“The award of the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers is an honor for us and a confirmation that we are going in the right direction. Of course it is also a motivation for further work,” said Robert Schaffer, the chairman and CEO of Bestsport and O2 arena. 

The new O2 universum complex is being built in the area of O2 arena and it is directly connected to the existing building from the southern side. It is spread over four floors and the total area is almost 50.000 m2. “The construction of the O2 universum is underway and it should be completed by the year 2019. The new building will not only serve for concerts and indoors sport events but our primary goal is to focus on congress and corporate business. The congress organizers are able to provide space for up to 28.000 visitors which is an extraordinary offer for the existing congress market not only within Europe but also compared to global competitors,” he added. 

The IAPCO Driving Excellence Awards are given by International Association of Professional Congress Organizers since 1993. Individuals, companies or organizations are awarded every year to provide excellent service and support to large corporate events. In the past, the award was gained by top congress centers – International Congress Center ICC Berlin, Fiera Milano Congressi, Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre or Barcelona Convention Bureau, a marketing organization to promote congress tourism in Barcelona. 

O2 arena was proposed for IAPCO Driving Excellence Recognition Award by GUARANT International. “These days, you need to have a vision and strong belief in the future if you want to create something new, such as congress center. We are convinced that such effort is meaningful and appreciated,” said Tomáš Raboch, the senior sales manager at GUARANT International. 

It has been the second major award in the last few months for the O2 arena. Last year, it was nominated as the best international arena of 2017 in prestigious Pollstar Awards organized by the American trade magazine Pollstar. The O2 arena was chosen among five best concert halls in the world (category “International Venue of the Year”).  It was ranked next to London’s famous Royal Albert Hall and The O2, the arena in Manchester, or Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. 

Bestsport, a.s. is a member of the PPF group. It invests in a range of industries such as banking, financial services, telecommunications, biotechnologies, insurance, real estate or agriculture. PPF operates in Europe, Russia, Asia and North America. The group owns assests of nearly 35 billion euro (as of 30 June 2017)