Following more than four years of reconstruction, the Industrial Palace at Prague Exhibition Grounds has officially reopened. To mark this milestone, we co-organised a press trip in cooperation with Prague Exhibition Grounds for international journalists specialising in the MICE industry. The trip offered them a unique opportunity to be among the first to explore the newly renovated venue and discover what it has to offer organisers of congresses, conferences and other events.
The press trip took place from October 7 to 9, 2026 and welcomed 12 representatives of European MICE media. The timing was no coincidence. The Industrial Palace was hosting its very first event following the reconstruction: the 28th edition of Designblok, the international festival of design. As part of the programme, the journalists had the opportunity to explore the various exhibitions and attend the Designblok Awards ceremony, held in the Industrial Palace itself on October 8.
The programme naturally included a guided tour of the Industrial Palace and the wider area of Prague Exhibition Grounds. To give the journalists a deeper understanding not only of the scale and complexity of the reconstruction but also of the venue’s role in the broader context of Prague’s meetings industry and urban development, we organised a roundtable discussion on October 7 entitled The Bigger Picture: Prague Exhibition Grounds and What Comes Next. We were pleased to welcome the following speakers:
- Tomáš Hübl, Chairman of the Board of Prague Exhibition Grounds;
- Roman Muška, Managing Director of Prague Convention Bureau;
- Adam Zábranský, Prague City Councillor for Property, Transparency and Legislation;
- Jan Krtička, Head of the Office of Urban Economics and Demography at the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR Prague).
The programme also featured site inspections of nearby hotels, an important part of the destination’s offering for event organisers. The journalists visited Mama Shelter Prague, where they took part in a cocktail-making workshop, and Hilton Prague Old Town, which we would like to thank for providing accommodation for the entire group.
The participants also had the opportunity to explore other renovated and revitalised venues at Prague Exhibition Grounds, including the Křižík Pavilions, Nová Spirála theatre and Bohemia Pavilion. The programme was rounded off with a visit to Kolkovna Brewery, where the journalists got a behind-the-scenes look at the beer-making process.
We would like to thank all the partners who contributed to the organisation and delivery of the press trip, namely: Ado Services for arranging transfers and Prague City Tourism for providing Prague Visitor Passes for all participating journalists.
