Regional Focus
South Eastern Europe: A region on the rise
Berislav Čižmek, CEO of Zagreb-based specialist management consultancy CBBS, highlights a region on the rise for exhibitions and events
he event and exhibition
T industry in South Eastern Europe( SEE) stands on strong foundations of nearly a century of tradition and top professionalism. As UFI( The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry) celebrates in 2025 its 100th anniversary, it is important to remember that trade fair companies from Zagreb( Croatia) and Ljubljana( Slovenia) were among the founding members of the association in 1925.
Throughout decades marked by political transitions, economic cycles, and structural changes, the region has maintained a reputation for highquality, content-driven B2C and B2B exhibitions, trade fairs, conferences and congresses. Its organisers are known for their high professional standards, resilience and ability to adapt – qualities that helped the region’ s
Berislav Čižmek
event industry recover faster after the pandemic compared to many other European regions.
The combination of tradition and new momentum positions the SEE region as a dynamic and strategically relevant player in the broader
Left: Expo Albania render( architects Steven Holl)
European event industry landscape. Notably, EU member states such as Croatia and Slovenia benefit from economic stability, GDP growth above the EU average, and Croatia’ s entry into the eurozone and Schengen since 1 January, 2023 has stimulated business travel, event participation and foreign investment.
At the same time, the ongoing EU accession trajectory of the Western Balkan countries – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia – is enhancing regional connectivity, regulatory alignment and investor confidence. This creates a wider, integrated SEE marketplace that is becoming more attractive to the local and international organisers, exhibitors and trade visitors.
Events across South Eastern Europe increasingly align with strategic development pillars such as infrastructure, energy, tourism, agriculture, transport, ecology and technology – reflecting the region’ s transformation into a hub where sustainable development, digitalisation and European integration intersect.
The active participation of leading regional and EU-based companies from construction, renewable energy, agriculture, transport and logistics, hospitality, finance and tourism sector also highlights growing private sector confidence in the region’ s stability and future EU integration.
The region has earned a reputation for hosting high-quality, contentdriven B2B exhibitions, trade fairs, congresses and business events that consistently attract domestic and international participants.
Most of the global event industry trends are reflected in South Eastern Europe as well, and I would highlight the following:
• Sustainability and digitalisation of the event industry is becoming a core standard, with Croatia and Slovenia leading ESG and digital integration
• Expansion of specialised B2B events
42 Issue 6 2025 www. exhibitionworld. co. uk