In August, representatives from cities, convention bureaux, tourist information centers, hotels, event agencies, basically everyone working in the meeting industry, will gather in Brno. Why? Together with the City Destinations Alliance and the City of Brno, we are preparing a unique educational summer school – the CityDNA Summer School.
What preceded this? How did the idea to organize the Summer School in Brno come about? What does it entail to win such an event bid and how did we succeed? This article will delve into these questions.
The CityDNA Summer School is a summer educational platform with a long tradition, primarily intended for newcomers in the meetings industry. This year marks its 38th edition. In the last two post-COVID years, it took place in Turin, Italy, and Gdańsk, Poland. It was in northern Italy that we ventured for the first time in the summer of 2022. Eliška Křížová was enthusiastic about the format and the benefits of the whole event, and it was then that the idea to organize the Summer School in Brno first came to her mind. Events unfolded rapidly upon her return. Meetings with the City of Brno followed, along with discussions on financial participation possibilities from both the city and the South Moravian Tourist Authority, under which the Brno Convention Bureau operates.
We began preparing a bid to compete for hosting the 2024 edition, the location of which was yet to be decided. What is a bid, you might wonder? It’s a presentation of the location you want to bring the planned event to. In ours, we outlined basic information about the Czech Republic, South Moravia, and Brno. We proposed several venue options for the educational event, including accommodation for participants. We added suggestions for other interesting locations to complement the program with social events and also tips for beneficial site inspections. The summer school is primarily about practical skills, and every hosting city aims to impart something of its uniqueness, its DNA, to the participants. The bid also includes introductions to the organizers, references from successful events, and an outline of the financial responsibilities of each party involved.
What makes Brno unique according to us?
In the bid, we emphasized the pleasant atmosphere of Brno as the Czech Republic’s “second city.” The trend of secondary cities is clearly evident worldwide; tourists often seek destinations that are not as crowded and have retained a greater degree of authenticity. Brno is a young city full of students. In the summer, there isn’t a weekend without some festival happening in the center. Pleasant green areas offer space for relaxation in the city center, and getting out into nature from the city is also not far. The entire South Moravian region offers further opportunities for extending the stay of participants.
What else favors Brno?
● Experience in organizing conferences. Brno is well known as a successful trade fair city.
● Good accessibility by train from European cities and from major airports within a 200 km radius. A significant advantage is the direct train and bus connection to Vienna’s Schwechat Airport.
● Innovation, education, collaboration. The fact that the South Moravian region is on the European map of innovative regions was confirmed by the title of European Entrepreneurial Region 2024.
For the hosting of Summer School 2024, we “competed” against the city of Graz, in Austria and we emerged victorious from the competition. Julie Clerc, the main driver of the entire project, visited Brno in July 2023 to visit all selected locations. What was her impression of Brno?
“I discovered an incredibly lively city, with beautiful architecture and landmarks where you could easily walk everywhere. The city also had numerous green areas that were lovely to enjoy during the peak of summer. During my (too short) stay, I also had the privilege to visit some of the best locations for business events that the city has to offer and cannot wait to welcome all the participants of the Summer School there this year”.
At the end of August 2023, we took advantage of another opportunity and visited the summer school in Gdańsk, where we once again confirmed that for professionals in our field, it is a perfect opportunity to take a giant leap forward.
What does Eliška Křížová add to our successful candidacy? “Brno offers a pleasant and lively atmosphere without crowds of tourists. It’s a vibrant city with 9 universities, a developed technological and innovation ecosystem, many pubs, beer gardens, parks, and summer street festivals, creating a dynamic environment for participants. With our experience in organizing conferences and events, we are honored to present the beauty of Brno and the South Moravian region to students and also promote proven practices in tourism.”
Now the most important thing remains! To meet the expectations of the organizers and especially all the students who will come to Brno in August. Register for the Summer School through this button.