"Meetings made in Germany" 1/2013 by GCB German Convention Bureau

The Magazine of the GERMAN CONVENTION BUREAU

English Edition 1 / 2013

IMEX 2013

GCB Marketing Focus at IMEX 2013: Germanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s key industries

www.germany-meetings.com

Sustainability

Review of greenmeetings and events conference 2013

40 years of GCB And looking towards the future

www.lufthansa.com

www.germany.travel/gcb

www.congress-stuttgart.de

Meet in Stuttgart: The Birthplace of Innovation – Driver for our sustainable future The Stuttgart Convention Bureau is your reliable partner regarding all aspects of planning your successful event in Stuttgart, gateway to the Black Forest in Southwest Germany. Benefit from our services and local expert network in Germany’s most sustainable metropolis. For more information visit www.congress-stuttgart.de or write us an e-mail: info@congress-stuttgart.de

EDITORIAL 03

Dear Readers,

MEX, the leading international exhibition for the incentive travel, meetings and events industry, will be hosted by Germany this year for a remarkable 11th time. The exhibition will open its doors at Messe Frankfurt

science. Event organisers build and maintain local networks with businesses and scientific institutions that enable them to provide valuable contacts and topical programmes of accompanying events – a significant

Leading the way with industry expertise and know-how for “green meetings” from 21 to 23 May 2013. With around 215 exhibitors participating under the umbrella of the GCB, Germany will once again be the most heavily represented destination. The broad range of products and services on offer are just one of the reasons why a visit to IMEX can pay rich dividends: the trade fair also offers a variety of interesting initiatives and an extensive educational programme, which also includes the series of seminars organised by the GCB. n New publication: “Germany. Expertise.” There are many good reasons why the organisers of IMEX have remained loyal to Germany as the venue for their sector meeting: the country not only offers outstanding infrastructure but also excellent value for money and industry expertise in important areas of business and

added value to planners of meeting events. At this year’s IMEX, we will also present another useful tool: our new publication “Germany. Expertise.”. This guide provides a compact and convenient overview of Germany’s regional fields of expertise and helps event planners to seek out the most suitable destinations for their events. n Go green!

Germany is also an expert in the area of “green meetings”. In 2012, according to the Meeting- & EventBarometer, 37.7 percent of companies had already implemented a sustainability management system in their companies – 10 percent more than in the previous year. The significance of this topic is also reflected in the enormous response to the greenmeetings and events conference 2013. With initiatives such as the sustainability code “rightandfair” and seminars providing a training pathway for sustainability consultants, the GCB is also working to ensure that the topic is even more

broadly and securely anchored in the German events sector. Join us! n Fit for the future This year, the GCB celebrates its 40th birthday. Since it was founded, it has repeatedly been a source of new ideas in the meetings and events sector, which continues to develop dynamically. In our birthday year, though, we want to look forwards not just backwards: the GCB has recently commissioned a study to investigate the challenges and opportunities that will arise in the sector in future and provide detailed action plans and recommendations for those involved in the event industry. Let us set course for the future together – today.

I hope you enjoy reading this edition of the GCB customer magazine.

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

04 CONTENT

Supported by:

The Magazine of the GERMAN CONVENTION BUREAU

German National Tourist Board www.germany.travel

English Edition 1 / 2013

16 35

GCB

NEWS – Destinations NEWS – Destinations

Sustainability

Editorial Review: Theme year 2012 40 years of GCB – and looking towards the future Members in Focus 2013 GCB London event

03 30 31 32 34

Review: greenmeetings and events conference 2013 Premiere presentation of the Meeting Experts Green Awards Kap Europa congress centre in Frankfurt announced as the venue for the greenmeetings and events conference 2015 Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Approach is a Recipe for Successful Sustainable Events Best practice “rightandfair”

18 20 22 24 27

IMEX 2013 GCB Marketing Focus at IMEX 2013: Germany’s key industries Eco-friendly Germany Stand at IMEX 2013 German wild cards Association Day

06 08 12 14

Imprint

Executive Board: Matthias Schultze Printing: Druck- und Verlagshaus Zarbock GmbH & Co. KG V.i.S.d.P.: Birgit Pacher, Editorial Staff: GCB German Convention Bureau e. V., Featured writers in this issue: GCB, Claudia Sporn, Layout: Sven Steglich

Publisher

GCB German Convention Bureau e.V.

GCB Branch Office North America

Kaiserstraße 53 60329 Frankfurt/Main, Germany Tel. +49 69 242 930- 0 Fax +49 69 242 930- 26 E-Mail info@gcb.de www.gcb.de

122 East 42nd Street, Suite 2000 New York, NY 10168-0072, USA Tel. +1 212 661 4582 Fax +1 212 661 6192 E-Mail gcbny@gcb.de www.germany-meetings.com

natureOffice.com | DE-140-559273

Title: GCB; Pictures: p 08,10: Accente Gastronomie; p12: Architektur im Dialog, Fräulein Betty; p 14: IMEX; p 16: CCH; p 19, 20: GCB; p 26: GCB; p 27, 28: Tagungserlebnis Tegernsee; p 32: CCH; p 33: Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel & Conference Center; p 34: The Crystal, BMW; p 35: Hannover Kongress; p 36: Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH, Congress Center Leipzig; p 37: BMW Leipzig

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: Accor Hospitality Germany GmbH, DüsseldorfCongress Veranstaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Stuttgart Convention Bureau c/o StuttgartMarketing GmbH

IMEX 2013

GCB Marketing Focus at IMEX 2013: Germany’s key industries New publication “Germany. Expertise.” helps event planners seeking suitable locations – more than 200 exhibitors at Germany’s exhibition stand.

he GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. will primarily focus on presenting its key industry strategy at IMEX 2013 – the leading exhibition for incentives, meetings and events, which will be held from 21 to 23 May 2013, in Hall 8 at Messe Frankfurt. Germany’s exhibition stand organised by the GCB will once again be the largest stand at IMEX with 215

exhibitors. Many of them reflect the competence of Germany in economically strong business sectors. “The marketing of industry focus areas in specific regions which the GCB has initiated in connection with its key industy strategy will secure a decisive advantage for Germany in the long term amid international competition. The

Meeting & EventBarometer 2012 confirms that: 82 percent of event organisers are convinced that interlinking event organisers with the specific industry competence that exists at a particular event location will become more and more important,” explains Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the GCB.

IMEX 2013

and biotechnology), Technology and Innovation (from mechanical engineering and IT to micro-electronics and nano-technology), Energy and Environment as well as Financial Services. A cartographic overview shows the distribution of the key industries throughout Germany with the aid of a map of Germany and six individual industry-specific maps. Background information about the individual industries supplements the visual presentation. Thus, the publication provides assistance in compact form for national and international event planners seeking locations where the environment is thematically related to their planned event. Additional information and a list of all exhibitors at Germany’s stand can be found at www.imex-frankfurt.de/whatson/exhibitorsearch.html

n IMEX 2013 − Overview Where? Messe Frankfurt, Hall 8 www.germ any-m

When? May 21st -23rd, 2013 Opening hours: Tuesday, May 21st from 10.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Wednesday, May 22nd from 10.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Thursday, May 23rd from 10.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

eetings.co

Who? Germany. Expertise.

Industry focu s according state and to region.

Ancillary programme: Over 100 continuing training events and forums as well as New Vision initiatives. The comprehensive programme for visitors and exhibitors includes: n■

n Compact assistance for industry-specific event

planning The marketing organisation of the German event industry will present the new publication “Germany. Expertise.”, which has just been released, to international professional audiences for the first time at IMEX. The brochure was developed by the GCB in cooperation with experts: in six areas German cities and regions offer valuable contacts or thematically appropriate social programmes for events: Medicine and Healthcare (including the areas of medical technology and healthcare management), Transport and Logistics (including automotive manufacturing, traffic system technology, aviation and aerospace), Chemical and Pharmaceutical (including disciplines such as life sciences

Roughly 9,000 trade visitors, approx. 4,000 of which as hosted buyers from 70 countries Roughly 3,500 exhibitors from over 150 countries

n■

over 100 continuing training events and forums as well as New Vision initiatives and theme pavilions co-operation with Meetings Mindset®, a company that has dedicated itself to the mission of optimising events. The services of Meetings Mindset® are part of the IMEX continuing training programme, which is the most extensive ever “Hot Topic Campfires”: 30-minute intensive sessions. Experts offer important basic knowledge about business practices in the event industry for small groups of ten to twelve people Exclusively Corporate @IMEX is a new option as of 2013 – a made-to-measure networking and continuing training programme for event planners from companies

Admission free of charge, registration online at www.imex-frankfurt.com

IMEX 2013

Eco-friendly Germany Stand at IMEX 2013 n CO2 offsetting for exhibitors - Sustainable catering services from Accente Gastronomie Service GmbH

he German Convention Bureau (GCB) will make its stand at IMEX 2013 an environmentallyfriendly operation for the first time. The activity at this year’s show, underlines the GCB’s commitment to sustainability in the meetings industry. The GCB, the umbrella organisation for the German events industry, has committed itself to promoting sustainable development in the country. As well as benefiting the environment, this strategy reinforces

Germany’s status as a leading player in the field of sustainable events, helping its businesses to secure long-term success in this competitive global market. “In light of this commitment, we believe that all aspects of trade fairs should be sustainable, and we are delighted to be working with such capable partners to make this a reality”, commented Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the GCB.

n CO2 offsetting with CO2OL

The GCB is working with CO2OL, Forest Finance Service GmbH, for the first time in 2013 in order to offset the CO2 emissions resulting from its stand. This will include the emissions produced by exhibitors and service providers travelling to and from the venue, as well as the carbon footprint created by technical equipment, overnight stays and waste disposal. The exhibitors at the Germany Stand - a total of 215 businesses

and organisations - can also play their part in making it as sustainable as possible. When planning their visit, they have been encouraged to consider the impact of travel, logistics and the printing and distribution of brochures. Exhibitors in the outdoor area can also get involved by checking CO2OL’s CO2 calculator via the GCB homepage to work out their potential carbon footprint for IMEX and putting in place measures to minimise this. Also, the hired stand construction company, mac, is setting standards by organising the entire Germany stand sustainably (www.mac.de). n Catering using regionally-sourced,

ecological and sustainable produce The GCB’s focus on sustainability continues through its tendering process for external service providers. Catering supplier Accente

IMEX 2013 09

Gastronomie Service GmbH fulfilled all of the GCB’s criteria by sourcing ingredients directly from the surrounding region wherever possible, selecting seasonal produce and placing particular emphasis on fair trade products. Furthermore, Accente has a growing fleet of electric cars and saves resources by employing low-emission vehicles. The caterer is also dedicated to running an ethical and socially responsible business by, for example, monitoring the conditions in which imported goods are manufactured. n Interview with Klaus-Peter Suhling, Managing Director of Accente Gastronomie Service GmbH GCB: The GCB attached special importance to sustainability in its invitation to tender bids for catering. What concrete aspects are

you implementing in that regard at Germany’s IMEX stand? Suhling: We realise the theme of “sustainability” in our catering very deliberately. We prefer to purchase our food products directly from the surrounding area or region. Some examples of our suppliers are as follows: ■■ Hartmann Bakery in Rödelheim ■■ Neuhaus Butcher’s Shop in Schwalbach am Taunus ■■ Beverage wholesale dealer Kirstein in Niederdorfelden (international beverages, but above all beverages from regional sources as well: fruit juices etc.) We not only bank on the theme of sustainability with regard to foods, we also realise it in the range of beverages we offer. Our hot

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IMEX 2013

beverages are prepared with Fairtrade coffee beans and tea leaves supplied by J. J. Darboven and Eilles. GCB: What areas does the commitment to sustainability at your company encompass? (workflows, transport, origin / processing of food etc.) Suhling: At our company, we deliberately bank on low-emission means of transportation that conserve resources in order to make deliveries to our stands as well as events on the trade fair grounds in an eco-friendly manner. We already own nine electric vehicles and that figure will increase in future. As far as the origin of our foods is concerned: as was already described, for the most part we obtain products from suppliers in our region and are continuously increasing the proportion of seasonal or regional products. Waste avoidance and economical use of raw materials are absolute priorities. Waste separation is a matter of course for us; unavoidable waste is disposed of by the Meinhardt company based in Flörsheim, which also contributes towards eco-friendly operations thanks to the short driving distances. In the area of hygiene (HACCP) and quality assurance, we work closely together with the Fresenius company, which has its head office in Bad Soden. Retained samples of all of our foods are taken every day and processed accordingly. GCB: Since when has this awareness of sustainability played a role at Accente, or how has it developed in the course of the years? Suhling: By bringing all operational units together in one modern building – our “annex” – in the

year 2004, we achieved tremendous savings in the area of energy and transport: there is no doubt it was a sensible step to take from the economic standpoint as well. Since then we have continuously made efforts to minimise the emissions of our vehicle fleet, to implement a waste avoidance and disposal concept as well to optimise purchasing and delivery. We have always purchased fresh foods in particular from the region and when they are in season because of our convictions as well as quality considerations. In its present form, the thematic aspect of thinking and doing business sustainably has evolved in the course of the last two years. Now questions are asked about the environmental track record of products purchased as well as subsequent processes. We face up to ethical and social questions, for example the manufacturing conditions of imported goods. And we address the issues of ecological sustainability: How can we conserve resources and energy as well as reduce emissions? This process will undoubtedly necessitate a great deal more efforts in the coming years and will never really be completed, but it will invariably be accorded everincreasing priority.

GCB: Has there also been a perceptible change in thinking on the demand side? Can you describe that / provide examples? Suhling: We received the first customer inquiries as well as questions about our processes relating to these issues in the year 2011. Our customers consciously incorporate the theme into their inquiries and specifications. The reason for that is that sustainable business activities are an integral part of corporate identity / process guidelines within companies, and therefore business partners / suppliers naturally expect that as well. Growing demand for regional products and recipes: customers have become much more interested in origin, processing as well as the aspect of disposal and over-production than they were a year ago. We are obliged to ensure greater transparency and more sustainable working methods. Accente Services will also focus on this thematic area even more in the coming year, as the new convention centre Kap Europa will be opening. That building will be the “greenest” and most sustainable convention centre in Europe, and it goes without saying that we will also be implementing a “green catering concept” for it.

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IMEX 2013

German Convention Bureau presents winners of the German wild cards for IMEX n The GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. has announced this year’s winners of the German wild cards for IMEX:

the event agency Architektur im Dialog (AiD) and event and entertainment agency Fräulein Betty held off a host of competitors with their innovative event concepts.

ach wins an exhibition area free-of-charge at the Germany Stand organised by the GCB German Convention Bureau. The two finalists will now have the opportunity to present their companies to an international trade fair audience. This is the eighth time that the GCB has awarded two wild cards to German organisations and companies that focus principally on events in

their domestic market. Applicants are restricted to those who have not yet participated in a trade fair in this sector. Moreover, they must also be new companies in the German meeting, incentive, congress and event market or offer new products for the convention and event sector. The event agency Architektur im Dialog was founded in 2010 with the

objective of improving the exchange of ideas between experts from the construction sector and decision makers from politics, business and the media. Here the agency impressed with its wide ranging series of presentations and events on the subject of „sustainable architecture“. In cooperation with the Frankfurt Energy Agency, the company created the project „KLIMAtour“, which guides international representatives

The event and entertainment agency Fräulein Betty from Wiesbaden was also delighted to receive its wild card. The company, represented by the vintage art figure of Fräulein Betty, produces modern, creative and multimedia event concepts of charm and originality. This highly creative agency, whose philosophy and motto reflect traditional values such as reliability, courtesy, decency and constancy, has a reputation for

from the sector around the most outstanding examples of energy efficiency and resource conservation architecture in the City of Frankfurt am Main. These specialist tours supplement the events offered by the business travel market in the area of sustainable construction and highlight Germany‘s pioneering role in the area of sustainability. www.architekturimdialog.de

designing events, conventions and trade fair appearances with a little added „je ne sais quoi“. At IMEX 2013, Fräulein Betty will have its own presentation area at the Germany Stand and report from the trade fair on its channel Fräulein Betty TV. www.fraeuleinbetty.de

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IMEX 2013

IMEX Association Day programme – New education content devised and delivered by association executives for association executives n The IMEX Group has announced the full education line-up for its hallmark Association Day, which takes place at the

Messe Frankfurt Congress Center on Monday 20th May.

his year’s programme has been devised in consultation with association executives, many of whom have attended IMEX Association Day in the past. The result is a day of professional education, discussion and networking that addresses association professionals’ most important issues from the association perspective – focussing on case studies and group discussion. The sessions also take the overarching theme of ‘innovation’ for the first time.

n Rich and varied - 10 seminars across 3 tracks Following a networking lunch, the 300 delegates will have a choice of 10 education sessions which take place across three separate tracks to reflect the differing roles and responsibilities of the Association Day audience: ‘Executive’ (focusing on strategic development issues); ‘operations’ (focusing on logistical issues) and ‘meetings’, which will deal with implementation and delivery

challenges. Speakers have been drawn from a diverse group of association executives, as well as reflecting the global nature of the audience. The first executive track session will see Willis Turner CAE CME CSE, CEO, of Sales & Marketing Executives International, Inc. discussing “The quest for relevance: Free is a business model”. Turner will address the thorny issues of member subscription rates and attrition, longterm value and ‘fear’ of competition.

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Baden-Baden Kur & Tourismus GmbH Congress & Events Department Solmsstraße 1, 76530 Baden-Baden Phone: +49 (0)7221 275241 Fax: +49 (0)7221 275260 Internet: www.baden-baden.com

IMEX 2013 / NEWS – DESTINATIONS

Following him will be Carla Nagel, Director of the Neuromarketing Science & Business Association, who will explain how she developed a strategy for a new field by taking advantage of her online skills and open-minded attitude. Since she is not an association manager by experience, Nagel’s session is set to provide a fresh take on “How to develop an association in the digital age.” In the first operations track of the day, Kevin Novak,Vice President of New Business Development and Digital Strategies for the American Institute of Architects (AIA), will share his expertise on “Virtualizing and Hybridizing your Events for Greater Impact and Participation.” At the same time “Innovative Ideas for Growing an Association” will be presented by Ajay Kakar, President

Elect and Vice President of the Indian Academy of Aesthetic and Cosmetic Dentistry and International Academy of Periodontology. n Lady Gaga’s intriguing contribution Elsewhere in the afternoon’s intensive programme, other sessions will include: “Marketing like Lady Gaga”, by Sheri Jacobs, CAE, President & CEO of Avenue M Group (an ASAE devised session); “Sustainability and Growth of Congresses in Difficult Times” by Davi Kaur of the ECCO European CanCer Association and, in the meetings track, “How to use different models for evaluating your event”, which will be moderated by Martin Sirk, CEO of ICCA. Also in the meetings track, William Thomson, Founder of Gallus Events and Jo Lewis, Sponsorship Manager for The

British Dietetic Association (BDA), will co-present a case study on how a new client brief – “create. excite. innovate” – generated a completely different approach to the association’s events. The meetings track rounds off with Sherrif Karamat, CAE, and Chief Operating Officer of PCMA, giving his perspective on “Innovative Delivery in Meetings and Events.” Participation in the IMEX Association Day is either via the show’s hosted buyer programme or as a non-hosted buyer and is exclusive to association executives, allowing for more open and honest discussion. Full details on how to attend and the register are here: www.imex-frankfurt.com/ associationdayregister.html

40 years of CCH Congress Center Hamburg n Anniversary year 2013 characterised by important major events

ven after 40 years of event history, the CCH Congress Center Hamburg is still one of the global players in the convention business. In its anniversary year, the agenda of the CCH includes major medical conventions, including the 8th World Congress of Melanoma, and other prestigious events. In 2013, the CCH and the adjacent trade fair grounds will be the central focus of two major happenings that will leave their mark on the entire cityscape of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg - the 34th German Evangelical Church Congress with more than 100,000 participants and the 96th Lions Clubs

International Convention Hamburg 2013 with 25,000 visitors expected. “We are proud that the CCH has always played in the “Champions’ League” in the past 40 years,” says Edgar Hirt, Director CCH. “The CCH has succeeded in repeatedly maintaining its leading position in the convention business with a large number of internationally important conventions. Roughly 130 global conventions have been held at the CCH to date.” The top conventions included the World Cancer Convention 1990 with 10,000 participants, the ASTA World Travel Convention 1990 with 7,000 participants, the World Convention for Space Research COSPAR 1994, the World Computer Convention 1994, the UNESCO World

NEWS – DESTINATIONS 17

Conference on Adult Education 1997 and the Postal Union Congress 1984, which was simultaneously the longest convention that was ever held at the CCH with a duration of 40 days. Last year a stir was caused by the 20th World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics, Bio Europe 2012, which is Europe’s largest bio-technology conference, and the 10th German Senior Citizens’ Day, which was held at the CCH attracting more than 18,000 visitors and with the participation of Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and Federal President Joachim Gauck.

CCH and the trade fair halls will be the central focus of activities. The central meeting place for the 25,000 participants expected from all over the world will be in the trade fair halls. That is where seminars, workshops, the exhibition of the winners of the peace poster competition and the international photo competition as well as support & liaison for participants will be located. www.cch.de

Another event that is also quite special will be taking place for the first time ever in Germany from July 5th to 9th: the 96th Lions Clubs International Convention. The

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GREENMEETINGS AND EVENTS CONFERENCE 2013

High-calibre speakers at greenmeetings and events conference 2013 n An appeal to the sense of responsibility of the event industry and visions for the future of sustainable events â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

high-calibre representatives from the political sector, companies and institutions provide inspiration at the second conference focusing on all aspects of sustainable events.

ore than 340 participants had accepted the invitation of the GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. and the European Association of Event Centers (EVVC) to attend the greenmeetings and events conference on February 26th and 27th, 2013, at the darmstadtium science and convention centre.

In his opening address, Federal Minister of the Environment Peter Altmaier - who was connected live from Berlin as the patron of the conference - described sustainable events as a key to competitiveness for companies in the event industry. He said that those that lead the way in that area will maintain their leading position in comparison with

European and global competitors. In addition, Altmaier appealed to the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sense of responsibility for the environment and society: he said that sustainability is a project of society as a whole, also encompassing logistics, building efficiency, tourism and the event sector. There is no other alternative than to tackle resource problems. Altmaier would

like to win over the industry as supporters of the energy transition – it has to be affordable and irreversible, and result in energy being generated exclusively from renewable sources.

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Klaus Töpfer

In his keynote speech, Prof. Klaus Töpfer, former Federal Minister of the Environment, called for a wholehearted approach to the issue:

GREENMEETINGS AND EVENTS CONFERENCE 2013 19

“I urgently caution you that we are just indulging in “greenwashing” if there is no substance behind our efforts. Evidence is required – more and more event organisers regard that as an important aspect,” according to the expert on climate change, renewable energies and environmental protection. The Meeting & EventBarometer 2012 also confirms that: according to it, 86 percent of event planners are convinced that the significance of “green meetings” will remain the same or will even increase in future. Töpfer also spoke about the unresolved conflict between real meetings and virtual contact options. In that context, he rejected the idea that electronic media might be able to replace face-to-face meetings and instead categorised the former as a valuable supplement that could conserve resources in individual cases.

Image 4c 200 135 VKI GCB 03.13 en_Image 4c 200 135 VKI GCB 03.13 en 21.03.13 09:55 Seite 1

“The remarks of Federal Minister of the Environment Almaier welcoming the participants and the keynote speech of Prof. Töpfer were quite clearly the highlights of the programme of this year’s greenmeetings und events conference,” stated Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the GCB. “The second edition of the event has already attracted a great deal of attention from the political sector – that demonstrates the importance that is attached to the event industry and the theme of sustainability.” Joachim König, President of the EVVC: “Especially the various perspectives that were reflected in the presentations at the conference provided valuable and inspiring ideas from which the entire industry will benefit in conjunction with development of sustainable event planning.”

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GREENMEETINGS AND EVENTS CONFERENCE 2013

The winners of the first „Meeting Experts Green Award“

Premiere presentation of the Meeting Experts Green Awards n The first ever presentation of the Meeting Experts Green Awards took place at the

greenmeetings and events conference in Darmstadt, Germany, on the evening of 26 February 2013.

he awards honour outstanding achievements in the area of sustainability by companies in the meetings and events sector and are awarded by an independent jury in five categories: Best Energy Management/ Conservation of Resources, Best Sustainable Event, Best Sustainable Event Centre/ Location, Best Sustainable Human Resources Management and Best Sustainable Company/Association. The winner in the category Best Energy Management/Conservation

of Resources was the Hannover Congress Centre; the ICCA Green Traffic Project at Congress Center Leipzig was presented with the award for the Best Sustainable Event; the Bregenz Festival House took the award for the Best Sustainable Location, artlogic Crewpool won the category Best Human Resources Management; and BESONDERE ORTE Umweltforum Berlin GmbH was recognised as the Best Sustainable Company.

n Jury included experts from the

event sector and environmental institutions The members of the jury for this year’s Meeting Experts Green Award were: Anja Lindner (Projects - Consulting - Organisation for Sustainable Catering and Events), Professor Helmut Schwägermann (Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Business Management and Social Sciences), Professor Michael-Thaddäus Schreiber (EITW - Europäisches

Institut für TagungsWirtschaft GmbH at the Harz University of Applied Sciences), Dr. Gunther Tiersch (meteorologist and weather presenter at ZDF, a national German TV station), Dr. Stefan Müssig (WUQM Consulting) and Dirk Walterspacher (CO2OL – Forest Finance Service GmbH). Their decisions were based on the following criteria: innovation & originality, feasibility & transferability, usefulness & relevance, costs & benefits as well as evaluation & documentation. n Best Energy Management/ Conservation of Resources The winner in this category, the Hannover Congress Centre (HCC), has achieved an enormous reduction in its CO2 emissions and water consumption through a combination

GREENMEETINGS AND EVENTS CONFERENCE 2013 21

of modernisation projects and switching its energy supplier. In addition, the HCC commissioned the development of an IT solution to link the EBMS event software to its building services technology. This automatically ensures that its halls and conference rooms are heated only during the times relevant for the event. Other companies recognised in this category were the Parkhotel Stuttgart Messe-Airport and Deutsche Bahn AG, Germany’s national railway company. n Best Sustainable Event This category was won by Congress Center Leipzig as the host of the 50th ICCA Congress from 22 to 26 October 2011. As a member of the marketing cooperation “Feel the

Spirit”, which was coordinated by Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH and Leipziger Messe GmbH, Congress Center Leipzig and its local partners designed and implemented a sustainable mobility solution for the congress. The “ICCA Green Traffic Project”, led by apprentices from the various companies, developed a transfer solution for congress participants, which used only local public transport services. Not only did the solution prove itself sustainable but the reception among participants and the public was overwhelmingly positive. The other nominee in the category Best Sustainable Event was the 34th Protestant Kirchentag Hamburg 2013 - the nationwide gathering of the protestant church in Germany.

Discover new dimensions See unimagined perspectives, immerse yourself in flood-lit atmospheres and experience a very special spatial feeling! – As you can see, we are excited about our ICS International Congress Center Stuttgart, its open, bright architecture, the pleasant atmosphere and the state-of-the-art infrastructure. To enable you to share our enthusiasm, we would like to invite you on a discovery tour of new dimensions. For an initial brief insight, order your free 3D glasses and “The ICS in 3D” brochure at www.ics-in-action.de. Just click on it!

V isit

us at Frank Hall 8 furt , Stan d F020 21 to 23 m ay 20 13

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GREENMEETINGS AND EVENTS CONFERENCE 2013

n Best Sustainable Event Centre/ Location Sustainability has been high on the daily agenda of the winner in the category Best Sustainable Event Centre since 2008. The Bregenz Festival House in Austria has put all three pillars of corporate social responsibility – environment, efficiency and social involvement – under the microscope, giving equal weighting to each and enjoying great success. Other nominees in the Best Sustainable Event Centre were the Mainz Congress division of mainzplus CITYMARKETING GmbH and Congress Centrum Alpbach. BTME Certified is a sponsor of the Meeting Experts Green Award in the category “Best Sustainable Event Centre/Location”. BTME Certified GmbH & Co. KG has its headquarters in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, and has been the official and exclusive hotel certification

company of the VDR travel association since 1 May 2011. n Best Sustainable Human Resources Management The award for Best Sustainable Human Resources Management was presented to artlogic Crewpool. The company trains specialists, offers its employees a wide range of training courses and is committed to the area of occupational health and safety in every area. The environment is another aspect of its business that artlogic Crewpool takes very seriously - the company is carbon neutral thanks to its participation in carbon offsetting projects, use of renewable energy, investment in paperless office technologies and employment of local crews. Further nominees in the category Best Sustainable Human Resources Management were the Hannover Congress Centre and Eurogress Aachen.

n Best Sustainable Company The winner of the category Best Sustainable Company is BESONDERE ORTE Umweltforum Berlin GmbH, which received its EMAS certificate in 2012. Ever since it was founded, the company has focused on a sustainable ecological approach and the introduction of a professional environmental management system. Other companies recognised in this category were CAMONSITE Conference and More GmbH and HypoVereinsbank/ UniCredit Bank AG.

The new Meeting Experts Green Award is organised by the GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. and the European Association of Event Centres (EVVC) and will be presented every two years at the greenmeetings and events conference.

www.meeting-experts-award.de

Kap Europa congress centre in Frankfurt announced as the venue for the greenmeetings and events conference 2015 n Green credentials prove decisive as construction of the new Messe Frankfurt congress centre continues

he next greenmeetings and events conference will take place in Messe Frankfurt’s new “Kap Europa” congress centre February 9 - 10, 2015. The announcement was made by the conference’s organisers, the German Convention Bureau (GCB) and the European Association of Event Centers (EVVC), at the closing ceremony of this year’s greenmeetings and events conference 2013 in Darmstadt, Germany. Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the GCB, was delighted with the choice of venue. “Once again, we have succeeded in finding an ideal location for the greenmeetings and events conference,” he said. “The Kap Europa congress centre will meet outstanding

G REENMEETINGS AND EVENTS CONFERENCE 2013 23

sustainability standards and therefore be the perfect host for the event.” The Kap Europa congress centre is currently under construction in the Europa district of the city of Frankfurt just a few minutes away from the trade fair site and with excellent local public transport services. The congress center is due to open in summer 2014 and will offer a 1,000-seater hall, a divisible hall for 600 people and 12 conference rooms over four levels. “After this year’s outstanding greenmeetings and events conference, we are delighted to have been chosen to host this event in 2015. It will give us the opportunity to present a new sustainable destination to the sector: Kap Europa. Messe Frankfurt’s new congress centre has been designed for optimum sustainability throughout its life cycle in accordance with the standards defined by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). We hope that this new standard will pioneer the way for future event centers,” said Claudia Delius-Fisher, Director of Congress Frankfurt. Kap Europa has already been awarded a PreCertificate in Gold by the German Sustainable Building Council for its high ecological standards - the first congress center to receive this recognition. It is the

EX in Visit us at IM rmany: ain, Ge Frankfurt/M 560 Stand G

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reward for an extensive range of measures designed to improve the building’s environmental footprint. Every aspect of sustainability was taken into account during the planning stage - from the environmentally friendly, lowwaste construction site to energy efficient operation and a sophisticated deconstruction concept. Foyers with natural daylight and energy efficient windows and facades not only create an inviting ambience but also make a major contribution to the venue’s energy savings. The use of wood, all from certified sustainable sources and mostly from local forests, ensures a pleasant climate in the rooms. The building also features a 1,000 sqm green rooftop garden. “As well as the participants and the programme, the venue is one of the key factors responsible for the success and effectiveness of an event - and this is particularly true of the greenmeetings and events conference. Germany has a growing number of congress centres, which are setting new global standards in sustainability. We are delighted to be able to use this conference to highlight the strengths of these facilities,” said Joachim König, President of the EVVC. Information about Kap Europa and the latest news about the progress of construction work is available at www.kapeuropa.de

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Offer is bookable upon request and subject to availability and applies to all newly booked events for 5 to 50 persons. This offer cannot be combined with other promotions or corporate contracts. Booking and information in all participating hotels or at Steigenberger Meeting and Event Service Telephone: +49 69 66564 700 Fax: +49 69 66564 705 E-mail: meeting@steigenbergerhotelgroup.com www.five.intercityhotel.com www.five.steigenberger.com

GREEN MEETINGS

Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Approach is a Recipe for Successful Sustainable Events

hen you prepare to make a minestrone soup you know it will take many different ingredients: Pasta, vegetables, beans, fresh herbs, parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil to complete the Italian classic. But to truly make a gourmetworthy batch, success depends on mixing the tastes and textures of the ingredients in such a way as to bring out their best flavors, melding them together. To achieve this, you can pick from thousands of minestrone recipes in cook books, on Facebook

pages of favorite chefs or on food Cable TV websites.

event with the creation of the new ISO20121 standard.

Just like with good soup, the same balance and combination of sustainability has to be achieved (discovered) to create a successful green meeting. Unfortunately, though, a winning formula or recipe is not always so readily available. Since mid-2012, however, there has been progress made in creating a cookbook or sorts to help demystify the process of creating a green

The standard covers the entire value chain of an event (from supplier selection, to recycling practices, to environmentally friendly mobility and communications) and offers practical help with its “Plan-DoCheck-Act Approach” (PDCA) This approach – whether your aim is to fully certify your event or just get greener – can be a useful recipe

in planning and implementing sustainable events ... and it works without having to go to the supermarket for herbs or EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil). Here’s how it works and how it may help you: n “Plan”: Line Up Your Key

Ingredients Let’s say you are planning a two-day national event with approximately 500 participants and you want it to be greener. Your first step will be to create a specific goal like “We want to reduce CO2 emissions by X percent” or “We want all catering for the event to be green”. From there you’ll want to define what sustainable principles, objectives and needs will drive these efforts, identify the key people who should be involved, and honestly discuss what issues may arise. Once this initial plan is down on paper you will be able to more easily drive decisions for the event such as considering local suppliers, identifying public transportation options, highlighting venues with renewable energy features, and suggesting sponsors who will share your vision. Before you move on to the next step of “Do”, however, you’ll also need to assign and clearly communicate roles and responsibilities and ensure everyone understands and is bought into the plan. n “Do”: Prepare your “Kitchen”, Then Get Cooking With a good plan in place and initial communications started with your “green team”, it will be tempting to jump right in and start turning up the heat.

GREEN MEETINGS 25

However, before proceeding to implementation you’ll need to take a few more prep steps. First be sure to assess how the skill levels of the internal and external team members line up with your goals ... or not. You may need to provide resources or training at your end. At the provider, supplier and venue ends you might need to ask for changes or clarifications or secure added commitment levels to support your goals. Second you’ll need to dig deeper into how you can tactically achieve your planned goals e.g.: Are you going to create & package specific transportation recommendations and programmes with a greener bend? What menu choices will you make to ensure that more locally grown foods are used? What will your print documentation policy be, and which elements will you offer only online to engage and educate participants? Also in the “Do” phase: before you go live with the plan, you should establish a measurement and tracking process to decide how to gauge success or identify areas for improvement. This Q&A process will help determine how actions will be controlled throughout the event supply chain and by whom. Finally, once these planning elements are in place and you have evaluated the general feasibility of your goals and ideas, it’s time to get cooking and start executing against the plan. Now that it’s “go time” it will be paramount to establish clear and regular lines of communication internally and externally to keep things moving in the right direction. At the same time you will have to continue creating, maintaining and sharing documentation during every part of the execution. Ongoing communication and documentation of your green

meetings process will help build continuous understanding and buyin, create more effective progress individually and collectively, flag areas for redirection earlier, and share new or better ideas that can be adopted to get even stronger green results. n “Check”: The Proof is in the Pudding... or the Minestrone The third phase is the analysis and comparison phase. Here you will look at how your target goals for your green meeting measured up to the actual performance of the event. For example: how many print documents were actually used vs. posted online? What percentage of food used was locally grown in the end? How much recycling took place during and after your event for food waste or documentation, signage etc.? How much energy was saved at event hotels due to sustainability measures? Be sure to take a systematic and holistic look at the all the elements that went into or against your green goals at the show – planned or not. This is also a great time to develop new criteria for future events, which were not considered this time around.

n “Act”: Refining the Recipe Now that you are post event you should feel great about the green gains you’ve made, but you should also take a hard look at how, when and where issues arose and why, and how goals were prevented from being reached. It is also a great time to do a reality check on your original goals, and how you might handle things differently going forward. For example, do you want all your show hotels to be within walking distance from your event next time to reduce your CO2 footprint? Do you want to increase online

GREEN MEETINGS

communications by creating better education for partners so they won’t ship brochures and then end up “dumping” the left overs? Finally be sure to document all these challenges, lessons learned, and ideas so you can revisit them at next year’s event or any other upcoming meeting or happening.

Creating a green event is like cooking. It will take some practice at first, some trial and error, and seeking out and using recipes like the ISO20121 “Plan-Do-Check-Act Approach” (PDCA) The good news is that more and more of our colleagues are getting into the “kitchen” to host sustainable events around the world. This is

a real win-win for our earth and the organizations we work for and indeed a recipe for success for the future of meetings. So as they say in Italy – the home of minestroneBuon Appetito, or as we say in Germany, Guten Appetit!

n The seven myths of sustainable event planning Sustainable events are still tainted with a large number of myths. We have taken a closer look at the classic ones in order to contribute towards a change in attitudes: 1) Doing without is the main objective: At “green” meetings the main focus is not on doing without things, but rather on devising better solutions that harm the environment as little as possible. Nothing has to be lacking - even at “green” events. 2) “Green” meetings are expensive: Eco-friendly organisation of events is often less expensive than a conventional approach, as it leads to a great deal of savings potential, for example in connection with energy consumption. 3) More time, effort and expense involved: A counter-example: If you handle the entire registration procedure for an event with over 10,000 participants electronically, you also save time and effort in addition to valuable resources: printing, stuffing envelopes, conventional mailing etc. – all of that is eliminated. 4) Only eco-catering is truly good: Organically grown papaya from Costa Rica has a poorer carbon footprint than fruit in season that is grown domestically. So by concentrating on regional and seasonal foods for catering, you can definitely make a contribution towards the environment and also ensure that the produce purchased is always fresh.

5) Guests want fun and not moralising: Guests want to feel good with a clear conscience – that can neither be achieved by wasting resources nor by preaching and fingerwagging. What is needed in this regard is enlightenment – but by no means dogmatism. Then climate protection can be combined with “emotion”. 6) Great commitment – and nobody notices: In order for event guests to perceive them as credible, planners have to communicate their social and ecological commitment externally and actively integrate the guests into their concept. 7) Eco-friendly is uncool: In certain industries there is still a deep aversion to so-called “tree huggers”, even though the era of purple bib overalls has been over for a long time. But the positive feedback is huge as soon as guests can experience successful green realisation first-hand and if the emotional level is addressed as well.

BEST PRACTICE RIGHTANDFAIR

Tagungserlebnis Tegernsee association signs “rightandfair” code of conduct More than 340 companies and institutions in the event industry have signed “rightandfair”, the sustainability code of conduct that was developed by the GCB and EVVC. One example is Tagungserlebnis Tegernsee e.V. (TET), a partnership of companies in the Tegernsee region.

he first sustainability workshop for the member companies of TET – over 40 hotels, event agencies, transport companies and other companies from the Tegernsee valley – was held on March 21st, 2013, at the Haus des Gastes venue in Tegernsee. In an official public avowal, the participants in attendance committed themselves to strive for more awareness in dealing with the environment and nature in future as well as concern for employees, customers and the people of the region.

In September 2012 during a quality conference, TET already informed its partners about the sustainability code of conduct entitled “rightandfair” and the next implementation steps that were planned. “We initially wanted to raise awareness for the issue of ecological, economical and social sustainability among our colleagues. Subsequently, various partner companies then examined the thematic area intensively together with us and developed a logo as well as their own guidelines for future work in the Tegernsee region

in line with the motto “Meeting naturally in Tegernsee”,” reports Michael Götz, Managing Director of Tagungserlebnis Tegernsee and Head of Product Development & Event Management at Tegernseer Tal Tourismus GmbH. Maximilian Manzenrieder, Partner and Director of Parkhotel Egerner Höfe, which provided crucial support in the run-up phase,

BEST PRACTICE RIGHTANDFAIR

confirms the efforts: “In Germany there is currently a lot of interest in environmental themes, and a lot of rethinking has been done at large companies. The issue of sustainability has reached us here, and we are noticing that increasingly in the inquiries we receive about conferences. Therefore, we - as a sustainable region and entrepreneurs – have to demonstrate transparency and outwardly communicate what has already been implemented here on a daily basis for many years. But we must not just make promises in this regard: we have to provide concrete examples of implementation.” One of those examples is the project called “Sustainability in the State Forest”, which the network is currently promoting jointly with the Bavarian State Forests and the event agencies of the region. When Forestry Manager Stefan Pratsch learned about the Sustainability Code of Conduct project at Tegernsee for the first time, he spontaneously offered to get involved. One particular

concern of Pratsch is to ensure that recreational visitors do not just regard the mountain forest as a sports arena. On the contrary, environmentally compatible events are intended to forestall prohibitions or blocked off areas that would be otherwise necessary. “Those who commit to and adhere to the “rightandfair” code of conduct can proceed on the assumption that customer satisfaction will also increase. We want to help people experience nature in a more environmentally compatible way. That is why we have developed binding rules for dealing with our forest together with Tagungserlebnis Tegernsee. That is the only way we can really operate sustainably and also develop a valuable understanding of nature among vacationers,” says Pratsch. Ralf Schönberger, the owner of the Crossing Mind agency, has also undertaken to adhere to the “rightandfair” code with his company. “The concepts of “fairness”, “sustainability” and “careful husbandry of all resources”

have already been an integral part of all planning and considerations at crossing mind since it was founded. Our entrepreneurial activities are strongly influenced by that – every day. And we put those concepts into practice in real life. So of course committing ourselves to this sustainability code of conduct is just a logical consequence.“ Nevertheless, the responsible individuals in Tegernsee still have a lot of work and convincing to do. “Sustainability starts with small steps. As tourism professionals and entrepreneurs, we can make our contribution to environmentally compatible, sustainable living in Tegernsee with our initiative. For us that also means taking on responsibility for our actions within the association,” says Michael Götz, who is confident the efforts are on the right track. www.tagungserlebnis-tegernsee.de Information about the “rightandfair” sustainability code of conduct at www.rightandfair.eu

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GCB NEWS – REVIEW THEME YEAR 2012

Synergies and impetus in important international markets n In the year 2012, the GCB German Convention Bureau together with the German National Tourist Board (GNTB)

realised the theme year “Business Travel Destination Germany – Trade Fairs and Conventions”. The final assessment of the two partners is positive.

n conjunction with the joint theme year, the GNTB and GCB intensified their partnership-based co-operation even further and implemented numerous measures. The goal of the theme year was to tap into the great potential of Germany as an international business travel destination in important markets more effectively, thus reinforcing the competitiveness of Germany in that area for the future. In consultation with the GNTB, the GCB developed a plan of action encompassing measures such as online communication, development of a brochure, educational trips, trade fairs, press and public relations work as well as market research. With respect to content, the main focus was the thematic aspect of “Green Meetings”. That was the title of the brochure published jointly by the GNTB and GCB: “Sustainability for success - Conferences, conventions & events in Germany”. In connection with theme year related activities, the publication served as basic information as did the specially produced image film “Green Travel”. In addition, the GCB also presented its newly designed website www.gcb.de in the spring of 2012 as the kickoff of the theme year and in close co-ordination with the GNTB. Since then, it has also been available in additional languages of the most

important primary and futureoriented market, besides in German and English. n Focus on source markets The GNTB and the GCB organised a large number of events in conjunction with the initiative in order to present Germany internationally as a business travel destination. In the period from February to December 2012, events were held in Belgium, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland, Spain and the USA. There was also a press trip to Germany for international media representatives. A wide range of important multipliers took part in the events: event planners, journalists as well as representatives of companies, associations and agencies.

At those events, the convention and meeting destination Germany primarily presented itself with its trend-setting commitment in the area of “Green Meetings”. Another thematic focus was Germany’s competence in important business and science sectors – besides infrastructure and price-performance ratio, that aspect is gaining in significance as a criterion for the choice of a destination. That focus was reflected in selection of high-calibre speakers for the events of the theme year 2012:

Michael Lohscheller, Executive Vice-President of the Volkswagen Group and Chief Financial Officer of Volkswagen in the USA, spoke at the customer event in New York, whereas Martin Riecken, Director Corporate Communications Europe of Lufthansa AG, gave a speech at an event in London. Phillipe Krasnopolski, Director Communication at BASF, gave a keynote speech in Paris on the subject of “Sustainability and social responsibility”. In Vienna, Thomas Morawski, Studio Manager of the ARD Studio in the Austrian capital, focused attention on the role of global events in the field of politics, science, culture and sports. Furthermore, aspects such as the future development of mobility, the creative industry or Germany as a media location were illuminated at additional events. Further events are scheduled in the markets of China, Russia and Poland in the year 2013. The location of Germany is thus also benefit from the theme year out of the synergies created and the important pulses in the target markets. www.germany-meetings.com www.germany.travel

GCB NEWS – 40 YEARS OF GCB 31

40 years of GCB – and looking towards the future n The GCB is celebrating its 40-year jubilee in the year 2013 – and taking advantage of the anniversary for a

publication about the German meetings and convention industry over the course of time. But the GCB is not only looking back, it is also looking ahead: an extensive study has examined the future of the industry.

four examines the internationalisation of the industry with its challenges and opportunities. The fifth chapter is devoted to future opportunities and challenges in the meetings and convention industry. n Quo vadis, meetings and convention industry?

On the occasion of its 40-year anniversary, the GCB commissioned a study to analyse future trends and changes in the industry. The initial trigger for it occurred at the Meeting Experts Conference (MEXCON) in Berlin in June 2012. The GCB and its partners asked themselves the question: “How will meetings and conventions develop up until 2030 and what conclusions can be drawn from that for the German event industry?” The goal of the study is to serve as a “roadmap” and give the event industry concrete recommendations for action, enabling the industry and meeting planners to adapt to future developments.

he publication for the 40-year GCB jubilee takes a look at the meetings and convention industry over the course of time. The book contains numerous interviews with renowned experts in addition to informative texts and is divided into five chapters: The first chapter illuminates the importance of conventions from an economic and historical standpoint, for example, aspects such as the re-integration of Germany into the international community of states or the role of conventions for knowledge exchange and promotion of innovations. The second part focuses on developments and requirements relating to the architecture of convention centres. The third chapter looks at the psychological and sociological significance of events – the catchwords in this context are “live experience” and “face-to-face communication”. Chapter

With support from the scientific and business sectors as well as the event industry, the GCB commissioned IZT, the renowned Institute for Future Ideas and Technology Assessment, with implementation of the study. In connection with the study, a scenario workshop with almost 30 experts covering a wide spectrum of areas with relevance for the event industry was held in Frankfurt on April 9th, 2013. In addition, a Delphi study was conducted: roughly 80 experts were polled about the subject of technology.Various scenarios were examined in that context: for example, the role and the changing form of knowledge transfer, the interplay of conferences with newly developed technologies and the architectural requirements placed on the convention centre of the future. The picture was rounded off with an online survey that was aimed at the associations of the industry and their members.

GCB NEWS – MEMBERS IN FOCUS 2013

Top conference options in Hamburg, Leipzig and Frankfurt n

“Members in Focus” of GCB for the year 2013

he GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. is focusing the spotlight on three of its members in particular in the year 2013: the “Members in Focus” are the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg, Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH as well as the Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel & Conference Center. The “Members in Focus” represent outstanding examples of the diversity of event options in Germany: full-coverage distribution of good locations throughout the entire territory of Germany as well as various specialisation areas with convention centres, destinations and the hotel sector.

conventions have been held at the CCH since 1973. In its anniversary year, the agenda of the renowned centre includes major medical conventions and other events again. Examples include the 34th German Evangelical Church Congress with more than 100,000 participants and the 96th Lions Clubs International Convention Hamburg with 25,000 visitors expected. n Convention City Leipzig: Interesting industries,

sustainability and “spirit”

n CCH Congress Center Hamburg – a global player even

after 40 years

When it was opened in 1973, the CCH was regarded as unique in Germany because of its size and complexity; in subsequent years it served as the planning model for new convention centres. Even today the CCH is one of Europe’s most modern convention centres and roughly 300 different events take place there every year. They include internationally important conventions that have enabled the CCH to maintain its leading position in this segment to the present day: A total of about 130 global

Leipzig wows its guests with its many facets: as a dynamic location for business and science, but also as a cultural, shopping and nightlife metropolis. Saxony’s largest city has an extremely modern infrastructure in the trade fair, convention and hotel sectors and offers a high level of professionalism combined with unique warmth. Those strengths are marketed by the initiative “Feel the spirit … - do-it-at-leipzig.de” which represents a total of 47 partners including conference hotels, event locations and a large number of convention service providers in addition to Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH and Leipziger Messe GmbH / Congress Center Leipzig (CCL). In this context, the limelight is focused on the core competence areas of Leipzig, for example in medicine and healthcare, the automotive industry and logistics or the media and creative sector. The CCL with its modular utilisation concept is an outstanding location: almost 100 conventions and

GCB NEWS – MEMBERS IN FOCUS 2013 33

specialist events take place there every year. The CCL was awarded the “Green Globe” seal of sustainability and was also commended with the “Meeting Experts Green Award” in the Sustainability Event category for its “ICCA Green Traffic Project” initiative. The operations of the other partners of the Leipzig meeting industry are also characterised by conservation of resources: in 2012, Leipzig was commended with the German Sustainability Prize in the Quality of Life and Urban Structure category. n Boundless meetings: Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel & Conference Center Guests of the Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel & Conference Center benefit from the incomparably good accessibility of the establishment as well as from the diversity of event options: meetings between two individuals or events with 1,200 people as well as press conferences, conventions, trade fairs or celebrations can be held there on 365 days of the year. 1,008 comfortable guest rooms and suites ensure that event participants can enjoy a relaxing stay.

The hotel offers a total of 60 conference rooms – for example, the two-storey, modern event centre called SkyLoft, the large Congress Center with 1,246 sqm of floor space or boardrooms on the exclusive Club Level. Guests can also conduct virtual meetings at the Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel: three conference rooms are equipped with TelePresence facilities for real-time video conferences.

30 Years of Global Event Solutions

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GCB NEWS – GCB LONDON EVENT

Industry-leading experts share their views at GCB London event n London-based meeting and event professionals will be able to hear expert views on key industry issues such as

sustainability, technology and future trends at a major event hosted by the GCB German Convention Bureau e.V.

The Crystal

GCB is working with its partners and industry experts to deliver two insightful speeches at the event which takes place at Wednesday 9 October 2013 at The Crystal – A Sustainable Cities Initiative by Siemens in the Docklands. Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of GCB, will present the results of an extensive study the organisation has undertaken, in his address entitled “Future Trends and Changes in the Meeting and Events Industry - A Study for International Event Managers”. The keynote speech will be delivered by Dr Thomas Girst, Head of BMW Group Cultural Engagement. The company’s support of art and culture has a long tradition stretching over 40 years and they foster cultural engagement via the development of long-term partnerships. One of the more significant collaborations is the BMW Guggenheim Lab.

A collaboration between the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the BMW Group, the mobile laboratory is travelling to major cities all over the world. It is a forum of urban architecture, technology and sustainability, issues which Dr Girst is set to explore and encourage discussion on during his keynote speech. The event is aimed at MDs, senior meeting and events planners and marketing professionals from across London and the wider area. Guests can meet and network with the expert speakers, GCB and its partners, in a relaxed and inspiring atmosphere. As well as gaining extensive industry insights from the two experts speeches, guests will also have the chance to explore the venue. The Crystal is a sustainable cities initiative by Siemens and home to the world‘s largest exhibition focused on urban

Dr Thomas Girst

sustainability which explores the global trends and challenges facing cities today. Guests will enjoy a delicious dinner at the venue as well as a spot of urban gardening – an interactive and surprise element to proceedings! More details will be revealed at on the day. Join GCB on Wednesday 9 October 2013 for what promises to be an insightful and productive event. Contact: Ursula Winterbauer, Head of International Business, winterbauer@gcb.de Event: German Convention Bureau hospitality event Date: Wednesday 9 October 2013 Location: The Crystal – A Sustainable Cities Initiative by Siemens One Siemens Brothers Way Royal Victoria Docks London E16 1GB.

NEWS – DESTINATIONS 35

Key industries - Best Practice: Healthcare sector in Hanover n Within the scope of its key industry strategy, the GCB German Convention Bureau is positioning German event

locations globally with a focus on their special strengths in business and scientific areas. In this regard, Hanover stands out by reason of its competence in the healthcare sector.

owhere in Germany are as many people employed in the healthcare sector as in and around Hanover. That was the result of the study on the “Current Employment Market Situation and Prospects of the Healthcare and Nursing Occupations in the Hanover Region”. Furthermore, last year a survey conducted by the GCB had already found that Hanover also possesses an especially high level of competence in the healthcare sector in addition to the convention clusters of “Production Engineering” and “Logistics”.

n Top addresses for research and teaching

Some relevant facts: With more than 62,000 employees and 3,000 companies, the healthcare sector is the largest and fastest growing future-oriented industry in the region surrounding the state capital of Lower Saxony. Hanover holds a top position internationally in the area of regenerative medicine, transplantation research, implantology and infection research. Universities, post-secondary educational institutions and other educational facilities offer innovative study programmes and qualifications with unique selling points – for example the model medical study programme called HannibaL (i.e. “Hanover’s integrated, job-oriented and adaptive curriculum”) at the Medical University of Hanover (MHH), which foresees a substantially increased proportion of practical work. Hanover also enjoys an excellent reputation abroad as a top location in the healthcare sector: for example, Saudi Arabia has selected the MHH as the training location for would-be medical specialists. The state capital - easily accessible right in the heart of Europe - constitutes an ideal basis for outstanding medical research and teaching thanks to the MHH, Medical Park Hannover, the internationally renowned International Neuroscience Institute (INI) as well as Klinikum Region Hannover – one of the largest publicsector hospitals in Germany. Furthermore, the German Hearing Centre “Deutsches HörZentrum Hannover” at

the MHH is internationally famous because of the world’s largest cochlea implant programme, and the MHH Clinic for Heart, Thorax, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery is one of the leading surgical hospitals in Europe – with the world’s largest centre for lung transplants as well as one of Europe’s leading centres for liver transplants for children. The heart surgery and paediatric heart surgery facility that developed the biological cardiac valve that grows together with the child for implanting in young children is famous internationally. www.hannoverkongress.de

The conference location Hanover benefits from this unique health cluster. Some examples: ■■

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June 6th to 8th, 2013: Annual Conference of the German Society for Prosthetic Dentistry and Biomaterials October 8th to 10th, 2013: BIOTECHNICA at the trade fair grounds – Europe’s Number 1 industry get-together for Biotechnology, Life Sciences and Laboratory Technology January 22nd to 25th, 2014: Neurological and Intensive Care Congress ANIM

NEWS – DESTINATIONS

First choice for meetings, conventions and events: Convention City Leipzig

n Why Leipzig? For a long time already Leipzig has not just been an insider tip among convention organisers: it is a soughtafter meeting place for high-calibre conventions. For many years the convention city has simultaneously presented itself as modern and rich in tradition, lively and diverse, hospitable and unforgettable. Leipzig wows its guests with its many facets as a dynamic location for business and science, as well as a cultural, shopping and nightlife metropolis. Saxony’s largest city has an extremely modern infrastructure in the trade fair, convention and hotel sectors and offers a high level of professionalism combined with unique warmth. That “spirit” has always cast its spell on entrepreneurs, scientists, artists and students.

n Trade fair and convention city Leipzig – a success story For many years, the initiative “Feel the spirit … - do-it-at-leipzig.de”

has set new standards in international convention marketing. In addition to Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH (LTM GmbH) and Leipziger Messe GmbH / Congress Center Leipzig (CCL), that pool also represents convention hotels, event locations and a large number of convention service providers. In total, 47 partners participate financially in the marketing activities, marketing Leipzig jointly as a convention and meeting destination and supporting event planners with their know-how.The new internet presentation of the service portal www.do-it-at-leipzig.de with unique search functions and the brochure “Meetings & Events in Leipzig”, which was newly designed in April 2013, are important results. n Leipzig’s core competence areas

Leipzig and the surrounding region have been an attractive and steadily growing location for innovative technologies, services

and industries for many years. Leipzig’s core competence areas are medicine and healthcare, biotechnology, information and communication technology, energy and environmental technology, the automotive industry and logistics as well as the media and creative industries, which are being developed in a targeted manner in conjunction with a cluster strategy. The most important successes undoubtedly include the establishment of Porsche there more than ten years ago. In the near future, the Leipzig plant will produce the new Macan model in addition to the Cayenne and the Panamera. BMW also operates a large production plant in Leipzig, where it manufactures various models, including electric cars as of 2013. In the year 2004, DHL decided to make Leipzig-Halle Airport its European hub and create 3,500 jobs there. AeroLogic, a cargo airline founded by DHL Express and Lufthansa

Cargo that is domiciled in Leipzig, has been operating daily flights to Asia and the USA since 2009. Amazon also operates a logistics centre in Leipzig. Leipzig has been an important location for the energy industry since the nineties. European Energy Exchange AG, which is located in Leipzig, is the only stock exchange location for electricity in Germany. In addition,

Verbundnetz Gas AG, which operates throughout Europe, has its head office in Leipzig. In addition to the University of Leipzig, the research landscape is enriched by post-secondary institutions, institutes and hospitals. With its almost 600-year tradition, today the Medical Faculty is a modern educational institution with close links to the University Hospital of Leipzig. They are among the largest medical facilities in Saxony with 48 institutes and hospitals as well as five independent departments. The university has earned international recognition for outstanding achievements in the area of stem cell research, regenerative medicine, surgery and cardiology as well as at the cardiology centre Herzzentrum Leipzig. The most important research facilities in Leipzig include the institutes of the Max Planck Society and the Fraunhofer Society. BIO CITY Leipzig is exemplary: it is a biotechnology and biomedicine centre where business, science and research happily co-exist and co-operate. Furthermore, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research is active in various fields with environmental relevance. n Modular concepts at Congress Center Leipzig

More and more prestigious major events are taking place at the Congress Center Leipzig (CCL). Almost 100 conventions and specialist events are held there every year thanks to its modular utilisation concept

NEWS – DESTINATIONS 37

whereby the adjacent Trade Fair Hall 2 or the glass hall can also be incorporated in addition to the facility’s own 23 rooms and spacious foyers. They include the annual International Transport Forum ITF of the OECD or the Leipzig Interventional Course (LINC), the most important specialist convention for vascular surgeons with over 4,000 participants. Another impressive event held in Leipzig in the year 2011 was the 50th global ICCA Congress, the most important meeting of the international event industry, for example. Additional international specialist conferences on medical topics are and have repeatedly been guests in Leipzig, e.g. FEMS 2013 - 5th Congress of European Microbiologists, 35th ESPEN Congress on Clinical Nutrition & Metabolism or the 7th Leipzig Convention of Veterinarians in January 2014. However, other industries also appreciate the quality of Leipzig as a convention city. Europe’s leading conference and exhibition for highperformance IT systems, the International Supercomputing Conference (ISC), will be held at the CCL annually as of 2013. Another highlight in 2013 will be WorldSkills Leipzig, which is scheduled for June. More than 4,000 participants and 200,000 visitors are expected at the world championship of the skilled trades. n Sustainability – made in Leipzig Leipzig’s trade fair company Leipziger Messe GmbH and the Congress Center Leipzig (CCL) are the first large trade fair and convention centre in Germany to be awarded the “Green Globe” seal of sustainability. The basis for that is a transparent sustainability management system under the brand “Growing in Balance”. Just recently, the CCL was commended for its “ICCA Green Traffic Project” initiative with the “Meeting Experts Green Award” in the Sustainability Event category. The partners of the Leipzig meeting industry also support this sustainability concept with the aim of making green events possible. The City of Leipzig is a trailblazer for sustainable growth: in 2012, Leipzig was commended with the German Sustainability Prize in the Quality of Life and Urban Structure category. The reasons are: Leipzig is especially good at combining sustainability, growth and quality of life – in urban development, traffic planning and energy efficiency as well as in citizens’ participation or integration. In light of steady population growth, the city has provided long-term development impetus by means of the “Leipzig Charta for the Sustainable European City”, which has led to a “new founders’ era” within the territory of the city. www.do-it-at-leipzig.de

NEWS – DESTINATIONS

Website Relaunch for the Stuttgart Convention Bureau (SCB) n Modern design, optimised service, increased content

he Website of the Stuttgart Convention Bureau (SCB) now appears in new splendour: up to the minute and service-oriented. Its range of offers and its design now match the website of the StuttgartMarketing GmbH and the SCB’s new CI. Its contents have also been considerably extended. Important themes such as local business and science, and also sustainability, have been taken into account. For the SCB, the new online appearance www.congress-stuttgart.de is another important step in its reorientation. The core of the Stuttgart Convention Bureau’s internet pages is the interactive database, which comprises some 250 providers from the region. Here, event planners can select suitable providers to fit their specific event requirements and send enquiries through the system directly to congress venues, convention hotels and special locations. In addition to comprehensive information as regards the meeting facilities and the congress region of Stuttgart in general, event organisers also need fast, unbureaucratic support for the planning and organisation of conferences and congresses. In its new portal the SCB has extended its range of services and speeded up procedures for contacting its staff. With new offers, such as procuring German Rail Event Tickets and arranging room reservations that include a ticket for the public transport network, and in particular with its comprehensive advisory

service, the Convention Bureau helps planners to organise sustainable events with a maximum of speed and efficiency. The new portal also does justice to important issues such as the local economy, science and sustainability. These topics continue to gain in importance and to influence the decisionmaking processes of congress planners. As far as economic and scientific fields of competence are concerned, the congress region of Stuttgart is in an excellent position, because the distinct cluster policy of the Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation (WRS - Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart GmbH) is the ideal prerequisite for the SCB’s subject-relevant communication. In addition, the SCB can rely on the close cooperation of the WRS for implementing the so-called “key industry strategy” and thus make use of its comprehensive expertise and networks for the acquisition of congresses. This strategic partnership is unique in Germany and strengthens to a considerable degree the position of the congress region in the face of national and international competition. A further focus of the congress and conference sector is the theme of sustainability. The keyword “Green Meeting” is linked to a great many infrastructural and organisational topics. The Stuttgart Region has a whole range of congress venues and hotels which are deeply committed to promoting sustainability hold

certification to this effect or have already implemented sustainability strategies. These are easy to find in the new online database by means of a special pictogram. The “Green Meeting” theme is backed by Stuttgart’s outstanding results in the overall rankings of the WirtschaftsWoche Sustainable City Indicator (WWSCI) for 2012, in which Stuttgart achieved higher-than-average ratings among the country’s 50 largest towns as Germany’s most sustainable city - and therefore Germany’s most sustainable congress destination - in every category (economic strength, environment, human resources, social affairs, energy and transport, as well as transparency and commitment). www.congress-stuttgart.de

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“The ECTRIMS congress was a great success: the venue and the DüsseldorfCongress team proved a perfect choice and reliable partner in every way.” Professor Dr. Hans-Peter Hartung, President of the Society and ECTRIMS congress president The search for new methods of treating multiple sclerosis requires all the passion you can manage to raise. Just like running a congress. That‘s why the organizers of the international ECTRIMS congress, the most important annual congress on multiple sclerosis, chose DüsseldorfCongress as their partner. The bottom line: 10 learning courses, 3 plenary meetings, 14 meetings held in parallel, 6 meetings on “hot topics”, over 900 presentations, around 5,000 visitors in 5 days. Another step toward healing the disease. How may we accompany you? info@duesseldorfcongress.de | www.duesseldorfcongress.de