This month, we get to know Plaza Event:
What was your motivation to join ICCA?
Our motivation to join ICCA is to strengthen Plaza Event’s position within the international meetings industry, expand our global network, and contribute more actively to the international association congress community.
With more than 25 years of experience in congress and event management, Plaza Event has organized and supported numerous national and international congresses in Türkiye. As we increasingly focus on international association congresses, global bids, and long-term partnerships with international associations and PCOs, we see ICCA as the most relevant global platform for knowledge sharing, collaboration, destination promotion, and business development.
We also believe that ICCA membership will allow us not only to benefit from its global network and expertise, but also to contribute our own experience, local knowledge, and strong operational capabilities in Istanbul and Türkiye to the wider ICCA community.
Tell us your story. How did your organisation get started?
Our motivation to join ICCA is to strengthen Plaza Event’s position within the international meetings industry, expand our global network, and contribute more actively to the international association congress community.
With more than 25 years of experience in congress and event management, Plaza Event has organized and supported numerous national and international congresses in Türkiye. As we increasingly focus on international association congresses, global bids, and long-term partnerships with international associations and PCOs, we see ICCA as the most relevant global platform for knowledge sharing, collaboration, destination promotion, and business development.
We also believe that ICCA membership will allow us not only to benefit from its global network and expertise, but also to contribute our own experience, local knowledge, and strong operational capabilities in Istanbul and Türkiye to the wider ICCA community.
What sets Plaza Event apart?
What sets Plaza Event apart is the way we combine technology, creativity, speed, and hands-on senior management within a single organisation.
We invest heavily in technology and develop many of our own digital solutions through our in-house software team. We also have our own design team, which allows us to manage creative, digital, and visual communication processes internally and respond quickly to changing project needs.
Another important strength is client loyalty. Many of the scientific societies and global companies we work with have been our clients for many years, reflecting the trust and long-term relationships we have built over time.
Speed is also part of our company culture. We are known for responding quickly, making decisions efficiently, and solving operational issues without unnecessary layers of bureaucracy.
Our long-standing relationships with leading congress centres, hotels, and suppliers in Türkiye give us strong local access and operational flexibility.
Perhaps most importantly, every member of Plaza Event’s Board of Directors is also actively involved in operations. Our senior management is not separated from day-to-day project delivery; they remain directly engaged with clients, teams, suppliers, and events on the ground. This hands-on management approach is a fundamental part of how we work.
What is your favourite success story from your organisation?
One of our favourite success stories is the 33rd World Buiatrics Congress, held in Istanbul in September 2026.
The journey started four years earlier, when Istanbul competed against several strong international destinations, including Florence, Rotterdam, Copenhagen and Jeju. Together with the host association, we developed and presented the Istanbul bid and successfully won the right to host the congress.
After four years of preparation, the congress welcomed approximately 3,800 participants from 88 countries. The scientific programme included 250 oral presentations and around 600 posters, with sessions running simultaneously across multiple halls.
What made this project especially meaningful for us was that it brought together many of Plaza Event’s core strengths: international bidding, long-term congress planning, strong destination and supplier management, technology integration, and large-scale on-site operations.
We also introduced our own AI-supported interpretation solution, providing multilingual access to the scientific programme and demonstrating how technology can improve the delegate experience.
For us, the success of WBC 2026 was not only about delivering a large congress successfully. It was the result of four years of teamwork, trust, innovation, and close cooperation with the host association, and it represents very clearly the kind of international congress projects we want Plaza Event to be known for.
Can you name a challenge your organisation is currently facing?
One of the key challenges we are currently facing is how to grow internationally without losing the speed, flexibility, and hands-on management culture that has always been one of Plaza Event’s strongest characteristics.
As we become involved in more international congress bids, global partnerships, and larger-scale projects, our organisation naturally needs to grow as well. The challenge is to scale our team, technology, and internal processes while continuing to provide the same fast response times, direct senior-level involvement, and personalised service that our long-term clients value.
For us, growth is not only about becoming larger. It is about building the right structure to support international expansion while protecting the company culture and service standards that have made our client relationships so strong over many years.
What can we expect to see from Plaza Event in the future?
In the future, you can expect to see Plaza Event becoming even more active in the international association meetings market.
We are increasing our focus on global congress bids, international PCO partnerships, and long-term collaborations with international associations. Our objective is not simply to organise more events, but to become a stronger international congress partner for organisations looking to bring their meetings to Istanbul and Türkiye.
Technology will remain one of our key areas of investment. We will continue developing our own digital solutions, AI-supported tools, event technologies, and software capabilities to improve both delegate experience and operational efficiency.
We will also continue to strengthen our creative and in-house production capabilities, while maintaining the fast, hands-on and flexible working culture that defines Plaza Event.
Most importantly, we aim to build more long-term international partnerships and contribute more actively to the global meetings industry through ICCA and its community.