On September 10 and 11, 2025, the 32nd annual Road Conference, traditionally organised by the Czech Road Society in cooperation with Thema Exhibitions, took place at the Brno Exhibition Centre. The event was held under the auspices of Minister of Transport Martin Kupka, Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček, Minister of Education Mikuláš Bek, Governor of the South Moravian Region Jan Grolich, and Mayor of Brno Markéta Vaňková.
Our colleagues took turns manning the stand, which we once again prepared in cooperation with our partner company GEOSTAR spol. s r.o., over the course of two days: Lucie Kmochová and Kateřina Vacíková from marketing, CEO Jan Floriánek, production director Petr Pavelka, our colleagues from sales: Tomáš Krejčí and Ing. Miroslava Kubíčková, as well as the company owner Ing. Martin Hrdlička with his son Ondřej Hrdlička and industry expert and surveyor Ing. Martin Daněk. Representing GEOSTAR at the event were CEO Jiří Nekl, Petr Odvářka from sales, and Marián Bošanský, who heads the production department.
This year's event drew over 82 exhibiting companies, which showcased their products and services in both indoor and outdoor exhibition areas. Participants included key companies from the transport infrastructure sector, such as the Road and Motorway Directorate, the Ministry of Transport, STRABAG, PORR, COLAS CZ, HOCHTIEF CZ, VINCI Construction CS, and many others. Foreign companies from Poland, Slovakia, and Germany were also represented.
The conference offered a wide range of lectures and discussions. The opening ceremony was attended by the Minister of Transport, followed by a discussion with foreign experts, including Alexander Walcher, Vice President of the International Road Organization PIARC, Andreas Trenkel, Director of the Eastern Branch of the German Autobahn GmbH des Bundes, and Steve Phillips, Secretary General of the Conference of European Directors of Roads.
The program covered topics such as urban transport, departmental methodologies and digitization, ITS technology on roads, completed and planned engineering structures, and transport and the environment. The program also included technical excursions to the construction sites of the Brno Ring Road, the Transport Research Center, and the Ministry of Transport's training center for bridge construction in Kojetín.
The first day of the conference ended with an evening accompanying program held directly at the exhibition grounds, where participants could establish and deepen business contacts while enjoying live music and a buffet. The stands in the exhibition area had their own bartenders, winemakers (e.g., Osička), and beer taps, which created a pleasant atmosphere for informal meetings between industry experts.
The second day of the conference also belonged to future professionals. As part of the Young Roads initiative, approximately 600 students from various schools who expressed an interest in working in the transport infrastructure sector and other related fields visited the Exhibition Grounds. The students stopped at individual stands and took an active interest in career opportunities in their future professions.
One of the most interesting exhibits this year was the Kryštof robot from AŽD Praha. Visitors were also attracted by the exhibition stands – Budimex prepared the greenest stand, as it does every year, while exhibitors from HOCHTIEF opted for a clean white design for their presentation.
Local companies included Brněnské komunikace and Dopravní podnik města Brna. SafetyPro took an original approach, making its stand stand out with a replica of the so-called Brno Dragon – a crocodile, the iconic symbol of the city. In the outdoor exhibition, visitors could try out a driver's cab in a cylinder exhibited by Stavebniny DEK.
The Road Conference is a key platform for presenting services and products, networking among industry experts, and a source of inspiration for innovation in transport infrastructure. The 32nd edition confirmed that this event remains a meeting place for the entire road construction, design, and management industry.
We will be preparing for next year's Road Conference, and we already know that Prague will be on the agenda. We look forward to seeing all visitors at our stand.
Author: Mgr. Lucie Kmochová
