Portorož ranked first among congress destinations at the Conventa business trade show, confirming its international competitiveness, high-quality offer and recognition on the European meetings industry market.
The Portorož Tourist Association is currently attending the Conventa business trade show in Ljubljana, which this year celebrates its 18th anniversary. Conventa is an established meeting point for the meetings industry in Europe, with exhibitors coming from 18 countries, confirming its broad international reach and its importance in connecting suppliers and event organizers from the Baltic states, Eastern and Central Europe, the Western Balkans, Turkey and the South Caucasus.
As part of Conventa, the Meetings Star awards ceremony took place on 11 February 2026 at Cankarjev dom. This recognition is based on strictly defined quality criteria and evaluation standards. Awards are presented in three categories: best congress destinations, best congress hotels and centres, and best special venues (architectural and natural), which are a new category this year. A total of 149 destinations participated in the selection for best congress destinations, and awards were presented in four size categories (XL, L, M and S) as well as in the special regional category New Europe. The evaluation methodology goes beyond traditional comparisons of the number of events and also considers destination capacity, resilience to crisis situations and the actual needs of event organizers.
With a score of 4.39, Portorož ranked first among medium-sized (M) destinations, representing an outstanding recognition of the destination’s quality and competitiveness on the international congress market. Dubrovnik followed with a score of 4.35 and Opatija with 4.26.
The winners were also presented to more than 400 Conventa participants, including leading event organizers and representatives of the meetings industry. The award was accepted on behalf of the destination by the Director of the Portorož Tourist Association, Patricija Gržinič, MSc, who said after the event: “Portorož’s first-place ranking confirms its recognition, the quality of its infrastructure and the professionalism of providers in the congress and business tourism sector, and represents an important reference for further strengthening the destination’s position internationally.”
