Members of the Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe will hold their meeting in Russia this year, and this will be the first meeting of the Alliance in this country.

“There are several ways in which Russia can work on our country’s image as a competitive destination for international events. We can present our country at major exhibitions, and work actively with reputable associations in the industry,” Anton Kobyakov, advisor to the President of the Russian Federation, commented. “Once again we see that the event potential of this country has been clearly recognized, and sparked the interest of professional communities of Europe.”

The 12th Assembly of the Strategic Alliance, which was held on February 1, 2019 in Vienna (Austria) decided to hold the next meeting of the Alliance in St. Petersburg on September 30 - October 1, 2019. The participants of the meeting voted for Russia’s Northern Capital after the presentation about the city made by the Russian Convention Bureau (RCB). The members of the Alliance noted that the megalopolis in the North-West of Russia had several advantages, such as transport accessibility, availability of modern infrastructure, and, undoubtedly, rich cultural and historic heritage.

The Russian Convention Bureau joined the European Strategic Alliance in February 2018. Members of the Alliance include heads of National Convention Bureaux of twenty-eight European states. During their regular working meetings, members of the Alliance discuss key issues in the development of the event industry on the European market, the current results of the Alliance’s work, strategic plans and joint projects.

Alexey Kalachev, CEO of the Russian Convention Bureau, said: “We believe it is very important for us to take part in the work of the Alliance and get fully involved in the agenda on the European market of business events. Meetings with the Alliance members serve as an excellent venue not only for sharing experience with our European colleagues, but also for defining Russia’s confident standing as a world-class destination for events of any scale.”