From Local Vision to Regional Leader
After four years of dynamically shaping the local bar scene and bringing world-class hospitality culture to Slovakia, the team behind Mirror Hospitality Expo is taking its most significant step to date. Rebranding officially as the Central Europe Hospitality Expo (CEHE), the event is shedding its local branding in favor of a regional identity that matches its growing influence and ambition.
The flagship event for 2027 will return to the historic Radisson Blu Carlton Hotel in Bratislava from May 3–4, 2027, complemented by the citywide "Cocktail City" guest shift series running from May 2–5. This transformation signals a new era for the platform, establishing it as the definitive hub for dialogue, education, and innovation across Central Europe’s hospitality sector.
New Ownership Structure and Global Leadership
A critical step toward long-term stability and expansion is the formalization of the event’s ownership. Original founders Stanislav Harciník, Peter Marcina, and Adrián Chrzan have officially become full co-owners alongside Carlton Property—the long-time venue partner behind the Radisson Blu Carlton Hotel and the award-winning Mirror Bar.
This structure anchors the core team that built the platform from scratch, with each co-founder steering dedicated operational pillars:
Stanislav Harciník curates the lineup, directing international guest relations, stage programming, and the educational syllabus.
Peter Marcina drives commercial growth, managing strategic brand partnerships, sponsorships, and exhibitor relations.
Adrián Chrzan leads overall marketing, visual brand identity, and the technical execution of the Expo.
To accelerate the expo’s worldwide reach, the executive bench has also expanded with the appointment of prominent hospitality figure and strategist Danil Nevsky as Global Lead. Working in tandem with the founders, Nevsky leverages his international experience and network to drive the Expo's international growth, open strategic global collaborations, and secure cross-border partnerships beyond the region.
A Raw, Craft-Driven Visual Identity
This evolution is heavily reflected in a complete overhaul of the event's visual identity. Adrián Chrzan, co-founder responsible for marketing, visual identity, and technical execution, spearheaded a redesign that intentionally steps away from the highly polished aesthetics of its origins to embrace the authentic, tactile reality of the hospitality industry.
“The main idea of the redesign and rebrand was to get closer to the actual bartending craft, which is not always perfectly polished—it is raw, it is full of noise and energy. We started to use more textures, colors and fonts that feel more ‘craft’ than art deco. However, we deliberately kept the core idea of the original emblem to maintain that vital connection to our roots as the Mirror Hospitality Expo.”
A Dedicated Regional Board: Cultivating Community
True regional leadership must be cultivated directly through community collaboration, rather than dictated from afar. To achieve this, CEHE has established a dedicated regional board team composed of influential venue owners, industry leaders, and journalists from neighboring markets who will help shape the event’s focus:
Czech Republic: Pavel Sochor (Alma Prague)
Poland: Maciej Mazur and Alicja Baczyk-Mazur (TAG Krakow)
Austria: Kostas Karvounis (Dunlin Bar, Innsbruck)
Hungary: Máté Szabó (Elysian, Budapest)
CEE & Beyond: Alia Akkam (Renowned Journalist)
CEE & Beyond: Arina Nikolskaya (SHIFT Project)
“Rebranding to the Central Europe Hospitality Expo represents a natural maturation of what we started four years ago. True regional impact requires direct collaboration with the leaders who shape their local communities every day. By bringing on regional board members and expanding our international team, CEHE will serve as the definitive bridge connecting Central European hospitality with the global bar scene.”
First Look: The 2027 Lineup of Participating Bars
While the full roster remains under wraps, organizers have unveiled the first wave of confirmed international bars coming to Bratislava in 2027, setting an exceptionally high standard. Listed alphabetically, the confirmed industry leaders feature a genuinely global footprint:
Ba Nomu (Germany)
Danico (Paris, France)
Himkok (Oslo, Norway)
Hope & Sesame (Guangzhou, China)
Laowai (Vancouver, Canada)
Moebius (Milan, Italy)
Otro Bar (Costa Rica)
Scarfes Bar (London, United Kingdom)
Smoke & Bitters (Hiriketiya, Sri Lanka)
Tokyo Confidential (Tokyo, Japan)
Despite its new name, raw visual identity, and expanded scope, the expo remains deeply rooted in its four core pillars: Connect, Educate, Taste, and Discover. By combining high-level seminars, an interactive exhibition market, specialized workshops, and citywide guest shifts, CEHE ensures that Bratislava will once again serve as the epicenter of hospitality excellence next May - now with even broader commercial and community impact.
“This deeply connects the whole region. It also brings a unique opportunity for our brand partners to co-work seamlessly between countries and, together, bring the entire Central European region to another level on the global stage.”
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