Have you tried the best ice cream in the world? You had your chance to cool off while visiting IBTM World last week, the leading global event for the meetings and events industry. Slovenia received an award for the best ice cream destination granted by the agency SoolNua. The ice cream story presented at the show attracted almost 700 meeting industry leaders that were able to taste the ice cream themselves and participate at the ice cream selfie competition.
After Slovenia was ranked first on the World ICE CREAM Index, a digital campaign designed by SoolNua that ended in September, Slovenian representatives have officially received the award last week at the IBTM World in Barcelona. The crystal ice cream shaped trophy was taken by Gregor Rode, the ice cream master from the Lolita pastry shop. To celebrate this special achievement, Slovenian Convention Bureau together with the Slovenian Tourist Board, pastry shop Lolita, Ljubljana Tourism and the rest of the participating Slovenian meeting providers transformed Slovenian stand into an ice cream degustation area where all visitors could taste some of the classic flavours – strawberry or chocolate ice cream prepared from all Slovenian ingredients. Slovenia proved that it is not only a great meeting destination, but also an amazing ice cream destination.
Dada Jerovšek, Director at the Kaval Group, about what the award means to Lolita and their gastronomic company Kaval Group: “To become the winner of the best ice cream in the whole world means a lot to us, to the Lolita pastry shop, to our gastronomic company Kaval Group and to all of for us living a life each day fulfield with creativity and passion for food. The award is a nice confirmation about that we are on the right path with our story about the food, ice cream, cakes and other culinary delights. And most of all, Lolita is a proud ambassador of our beautiful capital Ljubljana and of course Slovenia. We are aware that this award brings us a great responsibility to be even better.”
Miha Kovačič, Director of the Slovenian Convention Bureau stated: “Ice cream story connected the entire Slovenia which enabled us to become the world’s best ice cream destination. It surely is an excellent confirmation that many hands make light work and at the same time, we have presented Slovenia Meetings through an interesting ice cream story. We are looking forward to continuing this innovative and fun campaign in future.”
Aoife McCrum, Manager, Social Media & Digital Marketing at the SoolNua added: “The Slovenian Community gathered at IBTM World to celebrate Slovenia receiving the No.1 ICECREAM Destination Award from the SoolNua World ICECREAM Index. Gregor from Lolita ICECREAM Store in Ljubljana was present at our stand to share their wonderful ICECREAM with all the participants of the show and run an amazing competition. The prize: Win a two night stay in Ljubljana with Union Hotels, a guided city tour and a ICECREAM tasting at the No.1 ICECREAM Store in the world – Lolita! Thank you to everyone that entered – winners will be announced this week.”
We caught all ice cream lovers on camera through the ice cream selfie competition. The owner of the winning selfie will receive 2 nights at the Grand Hotel Union, a guided tour of Ljubljana, lunch or dinner and of course the best ice cream in the world served at Ljubljana based pastry shop Lolita. Selfies can be seen at Twitter account @SloMeetings, while the winner of the award sponsored by Union Hotels, Ljubljana Tourism and Kaval Group was announced this week – Ms Diletta Tanzini from the MCO International S.r.l.. Stay tuned and don’t forget to treat yourself to some authentic Slovenian ice cream!