Latvia, Estonia & Lithuania
Proven Latvia, Estonia & Lithuania Destination Management Company: DMC and Planner for Specialist
Incentive, Conference, Event and Convention Travel Organiser Worldwide
COUNTRY MAP
(Map by kind permission of the CIA Official Website)
General Information
Company
Discover the Baltics with the experts…
Experience, creativity and innovation are the keywords for our company.
We have many years of experience in creating successful conferences and congresses, creative events and innovative incentive trips.
Con-ex is very well known as one of the largest providers of high quality incentives, special event programmes and as a professional congress organiser in all three Baltic States.
Some of our experiences include: a successful handling of the NATO Summit in Riga in 2006, World Ice Hockey Championship 2006, Eurovision Song Contest in 2003 and conferences, congresses and incentives for cooperate clients like L'Oreal, Novartis, Siemens, Coca Cola, SAP, Novo Nordisk and a wide range of Baltic and international organisations.
Con-ex is represented in the three Baltic capitals: Vilnius in Lithuania, Riga in Latvia and Tallinn in Estonia.
Since 1998 the company has been a proud member of International Congress & Convention Association - ICCA - and is furthermore a IATA licensed company ensuring full range of air travel services.
Con-ex … because we know experience matters!
Let us be the planner for your next meeting or event.
Destinations
The Baltic States - 3 Charming countries to discover…
Dispel the myths of the Baltics and explore the true story of three countries characterised by growth, progress and trendy lifestyles!
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - the charming tree Baltic countries!
The capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius represent architectural beauty, fashionable shopping, culinary experiences, exciting nightlife and the contrasts of Old and New Europe.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania give you amazing experiences of nature, historical castles, sports activities and luxury spa resorts.
The countryside of the Baltics is a wealth of forests, lakes, rivers, bogs and fascinating animal and plant life.
Old castles and manor houses form the perfect settings for business events and memorable seminars.
Baltic similarities - what do we share?
The size - The Baltic countries are among the small European countries when it comes to their sizes, which are between 45,000 - 65,000 km². For comparison Germany is more than twice the size of the Baltic States together.
Coastlines - all three countries have coastlines to the Baltic Sea: Lithuania with 99 km, Latvia with 497 km and Estonia with 3,794 km of which 1,242 km are on the mainland and 2,552 are divided among the islands.
History - all the Baltic States thrived on trade. They were frequently dominated by their large neighbours and signs of this can still be found in food, language and architecture. In particular, the historical events and developments of the 20th century were shared by the three Baltic States. They share the same Soviet heritage and in 1989 the three nations gathered in a 600km human chain from Tallinn over Riga to Vilnius to draw attention to their common historical fate during the last 50 years.
Love of singing - every nation has its own song contest every 5th year. Here thousands of people gather to sing traditional songs and perform traditional dances.
Wooden architecture - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have a unique style of wooden architecture in the countryside.
And Baltic diversity - how do we differ?
Languages - each of the Baltic countries has their own language. Lithuanian and Latvian are the only remaining Baltic languages. The two nationalities understand each other to a limited extend. Estonian is from a different language group and similar to Finnish.
Nature and landscape - Estonia has the longest coastline and 1,500 islands. Neither Lithuania nor Latvia has any islands. Instead Lithuania has the largest sand dune and Latvia the longest white, sand beaches.
Lithuania has the largest deposit of amber and Latvia the second largest. In Estonia you will search in vain for amber!
Religion - 85% of the Lithuanian population is Catholics, whereas the dominant religion in Estonia is Evangelical Lutheranism. In the middle, Latvia is an absolute mix of religions with Evangelical Lutherans, Catholics, Russian Orthodox and even rare groups of Russian Old-Believers.
History - The only former Kingdom in the Baltic States is Lithuania, which also has had strong Polish influence historically. Latvia has been strongly influenced by Germany, and Estonia by both Germany and Scandinavia.
Architecture - Because of the historical influences the Baltic capitals have very different architectures. Vilnius in Lithuania is dominated by baroque architecture. Riga is called the capital of Art Nouveau or known as Jugendstil from German. Tallinn is one of the best-preserved medieval cities of Europe with 80% of the original city wall still intact.
Sport - Cross-country skiing is the most popular sport in Estonia, while the Latvians prefer ice hockey and bobsleigh. Lithuanians choose to cheer their local and national basketball teams.
Lifestyle - Latvia is the heart of the Baltics with the largest airport and the most cosmopolitan capital of the Baltic States. Estonia has a technological lead and the largest passenger port in the Baltics. Lithuania is the geographical "centre point" of Europe and most traditional country of the Charming Three Baltic States!
Example Programme
MISSION RIGA
DAY 1
Meet & Greet at airport.
Transport service throughout with experienced guides.
Secret identification cards for each agent taking part in the secret mission.
Welcome present.
Organ concert, singing tenors, chocolate tasting.
Get-together dinner.
DAY 2
Travel by coach to Sigulda. Sigulda Adventure, – the tour starts from your hotel in Riga along the main street and takes you to a small resort town located 52 km from Riga in a hilly region located on picturesque banks of the Gauja River. The fabulous landscape will give the idea of the district, which is called affectionately "Latvia's Switzerland ".
Entrance to Turaida Castle.
Aerodium, 2 min. flight.
Lunch, field kitchen.
Off-road trip.
Dinner in local restaurant.
DAY 3
Boat trip to the largest seaside resort of the Baltics - Jurmala.
Lunch.
Fish tasting.
Riga City Rally, 8-10 different stations.
Dinner.
DAY 4
Product tasting in Riga Central Market.
Transfer back to airport.
This is just a sample programme in Riga - We also offer Tallinn and Vilnius. There are so many possibilities, which we can customise to your specific needs. Contact us!
Suggested Sightseeing
TALLINN CITY TOUR
A 3-hour tour taking the participants to the Baroque Catharina Palace, the ruins of St. Brigitta's Convent and more. In the medieval Old Town the tour includes Toompea Hill on which Tallinn was founded, the Parliament house, Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral and the Dome Church.
KADRIORG PALACE, TALLINN
Tour to the baroque Kadriorg Palace, which was founded in 1721 by the Russian Emperor Peter the Great as a gift to his wife Catharine II.
RIGA CITY TOUR
A 2 hour tour in the Hanseatic city of Riga. Strolling the cobblestone streets of the Old Town the participants will see the Dome Cathedral, the Church of St. Peter, the Guild houses, the Swedish Gate, the architectural ensemble Three Brothers and many beautiful restored buildings.
SIGULDA & TURAIDA CASTLE, LATVIA
Situated in the Gauja River Valley 50 km from Riga is the town of Sigulda - a popular leisure destination in beautiful surroundings with bobsleighing track, ski slopes and nature trails. The tour includes a visit of the 13th century Turaida Castle with local history museum and a 30m high fortification tower.
VILNIUS CITY TOUR
A 3 hour tour to historical places of the 16th - 19th centuries like Vilnius Cathedral, Gediminas Castle on a hill in town, the elegant St. Anne's Cathedral, Vilnius University and the Gate of Dawn with a miraculous icon of Virgin Mary.
TRAKAI TOUR, LITHUANIA
A 4-hour tour to Trakai 28 km from Vilnius. Trakai is the ancient capital of the Lithuanian Grand Principality and it is famous for its redbrick Gothic castle from the early 15th century built on an island in lake Galve. The castle is a museum and a charming small town with attractive old wooden houses.
A bit more than just a tour…
WALK TO TALLINN OLD TOWN SQUARE
Walk to Raekoja - Town Square, on the way you'll have a sip of ice-cold vodka with a pickled cucumber. Concert in the St. Nicholas Museum-Concert Hall, Visit of the Marzipan Museum, every guest will get a little marzipan figure as a souvenir.
RIGA CITY TOUR EXCLUSIVE WITH HIGHLIGHTS
You will enjoy the singing tenors in Konvent Yard, special organ concert in Riga Dome Cathedral, Riga Black Balsam tasting, chocolate sampling, and more…
THE "MONTMARTRE"OF VILNIUS
Visit to the Republic of Uzupis, the so called Monmartre of Vilnius. Mysterious personages will lead you off the beaten track… You will not only see the works of craftsmen and artists, but will be able to try one of the crafts yourself.
Your Event…but in a special place!
GALA DINNER IN RIGA
The prominent building of Latvian National Opera House on Aspazijas Boulevard in Riga is commonly called by locals the "White House". It was designed by Architect Ludwig Bohnstedt and built from 1860 to 1863 as the Riga German Theatre. The facade of the building reminds of a temple of Ancient Greece. A great place to hold a Gala Dinner!
ICE ARENA, RIGA - "A BANQUET ON ICE"
Need something special, interesting and indifferent for your event? Why not have a gala evening or event on ice? The SIEMENS Ice Arena just 15 km from the city center of Riga offers the possibility to arrange a banquet on ice.A wide range of team building and sportive activities like funny ice-hockey games or obstacle course games etc. can also be arranged.
MONASTERY RECEPTION IN TALLINN
Reception in the Dominican Monastery, which is the oldest cloister in downtown Tallinn. The Monastery was founded in 1246. The structure of the building is that of a typical Catholic cloister.
GALA DINNER AT VILNIUS CITY HALL
A symbol of the city's self-government, which has been located in one of the most picturesque spots of Vilnius, the heart of Old Town, for over six hundred years. Seated dinner with classical music performed by accomplished players and singers.
Convention Centres
- Arena Riga
- Kipsala Hall, Riga
- Saku Suurhall, Tallinn
- Le Meridien Villon Resort, Vilnius
A Few Extra Touches
- Black Balzam tasting
- Blacksmith making coins with company logo
- Candlelit dinner in church with concert
Welcome Gifts
- Riga Black Balsam - a Latvian 'cure-it-all' drink
- Amber souvenirs - from the Baltic Amber Coast
This is just a small section of the possibilities we can offer!