From ULTRA Festival to International Conferences - Damir Lukić on the Success of AC Hotel by Marriott Split
At the end of the five-day program in Dubrovnik, more than 350 participants from more than 60 countries around the world awarded the organizers with a long round of applause. It was a symbolic end to one of the most complex international events in the field of education and skills development – the WorldSkills General Assembly 2025, organized by the Agency for Vocational Education and Training (ASOO) as the national representative of WorldSkills International, with technical production by Adria Congress.
In addition to the General Assembly itself, the event also included an international conference on skills development and a promotional event for vocational occupations, making Dubrovnik the center of a global discussion on the future of vocational education for almost a week.
From candidacy to victory over international competition
The path to hosting began two years earlier with a candidacy in competition with Portugal, Costa Rica and Jamaica. The candidacy process required the preparation of a detailed bid document with an informative budget, an overview of accommodation capacities, logistics, destination accessibility and the possibility of maintaining the work program.
After submitting the documentation, the final presentation was held in September 2023 in Dublin before representatives of more than 60 member states of the WorldSkills organization. Representatives of ASOO presented Dubrovnik with a promotional film and a presentation that emphasized the logistical advantages, the quality of the hotel infrastructure and the international reputation of the city as a congress destination.
The combination of a well-designed program, quality hotel offer, transport accessibility and the image of Dubrovnik as a globally recognizable destination was crucial for the final decision.
The organization was greatly supported by the City of Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, who helped with promotional materials for the candidacy, logistical support during the event and the organization of free city tours for participants.
A week of events: three events in one
The WorldSkills General Assembly in Dubrovnik was not just one event, but a complex project that united three program units. Along with the General Assembly itself, the international conference WorldSkills Croatia was also held as one of the largest and most important international conferences on skills development and vocational education ever organized in Croatia. The event brought together top global experts, Croatian government officials, policymakers, representatives of international organizations and leading global and Croatian companies such as the European Commission, OECD, UNESCO, UNIDO, ILO, ETF, CEDEFOP and WorldSkills, as well as representatives of innovative companies and education systems from around the world.
The rich program in Dubrovnik was rounded off by the activity "Promotion of Vocational Skills", which took place at the Dubrovnik Student Center. At this event, students and teachers from 11 secondary vocational schools from the Dubrovnik-Neretva County presented their programs and demonstrated vocational skills to the public, especially to primary school students from the entire county. For this purpose, ASOO, as the organizer, also provided free bus transportation for primary school students.
Additional international significance to the event was given by the two-day visit of a high-ranking Chinese delegation led by the Minister of Education, who presented in Dubrovnik the preparations for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 - a global competition that brings together thousands of young competitors from all over the world in more than 60 vocational disciplines. During the visit, a bilateral meeting was also held with the Croatian Minister of Science, Education and Youth, Radovan Fuchs, and a visit to the Regional Competence Center of the Dubrovnik Tourism and Hospitality School in Villa Čingrija.
Operational challenges: logistics, program and participant experience
Operationally, the project included the organization of accommodation, transfers and registration of participants, a welcome drink at the airport, coordination of the work program, the organization of four official dinners in different venues and a number of additional activities.
Among the most attractive social programs were dinners in the historical spaces of the Lazaret and the Revelin Fortress, as well as in the Valamar Lacroma and President hotels. A special experience for the participants was the performance of the Linđo folklore ensemble at the closing dinner.
Project manager from the Adria Congress agency, Katija Ljubimir, emphasizes that it was precisely the coordination of the numerous details that was the greatest challenge: “In two years of work on the project, we had to carefully plan every segment from transfers, accommodation and work program, to dinners in the Lazaret and Revelin, budgeting and billing for packages and numerous other smaller events as part of the event.”
Participants came from different parts of the world, many from visa-required countries, whose participation, precisely because of visas, was uncertain until the last moment. There were also changes in accommodations, transfers, names of delegation representatives, and last-minute registrations, which became almost inevitable in the organization of events.
A special logistical challenge was the organized tour of Dubrovnik for all participants. In order to avoid crowds and ensure a quality experience, the organizers carefully arranged the groups by guides and times.
Uncertainty also accompanied the final evening in Revelin. Due to the changeable weather forecast, the organizers had to make a decision on the day of the event to move part of the program from the terrace to the interior of the fortress, in order to ensure a smooth evening.
Pride of the organizers and satisfaction of the participants
ASOO emphasizes that the candidacy for the hosting had a broader goal – to internationally present Croatia and Dubrovnik, and especially the Croatian education system and reforms in vocational education.
"We wanted to present our work, our education system and Croatia as a modern and innovative country to representatives of more than 60 countries. The reactions of the participants and the long "standing ovation" we received at the end show that we succeeded in this," the Agency says.
From the organizational side, the project represented one of the most important professional challenges for Adria Congress. "Although I am very self-critical and rarely talk about successes, this project is one of the most important references in my 20-year career in the event industry. The participants personally approached and congratulated the professional organizer on the organization, emphasizing that we raised the bar very high," emphasizes Katija Ljubimir.
The success of the organization was also recognized by the profession. For the realization of this international event, the Agency for Vocational Education and Adult Education received the Annual Award of the Croatian Congress Industry in the client category, which is awarded by the Croatian Association of Congress Tourism Professionals (HUPKT) at its annual Forum.
The WorldSkills General Assembly 2025 showed that the successful organization of a major international event is not only a matter of infrastructure, but also of cooperation between institutions, professional organizers and local authorities. Dubrovnik once again confirmed that, in addition to the attractiveness of the destination, it is precisely the professional organization and partnership approach that make the difference between a good and a top international event.
