Meetings made in Germany Magazine by GCB German Convention Bureau

The Magazine of the GERMAN CONVENTION BUREAU

English Edition 2 / 2011

Communicative Theme year business travel

Thinking and meeting in networks Competence field strategy

Organic for everyone!

Bionade â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a sustainable success story, interview with the managing director Peter Kowalsky

www.lufthansa.com

www.germany.travel/gcb

www.germany-meetings.com

German National Tourist Board puts special focus on business travel

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Dear readers,

t is already the seventh time in succession that Germany has taken first place as a convention and conference location in Europe. According to the ranking of the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA), Germany is in second place in a worldwide comparison of countries.

EDITORIAL

continuously optimising our range of offers. However, in the long term there is a need for more intensive dialogue with the governmental and business sectors in order to lay important foundations for future success. The European Association of Event Centers (EVVC) and the GCB German Convention Bureau already initiated a dialogue with the Bundestag, the Lower House of German Parliament, in April of this year. The process that started

Theme year to focus on business travel, capital city convention, competence field strategy – the course for the future will be set in 2012 In 2010 roughly 11 million European business travellers travelled to Germany, which is 12 percent more than in 2009. So it is not surprising that business travel - with a total turnover of roughly 66 billion Euros - constitutes a significant economic factor for Germany as a business location. But the international competition is getting tougher. That is why the GCB German Convention Bureau regularly launches future initiatives and supports its partners with the corresponding activities. One example is our commitment to the “Business Travel Theme Year”, which the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has proclaimed for 2012. In order to boost demand for business travel even more, the GNTB and the GCB will be creating a new international website by 2012. There will be numerous campaigns for the most important target markets in Europe and overseas. The plan foresees participation at the industry’s leading international trade fairs, such as IMEX and EIBTM, as well as various joint projects. Efficient marketing is an important success factor – in addition to

then is scheduled to be continued with representatives from politics and business from June 18th – 20th, 2012 – at the capital city conference that is being organised by the GCB and the EVVC. In addition, that conference will serve as nothing less than a symbol of the close alliance between the most important industry associations. So you can see that the GCB is constantly on the move – on the move in order to make Germany’s convention, conference and event destinations even more valuable for you, our clients. What is also of great significance in this context is the efforts that our members in the cities and regions are undertaking to distinguish themselves even more intensively in the future through entire branches of knowledge and thematic areas and through relevant regional and national competence networks. The GCB primarily provides support to the conference and convention companies among its members in connection with bundling and marketing the key scientific and economic competencies of their respective region. Meeting planners and purchasers are offered

the option of holding the event of their ordering parties in a contentrelevant environment where the most important companies, universities, research institutes and organisations in the respective business sector are represented. In this way, Germany offers you numerous options for the conferences and conventions you are planning - in combination with its traditional advantages such as its outstanding transportation infrastructure and excellent priceperformance ratio. We are convinced that the new initiatives that have been launched will also promote the success of the conference and convention industry in this country in the long term. So join us on the path towards the future,

Kind regards Matthias Schultze Managing Director GCB German Convention Bureau e.V.

CONTENT

Supported by:

The Magazine of the GERMAN CONVENTION BUREAU

German National Tourist Board www.germany.travel

English Edition 2 / 2011

08 10 11 17 22 24 25 26 28

GCB

Competence field strategy

Editorial

Theme year business travel

Publisher

Thinking and meeting in networks

“Organic for everyone!”

German National Tourist Board puts special focus on business travel

Imprint

NEWS - Trend of the market NEWS - Capital city convention / New members NEWS - Technology NEWS - Conference centres NEWS - Hotels NEWS - Destinations NEWS - Culture NEWS - Destinations NEWS - GCB partners

Bionade – a sustainable success story

Executive Board: Matthias Schultze Printing: Druck- und Verlagshaus Zarbock GmbH & Co. KG V.i.S.d.P.: Martina Nesper

Editorial Staff: GCB German Convention Bureau e. V. Featured Writers in this issue: GCB, Anke Pedersen, Dr. Michael Behrendt, GNTB Layout: Sven Steglich

German Convention Bureau

GCB Branch Office North America

Title: © mediaphotos/Istockphoto, Pictures: p 6: GNTB, GCB, p 10: KD, p 12: MedioimagesPhotodisc, p15: BMW AG, p 17: HSMA a. Tourismuszukunft, p18-20: Bionade, p 25: Giuseppe Penone: Ideas of Stone, bronze and stone, 2004/2010, Photo: Roman Mensing, p 26: Congress Centrum Mainz, Congress Frankfurt, darmstadtium, Rhein-Main-Hallen, Kurhaus Wiesbaden, p 28: Congress Allianz

Münchener Str. 48 60329 Frankfurt/Main, Germany Tel. +49 69 242 930- 0 Fax +49 69 242 930- 26 E-Mail info@gcb.de www.gcb.de

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Frequency: Biannual The GCB is supported by: Strategic Partners: German National Tourist Board, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Deutsche Bahn AG, IMEX - incorporating Meetings made in Germany; Preferred Partners: darmstadtium wissenschaft | kongresse, Maritim Hotels and SevenCenters of Germany

THEME YEAR BUSINESS TRAVEL

Petra Hedorfer

CEO of the German National Tourist Board

Theme year business travel n Interview with Petra Hedorfer, CEO of the German National Tourist Board and Chairperson of the Administrative

Board of the GCB

n How important is the thematic area of business travel for tourism in Germany, and why has the GNTB made that area a special focus in 2012?

Petra Hedorfer: Germany is in greater demand than ever before as a travel destination. Business travel has also contributed toward that with an increase of twelve percent in the year 2010. In this context, Germany is also a front runner

among the TOP 10 business travel destinations for Europeans, with 10.7 million business trips from Europe to Germany. With a total turnover of about 66 billion Euros, business trips constitute an important economic factor for tourism in Germany and are therefore of special significance in marketing. The increase can be attributed to increased revenues from business trips with at least one overnight stay originating in Europe as well as

overseas, which generated a turnover of 7,5 billion Euros and five billion Euros respectively in 2010. As far as volume is concerned, the most important money makers are still the 72.5 million business trips within Germany (incl. at least one overnight stay), with a turnover of 39 million Euros. These results also impressively underscore the fact that we are right on track with our marketing activities for Germany as a travel destination.

It is not least for this reason that the German National Tourist Board’s focus for the year 2012 will primarily be promotable business trips. With a market share of almost 50 percent of all business trips, the latter play a role with over-average significance in comparison with the situation Europe-wide. Our joint plan together with the German Convention Bureau is to create a completely new international website by 2012, focusing on the thematic area of meetings, conventions and incentive travel. In addition, the German National Tourist Board will market the theme of “Germany as a Business Travel Destination – Trade Fairs and Conventions” throughout the world. We want to continue to expand our globally leading role as a conference location as well as exploit the “green meetings” theme and barrier-free access even more effectively. n How are overnight stays in

Germany developing in general? Petra Hedorfer: In the past year 2010, the historical mark of 60 million overnight stays by foreign guests was exceeded for the first time. Three quarters of Germany’s incoming still comes from Europe. And in 2010 Germany was more popular than ever before as a travel destination for Europeans: For the first time, Germany is in second place as a travel destination for Europeans - ahead of France and right behind Spain. After achieving record results in 2010, Germany has also been continuing its upward trend as a travel destination in the first half of the year 2011. According to the preliminary results from the Federal Statistics Office, eight percent more overnight stays by foreign guests were registered from January to June – a total of 27.6 million.

THEME YEAR BUSINESS TRAVEL

According to UNWTO, in the meantime global tourism is also recovering at top speed. In the first five months of the year, global arrivals increased by 4.5 percent. Europe has registered a six percent increase in travel activity (compared with January to April 2010) and thus exceeded the expectations. Because of the stable general economic conditions, the forecast for the second half of the year looks excellent. At the beginning of the year, we predicted two to four percent total growth for tourism in Germany originating in Germany and abroad. At present, we have registered five percent growth from January to June 2011. In this context - at eight percent - incoming is once again the growth engine for Germany as a travel destination. n How is MICE tourism developing in

Germany and what significance does it have in the business travel sector?

Petra Hedorfer: Almost half of all business trips involve meetings, incentives, conventions and events. In that area Germany has succeeded in strengthening its profile as a top location even further. In addition, according to the ranking of the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA), Germany is in first place in Europe as an event location – for the seventh time in succession. We are in second place worldwide – the only place where more international conventions are held is the USA. A total of 542 international association conventions were implemented in our country - substantially more than in Spain, which is in third place.

n What can this development be attributed to?

Petra Hedorfer: Generally speaking, Germany has an excellent reputation as a business location with the label “Made in Germany”. And Germany’s image is getting better and better: According to the renowned AnholtGFK Roper Nation-BrandsIndex (NBI), Germany improved its position in 2010. It is now in second place behind the USA in that ranking, which encompasses 50 countries worldwide, and thus overtook France in 2010. The NBI examines how countries are perceived as a brand every year. An outstanding infrastructure as well as the good price-performance ratio and the huge range of highquality conference hotels, convention centres and event locations are other additional factors. Furthermore, since the border with the new federal states opened up, a large number of conference and convention locations with event venues that are to some extent quite unusual have been added Germany also occupies a leading position in the global ranking of cities: With 138 international association conventions, Berlin is once again in fourth place - ahead of Singapore and Madrid, and just behind Paris (147 conventions), Barcelona (148 conventions) and Vienna (154 conventions). Munich and Hamburg were also able to improve their positions in the city comparison. This means that including Dresden and Leipzig – a total of five German cities can be found among the Top 100 in the global ICCA ranking. It is not least Germany as a science location - with its long-standing history of research and development - that also constitutes a decisive element promoting the positive image of Germany.

NEWS – TREND OF THE MARKET

Meeting & EventBarometer 2011 n The event industry is on the rise and achieved a record result with 323 million participants

he results of the Meeting & EventBarometer 2011, the definitive annual survey of the events market in Germany, show: The optimism of the industry has returned. More events, more participants and larger budgets underline the fact that the worst of the economic crisis has long passed. The future outlook is very optimistic. Overall, approximately 2.69 million events took place in 2010 (up 9.4 percent compared to 2009), which were visited by 323 million participants (plus 6.9 percent) - a record result (the previous record was 318 million participants in 2008). The share of foreign participants remained stable at 5.8 percent (up 0.3 points). n 9.4 percent more events / participation record Around 40 percent of the providers surveyed in the study report that they organised more events in 2010 than in 2008, eleven percent recorded the same result as in 2008. “This is a strong result, because in 2008 - before the crisis-induced decline of events in Germany in 2009 - the market segment was at a very high level”, said Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the GCB. “The rapid recovery of the demand in Germany proves the high quality of the services offered”, said Joachim König, president of the EVVC. The supply side remained relatively stable: Germany offers a

total of 6,420 meeting and event venues (plus/minus zero percent). According to the results of the Meeting & EventBarometer event organisers can now choose between 1,557 convention and event centres (plus 0.2 percent), 3,173 conference hotels (minus 0.5 percent) and 1,690 event locations (plus 1.3 percent). The survey also provides insight into how vendors and operators assess the importance of different types of events. Accordingly, “Meetings” have the highest priority in the future. Followed in second place are “Conventions”, while further behind “Incentives” and “Events” rank third and fourth. n 67 percent report higher budgets

than in 2009 In 2010, 67 percent of the surveyed event organisers had bigger budgets than during the previous year, another sign that the trough has been overcome. Only 33 percent said they have fewer financial resources. In particular, the proportion of the medium budgets has increased: 26 percent of operators were able to plan with budgets of 100,000 to 500,000 Euros per year, which corresponds with an increase of five percent compared to the previous year. In contrast, the proportion of budgets ranging from half a million to one million decreased slightly (minus three points).

n Confidence in the industry: An optimistic look to the future “Germany’s image as a conference and events destination is getting better and better” - 91 percent of the surveyed providers and organisers are convinced of this statement. “The optimism of the industry is back. Operators and service providers alike are aware of the many benefits that Germany as a conference destination has to offer and that its importance in part still continues to rise due to the economic crisis. Above all, Germany offers an excellent value for money”, said Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the GCB. In addition, the German regions offer about 40 airports, one of the densest railway networks and one of the most highly developed motorway networks, making the journey affordable, convenient and flexible. Driven by this self-confidence and the economic upturn of recent months, a great majority agreed with the survey’s statement that the economic situation will further improve (78 percent of surveyed providers and organisers). Last year only about half of the respondents shared this opinion. 56 percent of respondents expect that the realized prices on the market will rise again. In 2009, only about one third of the providers and organisers shared this opinion.

n More investments planned again The overall positive mood and the expectation of being able to implement price increases resulted in a significant increase in willingness to invest: 75.2 percent of providers plan to invest in their product, which is an 8.4 percent increase compared to last year. However, this is also due to a catch-up effect resulting from the budgetary constraints of the previous year’s crisis. In addition, the VAT tax reduction that was introduced in 2010 also plays an important role for the hotel industry: it is regarded as a positive impulse by some 40 percent

NEWS – TREND OF THE MARKET

of the providers and a third of the organisers. “If the mood is right, there will also be willingness to invest”, says Joachim König, president of the EVVC. “Even if business management is seemingly made up of rational decisions based on numbers, we all know that - as with many topics - psychology is often more than half the battle. The good thing is that, with this outlook, the competitiveness of Germany as a conference and event country will remain intact and thus the overall position is strengthened”.

The complete study, a chart with the most important results as well as additional press releases about specific aspects can be found in the press section at www.germany-meetings.com

CONVENTION meets LIFESTYLE

DÜSSELDORF • top modern and multifunctional convention locations • a prominent German metropolis of business and science • third biggest airport in Germany, optimal trafﬁc connections/infrastructure • more than 23.000 hotel beds • international ﬂair meets typical Rhenish tradition • world-class shopping

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NEWS – CAPITAL CITY CONVENTION / NEW MEMBERS

German meetings and events industry forge close alliance for a joint dialogue with politics n

GCB and EVVC to stage capital city convention of meeting associations in June 2012

ext year the German meetings, incentives and events industry will be staging a first central industry event in Berlin: From 18 to 20 June 2012 the German Convention Bureau (GCB) and European Association of Event Centres (EVVC) will stage a joint capital city convention with representatives from the worlds of politics and business. They will co-operate with the Germany Chapters of International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), MPI Meeting Professionals International, Site - Society of Incentive & Travel Executives, the German Travel Management Association (VDR), the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association Germany (HSMA), the Association of German Stadium Operators and the Association of German Event Organisers.

“With the capital city convention in Berlin the key associations want to emphasise their close alliance. In addition, they are paving the way to further concerted efforts and a constructive dialogue with politics. Together, the representatives of the business travel market represent a turnover of 66 billion Euro,” Petra Hedorfer, chair of the GCB’s administrative board and CEO of the German National Tourist Board (DZT), welcomes this action. The heart of the three-day event will be the congress on 20 June 2012 with representatives from the worlds of business and politics. On the two days before the event the attending associations and organisations will meet for their respective annual assemblies and AGMs. The organisers plan to stage a joint capital city convention every two years in future.

New GCB member: Meetings & Celebrations with KD

The KD fleet of 14 modern ships can offer the right location and a suitable charter offer for any event, whether it be a company party, a company anniversary, a press conference, a convention or a family celebration. The customer decides whether he would like to rent a saloon, the sun deck, or the whole ship for a few hours or for a day. With the two ground-breaking eventships MS RheinEnergie (max. 1,650 pax) and MS RheinFantasie (max. 1,000 pax) you have the

Every year about 1 ½ million passengers go on board KD’s ships to admire the most beautiful stretches of the Rhine, Main and Mosel or to take part in an exciting special theme cruise. However, not only does KD welcome you aboard as a passenger but also as a host: the guest then takes the helm and decides exactly what happens on board.

More information about the programme and speakers will be published in December this year.

choice of two top addresses with the very highest technical standards for successful events on the Rhine. Why not order the new brochure about with all details of these two ships. www.k-d.com

NEWS – TECHNOLOGY

Mobile Learning – Knowledge everywhere

Mobile learning, or “mLearning”, is a new educational concept that goes a step beyond existing webbased eLearning solutions, making clever use of electronic media for the presentation and distribution of educational materials, by bringing such features to mobile devices including cell phones, tablets and media players. CPO HANSER SERVICE with its own IT Company GLOBIT GmbH have developed software components for their clients and the services they provide that extend the

reach of a scientific society’s online educational content right into its members’ pockets. CPO’s mLearning solution covers a wide range of existing mobile devices and thereby ensures optimal in-your-pocket access to eLearning facilities, like course materials, mobile quizzes for assessments, tests, videos, slide material and performance data. About GLOBIT GmbH GLOBIT – Global Information Technology GmbH is a Germanybased software development and ITconsulting company that specialises in integrated application solutions for organisations and society’s educational activities, including conferences and congresses as well as continuing online education. GLOBIT’s core product line includes the congress information system

CO CONGRESS ONLINE®, the content management solutions SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS ONLINE® and SCIENTIFIC MEDIA ONLINE®, the eLearning suite SCIENTIFIC TRAINING ONLINE®, and the mobile solution CONGRESS MOBILE®. GLOBIT was founded in 1997 as a spin-off company of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Europe’s largest application-oriented research organisation. Since 2002, it is a fully owned subsidiary company CPO HANSER SERVICE GmbH, a professional congress organiser and active member of the GCB for more than 25 years. www.cpo-hanser.de

Great places for great conventions.

Seven Cities - Seven Congress Centres

Office Management SevenCenters of Germany Phone: +49 (0)211/45 60 - 84 98

The seven innovative centres are based in some of Germany‘s most attractive and fascinating destinations. Congress organizers are guaranteed the prime conditions to make an event of any size a resounding success. GERMANY. The congress destination No. 1 in Europe.

Fax:

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info@sevencenters.de www.sevencenters.de

COMPETENCE FIELD STRATEGY

Thinking and meeting in networks n Excellent conference facilities with outstanding service, the optimum in well-developed transportation infrastructure

and an attractive price-performance ratio are still the advantages that enable Germany to hold its own as a conference and convention destination in the face of international competition. But more and more frequently event planners are seeking cities and regions where they can find the competence of their industry in highly condensed form and can exploit appropriate networks. That is why the GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. is promoting an up-to-date competence field strategy.

echnology and innovation are top priorities in Dresden. One only has to look at what the city has to offer in the area of micro-electronics and information technology: Top companies like AMD, Infineon, Novaled and ASML, well-known

suppliers like AIS, BASF and T.I.P.S., plus associations and amalgamated organisations like Silicon Saxony, ITsax, MINTsax or the Sensonet sensor technology network. And that is not all:Various technically oriented universities and famous

research institutes - such as the Leibniz Association, the Helmholtz Centre, the Cool Silicon leading edge cluster, the Fraunhofer Society or the SAP Research Center - also concentrate on micro-electronics and information technology. What is

room so special: The various players in this branch of science and business have good network connections with one another. Furthermore, the conference and convention industry is also a driving force within this network – that is highlighted by an annual event for professors including presentation of the Dresden Congress Award, among other things. In light of so much highly concentrated specialist competence, it is not surprising that the state capital of Saxony is a sought after destination for conferences and conventions relating to innovation technology. n Recognising thematic areas,

building networks Identifying and promoting the key competencies of a city or region, bringing together the most important players and acquiring suitably appropriate conferences and conventions – precisely that is the central idea behind the competence field strategy that the GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. has developed with the aim of safeguarding Germany’s success as a conference and convention destination in the long term. “It used to be that separate services, special qualities or pleasant framework conditions above all were used for advertising. But today cities, convention centres and event agencies are making a name for themselves through entire branches of science and thematic areas or through related regional and national networks,” says GCB managing director Matthias Schultze, explaining the principle. “The identification and enhancement of existing competencies as well as generation of far-reaching synergy effects outline the path towards sustainable success.”

n Key German competencies This type of approach is particularly appropriate, as the Federal Republic of Germany possesses various central competencies that are recognised worldwide, whereby the GCB highlights the following key industries as being especially relevant: Transport, Logistics + Traffic; Medicine + Health; Chemical + Pharmaceutical; Energy + Environment; Financial Services; Technology + Innovation. Just a few figures and facts: The logistics industry is the third largest business sector in Germany with a turnover of 211 billion Euros (2010) and 2.75 million employees. The automotive industry has been one of Germany’s key industries since time immemorial, and this country’s biotechnology sector can even boast of four industry clusters with an international reputation - the RhineMain region, Munich, Berlin and Cologne / Düsseldorf. With over 10,000 companies in the area of eco-friendly products, environmental protection goods and services, environmental protection is on the way to becoming an important economic and location factor. On the other hand, the medical technology market in Germany is the largest in Europe and the third largest worldwide. Moreover, Germany is also the European leader in the area of pharmaceutical research and production – and in second place worldwide. There is a huge need for knowledge and information transfer in conjunction with events in all of these fields of competence.

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n Changed customer expectations Customers have long since confirmed that the key industries and fields of competence in Germany are important arguments for developing event formats and for awarding

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COMPETENCE FIELD STRATEGY

contracts for conferences, conventions and events. “As an association, I am very interested in knowing what institutes and companies from my industry are located in your region – more than the question of what conference facilities and hotels a city may have,” says Kristin Mirabal, Senior Meeting Manager of the Optical Society of America. “First of all, you have to get my attention for your city by being able to tell me specifically what industries in your region might be of interest to my participants.” In the meantime, this kind of customer attitude is regarded as quite typical, particularly in the age of globalisation. In what field of science, technology, industry or business does our city or region play a leading role? Where are the relevant companies and research institutes based? Have clusters already developed – or are

there some that are due to be built up? In addition: What specialisationrelated (fringe) programmes could be organised jointly for specialist customers? The GCB is ready and willing to help the affiliated convention and conference bureaus answer these pivotal questions as a source of inspirational impulses and a central discussion partner. The objective remains the formation of convincing competence networks. “The GCB in its turn will advertise German destinations with the aid of those competence networks and open up new target groups,” says Matthias Schultze. “We support the marketing campaigns of cities and regions, which often already exist, and interlink them with the GCB’s measures.”

Anzeige_SHR_dt_engl_Layout 1 16.08.11 09:13 Seite 2

Sustainable success. We'll make a memorable event out of your meeting, however large or small. We know how to make the right impression for your business. www.steigenberger.com/congress

n Regional Competencies If the synergy effects that are generated when convention bureaus and conference companies, universities, specialist associations, companies and celebrities from a certain industry act in concert in conjunction with marketing, canvassing and programme offers are taken into account, then it is possible to get a rough idea of the powerful potential stimulus for the regional conference and convention business. In light of this situation, several German cities have already expanded their respective fields of competence in a targeted manner and landed appropriate large events or initiated such events themselves: For example, in Stuttgart - Germany’s “motor city”- the local convention centre and the automotive industry are working together hand in hand. The larger events that have been

developed in this way include the international Enhanced Safety of Vehicles Conference, the “Die besten Autos” event of Auto Motor Sport focussing on the best cars or the i-mobility trade fair. Today Bremen is associated worldwide with the competence field of aerospace, and Dresden is not only associated with the micro-electronics / information technology sector as mentioned above, but also with the fields of biotechnology and life sciences. The list of examples is almost endless. For example, the UN location Bonn is banking on the thematic areas of renewable energies and international dialogue to an increasing extent, while Cologne is concentrating on the field of competence involving the media and communication industries, among other things.Various UN conferences (Bonn), the Cologne IT Summit or the Game Developers

COMPETENCE FIELD STRATEGY

Conference Europe (Cologne) are event highlights that have been generated accordingly. Hanover in turn is positioning itself as a centre of the healthcare industry: with the corresponding universities, courses of study and institutes, well-known companies and specialist associations,

political institutions and a large number of specialist events – from TeleHealth and the Strategy Day of the Healthcare Industry to medical conventions. Conclusion: The new competence field strategy is taking effect and opening up new prospects for Germany’s cities and regions.

WHAT TO WEAR DURING THE COMING CONGRESS SEASON. Tailor-made solutions achieved through multifunctionality The darmstadtium science and congress centre offers numerous possibilities for combining and figuring its various rooms to exactly suit your own particular event. ❙ The “Spectrum” congress hall with a maximum capacity of 1,677 seats can be divided into two or three smaller halls; elevating platforms in the seating areas allow the hall to be transformed quickly from a smooth dance floor into an ascending auditorium. ❙ The surrounding foyer areas can be used in a multitude of ways, e. g. for exhibitions accompanying the main events. ❙ The 18 conference rooms can be combined flexibly and offer seating for a total of up to 1,300 persons. Enjoy the maximum degree of freedom when planning your event – thanks to multifunctionality in perfection.

www.darmstadtium.de

COMPETENCE FIELD STRATEGY

Conventions and Events 2011–2013 (an excerpt) Baden-Baden

23/10–27/10/2011

Baden-Baden Meeting/Reinsurance Week

Berlin

23/10–26/10/2011

World Health Summit, Charité Berlin

01/12–03/12/2011

25th German Congress on Perinatal Medicine, ICC Berlin

19/03–21/03/2012

Microsys Berlin, Messe Berlin

31/08–05/09/2012

IFA, Messegelände Berlin

Dresden

Frankfurt

Cologne

Leipzig

18/06–20/06/2013

ShowTech, Messe Berlin

11/10–13/10/2011

2011 Semicon Europa and 7. Global Plastic Electronics, Messe Dresden

08/11/2011

Professors’ Event with presentation of Dresden Congress Award, “Erlwein-Capitol” at Ostrapark

25/11–26/11/2011

WupiN – What’s up in Neurooncology. Update Neuroonkologie, Dreikönigskirche

12/06–13/06/2012

NANOFAIR, International Congress Center Dresden

22/07–27/07/2012

17. International Conference on Superlattices, Nanostructures and Nanodevices, Maritim Hotel & Internationales Congress Center Dresden

14/11–18/11/2011

14th Euro Finance Week, Congress Center Messe Frankfurt

02/03–03/03/2012

German Investors‘ Fair, Forum Messe Frankfurt

21/05–25/05/2012

Frankfurt Global Business Week, Frankfurt

14/11/2011

cologne IT summit, IHK Cologne

27/06–28/06/2012

ConLife Conference and Exhibition for Connected Life, Koelnmesse

13/08–15/08/2012

Game Developers Conference (GDC) Europe, Congress-Centrum Ost Koelnmesse

15/08–19/08/2012

Gamescom, Koelnmesse

02/06–10/06/2012

AMI Auto Mobil International, Leipziger Messe

23/06–27/06/2012

CYTO 2012 – XXVII. Congress of the International Society for the Advancement of Cytometry, Congress Center Leipzig

20/09–23/09/2012

ESPE Annual Meeting - European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology, Congress Center Leipzig

26/09–29/09/2012

64th Congress of the German Society for Urology, Congress Center Leipzig

29/01–31/01/2013

Terra Tec environmental trade fair, Leipziger Messe

26/02–01/03/2013

Z Subcontracting Fair, Leipziger Messe

Mannheim

11/04–14/04/2012

78th Conference of the German Cardiac Society, Congress Center Rosengarten

Munich

05/12–06/12 2011

IT Summit 2011, Munich

10/04–20/04/2012

ANALYTICA – Instrumental Analysis, Laboratory Technology and Biotechnology, Neue Messe München

12/06–15/06/2012

AUTOMATICA, Neue Messe München

Nuremberg

06/03–08/03/2012

International Conference on Integrated Power Electronics Systems, Nuremberg

Stuttgart

12/04–15/04/2012

i-Mobility – Exhibition and Congress for Intelligent Mobility, Neue Messe Stuttgart

12/06–14/06/2012

Engine Expo, Stuttgart Messe

18/09–22/09/2012

AMB – Exhibition for Metal Processing, Neue Messe Stuttgart

NEWS – CONFERENCE CENTRES

Munich to be the centre of the cardiology universe again in 2012 The internationally sought after Congress of the European Society of Cardiology will be held in Munich for third time in 2012. It will be one of the event highlights of the coming year: the Congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) from August 25th to 29th at the ICM – International Congress Center Munich. This is already the third time - after 2004 and 2008 - that the convention of heart specialists will be held in the Bavarian state capital. More than 30,000 participants are expected to attend the event. So the City of Munich is justifiably proud of the fact that it has succeeded once again at prevailing against several European destinations

with its bid. In the view of Dr. Reinhard Pfeiffer, the Managing Director of Messe München - the Munich trade fair company - who is responsible for the ICM, what really paid off was the fact “that we have co-operated in a unique way for this bid and got all the active players in Munich’s convention industry involved.” For example, the hotel

sector in Munich had made roughly 15,000 hotel rooms available. Moreover, the ICM – International Congress Center Munich also hosts a large number of other high-calibre medical conventions. For example, it recently succeeded in landing the annual convention of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) for 2014. That event with approx. 8,000 participants is also one of Europe’s largest medical conventions. The convention of the German Society for Gynaecology and Obstetrics (DGGG) with approx. 4,000 people in attendance will also be held in Munich next year. Andrea Bisping, Director of the ICM: “It is great that our state-of-the-art location combined with all the amenities Munich that has to offer has really convinced so many event organisers.” www.icm-muenchen.de

to 10.500 people conference capacity up city centre centrally located in the tance all sights in walking dis s 86 hotels – 9.000 bed h easy access international airport wit

Heritage and innovation, multifunctional congress centre and outstanding venues. Perfect for meetings, conferences and events of any size.

BTZ BREMER TOURISTIK-ZENTRALE

Bremen Convention Bureau Phone +49 (0)421 30 800 16

kongress@bremen-tourism.de www.bremen-convention.de

BIONADE – A SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS STORY

“Organic for everyone!” n Bionade – a sustainable success story

he early nineties: Beer sales are stagnating and the market for soft drinks is booming. Scandals involving dioxin and meat contaminated with mad cow disease have been shocking the world – and leading to a change in society’s values. Nevertheless, other entrepreneurs’ response to the ideas of the Bionade GmbH company in Ostheim vor der Rhön in Lower Franconia is not much more than an indulgent smile. But that is not true of consumers: In

the year 2011 Bionade is not only the most well-known organic food brand. In addition, the lemonade beverage brewed from barley malt is one of the Top 5 non-alcoholic soft drinks in the German market. And the organic pioneer with the motto: “Doing business with decency vis-àvis people and the environment” still has great plans. Is its business model any good as a role model for other companies? A conversation with the managing director of Bionade

GmbH, Peter Kowalsky (42), who has a master’s degree in brewery engineering, about idealism and a new generation of sustainability oriented companies. German Convention Bureau (GCB): Mr. Kowalsky, following the end of the economic crisis, meaning now that the German economy has made a strong recovery, ecological sustainability and social responsibility – in short Social Corporate

BIONADE – A SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS STORY

Responsibility – are once again a top priority on the agenda of companies. Global players in particular have been optimising their sustainability performance while constantly keeping an eye on their stock market valuation. What is your motivation?

they did not have a very good chance of surviving here in the long term.

Peter Kowalsky: Our vision is to do business with decency vis-à-vis people and the environment. Of course, what has moulded us is our work as master brewers in a family company and quite naturally the foundation of our profession: the purity requirements. But I am also convinced that the area where my brother and I grew up - the Rhön region - has really shaped us a great deal. Here in the most northerly part of Bavaria, in the Rhön biosphere reserve, people have always been dependent on treating other people and Nature “decently” – otherwise

Kowalsky: At present the German beer market is also undergoing far-reaching change processes. That is affecting large, Germany-wide brewery groups with international activities, but above all the large number of small regional breweries. A period of upheaval for them started in the eighties and it is still underway: German consumers are drinking less and less beer. Wine and nonalcoholic beverages are winning the race. In addition, stagnating prices and international brewery groups that are expanding their presence in the German beer market have also been

GCB: And what prompted the invention of Bionade? Why not a new type of beer? Why a lemonadelike beverage?

Peter Kowalsky

Managing Director of Bionade GmbH

having an effect. In this situation it was clear that we – with our small brewery – would not be able to hold our own against that trend for very

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BIONADE – A SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS STORY

GCB: And you also promoted it!

much longer. It was my step-father Dieter Leipold who bet everything on one card: he decided to realise his vision of an organically produced non-alcoholic soft drink for children. That was because - although there was a good selection of healthy beverages for babies and adults, such as fruit juice concoctions with mineral water and just mineral water - there was no real alternative for children and adolescents. There was no lobby for that purpose like the one that supports the purity requirements for beer. His idea was to invent a lemonade-like beverage with substantially reduced sugar content that is produced naturally. It was supposed to be brewed according to the purity requirements for beer, but not taste like beer or contain any alcohol. GCB: But surely things did not proceed as smoothly as you have just described? Kowalsky: Many people said, “We can’t picture that at all.” But we did not let that deter us. We were very certain that the technology trend of the eighties would be replaced by a nutritional trend with a focus on foods that are healthy and sustainable at the same time.

GCB: How could you be so sure of that? Kowalsky: Our step-father was absolutely certain! Of course, we did not know when it would happen, but we were really confident it would happen. Our mother was also very important during that long period of time. While my step-father was working on the realisation of his idea, she was the one who kept the family together through all the years and also motivated us to keep working at it even during the difficult phases. GCB: And when did the time come? Kowalsky: As of the mid nineties, the first organic food markets started opening up – then we had the mad cow disease crisis, dioxin scandals and other things reinforced that trend. GCB: Why exactly have you been so successful? Anyone can just call themselves organic. Kowalsky: Bionade is a combination of lifestyle, enjoyment and health. And we really hit the nail on the head as far as the spirit of the times was concerned.

Kowalsky: Without a doubt to a certain extent. The problem with the “ecological-organic” sector is that it is often very ideology-focussed, preaching at people with a wagging finger, and not very enjoymentoriented. By contrast, Bionade satisfies the need for enjoyment and lifestyle, and upholds to its ecological principles in spite of that. For us as a family company with regional roots firmly anchored in the heart of the Rhön biosphere reserve, responsibility for mankind and Nature is the central focus of our values and our actions. What is especially important to us in this context is regionalism and preservation of biodiversity. One of our declared goals is to pass those values on to children and young people in conjunction with environmental education. Because that is the only way that those values will play a central role in our society in the future and in the long term. GCB: And today? Kowalsky: Every day we try to get a little bit better. For several years now we have had an established environmental management system aimed at seeking and implementing improvement potential in a targeted manner. We are proud of the fact that we will be operating on a completely CO2 neutral basis by 2013. Another example is the area of packaging. In our view that will be one of the important future issues in the consumer goods industry. At our company we have been using labels with a 30 percent proportion of recycling paper since the beginning of the year. In addition, we attach great importance to doing business sustainably along the entire supply chain: The Rhön organic farming

project for example – a co-operation arrangement between Bionade and organic farmers in the Rhön biosphere reserve – constitutes systematic realisation of the Bionade idea in practice. The project is making a decisive contribution towards strengthening the RhönGrabfeld region. In other words: Bionade is contributing towards creating jobs in this economically underdeveloped region and safeguarding the farmers’ livelihood. GCB: So it’s a classic win-win situation? Kowalsky: Yes. And we want to go one step further and demonstrate how projects like that can be managed entirely according to the “Social Business” principle. For example, for our ginger orange Bionade we discovered a cultivation

BIONADE – A SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS STORY

method in Mexico where the farmers cultivate ginger for us in traditional gardens planted with trees, which means underneath the treetops, so the soil is not destroyed. GCB: What can companies learn from Bionade? What is your core message for other companies? Kowalsky: I believe that every company has to seek its own way on the path towards sustainability. But what is important is a mutual exchange of information and learning from one another. That is why we also participate actively in various initiatives together with other companies: for example, Bionade is a member of the “Biodiversity in Good Company” initiative: We want to contribute towards the preservation of biodiversity. Bionade is one of the founding companies of the initiative;

today more than 40 companies have joined forces under its umbrella. They want to demonstrate how protection of biological diversity and economic activity can be interconnected in a meaningful way. GCB: Do you also advise other companies? Kowalsky: No, but we do engage in an open, intensive exchange with other companies and our stakeholders. From my point of view, it is not possible to simply transfer or copy this thematic area on a 1 to 1 basis. Every company has to go its own way. GCB: Is Bionade still perceived as credible in spite of the considerable size it has reached in the meantime? As authentic?

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BIONADE – A SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS STORY / NEWS – HOTELS

Kowalsky: We are brewers, and we were only able to sell our beer if people liked the taste and if we conducted ourselves decently here in the Rhön region – our main sales market at the time. But today many products are offered in globalised markets. In the process, a large portion of the principle of “decent” business activities has been loss. Now that transparency is back again as a result of Web 2.0 and new consumer portals. The markets have become transparent once again. That is a good thing. GCB: And consumers like Bionade because…? Kowalsky: Because Bionade is a great product! By the way, we attach great importance to having our consumers really experience the product – and the idea behind it. GCB: For example? Kowalsky: For us it is important to show children that we all have to take on responsibility for the environment. That works best when children can literally “grasp” Nature,

Modernisation measures at Hilton Düsseldorf The Hilton Düsseldorf is currently modernising its Rheinlandsaal ballroom and the adjacent foyer. Fresh colours, shapes and renovation work will create an entirely new atmosphere radiating a sense of wellbeing. And that is not all: Coffee breaks and the AXIS Bar are also getting a “facelift”: the bar is even getting new furnishings. In the future the guests will be pampered with a newly designed menu and beverage list as well as with

for example by planting a tree. That is why we launched the Bionade Drinking Water Woodland project jointly together with partners. That has made Bionade the first company in Germany that plants as much “drinking water” as it consumes. We have already planted 170,000 trees in eleven drinking water forests all over Germany, an area of over 60 hectares or about 150 acres. And that is also a win-win situation: We are planting those forests together with school kids of all ages. But the same applies in this case: Of course a measure like that has to suit the company. GCB: But you are also very successful in your market…. Kowalsky: We have succeeded in doing something that only Red Bull has managed to do in recent times: We have created a new market segment. Statistically speaking, every German drinks two bottles of soft drinks every day - that makes 160 million bottles a day. And we have a market share of four percent. GCB: And what happens next?

Kowalsky: We believe that we are only at the beginning of a trend where more and more people will be banking on healthy products that do not focus on preaching and finger wagging, but communicate enjoyment and a lifestyle feeling instead. We want to be one of the leaders in that market. It looks like we have a good chance: Because there are still many people who have never even tried Bionade or do not know about it, and many markets – including other countries – that do not know about Bionade. GCB: Is that idealism or the desire for more profits? Kowalsky: We are not as big as people often think. At the moment Bionade has approx. 150 employees. But of course we have to ask ourselves: How do consumers perceive us? That is why we want to communicate openly and on an equal footing with consumers. Because after all – it’s the consumers who have made Bionade big. GCB: Mr. Kowalsky, thank you very much for talking to us

trade fair grounds and the airport – there is a shuttle bus service between the hotel and the airport. The city itself offers a large number of possibilities for evening activities after conferences and events – or for creative breaks in between – ranging from the historic city centre, the Königsallee boulevard and renowned museums to the media harbour and ancient fortifications. And visitors who would like to take a bicycle tour automatic coffee machines that allow guests to make themselves fresh coffee along the Rhine can get on their including a huge variety of specialities. bikes right at the Hilton Düsseldorf: The Hilton Düsseldorf has optimal The hotel has its own bicycle rental. www.hilton.de/duesseldorf connections to the city centre, the

New splendour for CongressSaal hall at Congress-Centrum Ost Koelnmesse The Congress-Saal hall at CongressCentrum Ost Koelnmesse has been undergoing extensive renovations in the past weeks.

A wall area of 1,100 sq m was wallpapered and painted. The ceiling with an area of 1,200 sq m also got a new coat of paint. The wooden partition walls with a total surface nz_MmiG_210x140_engl 15:38 Uhr Seite 1 area of 75012.07.2011 sq m were overhauled.

NEWS – HOTELS

The Congress-Saal hall has been equipped with additional crossbars in the stage area, and the wiring for the technical facilities and parts of the lighting technology has been modernised. 576 ceiling light fixtures and 156 wall light fixtures were cleaned and polished. The Congress-Saal hall can accommodate up to 1,224 persons. In total, the facilities at CongressCentrum Nord and Ost Koelnmesse offer space for more than 19,500 persons and offer direct access to the ICE railway station Köln Messe / Deutz and excellent connections to the autobahn highway. Cologne / Bonn Airport can also be reached quickly and easily within 15 minutes by car. www.koelnkongress.de

www.convention.palace.de

Dorint Hotel am Heumarkt Cologne and Dorint An der Messe Cologne: The market leader in the cathedral city with 575 hotel rooms Cologne – Two hotels, one brand and a common goal: As far as numbers of rooms are concerned, the two Dorint hotels An der Messe Cologne and in the city centre Am Heumarkt – which operate under the same brand name – are the market leaders in the cathedral city. Together the two Dorint hotels can offer 575 rooms. “That potential is opening up entirely new opportunities for us,” says Volker Windhöfel, Director of Dorint Hotel Am Heumarkt. In order to sell those rooms better, the Reservation and Revenue areas as well as Marketing and Sales have been amalgamated in one building respectively. “The CY CMY

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NEWS – HOTELS / DESTINATIONS

Reservation department works here on our premises, and the Marketing department is at the Am Heumarkt location,” explains Achim Laurs, Hotel Director of Dorint An der Messe Cologne. A new software system was developed specifically to ensure that the co-operation arrangement goes smoothly. In the hotel sector. Both Dorint hotels are ideal convention hotels because they have a large number of event facilities: The Dorint Hotel am Heumarkt Cologne has six conference rooms as well as a large ballroom with a floor area of 359 sq m and is suitable for events with up to 380 guests. The Dorint An der Messe Cologne has 13 conference rooms with a total exhibition area of 1,173 sq m, providing space for up to 550 people. “As a result of the co-operation between our two hotels, we can now offer the corresponding number of rooms as well,” says Achim Laurs with gratification. “In order to ensure smooth transportation for guests between the respective event location and their rooms, we set up a shuttle service between the two hotels,” adds Volker Windhöfel.

Hotel directors Achim Laurs (left) and Volker Windhöfel are working together to ensure things stay that way. www.dorint.com

Estrel Berlin: 1,125 freshly refurbished rooms Renovation work at Germany’s largest hotel is now complete. The 1,125 guestrooms and suites at the Estrel Berlin have been made modern, timeless and elegant.

At a cost of around 10 million Euros all the bedrooms in the hotel, the public areas, parts of the restaurants and the summer garden right by the water have been given a complete makeover. For the new look the interior architects focused uppermost on design and functionality. The fully air-conditioned rooms are unfussy and elegant, their colour, material and lighting chiming perfectly. In shades of beige and brown, accentuated by violet, the hotel rooms radiate warmth and elegance. Exclusive accessories, individual flower arrangements and genuine paintings conjure up a personal atmosphere. A special highlight are the two antique suites, which enter into an exciting symbiosis of old and new, stylishly pairing historical furniture with modern interiors. www.estrel.com

“BerlinCentives” – the compass for incentive trips to Germany´s capital Incentive search made easy: the new “BerlinCentives” generator has gone online on convention.visitBerlin.de. It allows users to look for extraordinary Berlin experiences, in a targeted manner and free of charge. This unique tool for Berlin was developed by the Berlin Convention Office of visitBerlin in cooperation with the Society of Incentive Travel & Executives, Site. “BerlinCentives is a sort of compass for organisers of rewarding and motivational trips”, says visitBerlin CEO Burkhard Kieker. “It takes you safely through the countless opportunities in Berlin to the matching incentive. At the same time the providers based in the German capital receive a new platform on which they can present their unique services. With this new tool we have come a big step closer to our goal of positioning Berlin as an outstanding incentive destination.” With the launch, already more than 20 offers are available. They are subdivided into categories such as “Team Building” or “Fashion & Design”. After the selection of a category and group size the matching incentives are displayed. For instance with “Berlinagenten” the user can book a culinary tour through the restaurants of the city or commit himself at “VIA Workshops” within the framework of corporate social responsibility. “BerlinCentives” is available in German and English. Further information is available in the Internet on www.convention.visitBerlin.de

NEWS – CULTURE

En route to dOCUMENTA (13) showcase works in Kassel in the most different of venues, demonstrating what contemporary art can contribute to our understanding of the world. This will include the full gamut of artistic genres, such as sculptures, installations and performances, photography and film. For the Artistic Director, Italo-American Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, the documenta is an open zone, and her experimental approaches resemble those of the artists she has chosen to exhibit. Thus, the 13th edition of the show will once again be a mirror, a surprising stage to present the diversity of our world.

n the summer of 2012 dOCUMENTA (13) will open in Kassel, a cultural event of world standing. Since it was established in 1955, documenta is regarded as the most important international exhibition of contemporary art, takes place every five years, and runs for 100 days, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to Kassel. In 2012, again more than 100 artists will

n Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, Artistic Director Every documenta is shaped by the artistic/curatorial approach of its director. Many legendary names such as Harald Szeemann, Jan Hoet and Catherine David are associated with the documenta. In 2012, it is Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev who will shape the face of the documenta. Born in the United States, where she

n Further details

Prices Prices General Reduced 1 day ticket 20 € 14 € 2 days ticket 35 € 25 € season ticket 100 € 70 € evening ticket from 5pm 10 € 7 € school classes per person – 6 € family ticket 50 € – Upon presentation of a valid ID, the following persons are eligible for reduced admission: students, pupils, unemployed and recipients of social benefits, military conscripts and persons performing civilian service, handicapped with ID ( > 70% disability ). Handicapped with ID marked B, H, BL and AG may take along one companion into the exhibition free of charge. Children at the age of 10 or younger are admitted free of charge. Family ticket up to two adults with up to three children (aged 10-16).

Runtime: 9th June till 16th September 2012. Homepage: www.documenta.de. Guided tours and accompanying programs will be announced soon. Register now to receive our Newsletter by clicking info@documenta.de. Getting there Kassel can be reached by rail from almost all the main cities in Germany in about three hours. Hotel overnights can already be booked at: Kassel Marketing GmbH Obere Königsstraße 15 34117 Kassel +49 561 70 77 07 +49 561 70 77 169 info@kassel-marketing.de

grew up as the child of BulgarianItalian parents, she has been active as a curator and author in Rome, Kassel and New York. From 1999 to 2001, she worked as Senior Curator at P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center in New York, and from 2002 to 2008 she was Chief Curator at the Castello di Rivoli in Turin, of which from 2009 onwards she was in part Director. Moreover, in 2005 she functioned as Co-Curator of the first Turin Triennial and in 2008 Artistic Director of the 16th Sydney Biennial. “dOCUMENTA (13) will, among other things, focus on the physical character of exhibitions: It is here that people come together to share the experience of art, as it were to celebrate their shared physical presence. Only in this way does the ‘exhibition’ emerge as a format for new life, only thus does the dOCUMENTA (13) again arise and place imagination, intellectual adventure and the power to act at the very heart of its activities“, Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, Artistic Director of dOCUMENTA (13). www.documenta.de

Contact documenta und Museum Fridericianum Veranstaltungs-GmbH Friedrichsplatz 18 34117 Kassel +49 561 70 72 70 +49 561 70 72 739 office@documenta.de Partners The documenta und Museum Fridericianum Veranstaltungs-GmbH is a non-profit organisation owned and financed by the City of Kassel and the State of Hessen and financially supported by the Kulturstiftung des Bundes.

NEWS – DESTINATIONS

Frankfurt-Rhine-Main metropolitan region attains Silver Status

o an increasing extent, event organisers worldwide are banking on the “gateway” for conferences and conventions in the heart of Europe - the Frankfurt-RhineMain metropolitan region. The clear opinion in the meeting, incentive, convention and event industry (MICE) was recently confirmed by the results of the “Meeting & EventBarometer 2011”. The convention centres in Darmstadt, Frankfurt, Mainz and Wiesbaden are pleased about their second place in the ranking of the most popular convention and conference destinations in Germany. This is the first time that the FrankfurtRhine-Main metropolitan region has overtaken the Greater Munich Area. The Area of Greater Berlin / Potsdam is still in 1st place. Consequently, optimism is quite justified. The Frankfurt-Rhine-Main metropolitan region is outstandingly well equipped with venues such as Congress Frankfurt, which is the department of Messe Frankfurt that offers facilities at the Frankfurt trade fair grounds, Kurhaus Wiesbaden and Rhein-Main-Hallen Wiesbaden, Congress Centrum Mainz (CCM) and darmstadtium, which is the science and convention centre of Darmstadt. The responsible individuals indicate that they are very satisfied with the results that have been achieved and feel that their strategy of “bundled strengths” has been confirmed. Lars Wöhler, Managing Director of darmstadtium, thinks that the strategic orientation of the four partners is right on track: “With our respective

portfolios we comprehensively cover the requirements placed on high-quality events. Moreover, the future theme of sustainability is a top priority for all of us – meaning we are perfectly in line with the current trend among event planners. 62 percent confirm the growing significance of green meetings“. CCM Managing Director August Moderer refers to the alliance of the venues as a “gateway” for conventions. That wording is an intentional allusion to their proximity to one of the world’s largest airports. It is a crucial competitive advantage that underscores the importance of the Frankfurt-Rhine-Main metropolitan region together with its high level of business competence and widely varied university and science landscape. Furthermore, the metropolitan region also scores points because of the charming tourist destinations in the surrounding area - along the Rhine and the Main Rivers as well as in the Taunus and Odenwald mountain areas. Impressive wineries, picturesque wine villages, castles and old fortifications on mountain peaks, outstanding museums, architecture and urban shopping districts in cities offer the ideal fringe programme for events – and everything can be reached quickly and easily. “Within easy reach – that is our trump card,” adds Claudia Delius-Fisher, Director of Congress Frankfurt. “Time is money - we all know that. Event organisers as well as guests save time and money thanks to fast, direct transportation access to the Frankfurt-Rhine-Main region.“

Congress Centrum Mainz

Congress Frankfurt

darmstadtium

Rhein-Main-Hallen Wiesbaden

Kurhaus Wiesbaden

www.ccmainz.de www.congressfrankfurt.de www.darmstadtium.de www.rhein-main-hallen.de www.wiesbaden.de/kurhaus

Happy Birthday visitBerlin Berlin Convention Office

Since ten years the visitBerlin Berlin Convention Office (BCO) of Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH has been offering competent support at the organisation of conventions, meetings and incentives. Customers benefit from the experienced team, a broad network of contacts and the free-of-charge agency and reservation services for hotel allotments.

NEWS – DESTINATIONS

Exactly in the year of the anniversary BCO informs with a completely revamped Internet presence on Berlin as an event metropolis. On www.convention.visitBerlin.de the destination Berlin is presented in a comprehensive, structured and interactive manner. Event planners are provided, for instance, with ideas for fringe programmes, participants get information on the cultural offering of Germany´s capital.

online on convention.visitBerlin.de. It allows users to look for extraordinary Berlin experiences, in a targeted manner and free of charge.

Berlin is an attractive and diverse incentive destination. It has adjusted to the changes on the market for rewarding and motivating trips. They will be short and offered with discerning programmes. “BerlinCentives” generator has gone

Members of: ICCA, MPI, SITE, ECM, EVENTIA, ITM, GCB

Contact: visitBerlin Berlin Convention Office Am Karlsbad 11 10785 Berlin t:+49 (0)30 26 39 183 f:+49 (0)30 26 47 48 965 convention@visitberlin.de

www.convention.visitberlin.de

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ENSURE SAVINGS OF PER PERSON / NIGHT Are you planning a business event with 20 - 150 guests this winter? Great! If you book your event or conference at least 8 weeks in advance, you can take advantage of our attractive Novotel Early MICE PRICE offer*. Book directly with your selected Novotel hotel, or call your Accor sales contact.

novotel.com/meetings

* This offer applies to all 24 Novotel hotels in Germany. 20 3 per person on hotel services (conference package/accommodation) is deducted from the company’s total bill. Applies to groups of 20 and over and to bookings made at least 8 weeks in advance. Valid for events between 01 November 2011 and 29 February 2012. This offer cannot be combined with other offers/discounts/arrangements and does not apply to events already booked.

NEWS – GCB-PARTNERS

Congress Allianz – the convention centre alliance n

10 cities * 10 congress facilities * 10 certifications

n the meantime, the Congress Allianz organisation has been established in the industry for 6 years: it is an alliance between ten German convention centres with the aim of finding a common denominator with respect to size, equipment, functionality and professionalism. The objective of the Congress Allianz organisation is to generate customer loyalty to the participating convention centres through referral marketing and thus to not only make cost, performance and service advantages possible, but also to guarantee them. At present the convention facilities in Aachen, Kassel, Münster, Bochum, Friedrichshafen, Hanover, Mainz, Pforzheim, Rostock as well as Weimar are members. Congress Allianz is a marketing co-operation organisation capable of acting, which is willing to take joint steps on the path towards the future – because working successfully in the event business sector is also

linked to sustainability and ecological thinking. The 10 Congress Allianz members have all attained EVVC Green Globe certification. There is a growing demand for so-called “green meetings”, and the association of the ten German convention centres has succeeded in being commended as the first “green alliance”. On behalf of the alliance, the Karlshochschule Management Institute defined an independent catalogue of criteria that examines the members’ performance with respect to vocational and supplementary training, employee exchange, the range of one-stop shopping services for event organisers as well as in form of an event evaluation in order to make the service standards and performance of all centres tangible for customers. Thanks to this quality inspection by a neutral certification body, the abovementioned criteria were assessed by means of various checks over a one-

year period and scrutinised all the way down to the fine details by means of personal interviews in all service areas of the convention centres. After that independent, in-depth assessment, Prof. Stefan Luppold, who was responsible for the project, awarded the seal of quality of the Karlshochschule Management Institute to all of the Congress Allianz members at this year’s IMEX. Thus, a reliable and trustworthy seal of quality has been created for customers: it expresses the service promise that the alliance has defined for itself even more effectively because there are repeat evaluations and certifications every two years. Just try it out:You can access the professional know-how of 10 convention centres with just one phone call: Telephone +49 (0)70022288537. n Congress Allianz Members: n n n

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Eurogress Aachen Ruhrcongress Bochum Kultur- und Congress-Centrum Graf Zeppelin Haus Friedrichshafen Hannover Congress Centrum Kongress Palais Kassel Congress Centrum Mainz Messe- und Kongresszentrum Halle Münsterland CongressCentrum Pforzheim StadtHalle Rostock congress centrum neue weimarhalle www.congressallianz.de

NEWS – GCB-PARTNERS

GCB selects strong partners to be “Members in the Spotlight” n The Berlin Convention Office as well as the Frankfurt conference locations Westin Grand Hotel Frankfurt and

Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel are examples of the great attractiveness of Germany as a conference location

he GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. has made Berlin and Frankfurt – two of Germany’s outstanding conference destinations – the focus of its marketing. Whereas the German capital has been the most popular German destination for international conferences for years, Frankfurt consistently outperforms its national and European competitors with regard to accessibility: The European Spatial Planning Observation

Network ESPON, supported by the European Union, established that the metropolitan region surrounding the financial centre of Frankfurt is the European region with the best accessibility. Therefore, this year the three “Members in the Spotlight” are representative of two fundamental advantages of Germany as a conference location: good infrastructure and the quality of services offered with a good priceperformance ratio.

As well as designating it as a “Member in the Spotlight” again, the GCB congratulates the Berlin Convention Office of visitBerlin on its ten year anniversary. Since it was founded in the year 2001, the BCO has made a decisive contribution towards the success of Berlin as a convention city. For example, in the year 2010 the German capital welcomed roughly 9.1 million visitors to 113,100 events. Highlights in the 2010 convention calendar

NEWS – GCB-PARTNERS

were the XXXII International Congress of Ophthalmology (ICO) & 108th DOG Congress & AAD Congress, which were organised by the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) and attracted 9,000 ophthalmologists and scientists to the banks of the Spree River. In the same year, the joint annual conference of the German, Austrian and Swiss societies for haematology and oncology brought 4,500 physicians together in Berlin. So in the last ten years Berlin has advanced from ninth place to fourth place among the internationally leading MICE metropolitan centres in a worldwide comparison. The Berlin Convention Office helps event planners with the organisation of conventions, conferences and incentive trips. In addition to a closely knit network of contacts, in this context it also offers its clients options for optimising and booking hotel allotments. That service is free of charge. The staff at the BCO provide interested parties with comprehensive and up-todate information about Berlin as a convention and event location as well as about the culinary and cultural delights that the city has to offer. This year the luxurious Westin Grand Frankfurt is sharing its membership “in the spotlight” with the modern First Class hotel Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel & Conference Center.

Much more than just a „face-lift“: Renovation of the entire event floor at the Westin Grand Frankfurt After the renovation of the public areas as well as the restaurants and rooms, the entire meeting event floor has just been excitingly revamped. The function rooms are equipped with high-quality furniture, carpets and state-of-the-art technical equipment. No room resembles the other. Clean lines and warm earth tones dominate, contemporary accents highlight the different facets of the rooms, creating a modern and inspiring atmosphere. All rooms have air conditioning and Wi-Fi, which can also be cross-linked with each other. The event manager is your contact when it comes to plan and coordinate the event. The StarMeeting Concierge on the other hand, is your direct on-site contact person who handles the event during the entire time. Now, the Westin Grand Frankfurt offers 2,200 sq m of meeting space with 13 banquet and conference rooms of various sizes. Festive banquets for up to 300 persons are possible, as well as events for up to 500 and even receptions for up to 1,000 persons. This luxury hotel, centrally located in the city center of Frankfurt, impresses with modern elegance, exquisite cuisine and impeccable service. Four restaurants, a bar, a pool and WestinWORKOUT offer

enjoyment and relaxation. Flatscreen TV, Nespresso coffee machine, Heavenly Bed® and shower are among the special amenities of each room. The Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel & Conference Center is one of the top event hotels in Europe, offering 52 flexible event rooms, the 1,200 sq m Congress Center and the SkyLoft. In addition to all Club und Towers rooms as well as the Towers Lounge, 39 conference rooms have been renovated completely. The three telepresence conference rooms that were recently opened are a new highlight. Thanks to the most modern technology, they make extraordinarily high-quality videoconferencing possible for hotel guests. The building is only a few metres from Terminal 1 of Frankfurt Airport. In 2011 - as the host of the IMEX Gala Dinner - the hotel welcomed 650 decision makers from the international MICE industry. One annual highlight of the event programme is the three-day Sight City trade fair, Germany’s largest exhibition for aids for the blind and visually impaired. In 2011 more than 130 exhibitors and more than 4,000 visitors congregated in Frankfurt for the event. www.convention.visitberlin.de www.westingrandfrankfurt.com www.sheratonfrankfurtairport.com

To book, use the code: onetwofree T +49 (0)180 3330300 · F +49 (0)180 2220200 nh.groupdesk@nh-hotels.com www.nh-mice.com/onetwofree

66 hotels throughout Germany and Austria. 540 conference and meeting rooms. Book your meeting now and benefit from three complimentary services.

A breakout room – free Internet access in the conference area – free Every fifth guest – free NH Hoteles Standards

A clear conscience We protect the environment

Your culinary highlight Mediterranean cuisine

A good night‘s rest Comfortable beds

Booking period: 04.10.2011 – 04.12.2011 · Conference period: 01.12.2011 – 29.02.2012 Free internet in the conference area during the event. | Minimum booking: 10 persons; on request and subject to availability. Only valid for new bookings.

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