Opatija at MEETEX 2026: new contacts and a stronger congress offering
Another edition of the Conventa meetings trade show has come to a close. Held in Ljubljana from 10 to 12 February, the event celebrated its 18th anniversary this year and once again welcomed a strong presence of exhibitors from Croatia. Over three days of intensive business meetings, networking activities and educational content, Conventa once again confirmed the importance of regional cooperation and the continued development of the meetings industry in Central and Southeast Europe. This year’s edition brought together 150 buyers and 150 exhibitors.
Croatian winners at the Meeting Star Awards
Croatia was represented by the Croatian National Tourist Board, along with the tourist boards of Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Istria County, as well as leading Croatian hoteliers and tourism companies.
Our country stood out in particular at the Meeting Star Awards ceremony, where numerous Croatian companies and destinations received top honours, confirming the excellence of the national meetings offer. First places went to Grand Park Hotel Rovinj in the Resort Meeting Hotels category, Zonar Zagreb in the Most Creative Venues category, Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery in Boutique Meeting Hotels, and Brijuni National Park in Outdoor and Natural Event Venues. In addition to four first-place awards, Croatian participants also won three second places and two third places across different categories, further confirming the high quality and competitiveness of Croatia’s MICE offer internationally. Dubrovnik and Opatija took second and third place on the list of best MICE destinations in the M category (up to 1,000 participants), Grand Hotel Brioni Pula won second place in the Resort Meeting Hotel category, Hotel Mattera in Osijek took second place in the Spa Meeting Hotels category, while Stellar Boutique Modules placed third in the Creative Venues category.
New recognition: Conventa Ambassador for Mirjana Resner
A special recognition this year went to Mirjana Resner, Head of MICE Products at the Croatian National Tourist Board, who was awarded the title of Conventa Ambassador. The award is presented to individuals whose long-standing work, strategic vision and strong commitment have made a significant contribution to the development of the meetings industry in the region, as well as to the successful cooperation between Conventa and Croatia’s business tourism sector.
New projects announced in Croatia
This year’s edition of Conventa also introduced an important new feature. For the first time, the Conventa Experience Crawl was held, an innovative format that allowed participants to discover different host destinations through carefully curated experiences, further highlighting the importance of authenticity and experience in today’s meetings industry. As part of the programme, selected buyers visited six carefully chosen venues in central Ljubljana over two days, where each destination presented itself through interactive and artistic content.
It is also worth noting that at this year’s Conventa, Croatia presented some of the latest projects in its meetings and hotel industry, further strengthening the country’s profile as a leading MICE destination in the region. New hotel and business capacities are expected to open in 2026, including Valamar’s Pical Event Centre in Poreč, Opatija Marriott Resort & Spa in Ičići, and Mövenpick Hotel Kvarner Bay in Novi Vinodolski.
