Porto Convention & Visitors Bureau Joins EU CVB Network

Magazine:
26th May, 2023
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From left to right: Heidi Strobl (Salzburg), Ilenia Pasi (Firenze), Ulrika Scoliège (Gothenburg), Faustine Maugat (Lyon), Mariana Sousa (Porto), Jan Orsic (Ljubljana), Maaike Hamann (Rotterdam) and Manuel Ferris (Valencia).

Porto CVB is the 8th member of this collaborative alliance and the first CVB to join the founding members. 

With a focus on collaboration, seven convention bureaus representing Florence, Gothenburg, Ljubljana, Lyon, Rotterdam, Salzburg and Valencia joined forces in 2020, to create the EU CVB Network. Porto CVB has now joined them. 

Jan Orsic, Head of Ljubljana Convention Bureau, explains the decision to welcome Porto in the EU CVB Network: “Porto ticks all the boxes, is perfect for us, because geographically it fits, in terms of values it fits and when we look at events that go to Porto, a lot of them we share among us. It is a great addition. We are very conservative with expanding the Network because all the members have to be active. We bring our knowledge together and when we meet it makes us much better, much stronger, much more interesting for clients”.

“Although perfectly aware that they all compete, almost always, for the same goals, the founding members of the EU CVB Network know that, by working together and sharing knowledge and experiences, everyone benefits and prospers. This is also the state of mind of the Porto Convention & Visitors Bureau and that is why we have been making efforts to integrate this network. We are very proud to have been the first CVB to join the EU CVB Network after it was created and we are certain that this collaboration will help to highlight Porto and the North as one of the main destinations within non-capital cities and will also strengthen our position in attracting associative events”, says Luís Pedro Martins, Porto & North Tourism Board President.

"All the cities that form EU CVB Network are non-capitals, with the only exception of Ljubljana, one of the founding members."

Porto CVB officially joined EU CVB Network on 24th May, during IMEX Frankfurt, in a session that took place at the Visit Portugal booth.

About EU CVB Network

The goal of this convention bureau network that from now on includes Florence, Gothenburg, Ljubljana, Lyon, Porto, Rotterdam, Salzburg and Valencia is to share knowledge, experiences, and best practices, from which both destinations and clients can benefit. It’s a model of coopetition, the members still compete with each other for many association meetings, but they believe that they can be stronger, more effective, and add more value for clients, if they work together. This also means joining forces in promotional activities and marketing.

This model has very clear benefits, namely for clients. To start, organisers of international association meetings can get in touch with eight cities at once through a group of CVB representatives. And these destinations, spread throughout Europe, have a lot in common with each other: the city centres are compact and the meeting facilities are centrally located; great connection with local communities and business and knowledge clusters; great focus on sustainability and an appetite for innovation.

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