The first quarter of 2026 brought an interesting development to South Moravia’s meetings industry. While data from the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO) show a year-on-year decline in both the number of conferences and participants, more detailed data collected from key MICE stakeholders suggest that the situation is more nuanced.
A decline following an exceptional year
According to the Czech Statistical Office, 386 conferences were held in the South Moravian Region during the first quarter of 2026, attracting more than 34,000 participants. Compared to the same period in 2025, this represents a 35% decrease in the number of conferences and a 23% decline in attendance.
However, these figures should be viewed in a broader context. The first quarter of 2025 was exceptionally strong for the region, creating a very high benchmark for comparison. Rather than signalling a significant downturn, the latest results represent a return to more typical levels of activity.
Despite the year-on-year decline, the South Moravian Region remains the second most important meetings destination in the Czech Republic.
The MICE sector reports a more stable picture
A different perspective emerges from the regular survey conducted among key congress venues, hotels and other MICE stakeholders. This survey recorded only a 7% decline in the number of events. When comparing only the organisations that participated in both reporting periods, the decrease was just 3.6%. At the same time, the number of participants increased significantly.
This suggests that while slightly fewer events took place, they were larger and attracted more attendees. Rather than indicating weaker demand, the results point to a shift in the market structure.
Brno remains the region’s leading meetings destination
Brno continues to dominate the region’s meetings industry. During the first quarter, the city hosted nearly three quarters of all conferences held in the region and accounted for more than three quarters of all participants. Compared to the previous year, however, Brno’s share declined slightly, while the rest of the region recorded growth in both the number of events and participants.
These results suggest that meetings activity is gradually becoming more geographically distributed across South Moravia.
One-day corporate events continue to dominate
The overall market structure remains largely unchanged. Smaller corporate meetings and professional events with 10 to 49 participants continue to represent the largest segment. Approximately seven out of ten events lasted one day, while more than one quarter were two-day events.
The share of local events increased slightly, whereas the number of international conferences declined compared to the same period last year.
What to watch in the coming months
The first-quarter results demonstrate that year-on-year comparisons alone do not necessarily reflect the true condition of the market. While the Czech Statistical Office recorded a more pronounced decline, data from key MICE stakeholders indicate a much more stable market, with larger events attracting higher attendance.
The coming quarters will show whether the current results represent a correction following the exceptionally strong performance of 2025 or the beginning of a longer-term shift in the structure of South Moravia’s meetings industry.