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Taking the Cup

01.08.2005

The Meeting Professionals 08/2005

With the 2006 Fédération Internationale de Football Association World Cup games swiftly approaching, Germany is a hive of activity. Bulldozers grind and cranes peer over newly risen buildings in nearly every burg, transforming a country already well-known for its clockwork efficiency into an unstoppable world competitor in the field of tourism and event hosting. The German government has spent an estimated €6 billion on hosting the games, including major infrastructure projects such as the new main railway Station in Berlin and the widening of roads around major cities. In the private sector, hotels continue to spring up like mushrooms in the Black Forest. With 12 Stadiums refurbished or nearing the end of construction, World Cup fever is poised to sweep the entire country by the time the first match is held in Munich next June.
Regardless of the matches' outcomes, Germany is already a winner when it comes to hosting groups. The International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) recently ranked it as Europe's No. l meeting destination. (Worldwide, the ICCA report placed Germany second only to the United States.) Germany's central location, massive and modern facilities and status as a major international financial center all contribute to its appeal among planners.
"Berlin is ever-changing," said Barbara Schulte, managing director of C.E.S. Congress & Event in Berlin and a member of the MPI Germany Chapter. A classic example, she says, is Potsdamer Platz, a former concrete "no-man's land" bordering the Berlin Wall that is now a commercial center featuring Ritz-Carlton and Marriott hotels, upscale restaurants and shopping centers.
The city's largest convention hotel opens this summer within walking distance of Potsdamer Platz. The 505-room Hotel Maritim Berlin will offer more than 43,000 square feet of convention space in two main halls, as well as 18 smaller meeting rooms. Three restaurants - the largest seating up to 600 - are incorporated into the hotel's design.
The city's most significant new structure, however, is Lehrter Bahnhof, the hyper-modern train Station that will be Europe's largest when it opens before the World Cup. Its construction - which spanned 10 years - is an important undertaking for this capital city, which previously did not have a central train Station. The station's primary feature is an arching glass-and-steel roof that visually connects the Station to two three-story shopping galleries.
Many Berlin hotels are undergoing renovations, including the giant Estrel Hotel and Convention Center Berlin and the Berlin Olympic Stadium, which recently completed a €242 million facelift.
Berlin seems determined to permanently capture a slice of the tourism and convention market apart from the influx brought by the World Cup. In 2004, Berlin hosted 79,850 events with 6.2 million participants.
Last month, Berlin hosted a convention of more than 500 meetings industry buyers. The Berlin Tourismus Marketing; GmbH (BTM) sponsored Meeting Place Berlin and received €500,000 for the event from the city. BTM has also instituted a Congress Card, a two- or three-day pass good for public transportation and access to museums.
Berlin has the strong advantage of being less expensive than other European capitals, so its beauty often comes as a surprise to visitors who base their choices on financial considerations. With its numerous parks (such as the famous Tiergarten), waterways and canals, one-third of Berlin's municipal area consists of either water or woods, while the River
Spree is said to boast more bridges than Venice, Italy. West of Potsdamer Platz, the city's defining landmark is the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, a powerful reminder of the devastation that visited Berlin during World War II. The bombed-out, neo Gothic church with its broken-off spire was completed in the 1960s with the addition of a modern octagonal church and bell tower - a uniquely fascinating union of old and new. The Kurfürstendamm area around the church features luxury hotels, restaurants, famous theaters and several shops. In the east, the Brandenburg Gate: (completed in 1791) welcomes visitors to the formerly off-limits sights of East Berlin.
Berlin's cultural offerings are almost inexhaustible, but a visit to Museum Island will provide visitors a taste of everything, from the world-famous antiquities at the Pergamon and Bode museums to the sacred architecture of Berlin Cathedral to the historic Palace of the Republic, former seat of the East German parliament.

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