Blending Paris' sophistication with Berlin's sense of the spectacular, Riga, the chic capital of Latvia, is the largest and most commercially vibrant city in the Baltic States. Affordable UK flights to Riga combined with value-for-money four- and five-star accommodation, plus a versatile congress centre make it a sound option for large groups.

Overlooking the Old City of Riga - a Unesco World Heritage Site - is the Radisson SAS Daugava Hotel, which offers 361 rooms, a casino and reception space for 400. For more cosy options, seek out Hotel de Rome, which has 88-rooms and a reception area for 150, or the 84-room Valdemars, created from a 1901 Art Nouveau building, which has been used by Hertz. The car rental giant's financial director, Frans Hallestrand, says: "Our management group held a meeting at Valdemars. Besides the beautiful and comfortable conference room, we really appreciated the friendly staff."

Riga celebrated its 800th anniversary in 2001, yet much of the city's infrastructure is strikingly modern, reflecting 40 years of communist rule. Reval Hotel Latvija typifies the more Soviet-style architecture. Distinguished by a soaring tower, it is one of the Baltic's largest conference venues, holding 1,100 theatre-style. Its hip Skyline bar - 27 storeys up - seats 180 and has the best views in town.

ICCA statistics show Riga staged 30 international association meetings in 2006, ahead of New York, Washington, Moscow and Munich. Part of it appeal is the Riga Congress Centre, which holds up to 20 and 1,170 delegates and has a 1,500m2 exhibition area.

Recent blue-chip visitors to the city include L'Oreal, Volkswagen and SAP, attracted by rich nightlife and global cuisine, best exemplified by Vincents. This is a gourmet's grotto and celebrity haunt, frequented in the past by Prince Charles, Pierre Cardin and Elton John, according to Baltic Travel Group MICE head Astrit Aasma. Restaurant Vive Le Figaro in Old Riga is another favourite with Aasma, and it can host 120 for gala dinners.

VILNIUS FOR CULTURE
The European Capital of Culture crown passed from Liverpool to Vilnius on 1 January - the day that the Lithuanian capital began celebrating its 1,000th anniversary. Vilnius Old Town, where Italian Renaissance and Baroque architecture rubs shoulders with Soviet, Russian, Byzantine and Jewish influences, is a cultural focus. Highlights of the year include the first International Vilnius Opera Festival (9 June - 4 July) and Kristupas Summer Festival, honouring the city's Polish, Scandinavian and Russian influx. The London Symphony Orchestra is performing a specially dedicated concert on 14 May at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, while towards the end of 2009, the Vilnius Festival of Lights will ignite the skyline.

Conbaltas UAB managing director Jurgita Akmantaite says: "The Cultural Capital programme will serve as a catalyst for the city's long-term development strategy."

The city's cultural links have helped secure event bookings from Nissan, Novartis and Nokia - organised by Baltic Event, but according to the agency's director Margus Pauts, easy air access is a further attraction.

Food will also be a strong draw card menu in 2009, with 40 restaurants joining the gastronomic festival Taste of the World Days. Of these, Baltic Travel's Aasma suggests the 40-capacity Narutis for its cosy atmosphere, while the larger Vilniaus Basteja features live music every night.

While much of the cultural spotlight reflects its history, the city is undergoing a rapid modernisation. Vilnius International Airport has completed a new terminal that can now process three million passengers each year, and the 53-room Artis Centrum Hotel opened recently, adding another 450 meeting spaces to the city. Other five-star properties include Le Meridien, which has a 1,000-delegate conference centre, and the Crowne Plaza that can seat 500 theatre-style.

TALLINN FOR ADVENTURE
Breadlines, watchtowers, KGB goons and propaganda - such was life in Tallinn under Soviet occupation. Today, this intriguing chapter in the city's history is captured in unusual incentives. Baltic Tours runs Soviet evenings on board a Soviet-era bus, complete with KGB 'agents' demonstrating monitoring and eavesdropping tactics. The evening ends with dinner at a Russian restaurant.

Estravel AS American Express Travel hosts an event where participants have to escape from Patarei Sea Fortress and Prison - one of the Soviet Union's gloomiest jails. Escapees are rewarded with a picnic lunch outside the prison walls. Meanwhile, for the ultimate high-octane escapade, Baltic Event arranges for bus tours to be hijacked by the KGB spies.

Tallinn's history stretches back to Medieval times. To reflect this, Baltic Event hosts Medieval Melee days, which are led by experienced 'knights'. Groups learn to handle crossbows and swords, before battling for 'a lady's honour'. The Gothic Tallinn Town Hall offers the opportunity for dressing up as a setting for lavish medieval banquets for up to 110. Organised by Go Travel, costume merchants and period music complete the setting. Says Baltic Event's Pauts: "There are few places in Europe where the aura of the 12th to 16th centuries survive to the extent of Tallinn's Old Town."

Riga Convention Bureau - www.inspirationriga.com
Vilnius Convention Bureau - www.vilnius-convention.lt
Tallinn Convention Bureau - www.tourism.tallinn.ee