A look behind the scenes of the Prague Congress Centre
It is 10 am on a September sunny Monday in Prague and the Forum Hall of the Prague Congress Centre is in turmoil. A team of technicians is wiring up dozens of giant TV screens, 50 microphones and cameras, running around the hall laying kilometres of cables. Six completely soundproof interpreter booths are being equipped with state-of-the-art sound technology and also air quality sensors. At the same time, several security and pyrotechnic squad officers and a specially trained dog trace every corner of the vast congress space to make sure the venue is perfectly safe and all security measures are in place. In a couple of hours, they all will be gone, replaced by more than 500 police and security officers, inhouse catering staff and several fire brigades. The polished-up hall decorated with national flags will fill up with ministers and politicians from all EU countries joining one of the many meetings under the EU star flags. Welcome to the Prague Congress Centre, a unique venue which hosts most of the events within the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of the year 2022.
The building that has made history
It has already been three months since the Czech government took over the Presidency and since then hundreds of important figures from the world of European politics and economics have visited the iconic congress venue in the centre of Prague. And thousands are still to come until the end of the year. But the Prague Congress Centre is used to hosting top events and so is its team led by a very energetic woman CEO, Lenka Žlebková. „This building has made our modern history. In 1984, Elton John gave his first concert in the then communist Prague. Mikhail Gorbachev introduced perestroika here in 1987. In 2000, the PCC hosted the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, followed by the NATO summit two years later. Then in 2009 the Council of the EU met here for the first time and this year we can host their events again,” sums up Lenka Žlebková.
Perfect fit for international events
The biggest advantage of the PCC building is its location close to the historic centre of Prague but at the same time perfectly accessible via road, underground. In fact, the main attraction is surely the breath-taking view of the sun setting over the Prague castle panorama directly from the centre foyer. But when the sun sets and congress is over, why not take a walk in a beautiful historic green park? No problem, Vyšehrad is right behind the corner. And so is the Holiday Inn hotel with its Esprit restaurant, providing high quality accommodation and catering services directly in the area. A great asset of the PCC and one of the reasons it was selected for the EU summit is the way the building is divided into three separable sections with 11 entrances. It is therefore easy to separate the presidential events from the other activities and still ensure complete privacy and security of the designated area.
Presidency with sustainability in mind
“We have a lot of experience in hosting important international events. Our team knows exactly what it takes to prepare such an event, and we are able to meet any requirement of our client, be it the head of state, scientist or a top manager,” explains Lenka Žlebková. The motto of the Czech Presidency is “Europe as a Task: Rethink, Rebuild, Repower”. The theme of sustainability rings the bell at PCC, too. “We have always been a unique conference centre, but the congress world asks for more today. We strive to become the leader in adoption of new technologies, hybrid congress solutions and most recently in hosting environmentally sustainable events. We have already developed and implemented measures to minimise any potential negative environmental impacts associated with the events we host,” adds Lenka Žlebková.
The main condition for sustainable events and operation is ensuring the venue‘s accessibility by public transport, ideally underground. The proximity of the city centre, generous parking capacities and most recently an electric charging hub add up to this concept. Sustainability is reflected in the organisation of events, too, including the use of recyclable materials, replacing paper signage and branding with digital system, and minimising waste in catering. All leftovers are either utilised in community fridges or given to the needy through partner NGOs.
Energy management: A threat or an opportunity
Increasing energy costs have been filling the media headlines all around Europe. Fortunately, the PCC management team addressed this issue eight years ago and has invested into a robust smart energy management system which helped to dramatically reduce the consumption of heating, air conditioning, water heating and cooling. The project also included the installation of backup power and heat solution. This comprehensive approach to energy and resource saving is particularly appreciated by the organisers of large international congresses. In the case of the PCC, green events are no longer just a buzzword, but have become part of the venue’s philosophy and a business advantage.
Part of city strategic infrastructure
During the COVID period, when all events were banned, the PCC management was able to turn the building overnight into a metropolitan vaccination centre that served thousands of Prague residents. Similarly, after the war in Ukraine broke out, Czech Republic took in over quarter of a million refugees, most of whom came to Prague. The assistance centre that operated in Prague Congress Centre, built up overnight again, was able to help seventy thousand people. “We managed to set up this centre practically immediately. I am extremely proud of our entire team for what we have achieved,” concluded Lenka Žlebková.
At the same time, thanks to the flexibility of the building, it is not necessary to limit normal congress activities even in times of the presidency which requires extremely strict security measures. Small meetings, concerts, major international scientific or businesses congresses, all of them can run smoothly in parallel in the Prague Congress Centre.
