Unconventional Conventions Highlight Prague’s Distinct Meeting Identity

The notion of the unconventional is not just a marketing strategy, but an integral part of Prague's character. Bohemian in spirit and open to experimentation, Prague has always attracted independent thinkers. Its inventive tradition produced milestones from contact lenses and nylon to nanofibres and the word ‘robot’. This inventive mindset continues to support major European research initiatives, including the European Union Agency for the Space Programme, the Research and Innovation Centre on Advanced Industrial Production and the Extreme Light Infrastructure Beamlines. This creates an intellectual environment that is well-suited to knowledge-based congresses and content-led meetings. It makes expert participation, technical visits and legacy activities feasible within the congress's regular schedule.

 

At the same time, Prague’s infrastructure provides the reliability needed to realise these ambitions. Congresses of up to 18,000 delegates can be hosted across a network of venues blending historic architecture with state-of-the-art technology. With around 45,000 hotel rooms to choose from, including new properties such as the Fairmont Golden Prague, the W Prague, the Cloud One and the Sir Prague Hotel, planners can find the right balance of scale and quality for events ranging from high-level congresses to incentive programmes.

 

Recent openings further showcase how the campaign’s theme is put into practice. For example, the restored Art Nouveau halls in the Fanta Building at the Main Railway Station have been transformed into a central venue for mid-sized meetings of up to 600 participants. Meanwhile, the renovated Prague Planetarium is equipped with a 23.5-metre LED dome and provides one of Europe’s most advanced projection spaces for science and education events. Signal Space, a permanent gallery for digital and immersive art, and Station 6, a repurposed railway building in the Bubeneč district, prove that heritage and innovation can coexist within the meetings industry.

 

The city's accessibility is a key factor in its appeal, as evidenced by the fact that Václav Havel Airport connects to 165 global destinations through 75 airlines, handling almost 17 million passengers each year. As a member of the European Union and the Schengen Area, Prague offers visa-free entry to citizens of 89 countries. Once on the ground, delegates can quickly move across the compact city centre using a public transport network that was ranked second in the world by Time Out in 2024. This makes multi-venue agendas both efficient and sustainable. In fact, sustainability runs through every layer of the city’s event policy. The Czech Republic ranks eighth globally in the UN Sustainable Development Goals Index, and 53% of Prague’s surface area is covered by greenery. Since 2020, the City Council has required supported events to use reusable materials and has offered delegates complimentary or discounted public transport. These measures have transformed sustainability from a talking point into an operational standard that organisers can verify.

 

Quoting Time Out once more, cultural depth adds another dimension to the delegate experience. The publication ranks Prague as the world’s second most culturally vibrant metropolis, a reputation reflected in the city’s daily life. From Michelin-starred restaurants and cafés once frequented by literary and scientific luminaries such as Kafka and Einstein, to award-winning cocktail bars like the Hemingway Bar and Bugsy's, Prague offers a social programme that complements, rather than distracts from, the purpose of a meeting.

 

Evidence of the strength of this ecosystem can be seen in the city’s upcoming congress calendar. Between 2025 and 2026, the city will play host to a variety of international conferences and events, including the World Congress of Psychiatry, the World Congress On Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis And Musculoskeletal Diseases 2026,  the European Congress on Neuro-Oncology, the European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA) Biennial Congress 2026 and the Information Security Forum’s Annual World Congress, alongside major scientific gatherings such as the European Congress of Endocrinology, the World Ophthalmology Congress (up to 15,000 delegates), and the FDI World Dental Congress (around 7,000 delegates and 8,000 visitors). Also confirmed are sector-specific events like the European Multidisciplinary Congress on Urological Cancers and Bio€quity Europe, reflecting the city’s capacity to host diverse disciplines across medicine, technology and finance. Together, these congresses demonstrate the scale and versatility that continue to establish Prague as one of Europe's most reliable meeting destinations.

 

The Prague Convention Bureau supports this activity by acting as a single point of contact for international associations and planners. The Bureau assists with venue selection and connects organisers with municipal support and trusted suppliers. It also maintains an Ambassador Programme that links local scientists with international associations, strengthening bids and promoting research excellence.

 

With its renewed brand identity and the mantra Unconventional Conventions, the Prague Convention Bureau is presenting more than just a change of image. It sets out a long-term vision for a destination that continues to evolve through innovation, research, and sustainable practices. For meeting professionals, this means the assurance of a city where creative design and reliable execution go hand in hand. For international associations in search of authenticity and quality, Prague remains one of Europe's most compelling and forward-looking destinations.

 

  

 

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