lovakia ’ s capital Bratislava has its very own UFO ; atop the single pylon of the Slovak National Uprising Bridge sits the discus shaped UFO Restaurant & Observation Deck . Towering 85m above the waters of the Danube , it is a landmark venue with views over other dominant buildings : Bratislava Castle and St Martin ’ s Church , coronation site of numerous Hungarian Kings and Queens .

This lofty perch provides a visual snapshot of why Bratislava has all the ingredients to step out from the shadows of neighbours Vienna , Budapest and Prague in the minds of MICE planners . The 360-degree sweep from the observation deck , visually links the past , present and future .

The patchwork of ochre rooftops map-out the compact old town , with its plethora of historic buildings and many venues . There is the Guggenheim-style gallery Nedbalka and the 19th Century neo-renaissance national theatre ; Zaha Hadid ’ s architectural footprint is represented by the trio of ‘ Sky Park ’ buildings , an area southeast of the city centre , now clustered with modern high-rises of glass and steel representing growing prosperity . This prosperity can be , in large part , linked to the capital ’ s emergence as a start-up and innovation hub . Global automotive leaders such as Volkswagen ( producing cars for VW , Audi , Porsche , ŠKODA and SEAT , directly in Bratislava ), Peugeot Citroën , KIA and Jaguar Land Rover , who have all opted to locate Original Equipment Manufacturing

( OEM ) plants around Bratislava , ‘ Europe ’ s Detroit ’. This is also a great tonic for local DMCs and PCOs .

Bratislava offers easy access to the Small Carpathians , which offer castles and wineries , all ideal venues for car launches , presentations and roadshows . The likes of the modernist Wine Park Elesko , which includes gallery spaces , and the enchanting Castle Simak , with a sizeable and historic courtyard , both held car launches for new electric vehicle models on the day I visited .

One key building absent from Bratislava ’ s urban landscape is a dedicated congress centre , but plans are afoot . Dominik Susa , deputy CEO Slovak Investment & Trade Development Agency , says : “ With € 100m public / private sector budget available for this project , we will soon know which developer will build it and the location . Possible projects include Incheba , Novy Istropolis or my personal favourite choice Nove Lido – a new neighbourhood in Petrzalka ”. Each one of the proposals could help reinvent Bratislava as a unique MICE destination in Central Europe .

Until the new congress centre is inaugurated with a projected capacity of 3,000 , the city can comfortably organise events “ up to about 300-600 people ” says David Pobjecky , head of the Bratislava Convention Bureau , who adds : “ The new facility will springboard us towards being able to confidently bid for new association business and other major events .”

Local DMCs such as tour4u . sk and enjoyslovakia . com are upbeat about the

Above : In the Slovak fast lane for incentives on the water

city ’ s MICE future . Tour4u . sk can create bespoke itineraries as it manages its own tour buses and even speedboats . Zipping along the Danube in speedboats was a wonderful way to retreat into nature , but not the only exhilarating activity available . Our group docked close to Dovokavoda . sk White Water Centre , pitting our collective team wits across 350m of obstacles , drops , and fast flowing water on the same artificial channel on which Slovakian Olympic medalists have trained .

It was just one of several incentive activities available to try within the greater Bratislava region : “ Our incentives are very much based on our landscape : Bratislava urban area , the Danube River , and Small Carpathian hills with forests and wine region . All provide diversity : from treasure hunts around the cobbled streets of the old town , to speed boats , countryside biking to wine sampling in historic cellars and modern wineries ,” says Marek Farkas , MD of Enjoy Slovakia DMC .

On my return to London my taste of incentives was capped off by being met by Blacklane . com / en - an international chauffeuring service – whose CEO and co-founder , Jens Wohltorf , spoke at the first-ever Forbes ‘ Under 30 Youth Summit Global Retreat ’ in Bratislava in June 2019 . Particularly pertinent , as Bratislava is home to a start-up ecosystem , where ideas , innovations and entrepreneurial talent is driving transformational change for the city and country .