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Roscongress Foundation took part in the 14th Eurasian Event Forum in St. Petersburg

Roscongress Foundation took part in the 14th Eurasian Event Forum in St. Petersburg

The 14th Eurasian Event Forum in St. Petersburg is traditionally one of the kick-off events in the congress and exhibition industry, summarizing the results of the past year and outlining the industry’s development prospects for the near future. The Forum was organized by the R&C Exhibition Research Centre (ERC). The Roscongress Foundation was represented at the Forum by Alexey Valkov, Deputy CEO of the Foundation and Director of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

On the first day of the Forum, the plenary session of the 11th MICE Networking Forum and the general meeting of the Russian Union of Exhibitions and Fairs (RUEF) ‘Congress and Exhibition Industry as a Driver of Regional Development’ was held in the multimedia park ‘Russia – My History’, which was attended by Irina Potekhina, Vice Governor of St. Petersburg; Vladislav Barmichev, Director of the Department for Foreign Trade Regulation and Development of the Trade Representation System of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation; Evgeny Pankevich, Chairman of the St. Petersburg Tourism Development Committee; Ilya Zubkov, Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, and Marat Mukhametshin, Vice President of Gazprombank. The moderator was Sergey Voronkov, President of RUEF and General Director of ExpoForum International.

In his speech, Alexey Valkov noted that preparing venues for major business events is a complex process that requires consideration of many factors. However, it is these efforts that make it possible to turn major events into a powerful tool for regional development, creating long-term advantages for both the territories and the participants.

The Roscongress Foundation organizes events all over the country. First of all, these are our traditional venues where events are held regularly – St. Petersburg, Moscow, the federal territory of Sirius, and Vladivostok. Secondly, it is strengthening formats in the regions. For example, Kazan hosted the BRICS Summit last year, which was a unique event of the highest level. I am confident that our colleagues from the Republic of Tatarstan will certainly take into account the experience gained in preparing and holding the Summit when organizing business events in the region in the future. Thirdly, we are actively expanding our geography and in 2025, Murmansk and Nizhny Novgorod will be added to the Foundation's event map. We are always ready to share our experience and learn new things from our colleagues in the regions of our large country, emphasized Alexey Valkov. “The work of the Roscongress Foundation is not just about organizing events, but a purposeful activity aimed at increasing business activity and developing the infrastructure of the cities where events are held. We are proud that our events unite Russia’s regions with the global community and contribute to strengthening our country’s position in the international arena,” concluded Mr. Valkov.

Traditionally, within the framework of the 14th Eurasian Event Forum, a general meeting of the National Congress Bureau (NCB) was held, where the results of the Association’s work for seven years since its foundation were summarized. The report on the implemented projects and the main directions of work for 2025 were presented to the participants of the meeting. The meeting was chaired by Alexander Stuglev, Chairman and CEO of the Roscongress Foundation.

Over the next two days, the 14th Eurasian Event Forum hosted discussions on the development of event infrastructure in Russia’s regions and adaptation to digital transformation, business events and building a personal brand, including the strategic session ‘The Power of Events’, panel discussions ‘Strategy ahead of the curve. How does the relationship between the economy and exhibitions work?’ and ’How to create an event with meaning? From creativity to meaning-making’.

In addition, the Forum programme included an Open Session of the Committee for Exhibition, Fair and Congress Activities of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation ‘Event Infrastructure as a Factor of Competitiveness of Regions’, where the latest annual Rating of Event Potential of Russian Regions by the R&C Exhibition Research Centre (R&C ERC) was presented, and an Open Session of the St. Petersburg Congress and Exhibition Alliance Commission on the topic ‘Adaptation in the Conditions of Digital Transformation’.

The Forum programme also included popular half-hour sessions in the CAMPFIRE format: ‘Burnout in the events industry. How to keep enthusiasm and creativity?’, ’Creative vs useful. What to sell to the client?’, ’Business Style. Clothing as a key to building a personal brand’, as well as ‘Logistics without problems: how to order transport to an event in two minutes’, a case session ’Digitalization of meanings at events. How technology enhances events’, an experimental laboratory ‘Regional issue: how to create a successful exhibition?’, a meeting of the club of programme directors ’What will be talked about at Forums in 2026? Meanings, topics, speakers’.

During all days of the Eurasian Event Forum, the Living Room of the National Congress Bureau was open to the public.

As part of the Forum’s cultural programme, the annual EFEA AWARDS ceremony was held, at which the Roscongress Foundation won in two categories: ‘Organizer of the Year’ and ‘Project of the Year – Congresses’ (St. Petersburg International Economic Forum).

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