In the second quarter of 2026, the South Moravian Region hosted fewer conferences than a year earlier, yet they attracted more attendees. The figures point to a market that may not be growing evenly, but is certainly not losing momentum. South Moravia also remains the Czech Republic’s second most important conference region.
Fewer events did not mean fewer attendees
According to the Czech Statistical Office, 558 conferences took place in the South Moravian Region between April and June 2026, attracting a total of 51,753 attendees.
Compared with the same period last year, the number of conferences fell by 13.8%. Attendance, however, moved in the opposite direction, rising slightly by 1.1%. Simply put, there were fewer events, but they attracted slightly more participants.
Across the Czech Republic as a whole, both the number of conferences and attendance declined. Conference numbers fell by 8.5%, while participant numbers dropped by 6.8%. South Moravia therefore recorded a sharper decrease in events, yet still managed to maintain attendee interest as one of the country’s leading conference regions.
South Moravia remains the Czech Republic’s second-leading conference region
Despite the decline in conference numbers, the South Moravian Region retained second place among Czech regions, both in terms of events and attendees. Nearly 17% of all conferences in the Czech Republic took place in the region, attracting 16% of all participants.
Prague remains firmly in first place, but South Moravia maintained a lead of 305 conferences over the third-ranked region. Its position in the Czech conference market therefore remains strong.
Brno leads, but other parts of the region also performed well
Brno remains the region’s main hub for conferences and business events. In the second quarter, the city hosted 366 of the region’s 558 conferences, welcoming 35,719 attendees.
Brno therefore accounted for around two-thirds of all conferences in the region and 69% of all attendees. However, its share declined compared with last year: by 9.1 percentage points for conferences and 3.7 percentage points for attendees.
This does not mean that Brno is losing its position as the region’s leading conference hub. Rather, other destinations across South Moravia also performed well during the period, with activity becoming slightly more evenly distributed across the region.
Data from partner venues point to growth
A more detailed picture emerges from a sample survey among our partners who host conferences, corporate meetings and other business events across South Moravia.
In the second quarter, these venues recorded 1,510 events, an increase of 8.6% year on year. Attendee numbers rose even more significantly, from just under 260,000 to nearly 339,000, representing growth of 30.5%.
Part of the increase in event numbers reflects the inclusion of new respondents in this year’s survey. When comparing only the same 24 venues as in the previous year, the number of events increased by 1.5%. Attendance, however, still rose by more than 30% within this comparable group. The growth in attendee numbers therefore cannot be attributed solely to the broader survey sample.
The strongest months? April and May
Event numbers were fairly consistent throughout the quarter, with 485 events held in April, 516 in May and 509 in June. All three months recorded year-on-year growth, with the strongest increase in May.
Attendance was distributed far less evenly. Events in April attracted more than 123,000 people, while those in May welcomed nearly 197,000. In June, the figure was just under 19,000. The overall rise in attendance was therefore driven primarily by large-scale events held in April and May.
The city centre hosts the most events, while the exhibition centre draws the largest crowds
Brno city centre hosted the highest number of events, with 345 in total. However, as more organisations in this area were included in the survey, the average number of events per respondent was lower than a year earlier.
The Brno Reservoir area remained highly active, averaging 76 events per respondent. The wider city centre recorded modest growth, while the Brno area and the Lednice-Valtice area also saw more significant increases.
Although the Brno Exhibition Centre reported fewer events per respondent, it remains crucial in terms of attendance. BVV accounted for almost 83% of all participants captured in our sample survey. The results for the entire quarter were therefore significantly influenced by several large-scale events.
Smaller, one-day events remain the most common
Smaller events for 10 to 49 people remain the most common format. They accounted for almost 63% of all events for which attendance figures were available, with their number increasing by 16% year on year. The second-largest category comprised gatherings for 50 to 149 participants. Although events attracting more than 1,000 guests still represent only a small share of the total, their number also rose by 10% year on year.
Almost seven in ten events lasted just one day. Shorter formats therefore continue to dominate, but they also bring fewer opportunities for overnight stays, local dining and accompanying programmes across the region.
Both national and international events are on the rise
Based on where attendees travel from, we classify events as local, national or international. Local gatherings, aimed primarily at people from the region, accounted for 43.5% of the market surveyed, although their number fell by 7% year on year.
Events with a wider reach, on the other hand, increased. The number of national events attracting participants from across the Czech Republic rose by 20.6%. International events attended by guests from abroad grew by 18.3% and represented 13.4% of all events surveyed.
Corporate conferences and meetings continue to account for the largest share of the market. While their number declined slightly, incentive stays and other business events became more frequent. Interest in business events is therefore not weakening; their mix and reach are simply evolving.
So, what do the second-quarter figures tell us? South Moravia remains the Czech Republic’s second-leading conference region and, despite hosting fewer conferences, welcomed more attendees than a year earlier. This result was driven primarily by large spring events, growing activity beyond Brno, and an increase in both national and international gatherings.