EXPLORATION TOURS IN LISBON
This curated series of Exploration Tours invites you to experience Lisbon not as a destination, but as a living, evolving ecosystem — one where heritage, creativity, sustainability, and innovation intersect to shape meaningful event experiences.
Across five distinct yet interconnected explorations, you will move through transformation, identity, creativity, collaboration, and future-thinking, gaining inspiration for how cities — and events — can evolve with intention. Select one Exploration Tour to kick off your journey of inspiration and exploration in Lisbon at Convening EMEA 2026!
Places are limited, we would therefore recommend you select your preference during the registration process to avoid disappointment.
1. FROM INDUSTRY TO INNOVATION:
The Transformation of Nation’s Park
START: 15:30
DURATION: 2.5 Hours
TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION: Walking
WHAT TO EXPECT: The journey of this exploration tour begins in Nation’s Park, where Lisbon’s capacity for reinvention at scale is on full display. Once an industrial zone, this district was radically transformed to host Expo ’98 and has since evolved into one of the city’s most future-forward event landscapes.
Participants explore how urban recuperation, sustainability, and strategic planning have created a high-density cluster of modern venues, hotels, cultural spaces, and waterfront settings.
For business events professionals, Nation’s Park offers a compelling case study in how visionary urban development can unlock new possibilities for scalable, impactful events.
2. CREATIVITY ROOTED IN CULTURE:
The He(Art) of Lisbon
START: 15:30
DURATION: 2.5 Hours
TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION: TBC (includes walking)
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Moving into Lisbon’s historic neighbourhoods, the focus shifts from large-scale transformation to human-scale creativity. Winding through traditional streets, viewpoints, and street art landmarks, participants experience how the city honours its past while allowing unconventional expression to thrive.
This tour highlights Lisbon’s approach to adaptive reuse, where old buildings become canvases for art, culture, and community engagement. The city itself becomes a living gallery — a reminder that authentic event experiences often emerge from embracing local identity and creative expression.
3. TIME AS A DESIGN ELEMENT:
Lisbon – Past, Present & Future
START: 15:30
DURATION: 2.5 Hours
TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION: Walking
WHAT TO EXPECT: Set along the Tejo River in Belém, this Exploration Tour uncovers Lisbon through the lens of time. Iconic monuments reveal how art and technology have long shaped the city’s evolution. Participants see how historical narratives can coexist with intentional design, offering inspiration for events that layer storytelling, technology, and place to create memorable experiences grounded in meaning.
4. CULTURE YOU CAN TASTE:
A Portuguese Recipe to Write
START: 15:30
DURATION: 2.5 Hours
TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION: Bus and Walking
WHAT TO EXPECT: This Exploration Tour becomes interactive and sensory through food. This hands-on experience explores Portugal’s culture via flavor, technique, and shared experience, revealing how culinary traditions reflect the country’s multicultural identity.
Participants engage with sustainability through creative approaches to reducing food waste, while discovering how food can serve as a powerful tool for connection, collaboration, and experiential storytelling within events that build bridges.
5. COLLABORATION AS CATALYST:
Creativity & Collaboration at Beato Innovation District
START: 15:30
DURATION: 2.5 Hours
TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION: Bus and Walking
WHAT TO EXPECT: The Beato Innovation District will be centre of attention of this Exploration Tour. A former industrial and military complex reimagined as a thriving hub for startups, creators, and innovators. Here, participants witness how heritage spaces can be transformed into platforms for collaboration and experimentation. You will explore the vibrant community that is a crucial supporter in positioning Lisbon as an international reference for creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
EVENING PROGRAMME
Experience Rotterdam through unforgettable networking opportunities designed to build lasting connections:
FESTIVAL OF FLAVOURS WELCOME PARTY
START: Tuesday 14 October
TIME:18:30–22:00
WHAT TO EXPECT: Kick off Convening EMEA with an energetic gathering at Foodhallen, a converted industrial space with a true Rotterdam vibe. This evening will set the scene for meaningful connections in a lively venue offering bars and street food style dining.
SET SAIL WITH ROTTERDAM – THE GOLDEN ERA OF TRAVEL
START:Wednesday 15 October
TIME:19:30 until late
WHAT TO EXPECT: There was a time when travel was not just about the destination—but about the people, the pace, the elegance of the journey itself. When the world moved slower and each voyage invited curiosity, conversation, and shared discovery. At Convening EMEA, we believe it’s time to bring that golden spirit back.
This October, step aboard the iconic SS Rotterdam, where we reimagine the glamour of a bygone era—not as a performance, but as a co-created experience. Anchored in history and designed for today, this evening celebrates more than nostalgia—it puts you at the centre of the story.
Join us for a night of refined connection: a cocktail reception that sets the tone, a buffet dinner designed to be shared, and moments of entertainment and exchange that invite you to explore, express, and connect with purpose. It’s not just a dinner—it’s an invitation to be present, to belong, and to shine alongside fellow pioneers in the business events community.
And if you’d like to lean fully into the spirit of golden glamour, we encourage you to wear a touch of it—be it a bold statement or a subtle sparkle — you choose.
This is your evening. Your voyage. Let’s sail into it—together.
