Belgrade hosted the first international business gathering of the congress industry, “Try Before You Buy – Belgrade” by Conventa, which brought together more than 100 professionals from the business events, tourism and corporate sectors from the region and across Europe at Ložionica.
The conference focused on the role of major global events in transforming cities, with particular emphasis on the impact of international manifestations such as the Olympic Games and the upcoming specialised international exhibition EXPO 2027 Belgrade on the local ecosystem, economy and development potential of host destinations.
The event was organised in partnership between Ložionica, Conventa and DMC Vekol, with the aim of allowing international event organisers to experience the destination and its capacities firsthand.
During the conference it was highlighted that over the past two decades Belgrade has positioned itself as one of the most active centres for organising business events in Southeast Europe. Periods of growth in this sector reached nearly 18 percent annually, while the city now hosts on average around 500 national and international business gatherings each year, generating approximately 30 million euros in direct revenue from the congress industry.
A special guest of the conference was Josh Stinton, a motivational speaker who works with organisations and large teams on improving leadership and team collaboration. During the meeting with participants, he shared his experience working on the opening ceremonies of the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, where he collaborated with more than 1,100 employees, volunteers and athletes.
According to Ana Ilić, director of Ložionica, it is precisely this combination of business events, creative industries and urban development that makes the city attractive to international organisers.
“TBYB Belgrade by Conventa positions Belgrade and the newly opened Ložionica – a unique innovation centre – not only as an exceptional destination for the congress tourism industry, but also as a dynamic space where business, culture and creativity naturally intertwine. We are pleased that Ložionica was chosen as a partner in organising the first international gathering TBYB Belgrade by Conventa, as a natural meeting point for rethinking the way business guests experience our city.”
A similar perspective was shared by Gorazd Čad, co-founder of Conventa, who emphasised that the goal of the event is not only to present the destination, but also to create an authentic experience for international participants.
“We want to bring participants of today’s event closer to the spirit of this exceptional city at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers – a city that writer Momo Kapor described as ‘not a place, but a metaphor for living and thinking’. By organising TBYB-BG in the Serbian capital, we want to create a unique space where encounters do not happen by chance, but remain permanently engraved in the memory of all participants. We invite everyone to experience Belgrade with their heart – before the rest of the world discovers its beauty at the upcoming EXPO.”
The strategic potential of the city was also highlighted by Dejan Bogdanov, managing partner of DMC Vekol, who noted that Belgrade has real conditions to become one of the key MICE destinations in this part of Europe.
“Belgrade today has real potential to become one of the key MICE destinations in this part of Europe. What sets this city apart is not only infrastructure, but the combination of authentic atmosphere, a professional local industry and growing interest from international event organisers. Conferences such as Try Before You Buy are extremely important because they allow decision-makers to experience the destination firsthand – to see venues, meet partners and understand the operational capacities of the city. It is precisely through such encounters that concrete projects are created, bringing new congresses and international events to Belgrade.”
The gathering of international professionals from the event industry in Belgrade further highlighted the city’s growing importance on the regional and European map of business events. Platforms such as “Try Before You Buy – Belgrade” by Conventa aim, through such meetings, to create space for new partnerships as well as for the long-term positioning of destinations within the global congress industry.
