www.gcb.de
Annual report 2013/2014 GCB German Convention Bureau e.V.
www.bahn.com
www.lufthansa.
www.germany.travel/gcb
| Contents
36 2 | Contents
Contents
18
33
Foreword: Petra Hedorfer
4
Foreword: Matthias Schultze
6
GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. – aims and objectives
8
Focus of GCB activities
10
German National Tourist Board (GNTB)
12
Deutsche Lufthansa AG
13
Deutsche Bahn AG
14
Partners of the GCB
15
Meeting- & EventBarometer
18
Economic factor – business trips
20
Germany – ten years at the top: ICCA ranking
23
Global competitiveness report: Germany has the best image
25
Strategic marketing
26
Future and innovation
30
Expert area strategy
34
Fairs, functions and customer functions
36
Communication
42
Outlook: 2015-2020
46
Sustainability report
48
The GCB‘s environmental protection measures
50
Dialogue with politicians
52
Organisation and structure
56
48 Contents | 3
| Foreword
Germany is a top destination for business travel Petra Hedorfer – President of the board at GCB and President of the board at German National Tourist Board (GNTB)
In 2013 Germany strengthened its leading position as a European business travel destination. According to IPK International and World Travel Monitor (WTM) a total of 12.6 million business trips from European countries to Germany were registered - an increase of 0.6% compared to the previous year. Promotable business trips, which include trade fairs as well as meetings, incentives, congresses and events (MICE), accounted for over half the overall volume of business travel. In 2013 the number of these trips from Europe to Germany increased by 11.8% to nearly 7 million. This impressive growth is due in no small part to the scientific and economic fields of expertise in Germany, resulting in the most successful year so far for the GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. Germany continues to occupy the top position for trade fairs. Hannover, Frankfurt am Main and Cologne are three of the five largest exhibition sites in the world and the country hosts two of the three global 4 | Foreword
trade fairs. With growth of 8.6% in congress trips in the MICE sector, Germany retained its position as the number one European destination for meetings and congresses and second place in the international ranking of congress locations. These positive developments are the result of marketing activities focusing on „Germany as a travel destination for fairs and congresses“. German National Tourist Board (GNTB) worked on this with its strategic partner, GCB, ensuring the marketing of promotable business trips was the focus of international marketing activities. One of the main reasons for Germany‘s outstanding position as a MICE destination is the high general standards. In the last 25 years following reunification, tourist infrastructures have been enhanced and optimised throughout eastern and western parts of Germany.
The excellent infrastructure and outstanding price/performance ratio contribute to Germany‘s success as a travel destination, alongside its key sectors and areas of expertise. These sectors, such as logistics and mobility, energy, health and medicine, technology and innovation, ensure Germany is regarded as an international centre of competence. The high value placed upon sustainability and environmental protection in Germany ensures it retains its leading position for years in the sphere of green meetings. In 2013 the GCB took the 40th anniversary of its inception as an opportunity to take a good look at developments in the German meetings and conventions sector. The report „meetings and conventions in future“ highlighted predicted trends up to 2030 and their impact on the events industry. The purpose was to provide meeting planners and providers with a roadmap for the events sector in the form of specific recommendations. The GCB also provided its members with a historical overview. The publication „The German meetings and conventions sector in the course of transformation“ presented important milestones and trends over the last 40 years, for example the historic economic importance of conventions,
the architecture of convention centres and the internationalisation of the sector.
German National Tourist Board (GNTB) and GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. as strategic partners In 2014 the GNTB and the GCB continued their successful co-operation with the aim of further strengthening Germany‘s potential as an international business destination as well as its competitiveness. This was achieved via joint presentations at key trade fairs in the business travel sector such as IMEX and MEXCON, with joint customer events, roadshows and press tours planned for this year.
Petra Hedorfer – President of the board at GCB and President of the board at Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus e.V. (DZT)
Foreword | 5
|| Foreword Vorwort
The German meetings and conventions sector is gearing up for the future Matthias Schultze, Managing Director, GCB German Convention Bureau, e.V.
The figures were positive for the development of Germany as a location for conventions, meetings and events in 2013. The „Meeting & EventBarometer for Germany 2013/14“ encompassed 3.01 million events – an increase of 1.3% compared to 2012. The Barometer registered a total of 371 million participants - 2.5% more than in the previous year. Germany once again performed well in the current ICCA ranking (International Congress & Convention Association): for the past 10 years Germany has ranked first place in the European comparison, and second place (below the USA) in the world as a location for international association conventions. This result, which at first glance appears consistent, needs to be seen in a competitive and dynamic context. The situation is all the more impressive because in the previous year Germany was a country achieving sub6 | Foreword
stantial development among the leading locations with growth of 11.2%. The long-term evaluation produced by the „Meeting & EventBarometer“ carried out annually since 2007 also shows a growing internationalisation of the events market in Germany: from 2006 to 2013 the number of foreign participants at events in Germany increased from 14.3 to 23.4 million. Germany‘s success as a location for meetings and conventions is based especially on its clear profile: Germany presents itself as a sustainable and innovative destination as well as a location with expertise in important sectors of science and the economy. This provides ideal starting points for international event planners– for example direct contact with expert speakers who can add value to a convention, or opportunities for programs linked to a theme.
The positive figures for 2013 were also a reason for celebration at the GCB. They celebrated their 40th anniversary not only by taking a comprehensive look back over the past decades, but also by taking a trip into the future involving numerous partners and supporters from the meetings industry as well as experts from a variety of disciplines. The result: “Meetings and conventions 2030: A study of megatrends shaping our industry� which provides guidance in how to address opportunities and challenges in the years ahead. The report shows that five megatrends in particular will have an impact on the meetings and conventions sector: the foremost issue is technologisation of work and life, followed by globalisation and internationalisation, mobility, sustainability and the demographic change.
data. On this basis the GCB develops its marketing activities which are geared to clearly defined markets and target groups and oriented to strategic themes. The GCB‘s responsibilities also include advising members and representing their interests in public, politics and the economy. The annual report gives you facts and details about activities in these areas. You will also find interesting statistical material and up-todate results of studies which are relevant to the German meetings and conventions market.
Matthias Schultze, Managing Director, GCB German Convention Bureau, e.V.
I hope this makes for interesting reading!
The GCB engages with these future issues, as a representative of the German events sector and supporter of its members and partners, to enable Germany to be successful on the international stage. This approach is achieved via detailed market research and collection of Foreword | 7
| Aims and Objectives
GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. – Aims and Objectives The task of the German Convention Bureau e.V. is to secure and further develop Germany‘s leading position in the world as a location for conventions and meetings.
Through targeted marketing activities the GCB has a presence both nationally and internationally and supports its members and partners in the marketing of their services. As a motivator and forward-thinking organisation in the sector, the GCB organises events and addresses current issues. Meetings, conventions and events are platforms for exchanging experience and ideas. They promote innovation and the transfer of knowledge as well as enhancing training. Meetings and conventions are also an important economic factor.
ence services in the German meetings and conventions sector. This involves customer visits in important source markets as well as attending IMEX in Frankfurt and other trade fairs.
Platform The GCB provides event planners with a network of expert service providers across the whole of the country and gives them independent advice on the choice of location. Its contacts with Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn also make efficient travel planning easier as does the service provider database and the online search facility at www.gcb.de.
Marketing The GCB represents German events providers and markets their products and services. The GCB uses educational trips and site visits to give national and international event planners an opportunity to experi8 | Aims and Objectives
Market research Observation of the events market in Germany and across the world is the basis for the GCB‘s marketing activities. The GCB produces information and makes
International convention and meetings market
National market
What the GCB does
Meetings made in Germany
Market research
Representing interests
What the GCB is
An ambassador
Catalyst
Umbrella organisation
The GCB‘s responsibilities
Platforms for marketing
Transfer of knowledge
Network
Members, partners, customers
it available to its members in the sector. Examples are market studies on important source markets but also research on issues relevant to the sector, for example the study „meetings and conventions in the future“.
tor. Strategic partners supporting the GCB are Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Deutsche Bahn AG and German National Tourist Board (GNTB).
Advice By organising their own events, the GCB contributes to the process of establishing important issues within the German meetings and conventions sector or addressing them more intensively. An example is the further training seminars for sustainability advisors in the events sector. In addition, the provision of advice for members, for example concerning opportunities to participate in activities in specific source markets, is an important part of daily work at the GCB.
Communication with public institutions and politicians In addition to further activities, the Meeting Experts Conference (MEXCON) as well as the green meetings and events conference constitute a framework for intensified dialogue with politicians.
Members and partners There are approximately 200 GCB members representing around 450 businesses. These include top hotels, conference centres, locations, regional marketing organisations, event agencies as well as service providers operating in the German meetings and conferences sec-
GCB members GCB members‘ network: board members, chief executives, managers, heads of sales and marketing divisions in businesses such as the hotel trade, mobility, convention centres, cities and municipalities, agencies etc.
»»Strategic partners:
German National Tourist Board (GNTB), Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Deutsche Bahn AG
»»Co-operative members
EVVC (European Association of Event Centres), Vereinigung Deutscher Veranstaltungsorganisatoren e.V. (Association of German Event Organisers)
»»Members 31 cities and city convention bureaus 46 event and convention centres as well as event locations 50 hotels 6 hotel chains with 277 locations 16 PCOs, incentive and event agencies 11 transport operators, caterers, interpreting services, technology companies and publishers
Aims and Objectives | 9
| Focus
Focus of the GCB activities In addition to the areas of expertise and sustainability in the events sector, the future of meetings and conventions figured prominently in the GCB‘s activities in 2013/2014.
The basis of the GCB‘s strategic orientation is scientific analysis and sound market data, an example being the study „meetings and conventions in the future“ published by the GCB together with partners on its 40th anniversary in 2013. The research highlights the most important trends which will influence the events sector in the coming years and provides recommendations for the industry. The GCB‘s anniversary was the opportunity to take a look back at the development of the German events sector over the last few decades. The comprehensive publication „The German meetings and conventions sector in the course of transformation, discussions, thoughts, stories“ highlights the economic historical importance of conventions as well as developments in the architecture of congress centres, the psychological and sociological significance of events as well as the internationalisation of the sector with its challenges and opportunities. An important basis and orientation are the „Meeting & EventBarometer“ statistics, research that has been commissioned by the GCB and their partners for the past eight years. The results of the current „Meeting & EventBarometer“ confirm, for example, the major importance of the issue of sustainability: 82% of providers and 66% of organisers believe that sustainable components will become more important. 61% of
The focus of the GCB‘s activities: »»Study on the future of meetings and conventions »»Publication on the GCB‘s 40th anniversary »»Meeting & EventBarometer 2014 »»Sustainability: »» Seminars for sustainability advisors »» Green meetings and events conference 2013 »»Sustainability code »» Sustainability report »»MEXCON (Meeting Experts Conference) 2014 »»Strategic market work 10 | Focus
providers and 52% of organisers said that reduction or compensation of CO2 emissions is a trend. The issue of sustainability is a focal point for the GCB’s activities including the sustainability seminars which have been revised in 2014 to include material for advanced students. Another example of the use of market data is the detailed B2B studies produced by the GCB in the past few years for the important primary and future markets, i.e. China, USA, Great Britain, Brazil and Russia. The GCB continued its close co-operation with the EVVC (European Association of Event Centres) with the objective to increase awareness of the meetings and conventions sector in the media and in the political arena. Both organisations are in a position to make optimum use of synergies and to economise on resources, especially when organising the major joint projects: the „green meetings and events“ conference and MEXCON (Meeting Experts Conference).
Schwerpunkte | 11
| Partners
German National Tourist Board (GNTB) – a strategic partner of the GCB The GNTB promotes Germany‘s positive image as a country to visit and markets it abroad. The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) is Germany‘s national tourist board with headquarters in Frankfurt am Main. It represents Germany as a tourist destination on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) which supports it on the basis of a directive by the German parliament. The GNTB develops and communicates strategies and products to build on the positive image of Germany‘s travel destinations abroad. It is supported across the world by six regional management and 30 national representation offices. The GNTB and the GCB work together to secure and further develop Germany‘s market position as an international location for conventions and meetings.
12 | Partners
The focus is on the superb infrastructure, economic and scientific centres in the country, the professionalism and quality of work and services, the 7,000+ event locations and the attractive price/performance ratio. bbwww.germany.travel
Deutsche Lufthansa AG – a strategic partner of the GCB Working for the conventions sector with „Lufthansa Meetings & Events“ The Lufthansa Group is an aviation company operating across the world with a total of nearly 500 subsidiaries and associated companies. It consists of five areas of business which make up passenger transport and air freight as well as downstream services: Passage Airline Group, logistics, technology, catering and IT services. All the areas of business Lufthansa operates are leaders in their sector. They stand for quality and innovation, safety and reliability. At the end of 2013 the Lufthansa Group employed 117,343 people and recorded an annual turnover of € 30 billion. The core business of the Lufthansa Group is the Lufthansa Passage airlines, SWISS and Austrian Airlines. The airline portfolio is supplemented by the low-cost airline Germanwings as well as equity investments in Brussels Airlines and SunExpress. With over 200 destinations in nearly 80 countries, Lufthansa Passage offers its customers a worldwide network of flight connections and attractive products associated with air travel. This includes tailored solutions for people attending meetings and conventions and those who plan them. The booking tool „Lufthansa Meetings & Events“ makes this possible with a large number of destinations and attractive conditions; participants can choose to travel separately or together. By integration of the Lufthansa Group Airlines (Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Germanwings and SWISS) and both joint venture partners Air Canada and United Airlines, the „Lufthansa Meetings & Events“ product portfolio offers even more options for bringing participants to an event location on a cost-effective basis. The individual booking is simple and convenient on the Lufthansa website or via a travel agent. Outstanding service: in all classes and on all flights Lufthansa offers passengers on board exceptional comfort and excellent service. „Miles & More“ air miles for frequent-flyer program customers and (depending on the frequent-flyer status or travel class) corresponding lounge access are inclusive.
Premium economy: new travel class provides more comfort and service on long-haul flights With the Premium Economy Class, Lufthansa is introducing a completely new travel class for the first time in 35 years. It has been available for bookings since May 2014 and will be available on the Boeing 747-8 from December 2014. The new seats will be installed progressively within a period of 12 months on the whole long-haul fleet. With this service Lufthansa is meeting the demands of many business and private customers who are opting for similar classes with other airlines or who fly economy class on the basis of travel guidelines. The introduction of Premium Economy Class adds to the many improvements that Lufthansa will introduce by 2015 for all classes on board and on the ground. The entire long-haul fleet will also have the new first class and business class. bbLH.com/veranstaltungen
“In parallel with the development of meeting and convention centres in Germany Lufthansa is investing at an unprecedented level in new aircraft and in modern cabin equipment. In this way Lufthansa will remain Europe‘s number one carrier, bringing passengers from all over the world to Germany with first-class comfort and a high level of reliability.” Christian Tillmans, head of sales channel management and sales management (Deutsche Lufthansa AG)
Partners | 13
Deutsche Bahn AG (German railway) – a strategic partner of the GCB On the way to becoming a world leader among mobility and logistics companies The German railway company is an international provider of mobility and logistics services and operates in over 130 countries across the world. Approximately 300,000 employees, of which 194,000 are located in Germany, work to ensure mobility and logistics for customers as well as managing and operating the associated travel networks efficiently for rail, road, water and air.
month. The train is a convincing option for customers with the promise of quicker and more comfortable connections between cities and metropolises - even with cross-border connections. Approximately 80 European cities are directly accessible from Germany. More than 40,000 passengers now use approximately 300 connections per day.
In passenger transport the German railway company carries nearly 12,000,000 people per day in Europe in its trains and buses. This is equivalent to each ICE (inter-city express) travelling once around the world each
DB Vertrieb GmbH is responsible for marketing and ticket sales for passenger transport on the German railway and for many other transport companies. The business customer division entails not only responsibility for the 26,000 corporate customers, but also co-ordination of return trips for over 1,000 events. With an event ticket issued by the railway, planners have a fixed price for their event which they can calculate and which is the same for all participants irrespective of the station of departure. In this way organisers are better able to calculate their budgets and reduce travel costs.
“The outstanding transport infrastructure is a central factor for success for Germany‘s leading role as a location for meetings and conventions. With our event tickets system we support the sector in order to transport passengers attending events comfortably and ecologically.” Birgit Bohle, Chief Executive Officer, DB Vertrieb GmbH
14 | PartnerS
The German railway is also ahead when it comes to climate protection. Since April 2013 all BahnCard holders as well as the 26,000 corporate customers participating in bahn.corporate and those travelling with event tickets travel long distances with green energy, with no CO2. The required quantity of green energy is calculated in advance and fed into the railway power network from regenerative energy sources only. In this way CO2 emissions are prevented right from the very start. bbwww.bahn.de/veranstaltungsticket
Partners of the GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. Together with their members and partners, the GCB forms a network of companies operating in the events sector and offers intensive contacts, comprehensive establishment and development of key themes as well as interesting marketing opportunities. In addition to membership, the GCB offers companies and institutions further opportunities for co-operation and participation in marketing campaigns.
Preferred partners
Stuttgart Convention Bureau
The preferred partner concept is geared to marketing partnerships, hotel chains and individual companies within the GCB membership who wish to showcase their brands in the period from 2012 to 2013. Our current preferred partners are:
With a comprehensive range of services the Stuttgart Convention Bureau supports planning and implementation of professional events in the economic region of Stuttgart. With approximately 250 locations and the Stuttgart Trade Fair directly next to the airport, the region provides an excellent infrastructure for the exchange of professional knowledge and organisation of green meetings.
Accor Hospitality Germany GmbH Accor, the leading world hotel operator and European market leader, operates in 92 countries with over 3,600 hotels and 460,000 rooms. Its broad range of hotels - Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Grand Mercure, Novotel, Suite Novotel, Mercure, Adagio, ibis, ibis Styles, ibis budget and hotelF1 - provides an extensive offer from luxury to budget. At www. accorhotels.com/meetings event planners can find all important information relating to the organisation of meetings and events, including a suitable package from booking and processing, managing events to extra offers for journeys, framework programmes and accounting. bbwww.accorhotels.com
A variety of framework programmes, for example visits to Mercedes-Benz and the Porsche Museum, trips to vineyards or interesting professional excursions complete what is on offer. Stuttgart international airport, the ICE railway station and the Autobahn as well as the dense public transport network facilitates quick and easy travel. bbwww.congress.stuttgart-tourist.de/en
Düsseldorf Congress Sports & Events GmbH With ten event locations Düsseldorf Congress Sports & Events GmbH is one of the largest location providers for business and public events in the whole of Europe. In their premises – from the CCD Congress Centre Düsseldorf to Station Airport to the ESPRIT arena – the company provides tailored spatial concepts and services for every type of event. All locations are quickly and easily accessible by air, rail and car. Each year the company hosts approximately 3,000 events at their premises with an average of nearly 2,000,000 visitors. bbwww.d-cse.de
Partners | 15
Members in focus
Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH
This offer is open to all GCB members and it provides an opportunity to give prominence to a company and its services for a period of twelve months. Our current members in focus are:
In the congress initiative „feel the spirit … do-it-atleipzig.de“ hotels, congress and meeting centres, event locations and agencies help to promote the city. The variety ranges from the Leipzig Congress Center and the Porsche factory to the Leipzig zoo and is presented comprehensively on the internet at www.do-it-atleipzig.de. Leipzig is a very dynamic location for science and business in the areas of medicine, biotechnology as well as the automotive and component supply industry. The rich musical tradition and the numerous cultural establishments in the city as well as the many water sports facilities in Leipzig‘s Neuseenland makes it possible to design exciting individual programs. bbwww.do-it-at-leipzig.de/de/English
CCH – Congress Center Hamburg In the heart of the Hanseatic city the CCH offers 23 rooms with flexible use and seating for 12,500 people as well as 10,000 m2 of exhibition space. With the multi-functional exhibition hall which has an area of 7,000 m2 the CCH provides the optimum space for large conventions with an accompanying exhibition. Approximately 250 events take place here each year – since it opened in 1973 more than 130 world conventions and a total of 15,000 events have taken place with 17 million participants. The ICE station Dammtor and airport provide an excellent connection. The „door to the world“, i.e. the Port of Hamburg, as well as the city with its shopping arcades and numerous hotels are accessible in just a few minutes. bbwww.cch.de/en
Congress Frankfurt, Messe Frankfurt Venue GmbH Congress Frankfurt is the division of the Frankfurt trade fair which offers organisers customised spatial solutions for meetings and conventions. The service includes the congress centre, the festival hall, forum, portal house and the halls in the exhibition area as well as Kap Europa in the neighbouring Europaviertel area. 90 meeting and conventions rooms with seating for 24,000 people are available. The largest room in the festival hall provides seating for 9,500 people whilst the large room in the congress centre can be used in a flexible way for up to 2,200 people. Kap Europa, the new location for the Frankfurt fair right next to the exhibition area, is the only congress centre in the world to be awarded a gold certificate by the DGNB (German Sustainable Building Council). bbwww.congressfrankfurt.messefrankfurt.com 16 | Partners
Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel & Conference Center With the motto „Meet you here, arrive from anywhere“ the Sheraton Frankfurt Airport Hotel & Conference Center presents itself as the doorway to unlimited (MICE) possibilities: it is the most central hotel in Europe, right next to Frankfurt airport. It is also a hotel of endless variety: 60 event rooms for 2 to 1,200 people, 1,008 hotel rooms, club areas, three restaurants and two bars. The event facilities are practically limitless: meetings, seminars, small confidential meetings, fairs, product presentations – the hotel has the capacities and solutions needed for successful events of any type. bbwww.sheratonfrankfurtairport.com
The GCB network
Cities Locations Hotels Agencies Means of transport
Members
Science
Associations
Strategic partners
Media
Strategic alliances
Partners
Multipliers
Customers Companies Associations Agencies
Economy
B2C
Premium Partner Hotel Chain
Business Partners
The GCB premium package for hotel chains is a marketing instrument which enhances mutual support for marketing and is intended to raise the overall awareness of the umbrella brand.
The GCB‘s business partners – currently nine companies in the events sector as well as service providers from various sectors - have an opportunity to have more contact with GCB members and to showcase their products and services. This includes presentations in various web and print publications or participating in fairs. Our current business partners are:
Maritim Hotelgesellschaft mbH The Maritim Hotelgesellschaft, which was established in 1969 with the concept „meetings and accommodation under one roof“, has now become the largest and best-known, owner-run German hotel chain. Maritim operates a total of 51 hotels in Germany and abroad. The brand stands for first-class ambience, fine food, personal service and hospitality combined with a broad range of activities, large congress capacities and a high level of professionalism in the events business. In Germany Maritim has a presence at prime locations in all the major cities, e.g. Bremen, Berlin, Cologne, Bonn, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Darmstadt, Stuttgart, Nuermberg, Würzburg and Munich. bbwww.maritim.de
Partners | 17
| The market in figures
7,034
3.01 million
Event locations
Events
23.4 million International participants International participants
“Meeting & EventBarometer” For the fourth year in succession the „Meeting & EventBarometer Germany 2013/14“ recorded growth in the number of events and people attending. The number of locations on offer also increased. For the 8th time, the European Institute for the Meetings Industry (EITW) has researched the German events market with conventions, meetings and other events on behalf of the EVVC (European Association of Event Centres), German National Tourist Board (GNTB) and the GCB.
The growth seen in previous years has continued: a total of 371 million participants (2.5% more than in 2012) attended approximately 3.01 million events in Germany (an increase of 1.3%). The number of event locations available increased by 1.4% to 7,034.
The events market in Germany with slight growth in the market at a high level
371 Mio. 362 Mio. 338 Mio.
2.8 Mio. 2.76 Mio.
2.6 Mio. 314 Mio.
318 Mio.
323 Mio. 2.7 Mio.
302 Mio.
2.72 Mio.
Events 291.5 Mio.
2006 18 | The market in figures
Participants
2.46 Mio.
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Basis: EITW, supplier survey 2007 – 2014: total number of events, total number of participants
3.01 Mio. 2.97 Mio.
Constant increase in international participants in recent years International participants in events in Germany 38% of providers and 45% of German organisers believe that the importance of international events will increase the future!
23.4 Mio. Basis: EITW, supplier survey 2007 – 2014: (total number of participants). Proportion from abroad in %
22.1 Mio. 19.9 Mio. 18.7 Mio.
17.5 Mio. 16.6 Mio. 14.3 Mio.
2006
16.6 Mio.
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
4.6 % 2.3 % 1.4 % 1.1 %
Events in the middle range increase – less small and mega events, 2013
9.0 % 14.6 %
■ 20 - 50 ■ 51 - 100 ■ 101 - 250 ■ 251 - 500 ■ 501 - 1000 ■ 1001 - 2000 ■ 2001 - 5000 ■ 5000 +
46.7 % 20.3 %
Budgets are increasing: The proportion of large budgets (above €500,000) has nearly doubled since 2007 to the current level of 45%
10.9 %
9.5 %
14.9 %
■ < 25.000 € ■ 25.001 € - 100.000 € ■ 100.001 € - 500.000 € ■ 500.001 € - 1.000.000 € ■ 1.000.001 € - 5.000.000 € ■ > 5.000.000 €
19.9 %
19.4 % 25.4 %
4.6 % 5.3 %
8.4 % Other Festivities (banquets, anniversaries) ■ Local events ■ Social events ■ Sports and cultural events ■ Exhibitions, presentations ■ Seminars, meetings, conventions ■
Types of events: seminars, meetings + conventions dominate
7.6 % 64.5 %
4.8 % 4.9 %
■
The market in figures | 19
| Economic factor – business trips
Economic factor – business trips Germany is still a popular destination for business trips by Europeans
In 2013 Germany further developed its leading position as a destination for European business trips. A total of 12.6 million business trips from Europe to Germany were registered, an increase of 0.6% compared to the previous year (source: IPK International and World Travel Monitor (WTM)). Promotable business trips which include fairs as well as meetings, incentives, congresses and events (MICE) accounted for 55% of the overall business travel volume. In 2013 the number of these business trips from Europe to Germany rose by 11.8% to nearly 7 million trips. According to eye IPK data, conventions 20 | Economic factor – business trips
and meetings experienced an increase of 8.6% to 3.6 million trips, accounting for a market share of 28%.
Business trips by Europeans to Germany 23 % Fairs/ exhibitions
Overall volume 2013
Traditional business trips
28 %
Increase 2012/2013
12.6 +11.8
45 %
%
4% Conferences/ congresses incentive
million trips
promotable business trips
â&#x2013; 55% promotable business trips
Germany comes first among the top 10 business trip destinations visited by Europeans Germany
5.6
France Great Britain Italy Spain
1.4 1.3
USA
2.7
1.8
2.4
1.4
Austria Russia
6.9
2.3
0.8 1
1.7
Business trips by Europeans in total 2013: 61.0 million
1.6 1.5 1.4 1.1
Netherlands
0.7
1.3
Poland
1
1
Sweden
0.6 1.2
China
0.8 0.8
Traditional business trips Promotable business trips (fairs, conferences, incentives)
Basis: DZT/WTM, IPK 2014, differences caused by rounding
Business trips by million
Meetings and conventions are the drivers of the business travel market Business trips by Europeans to Germany for meetings and conventions
3.6 Mio. 3.3 Mio.
2.7 Mio.
2.5 Mio.
2.5 Mio.
2.7 Mio.
2.3 Mio.
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Basis: DZT/WTM, IPK 2014
2.6 Mio.
Economic factor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; business trips | 21
Positive prospects for Germany as a destination for business trips In their report „GBTA BTI“ Outlook – Western Europe“ the GBTA (Global Business Travel Association) predicts a positive trend for Germany as a destination for business travel. In the analysis which is published twice per year the five most important markets for business trips in Europe are examined: Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy and Spain. These five markets together form the lion‘s share for business trips in the region and are therefore a good barometer for the state of the overall European business travel market. The report anticipates, among other things, an increase in business expenditure in the five markets: it is expected to reach USD 186.5 billion (EUR 137 billion) in 2014, amounting to growth of 5.1% relative to 2013. The prognoses for 2015 is even more optimistic with an
increase of 6.5% to USD 198.6 billion (EUR 157 billion). Here there is a north-south disparity within which Germany and Great Britain are right at the top in terms of business travel expenditure relative to the rest of the West European markets examined in the report.
Hotels profit from international meetings A study of the German hotel market by the consultancy company Treugast published in February 2014 revealed moderate growth brought about by guests from abroad in 2030. The market share accounted for by foreign guests in the hotel business was 22.9%. According to the analysis, major events and fairs, have a pronounced effect on the positive development of individual locations. This shows that the hotel trade benefits especially from international meetings and therefore from the international activities of the GCB.
“As representatives of the ICCA, we believe that the events sector should receive recognition as a driver of economic development, investment from abroad and for supporting the exchange of knowledge. The GCB is doing outstanding work here, with initiatives such as the study on future trends amongst other things. I believe that this understanding of the great significance of international conventions has contributed to Germany‘s success in recent years. That is why I would like to congratulate all our German friends and colleagues.” Martin Sirk, CEO International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA)
22 | Economic factor – business trips
Ten years at the top: Germany is number one again for international conventions in Europe The ICCA ranking confirms Germanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s top position for international conventions in Europe.
For 10 years now Germany has continuously ranked number one as a host for international association conventions according to the ICCA (International Congress & Convention Association). As a country achieving strong growth among the leading locations, Germany not only defended its second position on the world stage in 2013, but also substantially decreased the gap between itself and the USA as the top destination and thus continued the positive trend seen in the previous year. The ICCA statistics revealed that 722 international association conventions were hosted in Germany: 11.2% more than in the previous year. The USA had 829 conventions, a decrease of 0.5% compared to 2012. Spain had an increase of 2.2% and maintained third position in the world with 562 events counted in the ICCA ranking.
the list in 2013 was Paris with 204 events - an increase of 12.7%. Berlin is also very close to other competitors: Vienna (182 conventions, minus 6.7%) and Barcelona (179 events, plus 16.2%). On account of Germanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s structure with a large number of urban centres across all regions, more than 30 cities contributed to Germanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s positive result in the ICCA ranking. Event planners have a choice of an exceptional number of destinations in Germany which provide excellent facilities for meetings and conventions.
In Berlin a total of 178 international association conventions were recorded in 2013 - approximately 3.5% more than in 2012. The German capital took fifth place, although there was a difference of just eight events compared to Madrid which took second place. Topping
Number of international association conventions City
1 | USA | 829
1 | Paris | 204
2 | Germany | 722
2 | Madrid | 186
3 | Spain | 562
3 | Vienna | 182
4 | France | 527
4 | Barcelona | 179
5 | Great Britain | 525
5 | Berlin | 178
6 | Italien | 447
6 | Singapur | 175
7 | Japan | 342
7 | London | 166
8 | China | 340
8 | Istanbul | 146
9 | Brazil | 315
9 | Lissabon | 125
10 | Netherlands | 302
9 | Seoul | 125
Basis: International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) 2013
Country
ICCA Ranking | 23
24 | Lorem Ipsum
Germany has the top image In the „Global Competitiveness Report“ by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in September 2013 Germany improved its position in a worldwide comparison from number six to number four. When measured in terms of infrastructure quality, Germany retains third place.
The positive overall evaluation is also based on the innovative strength of German companies. Compared to previous years, the quality of research establishments has also improved according to the WEF. There has also been a steady improvement in the conditions for training in recent years. Conventions play an important role in training and further education.
According to the latest results of the survey, Germany is regarded internationally as a reliable, trustworthy and modern country which is way ahead in terms of the economy, matters of government and innovation.
Germany also has a leading position in the ranking of „Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index 2013“: in a survey of the reputation of 50 countries around the world, Germany took second place again and secured its reputation as one of the most attractive destinations in the world. The USA took first place and Great Britain came third.
German takes second place in the world
Germany‘s strength as an international travel destination in a worldwide comparison
Image 2013: Germany takes second place among 50 nations. Tourism is one of six important location factors for the image of nations
On the supply side, Germany takes second position in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2013 in a worldwide comparison of 140 cities (first place: Switzerland, third place: Austria) Scale 1 = low, 7 = high Evaluation 2013
Health and hygiene
6,8
Cultural resources
6,3
Infrastructure, ground transport (road, rail)
6,2
Security / stability
6,0
Training
5,9
Environment / sustainability
5,8
Tourism infrastructure
5,7
Infrastructure, air travel
5,4
Overall index for Germany
5,4
Overall index for Germany
5,4
Tourism (8) T & T Competitiveness Index Basis: World Economic Forum 2013 (3)
Evaluation category
69,54*
64,44* Politics/government (3)
72,15* Export (3)
67,74* Culture (5)
66,00* Population (6)
66,00* Immigration and investment potential (3)
* Max 100 points; worldwide ranking in brackets Basis: Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index 2013 (7)
ICCA Ranking | 25
| Strategic Marketing
Russia
Great Britain
Source: German Convention Bureau e.V. 2014
Europe
Germany
USA
China
Brazil
Primary and future markets
Secondary and future markets
Strategic Marketing In their marketing work the GCB draws a distinction between primary markets (Great Britain, USA, Belgium and China as markets with above-average growth figures), secondary markets (European source markets such as the Netherlands, France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland as well as Brazil) and tertiary markets (all other markets in which the GCB co-operates with the DZT‘s 30 foreign offices).
In order to achieve a presence in the markets of tomorrow, the GCB is constantly analysing markets. The organisation examines concepts for marketing work on behalf of its members, as well as its own presence in the sector, and develops marketing strategies. On the basis of sound market observation and evaluation of potential, the GCB will concentrate in the coming years on the Chinese market alongside other important markets, i.e. Germany, Europe and the USA.
pation packages include services specifically tailored to the North American market. On the basis of the GCB‘s long-standing representation in New York, members can benefit from the GCB‘s expertise and experience and reach their customers on the basis of target groups. The participation packages include marketing, sales and PR activities as well as sales calls, stands at fairs and press releases. The packages run for a period of three years, starting on 1 January 2015.
Marketing – USA
Marketing – China
The USA is still the most important overseas market for events in Germany. In order to address this market strategically in the medium term, the GCB offers participation opportunities from 2015 to 2017. These partici-
The basis of the GCB‘s activities in China is intensive market research and evaluation. Here it is worth highlighting the China B2B country study with a sector focus carried out by TNS.
26 | Strategic Marketing
Further sources, surveys and studies have also been taken into account. In their market debut in China the GCB implemented the following strategy and formulated it for the future: »» August 2013: opening event in the „Audi City Digital Showroom“ in Beijing linking to the GNTB focus on „Germany as a business travel destination“ and the GCB key sectors of expertise strategy on account of the choice of event location »» 2014: market debut in co-operation with the GNTB representation in Beijing, the focus being on press work and sales calls as well as online training for Chinese event planners lasting a number of months to convey information about Germany as a location for meetings and conventions »» 2015: Marketing activities will be expanded from 2015. In this process, further participation opportunities for GCB members will be developed in stages
At the centre of the various actions and products is the GCB‘s expert field strategy with key sectors which are important for Chinese event planners. Examples of the GCB‘s measures are the Chinese edition of the „Germany. Expertise.“ brochure as well as the content of press work and online training in which sector expertise is also included. The provision of general facts about Germany as a country for meetings and conventions is another focal point of the GCB‘s activities.
The GCB‘s activities in North America: »»Press and PR work, newsletters, social media »»Sales calls (July 2013 - Mid-West; November 2013 – southern USA; February 2014 - north-western USA and Canada; April 2014 - Atlanta and Dallas; December 2014 - north-eastern USA and Canada) »»Press trip in June 2013 to Hamburg and Leipzig with journalists from Brazil, China, Great Britain and the USA »»Joint networking event „EUROmeet“ of the European convention bureaus in New York in May 2013 with 50 meeting planners; „EUROmeet“ in Minneapolis in April 2014 with 32 participants »»Speech by Laura d‘Elsa in January 2014 at the annual conference „Convening Leaders“ of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) on the subject of expert areas »»Educational trip before IMEX 2013 to Munich and Tegernsee or Nuremberg »»Presentation of the „USA market overview“ at the members‘ meeting in 2013 in Essen »»Educational trip for hosted buyers to Stuttgart before IMEX 2014 »»Participation in the Successful Meetings University International in New York in 2013 and 2014
The GCB‘s activities planned and implemented in China: »»Press and PR work, newsletters, social media »»Sales calls »»Educational trip for Chinese customers to Munich and Nuremberg in June 2014 »»Online training for Chinese organisers from August to November 2014 to provide information about Germany as a location for meetings and conventions and to provide product knowledge »»Talk by Ursula Winterbauer in May 2014 at the China MICE forum in Frankfurt
Strategic Marketing | 27
Important source market with potential for the future According to ICCA (International Congress & Convention Association) ranking for 2013, Germany takes second place in the world after the USA as a destination for conventions. There is evidence that the Chinese market will be an important future market for the German meetings and conventions sector. According to the „Meeting & EventBarometer 2012/2013“ China has already moved to 11th place among the important
China as an business partner Goods with a value of more than € 140 billion were exchanged in 2013.
»»Exports: in 2013 goods with a value of approximately €67 billion were exported to China, especially machines, vehicles and chemical products
»»Imports: in 2013 the Chinese sent goods with a value of € 73 billion to Germany, approximately four times the value recorded in 2000: These imports included computers, mobile phones and electronics as well as clothing and electrical equipment
»»Investments: German companies have already invested more than € 26.5 billion in China; approximately 4,000 companies are operating there. In 2012 alone German investments in China increased by 28.5% to USD 1.45 billion. Conversely, in 2012 98 Chinese companies were newly established in Germany, the total now being 2,000. China is therefore the third largest foreign investor after the USA and Switzerland
28 | Strategic Marketing
source markets for German meetings and conventions providers and apart from the USA it is the only non-European country in the upper rankings. China is Germany‘s biggest trading partner after France and the Netherlands. The DIHK (Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry) believes that China will become the number-one trading partner in ten years. Conversely, Germany is China‘s biggest trading partner when measured by volume of foreign trade. German joint ventures have a central presence in the largest car market in the world, and Germany also profits from the boom in the chemicals and pharmaceuticals sector in China with rising exports. China is also an important sales market for German engineers in the fast-growing area of measurement, control, laboratory and medical technology. In the context of their marketing activities, the GCB gives special prominence to the expertise of German cities and regions in these important economic and scientific areas. A survey of predominantly Chinese MICE buyers in the “China and Asia Meetings Industry Research Report“ confirms the important factors influencing the choice of event locations include not only price, location and quality of accommodation and service but also Chinese trade relations.
European markets Alongside Germany, European countries are traditionally the source markets for Germany as a country for meetings and conventions. Britain and Belgium in particular make a very large contribution to the volume of events. The GCB‘s analysis shows that in Europe most international organisations that hold events in Germany are located in Great Britain, followed by Belgium. The most important common factor for event planners in both countries is Germany‘s expertise in the areas of
technology and innovation. Other important areas of expertise for British organisers are health and medicine, followed by energy and the environment, whereas transport, logistics and haulage are the important areas for meetings and conventions from Belgium.
GCB activities in Europe: »»Press and PR work across Europe by the GCB office in Frankfurt
»»Press and PR work in Britain by the GCB‘s own PR agency
»»Cross-border educational trips to Germany (including journalists from European specialist media)
»»GCB customer events in selected markets (2013 in Britain, 2014 in Belgium) with an option for GCB members to participate
»»Organisation of the joint presence of the GCB
»»Participation in a joint customer event of international convention bureaus in Britain with an option for GCB members to participate
»»Invitations by e-mail to European mailing-list clients for IMEX Frankfurt and EIBTM
»»Observation of various European trade fairs »»Regular dispatch of newsletters to the European GCB mailing list
»»Regular participation in customer newsletters of European convention bureaus in Britain (external, British mailing list only)
and members in B2B destination workshops in Britain (2014+2015)
»»Intensive exchange in the network with national convention bureaus in Britain
Strategic Marketing | 29
| Meetings and conventions in the future
Future and innovation The study „meetings and conventions in the future“ published in autumn 2013 is the basis for numerous measures implemented by the GCB relating to „future and innovation“. The objective is to secure the competitive position of Germany as a location for meetings and conventions in the future.
Study „meetings and conventions in the future“ After MEXCON (Meeting Experts Conference) in 2012, the GCB commissioned the study „meetings and conventions in the future“ together with partners in the events sector. The study, published in 2013, was the
Partners in the future study: »»EVVC (European Association of Event Centres)
»»MCI Deutschland »»Ruhr Tourismus GmbH »»SevenCenters of Germany »»visitBerlin Berlin Convention Office
30 | Future and innovation
result of research carried out by the Institute for Future Studies and Technology Assessment (IZT), examining mega trends, their future development as well as their influence on the meetings and conventions sector. In this way, event providers and planners are made aware of issues relevant to the sector at an early stage, allowing them to make suitable adjustments in good time. The findings of the study allow the sector to address future developments effectively and in some cases even to influence or steer them. Moreover, the results of the future study give Germany as a destination for meetings and conventions specific ideas about innovations and trends as well as challenges of the future.
Challenges posed by key trends Technology:
»»Information and data security »»New ways of disseminating information »»Virtual meeting elements and networking of virtual rooms »»Strengthening participants‘ involvement »»Person-machine interfaces which need to take account of human needs despite technological progress Globalisation:
»»Constant increase of networking demand and expence »»Speaking multiple languages »»Intercultural skills »»Constant growth in the number of foreign participants Mobility:
»»Increasing demand for energy with increasing scarcity of resources
»»Requirement for flexibility »»Accessibility Demographic change:
»»Event centres designed to include disabled access or disability services relating to meetings and conventions
»»Awareness and tolerance Sustainability:
»»Modernisation and restructuring of event locations »»Provision of ecological, multimodal transport
Five megatrends The subject of the study is the concept of megatrends which is important in future-oriented research: transformations extending across several decades that affect all areas of life - politics, leisure time, work and value-creation structures - and which have a global character. In the course of the study, five megatrends were identified that have a substantial influence on the meetings and conventions sector: »» Technological progress in life and work »» Globalisation and internationalisation »» Sustainable development »» Demographic change These megatrends provide opportunities for events in Germany but also present challenges for the key players in the meetings and conventions sector. The Institute for Future Studies and Technology Assessment (IZT) used a broad range of methods in the study „meetings and conventions in the future“: »» Basic research »» Brainstorming workshop »» Interviews with experts
“ The future of the events sector depends on our joint capability to meet three key challenges successfully: competition, adaptation and relevance. Here it is important to highlight the value of events relative to competing forms of communication. Success will depend not only on how well we predict future conditions but also on how we can respond to new outlooks.” Rod Cameron, Executive Director, International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC)
»» Questioning German and international specialists with the two-stage Delphi method
Website www.gcb.de/zukunft When the study „meetings and conventions in the future“ was published the GCB placed background information on the study as well as key results and further details at www.gcb.de/zukunft online. Continuing activities by the GCB and the events sector relating to this area will also be published here in the future.
Innovation workshop The GCB started a series of projects on the subject of the future and innovation with an innovation workshop in December 2013 in Mannheim. In the m:com Congress Centre Rosengarten 28 participants from companies in the events sector had an exchange of views about the influence of technology on meetings and conventions as well as the associated challenges and opportunities. The GCB followed up on the result of the study „meetings and conventions in the future“, which revealed that technology had the greatest importance among the megatrends.
Future and innovation | 31
The workshop programme included talks by GCB partners on the subject of webcasts, virtual project spaces as well as internet trends and mobile solutions in the meetings and events sector. Feedback from speakers and participants gave valuable impetus to the workshop for technical development in the meetings and
conventions sector and for a stronger network of the various players in the sector.
IMEX stand Alongside sustainability and the areas of expertise in German cities and regions that are relevant to meetings, the subject of „future and innovation“ was one of the key themes at the Germany stand at IMEX 2014. The study was presented in a seminar in the research pod at IMEX. The stand formed a key part of guided IMEX tours around the subject of the future for German event planners.
Position paper for the events sector
“In the future the frontal culture in the dissemination of knowledge will be replaced increasingly by learning processes. This requires technologies that play an essential role for intuitive navigation through the events, the convention centre and the immediate environment.“ Stefan Rief, Head of Competence Centre Workspace Innovation Fraunhofer IAO
32 | Future and innovation
“In the sphere of virtual reality we can see that corresponding visualisation processes are becoming ever more costeffective and the quality of technology is constantly improving. Consequently, it impinges increasingly on everyday life and therefore also becomes an element of meetings and conventions.” Prof. Dr. –Ing. Daniel Schilberg, Managing Director of the Institute of Information Management in Mechanical Engineering at RWTH Aachen University
Based on the study „meetings and conventions in the future“, the GCB published the position paper for the events sector in Germany together with their MEXCON partners. In this way the publishers explain how the endeavour in the German events sector to actively meet opportunities and responsibilities in the future has an effect on all other sectors beyond the sphere of meetings and conventions. The paper also shows how important it is to address challenges of the future in a structured way within the sector.
The position paper identifies five areas for action that are relevant to future international competitiveness: »» Infrastructure and modernisation »» Education and training »» Technology and digitalisation »» Internationalisation »» Sustainable development The position paper was presented for the first time at the MEXCON (Meeting Experts Conference) from 11th to 13th June 2014 in Berlin. In this way the GCB and their partners continue the initiative behind the future study which started at the first MEXCON in June 2012. At the centre of that conference was the question of how meetings and conventions in the areas of business, science, technology and innovation will develop up to 2030 and what this means for the German events sector.
orientation and to develop organisational, technological, virtual and spatial infrastructure for future event formats.
Continuing with the key theme „innovation“ A strong and positive resonance in the events sector and among the public to the study „meetings and conventions in the future“ and to the GCB‘s initial activities relating to the future and innovation encourages the marketing organisation to give greater attention to this subject in the coming years. A whole series of projects will give particular attention to technological developments of the future and other important megatrends and their significance for meetings and conventions.
Meeting room for the future Together with the Fraunhofer IAO, the GCB is researching, piloting and evaluating future conference, function and trade fair formats in the context of the „Meeting Room for the Future“ project. The objective is to develop Germany‘s market position by clear innovative Future and innovation | 33
| Key indudustries
Marketing approach to put key industries in the focus of activities Germany as a country for meetings and conventions: profiting from expertise in science and business
In addition to factors such as infrastructure and price/ performance ratio, expertise in cities and regions in important business and scientific sectors is becoming more important in the choice of event locations. The GCB therefore focuses on the marketing of these areas of expertise as suitable environments for international meetings and conventions. In this age of growing worldwide competition amongst locations for events, it is becoming increasingly important to provide additional value for event planners above and beyond basic factors such as infrastructure and price/performance ratio and to market locations with a clear profile. This development is, for example, the subject of the â&#x20AC;&#x17E;UNWTO Global Report on the Meetings Industryâ&#x20AC;&#x153; of the World Tourism Organisation UNWTO in March 2014. For example, the report mentions the GCBâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s expert area strategy: it identifies the specific expertise 34 | Expert area strategy
available in German cities and regions in important business and economic sectors and supports the destinations in acquiring contracts for suitable meetings and conventions. The marketing method gathers colleges, research institutions, associations, companies and agencies in the region to form networks. The profile of the German cities and regions is enhanced in this way - providing an advantage in international competition for events. Networking with local sector expertise gives event planners organisational synergies, direct contact with experts as well as starting points for relevant framework programmes such as factory tours and visits to laboratories. The sector-related expertise in Germany is not restricted to a few large cities - it can be found across wide areas in many smaller cities in which there are highly specialised institutions and companies that are leading in their areas.
Six areas of expertise in the domains of business and science in Germany play an important role for meetings and conventions: » Transport, logistics and haulage » Financial services » Energy and environment » Technology and innovation » Health and medicine » Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
The GCB‘s marketing activities in the framework of expert area strategy Internet Under the heading „key sectors“, comprehensive content relating to areas of expertise is presented on the website www.gcb.de. Visitors to the site can search for information based on subjects or cities and can go directly to the provider search facility.
theme at IMEX 2014 alongside sustainability as well as future and innovation. In this context German sector-related expertise was also a point of focus in the GCB‘s customer presentations for hosted buyer groups who visited the stand.
Customer event in London and educational trips In the GCB workshop held in Britain on 9th October 2013 the expert area strategy was put into practice: the location, „The Crystal – A Sustainable Cities Initiative by Siemens“ in London reflected the key issues, i.e. the future and technologies of the future, as did keynote speaker Martin Powell, Head of Urban Development at the Siemens Global Centre of Competence for Cities. Educational trips organised by the GCB highlighted areas of expertise through talks by experts in and outside the sectors on current themes and issues. The cities visited are likewise presented with their sector-related expertise, for example by explaining the focus of research and visits to local companies.
Press work/press releases Publication „Germany. Expertise“. The publication „Germany. Expertise“. published by the GCB at the start of 2013 together with experts, provides national and international event planners with a compact aid when searching for locations suitable for specific themes. This includes sector-specific maps and background information. The publication was also presented in Chinese at IMEX 2014 and can be downloaded from the brochure section at www.gcb.de/ newsroom/downloads.
Market studies Areas of expertise are also the focus of B2B market studies which the market research company TNS Infratest carried out on behalf of the GCB for markets in the USA, Great Britain, China Brazil and Russia. Further information is available at www.gcb.de/en/the-gcb/ statistics.
The attractiveness of the theme of areas of expertise is demonstrated by the large number of articles in German and international media. GCB members have also achieved media coverage around this focus.
“We are faced with the challenges of urbanisation. The way to sustainable cities worth living in is strong management, innovative technology and fast development which is only possible in cities.“ Martin Powell, Head of Urban Development, Global Centre of Competence for Cities, Siemens AG.
Expert area newsletter GCB customers have been kept up-to-date about sector focuses from October 2012 to January 2014 by a series of newsletters. The GCB designed the sector-specific newsletters individually from members‘ input.
Key subject at IMEX 2014 Areas of expertise were already the key theme of the Germany stand at IMEX 2013 and were communicated visually by the structure of the stand. In accordance with the GCB‘s marketing strategy they were a central
“It is no longer sufficient to offer event planners the established standards such as good accessibility, good internal infrastructure and services in order to stand apart from competitors. If destinations are to be successful in this lucrative market, they need to use their expertise in special sectors. This means their connections with local, regional or national research, business and scientific experts.“ “UNWTO Global Report on the Meetings Industry”, World Tourism Organisation UNWTO
Expert area strategy | 35
| Exhibitions and events
36 | Exhibitions and events
Exhibitions and events The GCB offers its members the opportunity to showcase their offering and meet customers through participation in exhibitions and events in Germany and abroad. The GCB organises its own customer events in selected markets. The organisation also facilitates participation in trade fairs and, together with partners, presents Germany as a destination for meetings and conventions.
IMEX 2014 2014 IMEX - incorporating Meetings made in Germany, The Worldwide Exhibition for Incentive Travel, Meetings and Events, issued the invitation to come to Frankfurt am Main from 20th to 22nd May. Approximately 9,000 visitors of which about 4,000 were hosted buyers from 70 countries and roughly 3,500 exhibitors from over 150 countries met for an exchange and to obtain information in hall 8 at the Frankfurt trade fair. The GCB is a longstanding strategic partner of IMEX.
GCB wildcard makes market entry easier As in previous years, the GCB offered two newcomers who had not yet taken part in a trade fair, a wildcard option to showcase their services free of charge at the Germany stand at IMEX. Eintracht Frankfurt ProSports GmbH and Kloster Eberbach were given the opportunity to present themselves to the international business public: one is a monastery nearly 900 years old with a historic character and the other is an extremely modern sports centre which stages events with a football atmosphere. Exhibitions and events | 37
IMEX America and EIBTM 2013 The German Convention Bureau teams with many German exhibitors to showcase Germany as a convention and meetings destination at trade shows such as EIBTM in Barcelona and IMEX America in Las Vegas. These German Pavilions are part of the Foreign Trade Fair Participation Program by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in cooperation with AUMA, the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry. The Ministry initiated this program to promote German foreign trade, giving companies with “made in Germany” products and services the opportunity to participate in international events and trade shows at lower cost.
The GCB presented the results of the study „meetings and conventions in the future“ at a press conference. The preferred partners of the GCB – Düsseldorf Congress Sport & Events GmbH, Stuttgart Convention Bureau and Accor Hotels - took part in a panel discussion about megatrends, globalisation, demographic change as well as technology and mobility. More than 25 articles then appeared in the US press. One highlight at IMEX America was the EURO party on the evening of the second day of the event which took place for the third time in the joint European area of the fair. Convention bureaus from Europe invited buyers to take part in informal networking where Germany conveyed the tradition of the Oktoberfest.
IMEX America At IMEX America from 15th to 17th October 2013 in Las Vegas, 35 urban marketing organisations, locations, hotels and service providers gathered together at the German Pavilion which occupied an area of 295 m² - the largest stand at the fair. In total about 2,700 exhibitors from 148 countries met approximately 4,650 professional visitors, hosted buyers and journalists. The GCB recorded 13 group and individual pre- booked appointments as well as 66 individual appointments for customer meetings at the German Pavilion. There were also a large number of ad-hoc meetings. 38 | Exhibitions and events
German exhibitors and partners were very pleased with the result and with some exhibitors showing an interest in taking part the following year as soon as the event had finished.
EIBTM 2013 Together with a total of 65 exhibitors the GCB took part in the Exhibition for the Incentive Business Travel and Meetings in Barcelona from 19th to 21st November 2013. They presented their services at the German Pavilion stand with over 500 square metres, the
largest stand at EIBTM. More than 15,000 professional visitors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; decision-makers in the areas of meetings, incentives, conventions and events, travel managers as well as meeting and convention organisers obtained information about the services provided by over 3,100 exhibitors from approximately 150 countries.
Customer advisory board meeting 26 GCB members met with international meeting planners in the customer advisory board meeting in the Leonardo Royal Hotel in Munich on 8th and 9th September 2013. They shared ideas and experience with planners from EDANA, BI Wolrdwide, the European Association of Public Banks, GI Travel HelmsBriscoe, Kenes, Leo Burnett MICE and Trinity Event Solutions. The customer advisory board meeting gave GCB members an opportunity for dialogue and networking with high-level meeting planners. They acquired knowledge from which they will benefit in future in business, especially with international customers. In the organisation of the customer advisory board meeting the GCB used innovative, participative methods for conveying knowledge and for discussing issues.
An example was the informal knowledge cafe where participants engaged in discussions in small groups around the theme of sustainability with a series of interlocutors. Participants also experienced a variety of formats with moderated groups, group votes, joint discussions to identify issues and an interactive keynote from Rob Davidson, Senior Lecturer in Events Management at the London University of Greenwich Business School. The innovative event format was very well received by all participants.
B2B destination workshop The B2B destination workshop took place in London on 30th January 2014. 60 exhibitors from around the world met with 95 event planners from the Greater London area in the Radisson Blu Portman Hotel. Germany was the best-represented location with the GCB and 16 partners attracting considerable attention for Germany as a location for meetings and conventions. Through a day workshop with pre-booked appointments, exhibitors had the opportunity to meet a large number of customers and to make new contacts. Approximately 1,000 meetings took place during the day. As well as benefiting from the high profile of the event, German exhibitors were particularly appreciative of the large number of booked meetings as well as the uniform presentation format for all exhibitors. Exhibitions and events | 39
Over 90% of German partners would consider participating in such a workshop again.
cover this area of expertise will showcase Germany as a destination for meetings and events.
Customer event in London
International co-operation
On 9th October 2013 in the context of a customer function in the London venue „The Crystal – A Sustainable Cities Initiative by Siemens“ the GCB offered a networking platform for the exchange of ideas and experience with qualified event planners from companies, associations and agencies from the Greater London area. With the choice of location and content elements the GCB created a direct link to the areas of expertise in science and business in Germany. The first futuristic building for the Olympic Games in London in 2012 „The Crystal“ is the core element of a new Green Enterprise District in East London and the location of the largest exhibition in the world on the subject of „urban sustainability“.
Customer event in Brussels The GCB is planning a networking event with a talk for customers in Brussels In December 2014. German expertise in the area of technology and innovation is an important area for event planners in Belgium for which reason it will figure prominently in the customer event and will be reflected by the location, the BMW Brand Store Brussels. Together with the GCB, members who 40 | Exhibitions and events
„EUROmeet“ in New York The successful premiere of the „EUROmeet“ took place on 1st May 2013 in New York with 50 buyers from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as well as journalists from a variety of specialist media. The organisers of the first „EUROmeet“ were the GCB and representatives from Denmark, England, France, the Netherlands, London, Monaco and Switzerland. On 24th April 2014 the GCB issued an invitation to a joint networking event for the European convention bureaus established in the USA. This event was held in Minneapolis with 32 participants. The city in mid-western USA is home to large agencies such as AIMIA, Motivaction or BI worldwide. The „EUROmeet“ partners were England and London, Flanders, France, Monaco, Switzerland and Spain. A great advantage for meeting planners who were invited: they could obtain information about a number of European destinations in just one evening. Together, representatives from the eight destinations defined ten common unique selling points which were presented on the joint website www.EUROmeet.us during the event.
Events Customer events 2013/2014:
»»August 2013: China »»October 2013: Great Britain »»November 2013: Russia »»December 2014: Belgium Other sector events with GCB participation:
»»January 2014: B2B destination workshop, Great Britain
»»July 2014: Oyster Event Great Britain Educational trips 2013/2014:
»»April 2013: Wolfsburg, Braunschweig, Magdeburg
»»June 2013: Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, Mainz
»»May 2013: Munich and Tegernsee or Nuremberg, in connection with IMEX Frankfurt
»»July 2013: Leipzig and Dresden »»April 2014: Erfurt and Weimar »»May 2014: Stuttgart, in connection with IMEX Frankfurt
»»June 2014: Munich and Nuremberg »»June 2014: Düsseldorf, Cologne, Bonn »»September 2014: Berlin and Potsdam Journalist trip:
»»June 2013 to Hamburg and Leipzig Fairs 2013/2014:
»»March: ITB Berlin »»May: IMEX in Frankfurt
Oyster event „The Oysters“ a co-operation of international convention bureaus with a presence in Britain – including the GCB – have been issuing an annual invitation since 2009 to the joint networking event for customers in London: the „Oyster Summer Party“. The objectives of the function are an exchange of information and raising awareness of international MICE destinations. Approximately 160 guests attended the „Oyster Summer Party“ on 10th July 2013. In 2014 the event took place on 9th July.
»»October: IMEX America, Las Vegas »»November: EIBTM, Barcelona Sales calls 2013/2014:
»»July 2013: USA; Midwest »»November 2013: USA, South »»February 2014: USA, Northwest and Canada
»»April 2014: USA, Atlanta and Dallas
»»December 2014: USA Northeast and Canada
Customer advisory board:
»»September 2013
information about Germany as a destination for meetings and conventions. Partners from the ranks of GCB members also make customers aware of the extensive meeting providers portfolio as well as presenting general information about Germany. Following the sales calls in North America, three GCB members made customer visits together with the GCB New York. In total there were at least 15 meetings with associations, companies and agencies.
Direct marketing Educational trips With educational trips the GCB gives national and international decision-makers in the events sector the opportunity to acquire personal experience of the areas of expertise and profiles of individual cities and destinations in Germany. These trips also provide details about products and services in the area of meetings and conventions.
The GCB‘s direct marketing tools include e-mails and print media to present information to existing and potential customers in Europe and North America. A CRM system provides information about customer requirements.
Sales calls This direct line to the customer allows the GCB to acquire direct knowledge of current market trends. The GCB makes sales calls in North America: individual conversations with decision-makers in associations, companies and agencies. The GCB team provides Exhibitions and events | 41
| Communication
Communication The GCB uses a variety of channels including the website and social media as well as PR activity and direct marketing. The GCB‘s target groups – in particular international event planners - are informed about Germany as a destination for meetings and conventions with an emphasis on areas of expertise, sustainability and innovation.
Internet and social media Website Since publication of the study „meetings and conventions in the future“ in October 2013 the GCB website www.gcb.de has had a section with the same name. In the year under review the „key sectors“ and „green meetings“ areas have been expanded. The information relating to sustainable events is now also directly available on the GCB homepage by clicking a button. The home page also has an interactive map which allows customers to search for providers using specific criteria. As one of the most important sites for meeting and convention planning in Germany, the website will be 42 | Communication
optimised over the next few years to address target groups more effectively and to make the site even more user-friendly.
Newsblog and social media The GCB currently uses the social media channels Facebook and Twitter as well as Xing and Linkedin for personal contacts. Through these channels the GCB publishes daily updates about their members as well as information on the events sector. This results in 2 to 3 tweets on a daily basis and 2 to 3 postings on Facebook in German every week as well as daily Facebook postings in English. The Twitter account is especially popular in the USA: from March 2012 to April 2014 the number of followers has increased by 972 to approximately 1,997 - an increase of 103%. The GCB also uses social media channels for live documentation of their own events in Germany and abroad, for example for the green meetings and events conference and the MEXCON (Meeting Experts Conference). The events are also documented via storify.de.
Social media statistics
The GCB‘s social media channels
»»GCB_Deutschland: 1,658 followers – 3,157
»»Twitter: https://twitter.com/GCB_Deutschland
tweets
»»GCB-OnTour: 1,426 followers – 2,039 tweets »»GermanyMeetings: 1,997 followers – 4,798 tweets
»»Facebook: 910 likes, of which 601 were from Germany, the rest are from the USA, Britain, Italy and other countries
»»Average range per day with Facebook: 174 readers
Internet statistics in total: Approximately 200 to 350 users visit the GCB website per weekday.
https://twitter.com/MiceNewsD https://twitter.com/MEXCON_de https://twitter.com/green_konferenz https://twitter.com/GCB_OnTour
»»Facebook: facebook.GermanConventionBureau facebook. greenmeetings.germany
»»LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/german-conventionbureau »»Xing: www.xing.com/companies/gcbgermanconventionbureaue.v. »»flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/germanconventionbureau »»Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/GermanyMeetings »»Slideshare: www.slideshare.net/GermanConventionBureau
Press and PR work In the sphere of press and PR activity the GCB cultivates direct contact with journalists on various levels: sending up-to-date information, personal meetings and interviews, for example at trade fairs, press conferences and press trips. The main targets are the MICE and communication specialist media and business editors in the national press. The GCB has actively developed its press and PR activity in the important source markets. In 2013 the GCB put considerable focus on the theme of „future of the events sector“ in terms of content. Furthermore, both the other central themes of the GCB marketing „green meetings“ as well as the key sectors of expertise strategy have been publicised in the media. The GCB has generated high click-rates and numerous visits on its site, especially with publications such as the „Meeting & EventBarometer“ and the study „meetings and conventions in the future“. For the purpose of communication around the theme of key sectors of expertise the GCB uses specialised conventions from its members‘ area of activity as best practice examples.
The GCB themes in the media In the newsroom on the website www.gcb.de the GCB presents current press articles on the meetings and conventions sector online. Communication | 43
A few selected publications on GCB key themes are mentioned below: »» In November 2013 the magazine „tw Tagungswirtschaft“ (circulation: 16,000) issued a special edition on the subject of green meetings – an indepth exploration of sustainable event planning. The leading article looked at the study „meetings and conventions in the future“ and its identification of the sustainability megatrend. Moreover, each edition of „tw Tagungswirtschaft“ highlighted one of Germany‘s areas of expertise identified by the GCB. »» Under the heading „Future Zone Germany“ a 44page supplement in the specialist journal CIM Conference & Incentive Management in February 2014 (circulation: 20,500) highlighted Germany as a location for functions as well as the GCB’s work. Several articles were devoted to the GCB study „meetings and conventions in the future“, MEXCON (Meeting Experts Conference) 2014 and areas of expertise in Germany. »» The future study was also the subject of an article in the US specialist magazine „Association News“ (circulation: 42,000) in February 2014 and in the British business magazine „New European Economy“ which presented the study under the heading „Megatrend shaping our industry“ in a two-page spread. »» On 27th March 2014 an 8-page special supplement „Business Conferences & Events“ (circulation: 240,000) appeared in the „Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung“ with articles on Germany‘s future capacity as a destination for green meetings, events and hybrid conventions among other things.
Press conference in China As a result of the joint press conference with the DZT in August 2013 in Beijing, more than 25 articles in the Chinese media were counted which had a total readership of nearly 10 million. A couple of examples:
900 Mio.
500 Mio. 400 Mio.
7.817.868
300 Mio. 6.633.710
200 Mio. 100 Mio.
149.805.978
2 13 2013
600 Mio.
650.361.233
2 02 2012
8.168.729
727.618.211
700 Mio.
2 01 2011
8 Mio.
895.907.932
800 Mio.
2010 2 01
2013
2012
2011
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10 Mio.
44 | Communication
The joint press conference on 14th November 2013 with the DZT in Moscow generated a total of 17 pieces of coverage in online portals as well as specialist media, reaching a total of 125,000 readers: »» The web portal news.turizm.ru (which has approximately 37,000 users daily) reported on Germany as a destination on 14th November 2013. »» In December 2013 the magazines TTG (circulation: 12,000) and Tourbusiness (circulation: 9,000) published articles following the press conference.
Internet publications (visited)
Printed publications
6 Mio.
Information event in Russia
Readers reached
Readers reached
7.824.628
»» On 10th September 2013 the daily paper „Information Reference“ (circulation: 3.5 million) as well as the weekly paper „Global Travel“ (circulation: 200,000) published facts and figures about Germany as a destination for events. »» On 1st October 2013 popular magazine „Best of the Best in Tourism“ published an article about Germany as a business travel destination (circulation: 500,000).
Press events and conferences: »»February 2013 Darmstadt: results of the green meetings and events conference »»April 2013 São Paulo: Germany‘s official press conference as Official Host Partner Country together with DZT, GCB, Lufthansa, Deutsche Bahn and Magic Cities
»»May 2013 Frankfurt am Main: publication of sector-specific data: „Meeting- & EventBarometer“ »»June 2013 Hamburg, Leipzig: press trip with journalists from the USA, South America, Europe and Asia »»August 2013 Beijing: press conference in the context of the customer event in China »»October 2013 Frankfurt am Main: publication of the study „meetings and conventions in the future“ »»October 2013 London: press conference in the context of the workshop in Britain »»October 2013 Las Vegas: „2030 MEGA Trends Power Panel – Glimpse the Future of Meetings” »»November 2013 Moscow: press conference in the context of the workshop in Russia »»November 2013 Barcelona: joint press conferences with the DZT in the context of EIBTM »»May 2014 Frankfurt am Main: publication of sector-specific data “Meeting- & EventBarometer“ Reporting in southern Europe The GCB used their presence at IMEX 2013 in Frankfurt am Main specifically for meetings with Italian journalists. As a result of this and participation in the educational trip in July 2013 to Hamburg and Leipzig, a number of articles were published in „Quality Travel Magazine“ (Circulation: 5,000) on 1st October 2013. At EIBTM in Barcelona there was a press conference together with the DZT which, among other results, generated an article in the March 2014 edition of the specialist journal „Travelmanager“ (circulation: 15,000). In February 2014 the SEE btm Southeast Europe business travel & meetings magazine“ (circulation: 3,000) published an article on Germany as a location for meetings and conventions which ran over several pages.
Press trip with international media representatives From 3rd to 7th June 2013 10 journalists from Brazil, China Britain and the USA experienced Hamburg and Leipzig as locations for conventions. The objective of the press trip was to show journalists important sectors in the cities and to show them how local expertise can be used in events. In Hamburg the focus was on architecture and sustainability while in Leipzig the subject was mainly the automotive industry and biotechnology. This press trip as well as IMEX 2013 and IMEX America 2013 provided in-depth media coverage on the GCB and on Germany as a location for events.
Information for customers The GCB‘s customer magazine „Meetings made in Germany“ has been published in a new format since spring 2014. Through the modern, compact newspaper design this publication provides information three times a year about new developments from the GCB as well as the
German meetings and conventions sector. QR codes enable interaction with online content. The editions focus on various key themes. The first edition of the newspaper was launched in May 2014 and looked at technology in meetings and conventions. In the USA the GCB has been publishing a newsletter for customers every two months since March 2014. This newsletter focuses predominantly on German and international MICE news and information of special interest or relevance for the North American market, e.g. the latest facts and figures about Germany as a MICE destination, international business travel data or interesting best-practice examples from Germany. Every month the GCB also sends an e-mail newsletter to subscribers - customers, media representatives as well as students and other recipients. This newsletter is published in German and also in English across Europe.
News for members The GCB‘s members and partners are informed by a monthly newsletter, the „GCB Infoline“, about dates of important events in the sector, participation modalities at fairs as well as planned and implemented marketing activities. New members and partners are also frequently introduced. The Infoline also looks at the results of new sector-based studies and has links to current press and internet articles about the German meetings and conventions sector. The New York GCB team publishes information twice a year about their activities and participation opportunities in the USA and North America in an Infoline special edition.
Communication | 45
| Outlook: 2015-2020
Sustainable
Expert
Innovative
Corporate social responsibility
Expert area strategy
Future study, megatrends
Marketing plan 2015 – 2020
Events
Communication
Market research
Sustainable, expert, innovative: The GCB‘s key themes in communication for 2015 to 2020 The GCB‘s marketing strategy is characterised by concentration on key sectors of expertise, sustainability and innovation as well as the enhanced presence in China as a future market.
The GCB‘s communication will continue to concentrate on three key subjects in the coming years: key sectors of expertise in Germany as a business and scientific location, the sustainability trend in the German meetings and conventions sector as well as Germany‘s innovative potential.
the German meetings and conventions sector. Against a background of the increasing importance of sustainability in the world as quality feature and criterion for selecting event locations, Germany‘s hard work as a leader in the area of green meetings will pay off in the future.
Business and scientific expertise, mutual trade relations and common key sectors are becoming increasingly important in the choice of event locations. The GCB‘s expert area strategy takes account of this development.
The GCB addresses the theme of innovation in the study „meetings and conventions in the future“ published in 2013: it is not enough to keep pace with developments, it is time to move ahead and actively shape the future. Not only is the GCB a forward-thinker in this area, it actually implements innovative ideas. In this way the GCB supports the events sector in the process of adapting to megatrends identified in this study and of meeting the resulting challenges.
The GCB takes on responsibility in the area of sustainability - not only for the benefit of the environment and society but also to achieve a competitive advantage for 46 | Outlook: 2015-2020
With these three key points Germanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high profile enables it to stand apart from its competitors as a destination for events. In addition to highlighting the expected factors such as infrastructure and price/performance ratio, this profile ensures that event planners decide on locations in Germany.
tionally and internationally in a targeted way. All measures are related to a relevant market, clearly identified target groups and defined contents.
In the years 2015 to 2020 this focus will be seen in the GCBâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s marketing activities in the areas of events, communication and market research. This means that members can market their products and services na-
P Marketing measures
t
sustainable, expert, innovative
Products
Market
A Target group
Outlook: 2015-2020 | 47
| Sustainability
Sustainable development The issue of sustainability will continue to be a matter of relevance for the meetings business. 82% of providers and 66% of organisers are convinced that the importance of including sustainable components will increase further. Reduction and compensation of CO2 emissions was highlighted here.
Increasing importance: Inclusion of sustainable components 82% of providers 66% of organisers
Sustainability report As a marketing organisation for the German meetings and conventions sector, the GCB regards a sustainable business operation as an opportunity for the sector and especially for Germany as a successful destination for meetings and conventions in the future. A balanced mix of ecological and social aspects with economic factors is the focus of the GCB‘s sustainability strategy.
The GCB‘s intention is to contribute to a reduction in the use of resources and CO2 emissions in their environmental activities and in this way take responsibility for the environment, both in their own organisation and in the German events sector. The GCB supports the establishment of sustainable meetings as a standard practice.
The GCB places value on the following points amongst others: »» Compliance with the voluntary sustainability code for the events sector „fairpflichtet“ (‘right and fair’) which goes beyond the prevailing legal requirements as well as observing the self-imposed code of ethics and compliance guidelines on all employee levels. »» Implementation of a management system in accordance with EMAS (Eco Management and Audit Scheme) in order to bring in environmental aspects more effectively by systematic preparation of all work processes. »» Since 2012 the GCB has held a certificate as a green globe organisation. Re-certification is undertaken each year. »» Continuous optimisation of resource consumption in the GCB office and in organisation of the GCB‘s own events, travelling on a CO2 neutral basis where possible, avoiding waste and use of regional, seasonal or fair-trade products in catering. »» Appointment of a sustainability officer for the GCB.
Christine Koch, GCB sustainability officer Sustainability | 49
The GCBâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s environmental protection measures Carbon-neutral travel and reduction of consumption Know-how transfer: seminars for sustainability advisors
The GCB has improved the efficiency of its travel management in accordance with environmental concerns. The GCB members use CO2-free tickets as a priority and air travel is compensated: specifically, 162 tonnes of CO2 for the calendar year 2012. In their office the GCB records use of water, energy and paper as well as mobility-related emissions in order to formulate specific objectives for reduction of consumption.
Information transfer in the sector received a boost with the continuation of the successful series of seminars on the subject of green meetings, which the GCB organised together with the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (German Environmental Foundation) in 2012 and 2013. In the year under review five further
Rating, 2013 seminar content
Rating, 2014 seminar for advanced students
Participant questionnaire
Participant questionnaire 11%
17%
Rating, content beginnersâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; seminar 2014
71%
50%
50%
Participant questionnaire 10% Very good Good
10%
Satisfactory Adequate
Very good
80%
Very good 50 | Sustainability
Good
Satisfactory
Good
beginners‘ seminars and two in-house advanced training seminars for sustainability advisors in the events sector were set to be delivered. The contents of the beginners‘ seminars in 2014 were rated as good or very good by 90% of participants. In addition, the GCB has developed a new seminar concept for advanced students which took place for the first time in March 2014. The contents of these seminars - development of a sustainability model, sustainability check, supplier audits, sustainability communication as well as a reporting/monitoring system, were rated as good or very good. The seminars for sustainability advisors in the events sector were distinguished in March 2014 as a project of the UN decade „Education for Sustainable Development“ by the German UNESCO Commission because they explain sustainable action in comprehensible way.
Climate-neutral IMEX stand The GCB organised the Germany stand on a carbon-neutral basis for the second year in a row at IMEX in Frankfurt. In collaboration with CO2OL and Forest Finance Service GmbH, the GCB balanced the CO2 emissions caused by the German presence at IMEX. In total, organisation of the Germany stand at IMEX in Frankfurt 2014 produced the equivalent of 87.54 tonnes of CO2. The emissions were 2% higher than in the previous year but this was due to the fact that the Germany stand at IMEX 2014 was significantly larger with 10 additional exhibitors and 60 m². Emissions per exhibitor were actually 12.7% lower! For the purpose of compensation the GCB again supported the project „Tropical Mix Reforestation, Panama“ and 584 trees were planted.
Headoffice des EVVC Headoffice des GCB Members and Partners
Social engagement with IMEX as a partner The GCB also takes part in the IMEX corporate social responsibility (CSR) project „Badge Back Programme“. This programme supports the social organisation Maisha‘s Sewing Project located in Frankfurt am Main Integration for African Women Through Sewing, which supports women of African origin living in Germany, as well as „Lichtblick aktiv Schwester Sigrid” - an association that supports the welfare of homeless people in the Main metropolis.
Sustainability code „fairpflichtet“ (rightandfair) The sustainability code for the events sector „fairpflichtet“ (‘right and fair’) set up by the GCB together with the EVVC (European Association of Event Centres) in 2011 is now supported by 377 companies in the sector in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. 39 supporters of the code have already produced progress reports outlining concrete measures.
EMAS certification
500 400 300 200 100 0
360
66
377
2014 04
In order to further establish the issue of sustainability in the meetings, conventions and events sector and to give their own employees specific recommendations for action, the GCB agreed on co-operation with the international sustainability certifier, Green Globe. In Germany 71 organisations hold a certificate. The GCB has held a certificate since 2012.
Supporter figures
2013 03
Green globe certification
‘rightandfair’
2012 02
In June 2014 the GCB received the EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) easy certificate for small and medium-sized organisations. This means that the GCB goes beyond mere compliance with legislation. Instead it actively includes employees, communicates clearly and has improved environmental performance as an objective.
Sustainability | 51
| Dialogue with politicians
52 | Lorem Ipsum
Dialogue with politicians The live exchange with politicians is important for the meetings and conventions sector. The GCB has continued its work in this sector in 2013/2014.
MEXCON (Meeting Experts Conference) 2014 The GCB‘s most important platform for an exchange within the sector is MEXCON (Meeting Experts Conference) from 11th to 13th June 2014 in Berlin. The conference in the MARITIM Hotel in Berlin initiated by the GCB and EVVC (European Association of Event Centres) took place for the first time in 2014 under the auspices of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The three-day event linked the annual members‘ meetings and board meetings of the participating associations with specialist forums, a specialist convention with representatives from the political and economic arena as well as numerous networking opportunities. The main theme of MEXCON 2014 is the future of the meetings and conventions sector. The basis for discussions relating to future trends in the sector is the study „meetings and conventions in the future“ which the GCB commissioned together with their partners as a follow-up to the first MEXCON in 2012 and which was published in autumn 2013.
Initiators, partners and supporters of MEXCON 2014: »»GCB German Convention Bureau .V. »»European Association of Event Centres (EVVC) »»Germany Chapter of MPI Meeting Professionals International »»German Committee of the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA)
»»VDR – Germany’s leading business travel association »»Association of German event organisers »»Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) »»Association of German stadium operators »»visitBerlin Berlin Convention Office
Some programme highlights for MEXCON 2014: »» Keynote by trend analyst Mathias Haas on the core theme of MEXCON »» Keynote from business lateral thinker, Dr. Peter Kreu: „STOP WORKING – a call to do what really counts“ »» Conferring the „Meeting Experts Award“ on the evening of 11th June in the new CityCube Berlin in the events planner/buyer category »» Colleagues‘ evening with networking on 12th June in the Olympic Stadium »» Closing keynote speech by Dr. David Bosshart, CEO of GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute: „The future of events“ »» Concluding podium discussion on the central MEXCON theme: „What challenges need to be addressed due to globalisation, rapid social change and technological and scientific developments?“ with the following participants: -- Prof. Dr. Wieland Kiess, Director of the Hospital for Children and Adolescence, University of Leipzig -- Michael Kirnberger, VDR Honorary,President, Verband Deutsches Reisemanagement e.V. (VDR), -- Ulrich Klenke, CMO Deutsche Bahn AG/Head of Group Marketing -- Otto Lindner, Director at the Lindner Hotel -- Rainer Nitsche, State Capital Magdeburg, Council Official for the economy, tourism and regional cooperation -- Moderator Christoph Teuner (Chief Moderator and Editor at n-tv)
„Meeting Experts Award“ at MEXCON 2014 The Meeting Experts Award was conferred for the first time on the evening of 11th June 2014 in the CityCube Berlin as part of MEXCON from 11th to 13th June. The decision and evaluation of candidates for the award in the event planners/buyers category is undertaken by VDR – Germany’s leading business travel association together with the association of German event organisers in accordance with internally specified criteria.
Dialogue with politicians | 53
Digitalisation in tourism The study „meetings and conventions in the future“ published by the GCB has demonstrated that the megatrend of technology will have particular influence on the events sector. Among other things this means that the areas of action for players in the meetings and conventions sector will shift increasingly to the digital sphere: for example, booking travel services, registration for events, planning the attendence of events with the help of apps or online solutions as well as marketing of events by social media actions and live communication. The substantial dynamic of these developments means that the sector is faced with the challenge of constant adaptation and further evolution.
Consequently, the GCB uses the dialogue with politicians in the context of an initiative for the digitalisation of tourism. The objective is to analyse ongoing tendencies in the area of digitalisation and to develop recommendations for action for the sector on this basis.
„Green meetings and events“ conference in Frankfurt The green meetings and events conference takes place on an annually rotating basis with MEXCON. On 9th and 10th February 2015 the conference will be hosted again at a very sustainable event location: the „Kap Europa“ at the Frankfurt Fair – a convention centre which opened at the end of 2014 and which was the first functions building in the world to receive a prelim-
“At MEXCON 2014 the German events sector had the opportunity to exchange views and experience as well as network. It can demonstrate how important business travel is for the stabilisation of numerous jobs in the hotel trade. This also benefits rural premises in which meetings and conventions provide a great opportunity for economic development.” Iris Gleicke, MbD, patron of MEXCON 2014, Parliamentary Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Commissioner of the Federal Government for the new Federal States, Commissioner of the Federal Government for SMEs and Tourism.
54 | Dialogue with politicians
From left to right: Wolfgang Marzin (Chairman of the management of Messe Frankfurt GmbH), Ray Bloom (Chairman, IMEX Group), Taleb Rifai (Secretary-General of the United Nation‘s World Tourism Organization, UNWTO), Matthias Schultze (Managing Director, GCB German Convention Bureau e.V.)
inary gold certificate from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen (German Sustainable Building Council). The certificate had been awarded during the construction phase.
Participation in sector events of political relevance With participation in influential events the GCB also takes the opportunity to raise the concerns of the meetings and conventions sector with the political arena. A few examples: »» IMEX Politicians‘ Forum: An important part of the program at IMEX in Frankfurt is the annual Politicians‘ Forum on the first day. In this forum politicians meet managers of the sector. On 20th May 2014 David Scowsill, President and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council and Taleb Firai, General Secretary of the World Tourism Organisation took part in the forum as distinguished speakers. The objective of the forum is to demonstrate the importance of the events sector to representatives in the political arena. »» Spring meeting of the DIHK (Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry) committee on 3rd April 2014 in Berlin on the themes of tax and tourism policy in the new legislative period, the current situation in long-distance bus travel as well as
retaining managers by employer branding. »» VDR Spring meeting on 3rd to 4th April 2014 in Berlin with personalities from the world of politics, business, science and media who exchanged views about the practice of travel management, for example on the subject of synergies brought about by merging business travel management and MICE. »» DZT parliamentary evening during the International Tourism Fair (ITB) in Berlin on 6th March 2014 at the Germany stand: members of the committee for tourism at the German parliament met representatives from the German and international tourist business. »» Tourism summit meeting of the Bundesverband der Deutschen Tourismuswirtschaft (Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry) on 2nd December 2013 in Berlin with more than 500 participants and the EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso as main speaker.
Dialogue with politicians | 55
| Organisation and structure
Administrative board
Petra Hedorfer German National Tourist Board (GNTB), Frankfurt, Chairman of the GCB Administrative Board
Hilmar Guckert Düsseldorf Congress Sport & Event GmbH, Düsseldorf, Deputy Chairman of the GCB Administrative Board
August Moderer mainzplus CITYMARKETING GmbH Bereich Congress Centrum Mainz, Mainz, Deputy Chairman of the GCB Administrative Board
Yvonne Coulin NürnbergConvention Bureau, Nuremberg
Alfred Diem MARITIM Hotelgesellschaft mbH Sales Director, Darmstadt
Dirk Führer Steigenberger Hotels AG, Frankfurt
Gerrit Jessen MCI Deutschland GmbH, Berlin
Karina Kaestner DB Vertrieb GmbH Business Sales, Frankfurt
Andrea Pernkopf Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Frankfurt
Daniela Schade Accor Hospitality Germany GmbH, München
Carola Schröder Intercongress GmbH, Wiesbaden
Bernd Wiedemann pcma GmbH professional congress & marketing agency, Berlin
56 | Organisation and structure
Marketing committee
Michael Birk DB Vertrieb GmbH Business Sales, Berlin
Stephanie Franke Cologne Convention Bureau c/o KölnTourismus GmbH, Cologne
Tina Groth-Müller Starwood Sales Office, Frankfurt
René Halla MARITIM Hotelgesellschaft mbH, Sales Director, Darmstadt
Ellen Hellbusch CIM - Conference & Incentive Management, T&M Media GmbH & Co. KG, Darmstadt
Ronald Kötteritzsch Leipziger Messe GmbH, Congress Center Leipzig, Leipzig
Kirstin Pfnür Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Frankfurt
Katrin Suchi CPO HANSER SERVICE GmbH, Berlin
Frieder Hebenstreit German National Tourist Board (GNTB), Frankfurt
Auditors
Bernhard Conin KölnKongress GmbH, Cologne
Günter Ihlenfeld PKM GmbH CongressCentrum Pforzheim, Pforzheim
Organisation and structure | 57
Team
Matthias Schultze Managing Director
Ute Stegmann Partner Management & Public Relations
Dominique Gußmag Assistant to Managing Director
Laura d‘Elsa Regional Director USA
Beatriz Salguero Zaya Office Management
Simone Pohl Member & Partner Management
Christine Koch Sustainability Officer, Database Marketing
Ursula Winterbauer Head of International Business
Anke Pruust Director of Marketing
Ilse Christine Schamun International Business
Birgit Pacher Media & Communications
Nina Streich International Business
Vanessa Schäfer Trade Fairs & Events
Monika Pilat Market Research
Martina Nesper Events, Media & Communications
58 | Organisation and structure
Organisational chart Matthias Schultze Managing Director
Ute Stegmann Partner Management & Public Relations
Dominique Gußmag Assistant to Managing Director
Laura d‘Elsa Regional Director USA
Beatriz Salguero Zaya Office Management
Simone Pohl Member & Partner Management
International Business
Marketing
Ursula Winterbauer Head of International Business
Anke Pruust Director of Marketing
Ilse Christine Schamun International Business
Birgit Pacher Media & Communications
Nina Streich International Business
Vanessa Schäfer Trade Fairs & Events
Monika Pilat Market Research
Martina Nesper Events, Media & Communications
Christine Koch Database Marketing /Sustainability Officer
Organisation and structure | 59
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GCB German Convention Bureau e. V. Kaiserstraße 53 60329 Frankfurt am Main Tel.: +49 69 2429300 Fax: +49 69 24293026 E-Mail: info@gcb.de Internet: www.gcb.de GCB German Convention Bureau e. V. 122 East 42nd Street, Suite 2000 New York, NY 10168-0072 Tel.: +1 212-661 4582 Fax: +1 212-661 6192 E-Mail: gcbny@gcb.de Internet: www.germany-meetings.com twitter.com/GCB_Deutschland twitter.com/GermanyMeetings facebook.com/GermanConventionBureau
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Photos: Michael Pasternack, apart from: Greg Allen: P. 40 Deutsche Bahn AG: P. 14 istockphoto.com: P. 3, 4, 5, 12, 18, 20, 22, 24, 27, 28, 47, 48, 52