MENT Conference 2026 at the M Hotel: A Tribute to Four Iconic Slovenian Places

As part of its ongoing dialogue between music, place, and memory, MENT has renamed the four conference rooms at M Hotel after four legendary Slovenian venues that helped shape the country’s cultural and musical landscape: HOUND DOG, GAVIOLI, PALMA, and ŠUMI. Each name carries a story deeply rooted in local history.

Photo: Maša Gojić

HOUND DOG pays tribute to the club that once operated directly beneath M Hotel, on the very spot where the basement conference room is located today. Before closing in 2003, it hosted now-legendary local and regional bands such as Jinx, KUD Idijoti, Big Foot Mama, OKO, Bitch Boys, The Stroj, Srečna mladina, and Siddharta, whose frontman famously got his start working behind the bar there.

GAVIOLI references Ambasada Gavioli, the internationally renowned rave mecca of the Northern Adriatic. Named after its architect, the 1,600 m² coastal club could host up to 2,500 people and welcomed some of the biggest names in electronic music, from Carl Cox and Chris Liebing to David Morales and David Guetta. Local legends like Umek and Valentino Kanzyani were an unmissable part of Gavioli’s scene. After years of uncertainty, the venue was finally sold in 2021.

PALMA recalls the historic music space beneath Hala Tivoli, where music had lived since 1968. First known as Stopoteka – the first discotheque in Ljubljana and Slovenia – it was later transformed into Palma, a hub for DJs and live bands. Artists such as Magnifico with his band U’redu, Janez Bončina Benč, and the group Bombe performed there, while a young Umek honed his DJ skills behind the decks. One of the most legendary moments remains the Blood, Sweat & Tears jam session with Mladi levi on 19 June 1970.

ŠUMI is named after the iconic Ljubljana café that grew out of a confectionery founded in 1876 by Jožefina Schumi. From the 1970s to the 1990s, Šumi was a vital meeting point for artists, writers, musicians, philosophers, and journalists—a smoky, debate-filled hub of alternative culture. Its spirit and community were immortalised in the documentary Chubby Was Here – Šumiju v slovo, directed by Karpo Godina.

Photo: Tina Stariha

All the other conference venues are located at KINO ŠIŠKA.

KOMUNA, situated on the ground floor with an entrance on the opposite side of the Šiška info point, offers an intimate, boutique setting for panels and interviews. KAMERA GALLERY, located on the first floor, is dedicated to promoting and supporting visual artists and emerging generations. During the festival, it will host the appointMENT exhibition and numerous receptions. 

The modul@rnice Special will take place at the nearby VODNIK HOMESTEAD (VODNIKOVA DOMAČIJA), while a number of closed sessions will be held at the COMPUTER HISTORY MUSEUM, just across the parking lot. For meetings, we suggest CAFÉ KINO ŠIŠKA and the sofas on the first floor. 

Photo: Lenart Lukšič

Cover photo: Urška Boljkovac