At the 18th Conventa trade show for the meetings industry, Ljubljana received the Meetings Star Award and once again confirmed its status as a premier congress destination. In the category of destinations capable of hosting up to 2,000 participants, it achieved an excellent second place with its highest score to date, finishing just behind Kraków, Poland. The CEO of Ljubljana Tourism, Ms Petra Stušek, MSc, was inducted into the prestigious Conventa Hall of Fame in recognition of her pioneering strategic vision, outstanding international engagement, and long-term impact on the development of Ljubljana as a recognised and respected meetings industry destination.

Kongres Magazine and Conventa presented the Meetings Star Award for the sixteenth time at Cankarjev dom, honouring the best event destinations, hotels, convention centres, and special venues. The awards enjoy a high reputation among event organisers, as they are based on a unique, in-depth, and independent evaluation system.

The quality of destinations is assessed by international evaluators using an analysis of more than 75 quality criteria. This time, 149 destinations from 34 countries were evaluated in four categories, based on the number of participants a destination can accommodate without logistical or organisational complications. Among 32 destinations capable of hosting up to 2,000 congress participants, Ljubljana ranked second. It trailed only Kraków, Poland, by 0.01 points, while achieving its highest score to date (4.55 out of 5).

This confirms Ljubljana’s continuous progress as a congress destination and its growing appeal to event organisers. For years, the Slovenian capital has been strategically developing as a destination for international meetings. It builds its competitive advantage by bringing together key and strategic partners within the Ljubljana Convention Bureau consortium at Ljubljana Tourism, who meet several times a year and, through coordinated action, strengthen their success in attracting international events to the city.

Ljubljana’s position among the leading congress destinations in the broader European and global context is further confirmed by its ranking by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), where it placed 39th worldwide and 23rd among European cities.

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CEO of Ljubljana Tourism inducted into the Conventa Hall of Fame

Each year, Conventa organisers present the Conventa Hall of Fame award to individuals whose contributions have left a lasting mark and significantly influenced the development of the meetings industry and Conventa itself. This year, the expert jury awarded the recognition to Ms Petra Stušek, MSc, Director of Ljubljana Tourism, for her pioneering strategic direction, exceptional international engagement, and long-term impact on the development of Ljubljana as a recognised and respected meetings industry destination.

In its justification, the jury highlighted that under the leadership of Ms Stušek and her team, Ljubljana has established itself as an open, trustworthy and internationally relevant hub for professional networking, and as one of the key centres of the meetings industry in New Europe. As a co-creator of Conventa’s strategic development, she made a decisive contribution to its long-term vision and international orientation, as well as to Ljubljana’s timely and thoughtful integration into the most important international networks, associations and discussions within the meetings industry. Through active engagement in international organisations and professional bodies – including serving as President of the Board of City Destinations Alliance (2019–2024) and as a member of the Advisory Board of the European Tourism Association (ETOA) – she enabled Ljubljana to become an equal interlocutor in shaping key industry directions and strategies. With a professional, inclusive and visionary approach, supported by an exceptional team, she has significantly strengthened the understanding of targeted destination promotion and enhanced Ljubljana’s international recognition. At the same time, she has remained committed to Conventa’s pioneering role, particularly in promoting regenerative thinking and sustainable practices.

Conventa Meet 2026

The 18th Conventa trade show, taking place in Ljubljana from 10 to 12 February 2026, serves as the central platform for connecting event organisers, destinations, suppliers and buyers from the New Europe region. Ljubljana Tourism participates as one of the key partners of the organisers – the Slovenian Convention Bureau and Toleranca Marketing – actively contributing to the development and promotion of Ljubljana as an important international meetings industry destination.

Learn more about Ljubljana Tourism here.