After presentations from the three shortlisted destinations—Gdansk in Poland, the Czech Republic capital of Prague and Russian city St. Petersburg—ICCA President Arnaldo Nardone has announced that Prague will host the 56th ICCA Congress in 2017.
At the ICCA Mid-Year meetings at IMEX, Nardone noted that this will be the first time ICCA has held its Congress in the Czech Republic, and that this decision reflects the Association’s goal of further developing its membership in Eastern Europe.
The bid presentations of the shortlisted destinations traditionally take place during the ICCA Board meetings in the weekend before IMEX. Candidates are required to address ICCA’s strategic development objectives, to identify innovative ways to boost delegates’ business opportunities, as well as to address a rigorous list of financial and logistical criteria.
“ICCA delegates are possibly the toughest clients any destination can host,” ICCA CEO Martin Sirk commented in a statement. “They are seasoned professionals, notoriously difficult to surprise or impress, but I have absolutely no doubt, based on the creativity and commitment shown by the Czech team, that they will be given an unforgettable experience in 2017.”