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The merger "The members of the SCB's advisory council are still mulling over the pros and cons of the proposed merger with the STO and further meetings will need to be held before all the issues are properly addressed. Ideally, this process will be completed before the end of the year. We will then pass on our recommendation to the SCB board," said Gorazd Cad, the chairman of the advisory council. Do we need each other? The second item on the agenda was a lively debate that tackled the thorny question: why do hotels need agencies? The 'showdown' pitted the agencies - captained by editor and journalist Tatjana Pirc - against the hotels, who were led by fellow editor and journalist Drago Bulc. Both 'sides' threw questions from the floor to the two team leaders, who did an excellent job of arguing their case and demonstrating best-practice conflict resolution. While it was impossible to reach a consensus in a single one-hour session, the debate highlighted the willingness of both sides to listen and to cooperate with each other in finding common ground. The result - an honourable draw. Yes, we certainly do! Following the meeting, the director of the SCB, Mr Miha KovaCiC, said: "I was pleasantly surprised with the attendance; the meeting drew 80 representatives from SCB members. It was heartening to see that both sides were able to openly and constructively discuss the issue, which has never happened before. In the end, we established that we do need each other. A close bond is essential if we are to make an impact in foreign markets, and we can not do that unless we have knowledge, trust and sincerity. I am also glad that the hotel and agency members have agreed to work together to develop guidelines that will define their mutual relationship." The Slovenian Convention Bureau is a body set up in 2004 to promote and market Slovenia as a meeting and incentive destination and to attract international MICE business to the country. This non-profit organization is a useful source of expert and objective information on destinations, meeting venues and service providers. The SCB acts as a professional intermediary between meeting planners and suppliers, assisting organisers to select the most appropriate solution for their event. The 48 members include convention centres and hotels, professional congress organizers, destination management companies, the Ljubljana Convention Bureau and other service providers. The Slovenian Tourist Board is a strategic partner.