The role of congress and exhibition activities in shaping the event potential of Russian regions

This article examines the impact of congress and exhibition activities on the development of the event potential of Russian regions. Event potential is considered as the combination of conditions and resources enabling a region to attract and host events (congresses, exhibitions, festivals, etc.), determined by the level of infrastructure, event hosting experience, destination marketing, and industry support. The current state of Russia’s event industry is analyzed, noting high recovery and growth rates in 2023-2024, with a return to and surpassing of pre-pandemic indicators. The results of the Event Potential Rating of Russia’s regions for 2024 (by VNITS R&C) are presented, including statistics and examples of leading regions. Special attention is paid to the role of congress and exhibition activities (CEA) as a key factor in shaping event potential: CEA development fosters modern event infrastructure, attracts business events, increases tourist flows, and drives regional economic growth. Case studies of St. Petersburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Krasnodar Krai, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast and other regions illustrate the relationship between active CEA and high event potential. Contemporary trends in event tourism and the meetings industry in Russian regions are identified. Conclusions emphasize the need to further strengthen the congress-exhibition sphere and integrate it into regional development strategies to enhance the event attractiveness of territories.