A proactive not-for-profit, the Prague Convention Bureau (PCB) is committed to strengthening positive awareness of the city as the ideal convention and incentive destination. Managing Director, Roman Muška, highlights Prague’s best events offerings and why it should be at the top of business leaders’ lists.
Q&A WITH THE PRAGUE CONVENTION BUREAU
Firstly, could you talk us through the purpose and mission of the PCB?
Roman Muška, Managing Director (RM): The PCB was established in 2008 by several founding members with the aim of creating a strong alliance that could promote Prague as an ideal meeting destination and a goal to cooperate with various stakeholders to bring more expert events to the capital.
These objectives have remained through the years and are still key for the PCB’s daily operations, combined with a current focus on hot topics such as technology and sustainability.
In your opinion, what makes Prague the ideal convention and incentive destination?
RM: It is a combination of various factors that makes Prague an ideal convention and incentive destination. Firstly, its outstanding location in the very heart of Europe makes the city a hub for all kinds of travellers.
Prague’s infrastructure can accommodate the most demanding events with meeting options that combine historical features of the city with modern, cutting-edge technology. Whatever type of meeting a client plans, local suppliers are fully equipped to deliver on even the most stringent requirements, whether it’s high-tech audiovisual technology on-site or all-in-one services for hybrid or virtual events.
Prague’s universities and research centres also make the city an ideal destination for expert meetings on topics such as life sciences, emerging technologies, or creative industries.
An additional bonus, Prague is a very compact and walkable city, with all the monuments, venues, and congress centres in close proximity to each other, connected by one of the world’s best public transportation systems. All that combines to make the city a very attractive destination for various events.
In what ways does the PCB support businesses looking to host an event in the city?
RM: The PCB’s team supports event planners in many different ways. We are ready to help with any kind of information you need about Prague.
We act as an intermediary between clients and local service providers and offer administrative support for communicating with third parties, including local government authorities. We also help event planners promote their event across the country, and of course, we are happy to arrange site inspections according to clients’ requirements.
Since its establishment, the PCB has also run its Ambassador Program that brings together experts in various fields, including science, technology, medicine, and social sciences, amongst others. The programme creates a platform for sharing knowledge and experience by hosting congresses and conferences and preparing expert panels for these events.
Together with our Congress Ambassadors, we regularly bid for all kinds of conferences.
How would you say the business travel sector in Prague has evolved over the last five years?
RM: The business travel sector has experienced several ups and downs in the last five years, from a record-breaking year in 2019 through the COVID-19 pandemic with almost non-existent business travel and the subsequent war in Ukraine, to 2024 where the numbers slowly increased towards pre-pandemic levels again.
There are several trends we can see post-pandemic, such as the extreme need for flexibility – events are often booked very last minute and there is a high demand for on-site events and face-to-face meetings. Numerous venues also used the pandemic break for renovations, so we are pleased to see the quality of services rising.
OT: How does the bureau work with CzechTourism to ensure clients’ needs are met?
RM: CzechTourism has a dedicated department, the Czech Convention Bureau (CzCB), focused on the MICE segment that serves as an umbrella organisation for all 14 regional convention bureaus in the country.
Together with CzCB, we cooperate on various promotional activities, starting from our presence at the national booth at major MICE trade shows to farm trips for international meeting planners. Whenever we are asked by our colleagues from CzCB for advice or assistance with site inspections or specific clients’ request for proposals (RFP), we are ready to help with our destination know-how.
Business travel aside, what attractions or destinations in Prague would you personally recommend?
RM: All first-time visitors are naturally willing to see the main attractions such as Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, or Old Town Square with its Astronomical Clock. My personal recommendation would be to visit quieter places such as the Vyšehrad district, where you can visit the Basilica of St Peter and St Paul or just walk in a beautiful park and admire unique, panoramic views.
Another enjoyable vista is from the opposite side of the Vltava river, where the Petřín Tower, a smaller copy of the Eiffel Tower, is located. My last personal tip, just a few steps away from the often-overcrowded Charles Bridge, is a calm oasis called the Klementinum with an astronomical tower and one of the most beautiful baroque libraries in the world.
How do you support businesses in implementing sustainability across their operations?
RM: We encourage our partners and members to implement sustainability, especially through best practice sharing.
A few years ago, we launched a specialised mini section of our webpage dedicated solely to sustainability and introduced the #SustainabilityInSpires hashtag for all communication related to topics of socioeconomic or ecological responsibility.
There is also a similar hashtag on our blog, through which we regularly distribute news about Prague’s sustainable initiatives. We also encourage our clients to proceed with environmental options for their events, for which we introduced a special filter in our venue finder that selects partners following sustainable principles.
What makes Prague the go-to destination for business leaders looking to hold an event in 2025?
RM: As already mentioned, several brand-new or renovated venues and hotels in Prague are worth choosing for events in 2025. Additionally, those who have visited the city in the last few years are welcome to explore these new spots, and I truly believe that they won’t regret coming back to the ‘City of a Hundred Spires’.
What’s more, Václav Havel Airport Prague systematically works on expanding the number of direct routes to and from the city for areas not only in the region, but also intercontinentally, so it is even easier and cheaper for delegates from distant markets to attend events in the city.
Finally, are you optimistic about the future of business travel in Prague?
RM: Yes, of course, we are all very optimistic about the future development of business travel in Prague.
From our statistics, we can see that the number of conferences and incentive groups is growing, and this year’s demand seems to be very positive. We only need to continue doing what we already do and hope that no global externalities will stop this positive outlook.
