The "Visit Serbia" business days that Expo 2027 Belgrade has been staging in Zagreb, Ljubljana and Vienna this month are not organised in-house. The state company Expo 2027 d.o.o. Beograd has awarded a framework agreement for event support abroad to a consortium of Media Consulta International Holding AG (MC Group) of Berlin and Stratcom International d.o.o. of Belgrade.
The result of the procurement was reported by B92 on 13 October. It is one of the larger event-services contracts so far linked to Expo 2027 Belgrade, and it shows how the organiser is buying in production capacity for its international promotion.
What the contract covers
The agreement covers organisational, production, technical and logistical support for events outside Serbia. Their stated aims are to present Expo 2027 to foreign audiences, attract visitors and open business and tourism links with Serbia.
Its ceiling is 352 million dinars excluding VAT, roughly €3 million at current rates. That is a maximum, not a guaranteed spend. Under a framework agreement, the organiser orders individual services as it needs them and pays only for work that is approved in advance and delivered.
The B92 report says the bids were scored on both price and quality, and the winning consortium received the maximum 100 points.
Who else bid
Three offers were submitted:
- MC Group with Stratcom International (the winner)
- Creative Pro of Slovakia with DXL Vekon of Belgrade
- Third Floor DMCC of Dubai
Every bid involved a company based outside Serbia, which suggests bidders read the tender as needing international reach. Two of the three paired a foreign firm with a Belgrade partner for local delivery.
MC Group is already visible on the tour. The press releases for the Vienna event list an mcgroup.com address as the media contact. According to B92, the group has agencies in more than 80 countries and has worked with over 40 governments on national branding and tourism promotion. The report gave no background on Stratcom.
The tour so far
The promotional programme has already reached Bratislava, Skopje, Zagreb, Ljubljana and, on 22 October, Vienna. Each stop has followed a similar format: a presentation of Expo 2027 and Serbia as a destination, a press conference or panel, and B2B meetings between Serbian and local tourism and business representatives. The organisers say more European markets will follow in the coming months.
Danilo Jerinić, director of Expo 2027 d.o.o., has framed the events as a way to present Serbia on major international markets and to persuade foreign companies to take part.
What it means for Serbian event companies
For event agencies, AV suppliers and production houses in Serbia, the contract has two practical sides.
First, the main promotional work abroad is now assigned until the framework runs its course. Firms hoping to take part should look to subcontracting: staging, branding, interpreters, travel logistics, catering liaison and content production for individual stops. The obvious first step is to contact the consortium partners directly.
Second, the result shows how the organiser is buying services: framework agreements, consortium bids and a heavy weighting on references. Smaller Serbian companies aiming at future Expo tenders on the Public Procurement Portal may stand a better chance as part of a consortium than bidding alone, especially where a tender calls for international experience.
Finally, the tour itself is bringing in business. Each stop introduces foreign tour operators and companies to Serbian partners. Some of those contacts are likely to come back in 2027 as delegations needing venues, transport and hospitality in Belgrade.
Sources
- www.b92.net
- www.prnewswire.co.uk
- www.b92.net
