airline, as some destinations are. It now has 77 carriers flying into Prague, which I think represents a sensible approach to risk management.

If one airline withdraws, there are many others. Prague is well covered across Europe. For clients from the United States, there is a year-round connection with New York and a seasonal service to Philadelphia. We also benefit from connections through other major European hubs, such as Frankfurt and Paris, with short onward flights. Maintaining strong links with other European airports is therefore important.

We will see what happens in the future. Prague Airport has major development plans, although a recent change at CEO level leaves some uncertainty about how these will progress, as there is currently no clear communication on that front. Many projects remain under way, including construction works around the airport and, importantly for us, the development of the rail connection to the city centre.
 

“A congress can contribute to better quality of life in very tangible ways, particularly in fields such as medicine”

Prague ranks among the world’s leading congress destinations, currently holding the 6th position in the ICCA rankings. With new venues coming into operation, is the priority to sustain this performance and attract more business, or is this a moment to reconsider the type of events the city wants to bring in?

That is a good question, and one I am also putting to our board and the city: what is it that we actually want? During the COVID period, we developed a strategy built around three pillars. We are now reconsidering whether to pursue that approach, although I still believe the strategy we prepared makes sense.

The first pillar was to focus on strategic sectors. This is not particularly complicated, and many destinations are doing the same. Prague has a regional innovation strategy, which was updated last year, where we align our work with its priorities. We therefore know which sectors the city wants to develop.

The second pillar focuses on large-scale conventions and congresses. The third is about supporting the meetings industry itself, by bringing its importance onto the political agenda and raising awareness of its contribution locally. This includes education and talent development, particularly attracting new generations to the industry. We therefore cooperate with universities and educational programmes.

Within the first pillar, we also identified a particular challenge: internationalisation. Prague has strong research capabilities, but these need to gain greater visibility on the international stage. We see congresses as a means of achieving that, making them a natural fit for the city's ambitions. There is a shared understanding between us and the people working in innovation and science. In fact, congresses have now been included in their strategy, which is a positive development.

The challenge is that we are still regarded as part of the tourism sector, as is the case in many other destinations, although some have positioned this activity within their business structures. Our funding also comes from the tourism section of the city's budget.

How would you define Prague’s meetings sector within the city’s wider priorities? Does it belong primarily to tourism, economic development or innovation?

It is a hybrid. Tourism is a by-product of meetings, not the reason people attend them. Delegates do not come to Prague primarily as tourists, although it is certainly a positive outcome when they have the opportunity to visit and discover the city. They come for a different purpose, one that is broader and often more significant.

This is particularly stimulating because we can bring an entirely new network of partners together. What I find especially interesting about association meetings is the possibility of defining very specific objectives. You can identify the sectors or stakeholders you want to reach and build a case for bringing the congress to Prague. It is not easy, and you will probably be unsuccessful more often than not, but we can bring together compelling reasons why an association should choose the city and how the event could deliver results. That is fundamentally different from leisure tourism or conventional destination marketing campaigns. I think this targeted approach is particularly valuable.

I also believe the city is moving in the right direction in terms of innovation, notably through Innovate Prague, a unified communication strategy and brand developed by the Prague Innovation Institute in cooperation with the City of Prague. It also serves as a platform for bringing together stakeholders working across the city's innovation ecosystem. The initiative organises events and seeks to connect research and development with the business community. It is well connected with universities and other stakeholders. We have now been included in discussions at city level and are being invited to contribute our perspective, something that was not happening a few years ago. That relationship is improving. It is still at an early stage, but the work is taking shape.
 

The panel discussion that kicked off our press trip to Prague, featuring Roman Muška | All rights reserved

Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava and Prague are all within relatively easy reach of one another, and each has its own MICE infrastructure and ambitions. How does Prague distinguish itself in this competitive regional landscape? What makes the city an offer in its own right?

It is a difficult question. I am not sure whether we are actually trying to differentiate ourselves from the others in a deliberate way. We certainly think about it, but perhaps our approach is less about identifying what sets us apart and more about being authentic: understanding who we are, what the city stands for and what matters to its people. It is about getting closer to Prague’s roots. This is also reflected in the thinking behind Prague City Tourism's work. Its strategy explicitly puts local people first, with an emphasis on sustainable tourism that takes their interests into account. There is also a desire to showcase what local people are doing and promote local products.

Our relationship with the city's tourism organisation is one of cooperation, but we remain independent. Prague City Tourism is not our board, and we have a separate governance structure. We do, however, share the same visual identity and branding, as we wanted to create a unified image for Prague. There have been discussions about whether a closer institutional integration would make sense, but we have not merged.

Our board consists of five members, supported by an advisory committee. Its composition has evolved, and its members come from the business community. Our membership currently comprises 74 organisations, representing Prague's main MICE stakeholders across five sectors. Each sector has a representative at board level: conference hotels; conference and social venues; PCOs; DMCs; and conference services, from transport companies and caterers to aviation businesses.Our strategy is also developed in-house. Naturally, when preparing it, we look at the other strategic frameworks in place across the city to ensure alignment with Prague's overall strategy, its tourism strategy and its innovation strategy.
 

If Prague is placing greater emphasis on local residents and quality of life, how does that translate into the type of visitors and events the city wants to attract? Does this also mean encouraging the industry to prioritise higher-quality business over visitor numbers?

The tourism strategy explicitly advocates quality over quantity, something I have been arguing for consistently. The emphasis is on attracting higher-spending visitors. I recently read a figure based on Mastercard data showing that 1% increase in delegate numbers corresponds to an 18% increase in spending. That is an encouraging indication of the direction in which the city wants to move. Longer stays and higher spending are important objectives. The industry understands this, particularly because MICE and business events are also part of the city's tourism strategy.

This is important for us because Prague City Tourism is wholly owned by the city. In our case, the Prague Convention Bureau receives funding from both the city and the industry. Our MICE strategy is not a binding document, as it has not received formal approval at the highest level. Nevertheless, our work is recognised within the wider tourism strategy. City officials understand the importance of MICE and business events, and there is support for the sector. At times, however, it can still be difficult to explain precisely what we do and the contribution we make. 
 

“Tourism is a by-product of meetings, not the reason people attend them.”

Has the Prague Convention Bureau’s advocacy work helped secure greater political recognition of the meetings industry, particularly in demonstrating its wider contribution to the city?

It took us quite a long time, but politicians now understand the economic impact. You can hear them repeating arguments we were making five or ten years ago. When they give interviews, they talk about congress tourism and its benefits for the city, pointing out that congress delegates spend considerably more than leisure visitors. They now actively express their support for this business, which is encouraging. The next step is to bring the focus back to our first strategic pillar and make them understand that the impact of hosting these events goes much further. It is also about the knowledge and intellectual capital that congresses can leave behind.

How do you measure this wider impact? Beyond visitor spending and economic contribution, how can Prague demonstrate the lasting benefits that congresses bring to its residents?

We have conducted some studies, and there are already tools and calculators available to help destinations begin measuring these impacts. However, it is a complex task, and we have not yet had the capacity to focus on it in sufficient depth. There are examples elsewhere, such as the work being done by The Iceberg and Geneviève (Leclerc, #MEET4IMPACT), which show the importance of looking at the broader impact of business events.

I believe we need to do more to demonstrate what congresses contribute beyond economic activity. Politicians sometimes point out that much of the money generated ultimately goes into the state budget, while the city itself receives only a relatively small share. We need to make a stronger case for the benefits that are felt directly by local communities. A congress can contribute to better quality of life in very tangible ways, particularly in fields such as medicine. It can help bring new treatments, encourage the development of clinics and hospitals, and introduce ideas that improve the lives of people in Prague and across the Czech Republic.

If we can demonstrate these outcomes, politicians will have a much stronger case for supporting international congresses. They can become ambassadors themselves for the events we are bidding, explaining their benefits to local residents in terms that people can readily understand. Ultimately, these are the communities whose support matters, including at election time. That is why advocacy needs to connect the impact of congresses with the everyday interests of local people.
 

Excerpt from our conversation at the Prague Convention Bureau’s office | All rights reserved

To what extent are associations now looking for local scientific or industry partners when choosing a congress destination, and how does the Prague Convention Bureau help establish those connections? Does this also make the development of a strong, new generation of local ambassadors particularly important?

We are seeing more of these requests, although not every association places the same importance on them. The Convention Bureau acts as a relationship builder, connecting international associations with local organisations and expertise. We have a good network of ambassadors, and when we identify someone locally who is enthusiastic about a particular project, we can help bring the right people together. It does, however, require considerable work.

Prague has a strong track record in attracting association congresses, as reflected in the ICCA rankings. A few years ago, the GainingEdge Global Intellectual Capital Report also ranked Prague first globally in its assessment of how effectively international convention destinations capitalise on their local intellectual assets. This reflects the strength of our connections with the scientific community, supported not only by the Convention Bureau but also by local PCOs.

There is another side to this, however. The Czech Republic is a relatively small country, and competing with larger markets such as Germany, France and Spain is challenging. We also see that the pool of highly active local ambassadors is relatively limited. Many of the people who have been involved for years are getting older, so we need to bring a new generation into the network. Emerging industries such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and robotics may offer opportunities to engage younger ambassadors. In established fields such as medicine, Prague has excellent scientists, but persuading them to take on an ambassadorial role and showing them the mutual benefits can be difficult.

There is also the question of motivation. Some long-standing ambassadors are reluctant to bring new people into the conversation, perhaps because they feel their own position could eventually be challenged. We need to find ways to encourage greater participation and make the role attractive to a wider group of people.

Can business events help Prague address some of the pressures associated with leisure tourism by attracting visitors with a different profile and encouraging a more balanced form of tourism?

I believe this is the right direction. The question is how we make it happen, and what we can realistically influence. One priority is to attract the right visitors. Congress delegates are high-value visitors who tend to stay in hotels and spend much of the day at the congress venue. They are therefore less likely to frequent the city-centre hotspots where overtourism is most evident. Prague City Tourism refers to them as ‘cultivated tourists’.

At the same time, they generate expenditure throughout the local supply chain. Beyond accommodation, there are venue rental fees, catering, audiovisual services and a range of other providers involved in delivering an event. This creates a strong economic contribution that reaches well beyond the congress centre. Even in the evenings, delegates are generally less associated with activities such as stag parties.

If we can attract and support this visitor profile, it makes sense to do so. I do not believe in generic marketing campaigns that try to reach everyone indiscriminately. Prague is already well known for its history, heritage and UNESCO-listed sites. Our role is to reveal another side of the city to business travellers, presenting its offer from a different perspective and focusing on specific markets and themes.

That does not mean there is only one approach. New markets can offer considerable opportunities. India, for example, is a huge market, and a direct air connection could bring more visitors to Prague. Chinese visitors, whose numbers fell considerably, are also gradually returning. Many visitors from these markets will initially come as tourists, discovering the city's architecture and cultural offer. Over time, some may become business travellers as we build awareness of Prague's meetings offer through our marketing.
 

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