On June 27, 2024, the Russian Convention Bureau, in cooperation with the ANO “The Investment Promotion Agency of the Sverdlovsk region” and with the support of the government of the Sverdlovsk region, will hold the II Congress of Regional Convention Bureaux.

Key theme of the congress: “Soft power” of events. Strategy for regional openness in the modern world.

Today, regions and entire countries are forced to change approaches and tools to promote their capabilities and maintain attractiveness in the foreign market. In modern conditions, events can become a platform for building a stable and equal dialogue between different parties. Russia sets trends, demonstrating the ability to create new events without borders, and the Sverdlovsk region, combining the traditions of Europe and Asia, becomes a point of attraction for such projects. In July, the INNOPROM exhibition and forum will be held here, and in September, Ekaterinburg will host the Friendship Games. In anticipation of these events, the Russian Convention Bureau gathers the largest players in the event industry in the region to discuss how the industry should develop further, what conditions the regions can create for this and what projects are needed today.

On June 27 in Ekaterinburg, representatives of the leading convention bureaux of Russia and the CIS countries, representatives of the event industry and organizations responsible for promoting regions will gather on one site to exchange experiences and best practices, as well as to discuss current issues of interregional cooperation and industry integration.

At the congress, issues of global restructuring of industry business will be raised taking into account the current world situation, intensification of domestic events, attracting the attention of the industry community to the development of regions as centers of knowledge and innovation, the role and significance of regional convention bureaus as a tool for the development of territories, further systematization of state support industry.

The congress events will be held with the support of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, and the Business Center for Economic Development of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Representatives of the congress and exhibition industry of Russia and the CIS countries are invited to participate, as well as, in light of Russia’s chairmanship of BRICS in 2024, structures from member countries responsible for the event industry and business tourism.

Director of the Russian Convention Bureau Sagid Zaremukov noted: “The Congress Bureaux and structures performing similar functions are local flagships for the implementation of the territory marketing strategy, forming the concept for the development of congress and exhibition activities in the region, based on the “maturity” of this area, the availability of infrastructure, industrial specialization, business activity and government involvement, and even the geographic location and tourism potential of the destination. One of the points of the Action Plan (“road map”) for the implementation of measures to support and strategic development of exhibition, fair and congress activities until 2030, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 869-r dated April 10, 2024, is the creation of a convention bureau system in the constituent entities Russian Federation. In order to consolidate efforts in this area, the Russian Convention Bureau gathers representatives of the Russian event industry, as well as colleagues and partners from friendly countries, at the congress site to exchange best practices and establish new contacts.”

Also at the Congress site the next General Assmbly of companies - members of the Russian Convention Bureau Association will be held. Currently, the members of the Association are about 100 companies from among the leading representatives of the event industry from 17 regions of Russia.

Venue of the II Congress of Regional Convention Bureaux: Ekaterinburg, EXPO Boulevard, 2a, Ekaterinburg-EXPO IEC.

Congress program and registration.

Organizer of the Congress: The Russian Convention Bureau Association/

Co-organizer: ANO “The Investment Promotion Agency of the Sverdlovsk region”.

With the support of: The Government of the Sverdlovsk region, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives to Promote New Projects (ASI), the Business Center for Economic Development of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Business program partner: the Exhibition Research Center (VNIC) R&C.

Official venue: IEC "Ekaterinburg-EXPO".

Registration partner: Expodat.

General online information partner: Business portal for event industry professionals EVENT-LIVE.RU.

General information partner, print publication: analytical magazine CongressTime.

Telegram partner: MeetInUral.

For reference:

The I Congress of Regional Convention Bureaux took place in January 2023 in St. Petersburg as part of the business program of the XII Europe + Asia Event Forum (EFEA). Representatives of more than 80 companies and organizations in the event industry, business tourism, congress and exhibition activities, including 8 regional convention bureaux, took part in the congress. The resolution following the results of the congress was sent to authorized representatives of the main federal and regional structures. One of the decisions included in the resolution was the issue of holding the Second Congress of Regional Convention Bureaux in 2024 in one of the regions of the Russian Federation. Since the Sverdlovsk region is one of the driving forces for the development of domestic congress and exhibition activities and business tourism, a decision was made to hold the II Congress of Regional Convention Bureaux in the capital of the region - Ekaterinburg.