Prague Congress Centre: Driving Prague’s rise as a top global congress destination

Prague Congress Centre: Driving Prague’s rise as a top global congress destination

Prague shines in global rankings, with the Prague Congress Centre at its heart

Prague holds its place among the world’s most attractive cities – and rightly so. It tops international MICE rankings thanks to its unique atmosphere, accessibility, safety and top-notch infrastructure. At the heart of Prague’s congress scene is the Prague Congress Centre: a venue that combines technical excellence and professionalism with art, sustainability and a view of the thousand years old city.

Prague has surpassed Madrid, London and Paris in the ICCA 2024 ranking and has become the fifth most attractive congress destination in the world. Its uniqueness is confirmed by the statistics of the Prague Convention Bureau and the Czech Statistical Office, according to which 5,139 congresses, conferences and other events were held in Prague last year, which represents a year-on-year increase of 5.1%.

Historical backdrops, rich culture and maximum safety

The UNESCO-listed city centre, more than a thousand years old, is full of Gothic towers, Baroque palaces and modern functionalist buildings. Lonely Planet describes Prague as “a vibrant capital in a gothic guise”. Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, the Astronomical Clock, and romantic streets with famous authentic Czech pubs serving the best beer in the world are all attractions.

According to the Crime Index 2024*, Prague maintains its image as a peaceful and friendly city where people can move freely even at night.

* Numbeo Crime Index 2024

Prague Congress Centre: More than a venue, an experience

The Prague Congress Centre (PCC) is the leader in event tourism in Prague. 70 halls and lounges can be adapted for several events simultaneously from large congresses to smaller corporate meetings. It offers a capacity for ten thousand participants, more than a quarter of whom (2,764 people) can fit into the largest Congress Hall.

This provides not only spacious and individually air-conditioned seats, but also excellent acoustics, which have been appreciated by music legends such as Ray Charles, Elton John and Bob Dylan. The stage, the size of five tennis courts (615 m2), has hosted countless technically demanding performances, such as this year’s musical The Phantom of the Opera from London’s His Majesty’s Theatre, as well as multimedia shows.

“The giant 20 x 8 metre projection screen can create a spectacular backdrop for any speaker. Thanks to the high quality of the display, we guarantee visibility of the content for every audience member in the hall, including those in the balconies. And if someone needs to enliven their event with a variable LED wall, we can offer half-meter panels thatcan be stacked anywhere to a total area of 150 m2,” said, Roman Sovják, Sales and Marketing Director of the Prague Congress Centre.

Genius loci: Interior design, art and the connection to medieval history

The interiors of the Prague Congress Centre house over 200 works of art and interior design by leading Czechoslovak artists. No expense was spared on marble paneling, large-scale tapestries or unique furniture in the lounges.

However, the uniqueness of the centre is also underlined by its location: it offers breathtaking views of the historic centre of the city and, thanks to its proximity to the medieval Vyšehrad, provides ideal conditions for a group jog, a picnic or a relaxing walk after a busy programme, all just a five-minute walk from the Prague Congress Centre building.

Great accessibility, accommodation capacity and eco note

The Prague Congress Centre is right next to the metro station, just 10 minutes from the city centre and the main train station with trains to Berlin, Vienna and Budapest. Participants can use public transport free of charge if specific conditions are met. The main gateway to the Czech Republic is Václav Havel Airport Prague with direct connections to metropolises in the USA, Asia and Europe.

Should anyone travel to Prague by electric car, they can charge it at one of the 8 stands for 16 electric cars located directly in front of the PCC. Green measures at Prague Congress Centre don’t stop at the car park – the centre has undergone an energy management transformation, reducing energy consumption, measuring its carbon footprint and saving the equivalent of 1,740 hot air balloons in CO₂ emissions annually.

“Thanks to our own PV plant and the purchase of green electricity, CO2 – scope 2 at PCC is zero. At the same time, we are constantly optimising our operations and striving to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Measuring the carbon footprint of individual events can not only be our competitive advantage with organisers who have sustainability under their skin as much as we do, but it also motivates others to think about their carbon footprint. The event industry can be green and I hope we are setting an example,” added, Roman Sovják.

The Prague Congress Centre welcomed many famous names – join them

World icons such as the Dalai Lama, Václav Havel and Barack Obama have shaken hands at the Prague Congress Centre. Rock stars, Nobel Prize winners and top politicians still gather here in a unique atmosphere, such as during the second Czech Presidency of the EU Council in 2022, when 65 meetings of the highest representatives of the states took place at the Prague Congress Centre.

“To handle the capacity, technology and security of a set of events that bring together the top political leaders is a challenging experience. But it is also a perfect test of our abilities and proof that we can handle even the most demanding events at the top level,” said Roman Sovják, assessing the professionalism of the Prague Congress Centre team.

And the positive feedback from other events confirms his words. Among them was the 27th World Road Congress, which attracted over 4,000 delegates from 96 countries, including several dozen ministerial delegations.