Plovdiv (368 568) is the second-largest city in Bulgaria . Plovdiv has unique geographical position. It has proven to be one of the ancient settlements on the planet with over 8500 years of documented history. There are thousands of cultural, historical and spiritual, monuments within and around the town of Plovdiv .

Plovdiv is one of the oldest cities in Europe . It is a contemporary of Troy and Mycenae . It is older than Rome , Athens , Carthage or Constantinople . Archaeologists have discovered fine pottery and other objects of everyday life from as early as the Neolithic Age, showing that in the end of the 7th millennium B.C there already was an established settlement there. According to Ammianus Marcellinus, Plovdiv 's written post-Bronze Age history lists it as a Thracian fortified settlement named Eumolpias.

In 342 BC, it was conquered by Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, who renamed it "Φιλιππόπολις", Philippopolis or "the city of Philip " in his own honour. Later, it again became independent under the Thracians, until its incorporation into the Roman Empire, where it was called Trimontium (City of Three Hills) and served as metropolis (capital) of the province of Thrace . Thrimontium was an important crossroad for the Roman Empire and was called "The largest and most beautiful of all cities" by Lucian.

Today, Plovdiv and Plovdiv Region are attractive destinations for many tourists due to the favorable climate conditions and the natural resources, as well as the rich cultural heritage and artistic atmosphere of the city. There are 10 hotel complexes in Plovdiv with about 3 000 beds. Some of the renowned hotels are "Novotel Plovdiv", "Trimontium", " St. Petersburg ", "Maritza", " Leipzig ", etc. There are also numerous private restaurants and cafes offering excellent service. Every year the tourist complexes in the city and in the region are visited by over 150 000 foreign guests from all over Europe .

The beginning of the exhibition industry in the modern Bulgarian history was laid in 1892 when Plovdiv hosted the First Bulgarian Agricultural and Industrial Exposition. The Plovdiv International Fair is the largest and oldest fair in the country and all of southeastern Europe, gathering companies from all over the world in an exhibition area of 95 000 m².

International Fair Plovdiv - Congress Centre

The modern Congress Centre of the International Fair Plovdiv comprises nine multifunctional halls with 20 to 550 seats, totalling 1 230 seats. Another 13 halls in various pavilions are also available. Together with the already existing halls, the seated capacity amounts to 2 100. Suitable venues are also available for hosting major international and national cultural, sporting events, etc., which can be held in pavilions capable of seating 2000.

The International Congress Centre is set up to respond to the latest trends in the exhibition industry related to the fact that the multibranch trade fairs and specialized exhibitions are turning more and more into intellectual focal points. Nowadays, the classic exhibition business would flourish only in a comprehensive information environment.

The International Congress Centre houses also a press club and a press centre providing all the necessary facilities and modern equipment to facilitate the work of the accredited journalists.