A guide for meetings & events in Greece

This Insider's Guide is your first step in planning meetings, events and conferences in Greece. Athens and Thessaloniki have rightly emerged as leading MICE destinations, with a choice of conference centres and exhibition halls. But excellent facilities can be found throughout the country – ideal for hosting everything from product launches to trade events and staff retreats. Add to that more than 250 days of sunshine a year and a selection of islands, mainland destinations and world-renowned cultural sites within easy reach of any venue.

It also introduces you to the many organisations designed to support this, including the Hellenic Association of Professional Congress Organisers (HAPCO), which brings together the country's leading event professionals and can help match your needs with the right venue, destination and support services.

As well as guidance on event spaces, hotel conference facilities and convention bureaus, you will find practical advice on transport and the Greek climate and way of life, and tips on when and where to go, whatever your organisation’s size and needs.

The famously welcoming and life-loving nature of Greeks encourages visitors to feel at home wherever they travel. You’ll feel it at any time of day, but nighttime is when Greeks truly come alive – especially in cities like Athens, Thessaloniki and the likes of Chania and Heraklion in Crete. University towns like Ioannina and Volos have lively restaurant and bar scenes, and smaller cities like Alexandroupoli and Kalamata are up-and-coming when it comes to entertainment choices.

The pace is different in Greek villages, where time-honoured customs and traditions are still part of the everyday life of locals. And nothing captures the local way of life like spending time on the Greek islands, especially outside the peak summer months, making them ideal settings for corporate bonding trips.

Greece has an incredible 20 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and there are fascinating museums and cultural highlights everywhere you go. So among the many incentives for holding events and meetings in Greece is adding an archaeological site or museum visit to your itinerary or perhaps planning a day trip to a nearby landmark.

These range from visiting the Acropolis in Athens to easy day trips to the likes of Delphi (a couple of hours from the capital) or Ancient Epidaurus and the Archaeological Site of Mycenae – within easy reach in the Peloponnese. Further afield, Crete, Corfu, Rhodes and other popular destinations in Greece also have UNESCO sites.

Greek food is at the heart of the Mediterranean diet, considered one of the healthiest in the world. Fresh, seasonal local products (such as olive oil, cheese, honey and fresh vegetables) are part of the everyday lives of locals, whether they are sitting down to a traditional breakfast, enjoying a taverna meal or enjoying a fine dining experience created by one of Greece’s growing number of high-end chefs. The food and drink scene in Athens and Thessaloniki has gone through a revolution over recent years and there are wine tours and even microbreweries to visit all around the country. 

Athens and Thessaloniki have all the facilities and infrastructure needed to host events of all sizes, with everything from exhibition halls capable of handling international trade fairs to specialised venues perfect for business meetings and tailored events. But there is much more to Greece’s emerging MICE scene.

Many Greek islands have made a name for themselves as excellent destinations for meetings and incentives. Greece’s biggest island, Crete, and holiday favourites like Rhodes and Kos in the Dodecanese, Mykonos and Santorini in the Cyclades, and Corfu in the Ionian Sea operate as year-round destinations, equipped to host events and meetings. On the mainland, cities like Kalamata in the Peloponnese, Ioannina in Epirus, Volos in Thessaly and Alexandroupoli in northeastern Greece have also put themselves firmly on the map as MICE destinations. And as soon as business has been taken care of, guests can explore some of the most rewarding locations in Greece.

Conference centres exist in all of Greece’s major cities, ranging from HELEXPO in Thessaloniki – which has hosted the annual Thessaloniki Trade Fair since 1926 – and the Metropolitan Expo Exhibition Centre near Athens International Airport to smaller venues that offer a more intimate setting. There is also a wide choice of hotels with conference facilities and fully trained staff throughout Greece.

Greece is a country with decades of experience in welcoming visitors and offering the highest levels of hospitality. The same level of expertise and professionalism is found in a range of organisations available to support with the planning and execution of your event or conference. A full range of convention bureaus, event planning services, catering companies and other companies exist, offering top levels of professionalism and service.