Slovakia benefits from an excellent location at the heart of Europe, with easy access by plane, train or motorway, which makes it ideal for international MICE events.
It has airports with international status in Bratislava, Košice, Piešťany, Sliač, Žilina and Poprad. We must not forget either the international airport in Vienna, only 45 km away and a 30 minute drive along the motorway from the capital city of Bratislava.MICE facilities, accommodation and conference capacities have expanded greatly in Slovakia over the last few years. International hotel groups such as Kempinski, Crown Plaza, Lindner, Radisson Blu, Sheraton, Hilton/Double Tree, Mercure, Holiday Inn and others have been implanted in Slovakia.
Modern conference hotels are fully equipped with sophisticated facilities for organising events, with the most up-to-date equipment and communications technology which are ready to host even the most important conferences and special events. The versatility of what is on offer allows even demanding clients to choose the type of accommodation they prefer: from historic castles, manors and houses or chalets and eco-villages, to contemporary hotels and spas, and many other unique places across the country.
Slovakia has a rich folk and historic heritage, as well as untouched nature and beautiful countryside, which will also delight MICE participants who want to discover new cultures and exciting leisure and sports activities. Participants can admire UNESCO monuments, taste the excellent gastronomy influenced by Austro-Hungary and Slovak regional cuisine. They can also discover and admire history in 180 castles and 559 manors, or in the 10 open-air museums of folk architecture. They can visit 45 wooden churches and many museums and galleries.
On the other hand, for shopping, Slovakia also has international brands in its luxury shopping centres and contemporary fashion by Slovak designers, souvenirs and craft articles in small boutiques. There are 1,400 mineral and thermal springs to quench your thirst, many with healing properties, and 22 spa towns with complete medical care which provide treatments based on mineral and thermal waters.
The largest congress centre in the country is the Incheba Expo Bratislava exhibition ground. It can host a wide range of events, indoors and outdoors. It is suitable for exhibitions, social events, a wide range of cultural and sporting events, as well as for top level meetings and conferences for up to 4,500 people in different settings.
The Slovak Convention Bureau (SCB) offers consultancy in one place on the Slovak MICE market for international planners. Members of the SCB are highly qualified specialists in the field of Congress Tourism (PCOS), Destination Management (DMC), in international hotel chains, local and regional tourist agencies, MICE locations and service providers. SCB members have expert knowledge in all aspects of MICE events, including budget supervision, supplier relations, using local knowledge and networks for choosing the most suitable accommodation, transport, excursions and other services to meet the needs of both Slovak and international organisers and delegates.
