MICE Offer of Zagreb: A Modern Congress Centre as a New Step Forward
The construction of a modern congress centre will open a new chapter in the development of MICE industry in Zagreb and Croatia.
Zagreb is renowned as an appealing congress destination which attracts a lot of congresses, incentives and sporting events from Europe and the entire world. The allure of the destination, professionalism of hosts and operational planners and accessibility are just some of the benefits that prompt organisers of business and sporting meetings to choose Zagreb.
Soon, a modern congress centre will be added to numerous congress halls and multifunctional facilities which are either standalone or part of hotels. It will be built in an area next to the Zagreb Fair.
As early as April this year, the Study of the Development of the Zagreb Congress Centre and the Accompanying Commercial Activities was made available, written by experts from Avision Young consulting services company.
They suggest the area next to the Zagreb fair as the location of the congress hall due to its ideal traffic connections because it is located near main traffic routes, highway and airport, in addition to other reasons. It is also well connected to the city centre with public transport.
This study envisages the construction of the main congress hall with the capacity of 2500 seats, a smaller hall with 600 seats and six modular halls each with 150 seats with additional 25 meeting rooms. All of the rooms will be adaptable and able to accommodate a wide range of events, from international congresses, conferences and fairs to concerts, theatre shows and exhibitions. The underground garage will contain 600 parking spaces.
The design and construction of the entire complex will follow the principles of green building and will be aimed at complying with the principles of and obtaining the international sustainability certificate.
According to the study, the congress centre could attract around 130 events in the first year, and the number could increase to 190 in its third year. The start of the construction is scheduled for 2027 and the opening of the congress centre is expected to take place in early 2029. The value of this public city investment is estimated at 51 million euros (VAT excluded).
In addition to the congress centre, the study encompasses the construction of complementary commercial facilities as private investment. It is a 300-room hotel, which is going to be one of the largest in the City of Zagreb. Since the tourist traffic in the city continues to rise and the vicinity of the Zagreb fair and future congress centre guarantees excellent occupancy, it is believed that the new hotel could be interesting to several international hotel chains. There are also plans for the construction of an office building with catering facilities within the complex as well as additional 845 parking spaces.
Photo credit: Grad Zagreb / Avison Young