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Germany's favorite congress city

27.09.2006

ExpoEye August-September 2006

For some time now, Berlin has been a populär destination for city travellers. But more and more convention clients are also discovering just how attractive the metropolis is. 89,200 events with around 6.9 million participants were recorded äs having taken place during 2005 in the city on the river Spree.

Organisers of meetings,congresses and incentives are increasingly drawn to
Berlin. The German capital has become one of the trendiest destinations in the MICE sector and is now one of the leading event locations in the world. The very good results of 2004 - 79,850 events and 6.2 million participants
- have been exceeded yet again with 12% more events and 11% more participants in 2005, helping to underline a current trend. And for the second year running, in the global ranking of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), Germany's most populär convention city finds itself in fourth place behind Barcelona, Vienna and Singapore. The figures illustrate the rapid development of the convention metropolis in recent years. In 2001, ICCA still listed the German capital in 12th place in its international ranking. But in just four years, Berlin has moved up eight places.
One of the major forces behind this success is the Berlin Convention Office (BCO) of Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH, the city's official representative in the convention area. Since 2001, the department has been involved in the national and international promotion of this destination as a venue for all kinds of conventions. Five years ago it had a staff of two, today it boasts a permanent staff of seven, who are the central, impartial and Professional contacts for a growing number of partners around the world, Heike Mahmoud. BCO's convention director told Expo Eye; "Our office is responsible for all kinds of official congress applications. We provide as much Information as possible on the city of Berlin, checking availability of congress venues and hotels. Customers benefit from our close relations with many different partners in the Berlin congress industry; with congress centres and other event locations, PCOs, DMCs. incentives houses and some of the smaller agencies that organise events in the city. In total, there are around 180 different agencies that work with us. We also organise site inspections for clients, bringing potential customers to Berlin and offering them a huge range of different event proposals and alternatives."
Wide choice of hotels: Another indication of the strengthening Position of Berlin as convention metropolis is the city's hotel capacity which has risen from 62,940 beds in 2001 to around 85,000 in 2006. This is largely thanks to numerous new projects in the 4 and 5-star holel category with many state-of-the-art business hotels catering specifically for large events and meetings. There are approximately 600 hotels in Berlin of which 156 are conference hotels. "In the last ten years, Berlin has more than doubled the number of hotel rooms available in the city." says Heike Mahmoud. "In fact, for some time there has been an over-capacity of hotel rooms. But, with special help from the government and the continuing success of the Berlin Convention Office there has been an increasing emphasis placed on convention business, which is not only good for organisers of events but also helps to fill Berlin's hotels."
New hotels within the 4 and 5-star category include a 5-star Concorde hotel with 311 rooms, located near the Kurfuerstendamm and not far from Potsdamer Platz there is a new Maritim Congress Hotel with 505 rooms and a maximum event capacity of 5,500 people Other top quality hotels in Berlin are the Radisson SAS Hotel with its unique AquaDom in the lobby, the Marriott Hotel in the Beisheim Center in Potsdamer Platz as well as the neighbouring Ritz-Carlton, the first Ritz Hotel to open in a European capital for the past 100 years. The Clarion Hotel Berlin has also recently been completely refurnished. Over 500 rooms have received a makeover and the lobby has been totally renovated. Besides a new bar and restaurant, the holel now has 701 rooms and suites. including 270 rooms with Wireless LAN lor business and 18 rooms for events.
In addition to the state-of-the-art facilities offered by its conference hotels, Berlin also has a particularly varied range of unusual event locations. The spectrum ranges from the city baths, built in 1914, to an old water power Station. And, reminding visitors of the early 1900s, the Imperial Kaisersaal - former salon of the famous Grand Hotel Esplanade - now protected by the futuristic roof of the Sony Center.
Currently being built at the Berlin Ostbahnhof, the Anschutz Arena will give Berlin yet another hall for mega events. Built by the Anschutz Entertainment Group and scheduled to open in 2007. the Arena will have a seating capacity for up to 16,900 people and will be a multi-functional venue ideal for music, entertainment and sporting events. The Anschultz Arena will add significant extra capacity to that already provided by the Velodrom (12,000 visitors), the Max Schmeling Hall (11,950) and the newly renovated Olympic Stadium (75,000).
Making congress history for the past 26 years: The International Congress Center Berlin (ICC), the Estrel Berlin, Europe's largest convention, entertainment and hotel complex, and the axica conference and congress center with its unusual architecture; all contribute significantly to the successful positioning of the German capital in the conference and congress market. An appraisal of events at the ICC Berlin, which has been making history for the past 26 years, is noteworthy in itself. In more than a quarter of a Century, Europe's largest event location has registered over 10 million event participants from all over the world and hosted more than 15,000 congresses and shows. ln 2002, ICC Berlin hosted the European Cardiology Congress, the biggest medical congress ever held in Germany, with more than 26,000 doctors and specialists. Other 'congress marathons' at ICC Berlin have included the European Congress of Pulmonary Exports 2001, attended by 15,000 specialists; the European Nephrology Congress 2003 with 10,000 specialists and the EULAR Congress in 2004 attended by 12.000 experts.
Thisyear, in September, events scheduled to be held at ICC Berlin include; the 56th German Congress for Gynaecology and Obstetrics likely to attract 3,000 delegates and the Personnel Assembly of Deutsche Telekom, In October. there will be the Joint German Congress of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery with 6,000 participants and in November the German Society for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Neurology with 4.200 delegates.
Looking ahead to 2007. congresses at ICC Berlin include: the European Association of Urology with 8,000 delegates, the Annual General Meeting of Lufthansa AG with 5,000 participants and the 88th German Radiology Congress likely to attract 7.500 delegates. In June, 2008, Hypertension Berlin will bring 7.000 delegates to the city and in July, the International Congress of Psychology is likely to bring another 8,000 participants. Looking even further ahead to ICC Berlin's confirmed business for 2009, the 14th Congress of the European Haematology Association will add another 4,500 delegates and in 2010, the XXXI International Congress of Ophthalmology will bring another 6,000 event participants to the city of Berlin,
With its 80 halls and rooms seating between 20 and 9.100 people, its versatile facilities. superb technical installations and comprehensive range of Services, ICC Berlin is the perfect choice for any convention. The complex is designed and equipped to cater for several events simullaneously and ranks among the biggest, most advanced and most successful congress venues anywhere in the world.
Europe's new strategic transport capital: Not content with being a political capital, Berlin is destined to become a transport capilal too. Probably the most strategically important railway Station in Europe, Berlin's new Hauptstadt Station which opened in May this year, is located at the precise point where two of Europe's great rail routes cross from Paris to Moscow and from Stockholm to Vienna. Besides oftering high speed connections to Prague. Warsaw, Paris. Stockholm and a whole host of other EU cities, Berlin has a pristine new Station for the 21 st Century, with a 400 metreglass concourse, 59 escalators and 37 lifts, The new Haupstadt Station, close to the Chancellery building and within sight of the Reichstag's glass cupola, cost an estimated Euros 700 to 800 million to construct and is located on the site of the old Lehrter Bahnhof. Before reunification in 1989. Berlin's Lehrter Bahnhof was the last 'western' Station before trains crossed to the old communist 'east' of the city.
Berlin also has an improving air transport picture thanks to new non-stop flights to New York City. With Delta Airlines having launched a daily connection to New York's JFK airport and an additional daily flight from New York's Newark Liberty airport, operated by Continental Airlines; Berlin is in an even stronger position to compete for international business.
Berlin Preferred Agencies: In 2002, 18 leading Berlin providers of Services for Conferences, congresses and incentives established BTM Partneragenturen Berlin e.V. (Berlin Preferred Agencies). "The joint aim of the agencies is to present and promote the city as a modern and attractive destination for congresses. conferences, exhibitions and events." says Heike Mahmoud. "Each of the agencies belonging to the association provides services far beyond just selecting the right venue. When organising an event. agencies will also make use of their considerable experience and creativity. Each agency will have been a successful player in the Berlin marketplace for many years, offering customers the additional nefit of their highly qualified staff and ite-of-the-art technology. Most are also members of several national and international trade associations." Last year, BCO joined forces with BTM Partnerhotels e.V. and Berlin Preferred Agencies to launch 'Meeting Place Berlin'. The international trade workshop took place twice last year - demonstrating the benefits of meeting in Berlin to more than 200 congress organisers from 17 different countries. Participants were impressed the city's large choice of modern and well-equipped business hotels, the diversity unusual locations and quality leisure options.
The Berlin Convention Office invites about 100 national and international 'hosted buyers' - promoters and organisers of associations, companies and agencies to come to Berlin and experience the professionalism and diversity of the city first hand.
Meeting Place Berlin' met with such positive response from international convention customers last year, that a follow-up event was immediately scheduled
for this summer. In order to attract even more extended congresses to the city and back by popular demand, an additional "special edition" of this exclusive workshop to be staged in Berlin from August 25th 28th.
Heike Mahmoud told Expo Eye; "This unique weekend offers participants ample opportunity to view hotels, meeting locations and popular event venues. Guests are invited to a special evening to develop a network of personal contacts, with about 40 professional Berlin event Service providers from hotels, innovative meeting centres to catering companies. Tourist highlights of the city are also part of the agenda with guests given the opportunity to take a velotaxi, boat or Trabi ride to experience the wealth of options in Germany's capital city." "This year's programme will also include more site inspections; from major conference hotels in City West and 5-ar hotels in Potsdamer Platz to unusual meeting and event facilities, such as the Kosmos or the Auferstehungskirche - an entire morning is dedicated to taking the international experts on informative tours through attractive event locations. New hotels, like the Melia Berlin in Friedrichstrasse, and designer hotels like the art'otel berlin mitte have also joined the Programme."
For the third time 'Meeting Place Berlin' will help high revenue congress customers discover Berlin from a new perspective and get to know the inexhaustible diversity of the city.

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