City report
Košice’s active course
for conferencing
RAMY SALAMEH VISITS SLOVAKIA’S CAPITAL OF CREATIVITY
European Capital of Culture
in 2013 (ECC2013),
European Capital of Sport
2016 and now an UNESCO
Creative City of Media Arts, Slovakia’s
second largest metropolis, Košice, has
defined itself as a capital of culture,
creativity and cool; an evolving hub of
innovation, art and design, which locals
have accepted as a key driver for further
development of the city and generator to
an expanding MICE sector.
There has been a trend towards
second-tier cities gaining momentum
with planners over the past few years. It
is a trend that offers affordability and
quirky venues, allowing the organiser to
better reflect and differentiate their
brand.
Košice fits this mould in many ways;
one just needs to walk along the
historical artery, Hlavná (Main) Street,
to admire Renaissance, Baroque, Gothic,
Rococo and Art Nouveau architecture of
venues across merchant houses, palaces,
St Elizabeth Cathedral and the State
theatre, all contributing to the meetings
sector.
The award of ECC2013, acted as a
catalyst in the development of ‘soft power’
and the creative economy, underpinned
by three cultural facilities that today form
key MICE sites in Košice and gave rise to
others. These are the ‘Kulturpark’, where
the buildings of the former army
barracks include multifunctional halls
ideal for conferencing. ‘Kunsthalle’, the
former swimming baths are a public
space devoted to contemporary art. And,
finally, ‘SPOTs’ – the redevelopment of
disused heat exchange stations converted
into community centres for residents.
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CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD
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Hlavná Street
Hlavná Street gathers many landmark venues in the historic
centre; the neo-baroque ‘Košice State Theatre’ is capable of
adding grandeur to events for up to 500 people. Audiences are
rewarded with ceiling frescoes depicting Shakespearian plays
and richly decorated gold-leaf balconies from which to watch
presentations on the lyre-shaped stage.
A moment’s walk away from the theatre is Slovakia’s oldest
restaurant, Hostinec, dating from 1542. Under the vaulted
gothic arches of the eatery, a craft-beer micro-brewery provides
beer tasting tour incentives among the cellar vats, followed by
hearty Slovak cuisine.
The East Slovak Gallery, is another of Hlavná’s key venues,
presenting historic and contemporary artists, within a carefully
ISSUE 100
curated set of spaces providing the latest
technology to support a variety of events.
The modern, minimalist concrete space
of Exhibition hall ‘Q’, counts Heineken as
a former client. The space offers
reinforced ceiling capabilities to suspend
cars from, if required. While, on an
upper floor, the elegant and colonnaded
‘Historical Hall’ is available for hire and
harks back to an aristocratic epoch.
AquaCity & The High Tatras
Moments from the historic centre,
Košice Rail Station can whisk delegates
to the City of Poprad in under one hour;
a gateway to the High Tatras Mountains,
a playground of well-being, adventure
sport and nature related incentives,
teambuilding and meeting possibilities.
With the snowy mountain peaks as
the backdrop, ‘AquaCity Poprad’ is
within 10 minutes of the International
Airport and rail station. The resort has
all the ingredients to tempt sports teams,
incentive groups and conferences
(245sqm main hall hold up to 350 people)
for planners interested in combining
meetings with wellness.
AquaCity has long been hosting
Premier League football teams, making
use of thermal outdoor and indoor pools,
an ultra-modern two-storey wellness
area and Cryotherapy Centre, along with
several hotel options.
AquaCity is also an example of
sustainability, having been awarded a
string of World Travel Awards, from the
‘World’ to ‘European’ Leading Green
Hotel. “This region sits on a reservoir of
geothermal water, so our entire complex
is virtually energy self-sufficient, even
our neighbouring 5,000-seat national