The Meetings Space Dubrovnik 2026: New Contacts for Pharma Groups

By George Popa, Director of Operations, CongressBookers

I was in Dubrovnik from 22 to 24 October for The Meetings Space, meeting hotels, destination management companies and destination partners. We discussed options for future congress groups and meetings, caught up with existing contacts and started conversations with suppliers we had not worked with before.

For CongressBookers, the focus was on finding hotels and local partners we can work with when planning pharma congress groups and meetings across different destinations. Sun Gardens Dubrovnik hosted the forum and provided the setting for those conversations. We consider the resort for incentive programmes; the pharma opportunities discussed during the appointments extended well beyond the host property.

Three days at The Meetings Space

The Meetings Space Dubrovnik 2026 brought UK and European meeting planners together with suppliers at Sun Gardens in Orašac. The programme combined scheduled one-to-one meetings with networking, from the welcome dinner on 22 October to the farewell lunch on 24 October.

Coming after IMEX America, it gave me time to continue supplier conversations in a smaller setting. Some meetings were with people we already knew. Others introduced us to hotels and destinations we can consider for future briefs.

The boat trip and group dinner also gave us time to talk outside the appointments. I enjoyed that part of the forum: spending longer with people, hearing about their work and getting to know the teams behind the proposals we receive.

What makes a supplier conversation useful for our clients

A useful hotel meeting gets into the details of a potential group: room availability, the meeting space, contract terms and the local arrangements. With DMCs, the discussion extends to airport transfers, dinner venues and support on the ground.

For a pharma congress group, the congress usually determines the destination and dates. The work is then to find appropriate accommodation, assess the journey to the congress venue and coordinate arrivals, departures and any additional meeting requirements.

For a standalone pharma meeting or advisory board, there is more scope to compare destinations. Flight access, the agenda, room layout, budget and the client’s venue requirements all influence the choice.

Those are different briefs. Meeting suppliers in person helps us understand which ones to approach for each, and what information they need to put forward a useful proposal.

Following up on hotels and destinations

The conversations in Dubrovnik gave us contacts to follow up with for future groups. Before a hotel or destination becomes a client proposal, we still need to establish how it fits the brief.

For congress groups, that means checking:

• Accommodation and location: the room block required, the hotel’s position relative to the congress venue and practical transport options.
• Rates and contract terms: what is included, payment dates, cancellation conditions and room-release deadlines.
• Local coordination: who handles transfers, changes to arrival times and support during the group’s stay.

For meetings and advisory boards, we also need room layouts, privacy, AV arrangements and space for breaks or working meals. A capacity figure alone tells us little about how a discussion will work in the room.

Venue eligibility is part of that assessment. For events involving healthcare professionals, we work with the client’s requirements and approval process, taking account of applicable industry codes. The EFPIA Code of Practice includes requirements concerning event locations, venues and hospitality.

This is how we assess the destinations discussed at a forum: against the purpose and requirements of an actual group.

Sun Gardens Dubrovnik and incentive travel

Sun Gardens was the host venue for The Meetings Space. Its coastal setting and the forum’s social programme were also relevant to our work on incentive programmes.

For an internal team incentive, accommodation, shared activities and time together form part of the brief. That is the context in which we consider this resort.

The appointments held there served a broader purpose. They connected us with suppliers for potential pharma congress groups and meetings in other properties and destinations. A forum’s location and the locations being discussed for future client work are separate choices.

What happens after the appointments

We are following up on the conversations, recording supplier information and comparing relevant options with client briefs. The meeting notes also help our team understand who to contact for a particular destination or type of group.

For clients, that work supports hotel sourcing and coordination: having a relevant person to call, knowing which questions still need answers and bringing accommodation and local services into the same plan.

It continues the supplier work covered in our notes from Cvent CONNECT Europe. Our trade show calendar lists other opportunities to meet the CongressBookers team.

Frequently asked questions

When and where was The Meetings Space Dubrovnik 2026?

The forum took place from 22 to 24 October 2026 at Sun Gardens Dubrovnik in Orašac, bringing UK and European meeting planners together with hotels, DMCs and destination partners.

What was CongressBookers looking for at the forum?

We met suppliers to discuss hotels, destinations and local services for future pharma congress groups and meetings, while maintaining existing relationships and making new contacts.

How does Sun Gardens Dubrovnik fit into this article?

Sun Gardens hosted the supplier forum. CongressBookers considers the resort for incentive travel. The pharma-related discussions concerned potential groups, hotels and destinations beyond the host venue.

How does CongressBookers support pharma congress groups and meetings?

We coordinate hotel sourcing and contracting, transfers, meeting arrangements and on-site support, with the scope agreed around each brief. Venue choices are assessed against the client’s requirements and approval process.