The Greek Meetings Alliance made a strong impact at the 39th Philoxenia

The Greek Meetings Alliance is a pioneering partnership between the Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau (This is Athens), operating under the ‘’umbrella’’ of Athens Development and Destination Management Agency S.A., the Thessaloniki Convention and Visitors Bureau (TCB), and the Hellenic Association of Professional Congress Organizers and Event Planners (HAPCO & DES). The GMA was established with the aim of highlighting the importance of the Greek Conference and Business Meetings Industry in the economy, as well as developing a national strategy and a specialized national body.

The discussion on the topic 'Greece as a Destination for International Conferences and Events: Establishment of a National Body' was attended by: Grigoris Tassios, President of the Halkidiki Tourism Organization, Anastasios Konstantaros, CEO of the Rhodes Tourism Promotion Organization, Stelios Ouzas, Board Member of the Pieria Tourism Development and Promotion Organization, Maria Papadopoulou, Development Officer - This is Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau, Dimitris Ganitis, General Manager - Thessaloniki Convention Bureau, and Antonia Alexandrou, General Secretary - HAPCO & DES.
The discussion was moderated by Eleni Sotiropoulou, Consultant - Thessaloniki Convention Bureau.
The establishment of a national body was highlighted as a fundamental prerequisite for the continued growth of the Greek Conference and Business Meetings Industry. 

Representatives of the two unique Convention and Visitors Bureaus in our country, operating in Athens and Thessaloniki, presented how their targeted strategy and focus on international networking have attracted major international events. They pointed out that Greece has the fewest Convention Bureaux compared to any other competitive European country and is one of the few countries without a national Convention Bureau. By comparison, Spain has 62 CVBs, Germany 28, Italy 18, and Portugal 8, all in addition to a national coordinating body.

Dimitris Ganitis, the General Director of the Thessaloniki Convention Bureau, highlighted that Thessaloniki has shown a similarly strong performance to Athens, ranking 26th in Europe and 42nd worldwide in 2023. He also pointed out that the city has managed to surpass traditional conference destinations like Munich and Valencia, as well as capitals such as Belgrade, Tallinn, and Zagreb.
In her statement, Antonia Alexandrou, General Secretary of HAPCO & DES, emphasized the crucial role of Convention and Visitors Bureaus in the bidding for and successful organization of international conferences. As she mentioned, they serve as the connecting link between the city hosting the conference and the professional congress organizer (PCO). She also stressed the importance of creating a national body to strengthen Greece’s position on the global conference map.
Mr. Tassios, Mr. Konstantaros, and Mr. Ouzas discussed the importance of conference tourism for the development of their respective regions and expressed their willingness to support the GMA's efforts in creating a national conference body.

The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Tourism Elena Raptopoulou and the Regional Governors of Central Macedonia, Vicky Chatzivassiliou and Nikolaos Tzollas.

For more information about GMA's activities, you can find here.