What makes a city chosen for a congress? That question was at the centre when the Gothenburg Convention Bureau invited representatives from Gothenburg’s visitor industry to share experiences, gain international perspectives, and deepen their shared understanding of what creates strong hosting.

With extensive experience in organising congresses across Europe, Anki Frencken, Congress Manager at the European Atherosclerosis Society and co-owner and senior project manager at All about Meetings, shared what characterises a successful host city from both the organiser’s and the delegate’s perspectives.

“It was both enjoyable and valuable to share my experiences of organising international congresses in Gothenburg and across Europe with the visitor industry. The hope is that an already strong effort can be further developed and improved through collaboration among the city’s stakeholders. If, together, we can create a positive feeling from the first visit, throughout the planning phase and during delivery, that lingers afterwards for both participants and organisers, there is everything to gain”, says Anki.

In the morning, a workshop was also held, during which participants discussed how their organisations can contribute to strengthening the experience of Gothenburg as a host city. The conversations covered everything from the first impression during a site visit to the overall experience during the congress itself. What makes a delegate feel welcome? What builds trust with an organiser ahead of a crucial decision? And how can we, as a venue and as a city, work even more collectively to ensure that Gothenburg is the obvious choice?

This was the third workshop organised by the convention bureau as part of the joint impact project initiated when the AC Forum’s annual meeting was decided to be held in Gothenburg. Together, they form part of a knowledge initiative in which collaboration among the city’s stakeholders is a decisive success factor. Increased knowledge about associations and association meetings contributes to developing the hosting offer, attracting congresses and strengthening Gothenburg’s role as a partner to associations. By improving both the details and the overall experience, competitiveness is strengthened, along with the conditions for more congresses to return to Gothenburg.

“This third session, focusing on hosting, was truly valuable. To gain insights from Anki Frencken, while also working together on how we can make Gothenburg an even better meeting destination, was invaluable”, says Ann Röckert, Sales Manager at Elite Park Avenue Hotel.

The work will now continue in close collaboration. The ambition is to translate the insights into concrete improvements ahead of upcoming meetings and hosting. This includes preparations for EUROSPINE 2026, which will take place at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre from 6–9 October.