Over a relatively short period of time, Prague has become one of the top congress destinations in the world. Modern hotels have been built, offering a wide range of conference facilities and modern service facilities. The Prague Congress Centre has been extensively modernized, and the international airport has also been expanded and has extended its services.
The Czech Republic enjoys the major advantage of its ideal position in the heart of Europe. Dozens of international flights are scheduled for Prague every day, and the capital city has also become a major destination for budget airlines. Coming to the Czech Republic is fast, inexpensive and convenient.
Congress and conference premises
A broad range of congress and conference premises and services is a prerequisite for accommodating organizers’ needs.
The Prague Congress Centre
The Prague Congress Centre is one of the biggest and most important congress centers in Europe. In 1998–2000, the building was extensively renovated and modernized, and a new multipurpose building with a large hotel and office facilities was added. The center offers 20 halls and 50 rooms with capacities ranging from 12 to 2,764 people. With its wide range of meeting, banquet and exhibition facilities, including related services, it is the largest and most comprehensive provider of congress and conference services on the Czech market.
The Prague Congress Centre: http://www.kcp.cz/
Žofín
On the other hand, in the historical conference rooms of Žofín you will feel the atmosphere of magical, historical Prague. The neo-Renaissance structure was completed in 1886, and in 1992-94 it was extensively reconstructed. Today, you will find exclusive rooms for conferences, congresses and other business meetings, and also for representative balls and other social events.
Žofín: http://www.zofin.cz/
The Municipal House (Obecní dům)
You can also organize your congress or conference on the premises of the Municipal House, a national cultural heritage site. In the magnificent rooms of this Art Nouveau building you will find 15 conference rooms with a total capacity of 1,000 seats.
The Municipal House: http://www.obecnidum.cz/
Prague Castle
The greatest delicacy that the Czech Republic is able to offer you in terms of congress and conference facilities is Prague Castle. There are five conference rooms available to potential customers, offering a total capacity of 2,360 seats.
Prague Castle: http://www.hrad.cz/
Experiences
Conference rooms and services aside, corporate events will not go smoothly unless the organizers are sufficiently experienced. In this respect, the Czech Republic can truly boast thousands, and maybe tens of thousands of successfully organized events.
One of the most significant and internationally prestigious events was the Annual Meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in September 2000. The NATO Summit held in autumn 2002 was also a major event, as was the meeting of the International Olympic Committee in June and July 2003.
Hundreds of major transnational corporations and interest groups have organized their congresses and conferences here. We can mention the Microsoft Security Summit in 2004, the 16th Annual Euro Meeting of the Drug Information Association held in March 2004, or the 14th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. We could continue the list at length; it is not only important that major events were held for thousands of people, but hundreds of smaller conferences and congresses have also been smoothly organized, representing good references for their organizers.
Prague Congress Tourism Association
Many professional organizators are associated in the Prague Congress Tourism Association. On the website of this association, you will find links to travel agencies specializing in providing congress and conference services in the Czech Republic, including direct contacts for hotels suitable for organizing a congress. The Prague Congress Tourism Association has more than 50 members, who jointly strive to develop the congress industry not only in Prague, which is a guarantee of top quality for their potential customers.
Prague Congress Tourism Association: http://www.pragueconvention.cz
Security is of utmost importance in today’s world of unexpected events. And Czech organizers place great emphasis on this aspect. It is a significant positive factor in the Czech Republic that from the global viewpoint it enjoys a stable and safe environment.
Accompanying events
Accompanying events form integral parts of the organization service. The Czech Republic is a real master in this respect. In particular, the capital city of Prague as well as other cities and towns of the Czech Republic offer a vast daily selection of concerts, theater performances and a wide range of sports events. Tailor-made accompanying programs are commonly provided.
A non-traditional program that will thrill the sports-fan contingent among corporate event participants is a visit to a football or ice hockey match. Football fans are surely familiar with the Sparta Praha club, while ice hockey fans will be attracted by matches of the Czech Ice Hockey Extra-league, which has provided many players for the NHL. Ice hockey fans should definitely visit O2 Arena in Prague, where the 2003 World Championship was held. It is today a venue where many ice hockey matches are played and many other sports events and cultural programs are organized.