Professor Drahoš Receives Award for Long-Term Contribution to Meetings Industry

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Prague Convention Bureau, organization which acts as an umbrella entity for Prague's meetings industry, together with representatives of the City of Prague and the Ministry of Regional Development, in line with established tradition awarded leading Czech scientists, professors, doctors and other leading experts for their merits in bringing major international events to the Czech metropolis.

Prague, 30th April 2026 - Prof. Ing. Jiří Drahoš, DrSc., dr. h. c., President of the Czech Society of Chemical Engineering and 1st Vice-President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, together with five other personalities who have contributed to the organization of important expert congresses and conferences in Prague, received awards for congress ambassadors. The Ambassador Awards Evening, organized by the Prague Convention Bureau, took place on 29th April at the Residence of the Mayor of the Capital City of Prague for the fifteenth time.

The Ambassador Awards Evening took place under the auspices of the Mayor of the Capital City of Prague, Bohuslav Svoboda, who also personally attended the award ceremony together with the Envoy of the Minister for Regional Development and Tourism, PhDr. Stanislav Dvořák. The winners in the individual categories were traditionally selected by an independent 16-member committee consisting of representatives of tourism, meetings industry, academics and other representatives of the private and public spheres. 

"This year's Ambassador Awards Evening has reconfirmed the key importance of professional congresses and conferences for the development of host destinations, and at the same time has shown how innovatively can be event organization approached today – whether by engaging patient organizations, emphasising sustainability or connecting corporate and scientific spheres. I very much appreciate the fact that in the fifteenth year we were able to award six personalities thanks to whom Prague welcomed leading scientific and industry capacities from all over the world last year. Their meetings and sharing of know-how contribute not only to the international prestige of the metropolis, but also to the further development of individual fields in the Czech Republic. The Ambassador Awards Evening thus shows that professional congresses have a much broader benefit for Prague in the long term than just an immediate economic impact. They bring international expertise and at the same time create a long-term legacy for individual fields and for society as a whole," says Roman Muška, Director of the Prague Convention Bureau.

For the past year - 2025 - the following ambassadors and events were awarded in the following six categories:

Congress of the Year 2025:

- doc. MUDr. Pavel Těšínský for the 47th ESPEN Congress on Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism

The ESPEN Congress is one of the most important international platforms where leading experts in the field of clinical nutrition and metabolism meet. This event was also a unique opportunity to present Czech experts at the international level and to support research, and it also contributed to the support of the education of healthcare professionals in the Czech Republic. The congress was attended by almost 4,800 doctors, nutritional therapists, pharmacists and other specialists from all over the world. The theme of the congress, which was preceded by a series of Life Long learning courses, was "Revolution / Evolution in Nutrition".

Congress of the Year 2025 for up to 500 Participants:

- prof. MUDr. David Cibula, CSc. for the State of the Art in Gynaecological Oncology (SAGO 2025)

State-of-the-Art Congress in Gynaecologic Oncology was an expert congress in Prague focused on modern care for women with oncological diseases. The program combined the latest findings, practical live demonstrations and video-sessions of surgical procedures. A unique novelty were short 3-5-minute fitness breaks between sections, when the participants stretched during the demanding program.

Candidacy of the Year 2025:

- MUDr. David Jilich Ph. D. and Ing. Mgr. Robert Hejzák M.A. for the candidacy for EACS 2027 Conference of the European AIDS Clinical Society 

The EACS conference is Europe's largest conference in the field of HIV research, which takes place once every two years – and it will visit the region of Central and Eastern Europe for only the third time in its history. A total of 10 potential host countries applied for the candidacy, with Prague advancing to the shortlist together with Lisbon and Seville. It is expected that in 2027 Prague will welcome 3,500 participants who will focus on the latest information in the field, statistical data, as well as recommended treatment procedures or the involvement of patient organizations in HIV topics.

Corporate Event of the Year 2025:

- Mr. Miloslav Tuček for the Birthday Party of Česká spořitelna. A One in 200 Years Event! 

The celebration of the 200th anniversary of the founding of Česká spořitelna was the largest corporate event that the O2 arena in Prague has hosted so far. The all-day program, which was attended by almost 14,000 visitors, offered an insight into the history and future of the company in cultural and multimedia performances and an accompanying program. Great emphasis was set on minimizing waste while maintaining the quality of catering thanks to recyclable cups, the use of classic tableware and fully recyclable packaging or the use of public transportation for all participants.

Inspiration of the Year 2025:

- Mr. Jiří Nehasil for Makro Czech Gastro Fest 2025

The uniqueness of the Makro Czech Gastro Fest project lies primarily in the comprehensive view of gastronomy, which is divided into thematic sections at the festival. One of the most innovative is the institutional catering section, focusing mainly on school canteens and hospital catering, showing gastronomy as an essential tool for health support promotion.

Long-Term Contribution to the Meetings Industry:

- Prof. Ing. Jiří Drahoš, DrSc., dr. h. c., 1st Vice-President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic and Chair Emeritus of the Czech Society of Chemical Engineering

Professor Drahoš is an internationally recognized expert in the field of research of multiphase chemical reactors, and his scientific qualities were recognized, among other things, when he was accepted as a full member of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic. The international recognition and authority of the personality of prof. Drahoš can also be documented by his scientific and managerial activities within the European Federation of Chemical Engineering, which he headed for four years. His merits in the development of chemical engineering in the Czech Republic are also indisputable, including Prague's successful candidacy for the World Congress of Chemical Engineering WCCE, which will take place in 2029, thus strengthening the capital's reputation as an ideal meetings destination and centre of science and research. He is a long-time chairman of the Czech Chemical Engineering Society and from 2002 until this year he was the chairman of the International Congresses of Chemical and Process Engineering CHISA, which have been held regularly in Prague since 1972.

"For 50 years, my career in science and management has been associated with the congress, which is known in the professional chemical engineering community worldwide under the acronym CHISA. In the 1970s, I presented my first scientific results with the stage fright of a beginner, from the 1990s I worked on the scientific committee of the congress and at the turn of the millennium I was elected its chairman. I am very pleased with the award I have received – in this context, I would like to underline that the congress with a sixty-five-year history owes for the persistent interest of participants not only to the genius loci of Prague, but also to the excellent organizing and programming team," says Professor Drahoš. Due to Professor Drahoš’s participation in a foreign trip, colleague, Prof. Juraj Kosek, collected the award behalf.

The main partners of the evening were: the City of Prague, the Ministry for Regional Development and the Czech Convention Bureau.

photocredit: Prague Convention Bureau / Jan Malý