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Meeting Place Berlin

01.07.2005

Incentives & Meetings International June/July 2005

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Berlin: Affordable Luxury a wealth of new discoveries awaits those who make the trip, especially in Berlin. "Berlin is the new/old capital of Germany," Rheindorf says. "It's an ever-changing city." Last year brought the opening of the Ritz-Carlton and the Marriott at Potsdamer Platz. Also, the largest convention hotel in Europe, the Estrel Hotel, is found there. Unlike many other top European cities, high-end properties in Berlin don't come with high-end price tags - a distinct advantage. In 2003, according to the German Convention Bureau, the average room rate at a four- or five-star Berlin hotel was 130 euros, compared with rooms of similar quality priced at 300 euros in London, 212 euros in Paris, 201 euros in Rome and 159 euros in Amsterdam.
After unification, the government invested huge amounts in the city. An I.M. Pei-designed building was added to the German Historical Museum in 2003, and the Jüdisches (Jewish) Museum, memorial was unveiled in May. Designated as a central place for remembrance, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is located near Brandenburg Gate in the very center of Berlin. The Peter Eisenman-designed memorial consists of 2,751 concrete blocks of different sizes, set in a wave-like pattern on a five-acre field. The path between the blocks creates a Sensation of uneven ground - of being lost, disoriented. The memorial is complemented by an Underground information center.
To call attention to all that the city has to offer, Berlin Tourism Marketing (BTM), in conjunction with the BTM Partner Hotels and the BTM Preferred Agencies, launched "Meeting Place Berlin," a first-ever industry event being held June 30 to July 2. It is designed to Spotlight the German capital as a dynamic convention metropolis. About 300 MICE organizers from international associations, political organizations, corporations and profes-sional agencies have been invited to participate in workshops, meet with local Service providers and engage in extensive site inspections.
"Even with such impressive growth in recent years, Berlins meetings market still shows significant potential for expansion," says Hanns Peter Nerger, president and CEO of BTM. "Our 2005 marketing strategies, therefore, will place a special focus on international associations in North America and the EU countries."
It's getting easier to get to Berlin as well. The city is benefitting from new Delta Airlines nonstop Service out of New York's JFK and Continental out of Newark in New Jersey. The rest of Germany is also seeing more airlift from the U.S.: Lufthansa added a new flight out of Washington Dulles to Munich. Altogether, there are 423 direct flights from the U.S. to Germany weekly, with a seat capacity of 126,000. ...

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