Over two decades, Kongres Magazine has evolved from print to a digital-only publishing house, captivating thousands of event planners along the way and cementing its position as one of the leading media outlets in the events industry. Founded by Gorazd Čad in 2006, Kongres Magazine continues to keep avid readers abreast of the latest happenings in the events industry. Beyond reportage and in-depth editorial stories, the magazine has brought several projects to life, including the revered Hidden Guest programme, which sees assessors audit leading meeting hotels, convention centres, and special venues. To capture the industry’s zeitgeist over the past two decades and the transformation of media alongside it, we present an overview of Kongres Magazine since its inception.

At the advent of the events industry in Slovenia as we know it today, Kongres Magazine was one of the pioneering media outlets, bringing regular news on industry happenings. First started as a print magazine dedicated predominantly to Slovenian readers, the magazine’s founder soon began looking beyond Slovenia’s borders.

As Gorazd Čad puts it, he and his team wanted to report on “New Europe, a swath of land that many wrongly refer to as Eastern Europe”. Gorazd adds: “Despite numerous stereotypes, the region boasts exceptional conditions for the events industry: stunning natural landscapes, rich cultural and historical heritage, excellent transport infrastructure, affordability, numerous new congress centres, hotels, and creativity. Only a few hours away from Frankfurt or London, half of Europe had its doors wide open and awaited us to discover it.”

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Having charted the region and reported on the first stories in New Europe, Kongres Magazine soon became international, piquing the interest of emerging destinations and properties seeking to gain a foothold abroad. Thus, Kongres Magazine began flirting with the digital realm of publishing. Soon, the online version of the magazine proved to resonate most with the growing international readership, so much so that in 2025, our website was visited by more than half a million readers (661,088, to be precise). Given the trends, we anticipate surpassing the 1 million mark in 2026.*

The voyage to becoming an established international media house, synonymous with independent, exhaustive journalism, was often peppered with setbacks. From the panic that the printed press (and its digital derivatives) might die out, to the COVID-19 pandemic, which acted as a reset button and pushed everyone online, the path was rather winding and uncertain. Still, Kongres Magazine persisted. Below, we present how our media evolved alongside the shifts, fads, and crazes that permeated the events industry over the past twenty years.

1. The infancy era and the first printed magazines

The first printed issues were characterised by editorials that illuminated industry trends, local and global. This, in turn, helped Kongres Magazine reach a specialised readership comprising corporate planners, association leaders, and governmental stakeholders. The editorial philosophy we still follow today was already future-facing, emphasising interactivity, multimedia integration, and media convergence.

2. The definitive media outlet for New Europe’s events industry

Soon, the magazine became a credible source of information for the events industry in New Europe. As the events industry matured, Kongres Magazine became a key instrument in positioning New Europe within the global events landscape. “While not trying to sound pretentious, I believe our magazine helped debunk myths and shape a healthy perception of cities, venues, and professionals in our region,” once wrote Gorazd Čad. Slowly moving away from established formats, this era also saw a rise in more personal interviews, analytical editorials, and specialised formats such as destination evaluations and industry awards. This was also a growing number of issues, surpassing 70 editions and reflecting a consistent publication cadence.

3. Pivoting to a digital-only realm

Undoubtedly, the most profound change in media has been the shift to digital. This evolution was not merely technological; like other media outlets, we had to change our approach. Immediacy, accessibility, and multimedia storytelling became the norms. But it also presented an opportunity. We introduced diverse formats, including video interviews, editorial series, and thematic portals dedicated to destinations, venues, and industry trends. Kongres Magazine’s online presence now encompasses thousands of articles.

* Data from Google Analytics

Looking ahead

Today, Kongres Magazine stands as one of Europe’s leading media outlets for the events industry, delivering vivid coverage of trends, destinations, and professional innovation. Our digital platform functions as a dynamic repository of knowledge, continuously updated and globally accessible. Of course, our magazine could not have endured without the support of our partners. Their positive feedback on our collaboration attests to the success of our joint media campaigns. In the words of Bohdana Jelemenska, “Bratislava Convention Bureau is a proud long-term partner of Kongres Magazine. The professional content delivered by Kongres Magazine also helps us feed our LinkedIn channel, and we are gaining more and more followers every day. Great writers and extraordinary professionals in the meetings industry – that is Kongres Magazine.“

We wish to extend our sincere gratitude to all our readers who have been trusting us since our inception. Our promise is simple: to provide you with credible news and authentic stories you cannot find anywhere else. Thank you for your trust – here is to the upcoming two decades of Kongres Magazine!

A part of the story about Kongres Magazine’s evolution will be on display at IMEX Frankfurt, where Gorazd Čad will present how the media has evolved over the years. You can meet him at the Ljubljana Talks stand, where he and Jan Oršič will be recording conversations with creative minds, opinion-makers, and CEOs.

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About Kongres Magazine

Kongres Magazine is the brainchild of Gorazd Čad, whose influence extends far beyond journalism. As a geographer and historian, he set aside his academic career and spent over three decades shaping the events industry in New Europe. Today, the magazine also reflects his personal zeal for sustainably transforming the events industry. With over 3,000 daily readers, the media has become a referential point for the latest happenings in the events industry across Europe.

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