Meetings made in Germany 2 2012 - English Edition

The Magazine of the GERMAN CONVENTION BUREAU

English Edition 2 / 2012

Green Meetings

Destination Germany

World-Class Transportation & Mobility Expertise Makes Germany A Great Place to Meet

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Let’s Meet Sustainably! – 2nd greenmeetings and events conference Meeting

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Dear Reader,

O

ne of the major milestones of 2012 for the German meetings sector was to start a dialogue between our industry and policy makers – more firmly positioning ourselves on both business and political fronts.

The debut of the Meeting Experts Conference (MEXCON, see page 19 et seq.) last June was a prime

EDITORIAL 03

providers are convinced that green meetings will become even more important in future.

Further the attendees of our new green meetings certification seminar series (page 11) have been very busy this year learning how to put sustainability into practice in their day-to-day business. We’re pleased to report that every seminar so far (and two still available until year-end) have been fully booked and the positive

Future Focus: Sustainability, Green Mobility Leadership for the Future & Today, Be a Part of It! example, as it not only brought together the MICE industry in all its facets during the three-day event in Berlin, but also highlighted the financial and political dimensions and significance of the events industry in Germany. n Future Focus: Sustainability

Another large focus of the German meetings industry in 2012 was creating a “right and fair” Sustainability Codex, a joint project of the German Convention Bureau (GCB) and European Association of Event Centres (EVVC) (page 10). With this code, we offer all professionals across the process chain of event organization in Germany practical guidance on how to meet their “green” responsibilities. After all, according to the 2012 Meeting & EventBarometer Germany, 44 percent of event planners and 51 percent of

feedback of the attendees - who now hold the title of “sustainability advisor” - shows that we are on the right track and on an important one. n Green Mobility Leadership for the

Future & Today Finally with Germany being one of Europe’s most important logistics hubs - offering excellent infrastructure and sophisticated and integrated transportation options it’s also important that we champion sustainable mobility. Especially on the events and meetings front, this means economical use of resources and the employment of innovative energy ideas for transportation should be brought to bear across the entire mobility spectrum, from arrival in Germany to the journey home.

It also means making the right choices around certain means of transportation at the right times, for example: Where do low-emission transport alternatives make sense?

Where should we explore new avenues to reconcile economic and ecological interests? What future

trends and visions are on the horizon in the transport sector? Read more on page 26. n Be a Part of It! As we all know sustainability is not a goal that can be realized overnight and it requires on-going initiatives, commitment and knowledge sharing to play key roles. With that in mind, the next opportunity to come together as an industry in Germany to discuss sustainability will be at the 2013 greenmeetings and events conference, on February 26th and 27th in Darmstadt (see page 08). Join us for this innovative event and be a part of the learning and knowledge sharing as three specialist forums discuss processes, energy and wellbeing for greener meetings.

Yours sincerely,

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

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CONTENT

Supported by:

The Magazine of the GERMAN CONVENTION BUREAU

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English Edition 2 / 2012

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NEWS - GREEN NEWS - DESTINATION NEWS - PARTNER

In the Spotlight

Editorial The German Convention Bureau at EIBTM in Barcelona Review: Meeting Experts Conference (MEXCON) Review: IMEX America 2012 International Customer Events

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Green Meetings 2nd greenmeetings and events conference at darmstadtium 06 Sustainability is the Number One Topic of the Events Industry 10

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

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Destination Germany World-Class Transportation & Mobility Expertise Makes Germany A Great Place to Meet GCB Uses Key Industries to Market Germany as an Events Destination Fields of Expertise and Best Practices: Networking in Leipzig

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GREEN MEETINGS

Let’s Meet Sustainably! – 2nd greenmeetings and events conference at darmstadtium n The second greenmeetings and events conference will take place at darmstadtium science and congress centre on

February 26th and 27th 2013 in Darmstadt. Together with experts of various sectors, recommendations and solutions for sustainability management will be developed on an interdisciplinary level. The patronage of the German Minister of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Reactor Safety, Peter Altmaier, once again confirms the importance of green meetings for Germany as a meetings destination – encompassing ecological, economic and social aspects!

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t the end of May 2010 the German Convention Bureau (GCB) and European Association of Event Centres (EVVC) decided to pool their individual sustainability activities and jointly organize the first greenmeetings and events conference. Both organizations have been committed to green meetings for years and have also been awarded Green Globe Certificates.

With next year’s greenmeetings and

events conference in Darmstadt the organizers want to continue the success story of the first edition. n The Trend is Sustainable The attendance figures for the greenmeetings and events conference 2011 underlined the growing trend and foothold of sustainability with 530 international attendees. These delegates came from all kinds of

meetings disciplines – from event planners, operators of conference centres, hotels, halls & arenas, and service providers to experts from the fields of science, senior event professionals, political & business experts, and environmental organizations.

“With the 2013 conference, we will continue the successful concept and widen the focus of green meetings to embrace more than just

Glass Hall, Leipzig Trade Fair, Photo: LTM-Bader

In Leipzig, tradition and innovation are closely intertwined. World-famous cultural institutions such as the Gewandhaus Orchestra and St. Thomas‘ Boys Choir are just as much a part of the city as the excellent meetings and event facilities that make Leipzig unforgettable. The environment is being considered too. Leipzig Trade Fair was the first of its kind in Germany to have received the international Green Globe sustainability certificate.

Whether conference, large-scale event or corporate function, anyone wishing to organize it in Leipzig will find all the corresponding information at the website www.do-it-at-leipzig.de. This provides details on conference hotels, congress centres and event venues, together with the necessary service providers and transport options, all from a single source.

Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH Augustusplatz 9, 04109 Leipzig, Germany Phone: +49 (0)341 7104-241, e-mail: kongress@ltm-leipzig.de, website: www.leipzig.travel

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GREEN MEETINGS

the environmental aspect. We want to incorporate social topics like CSR and staff comfort and compliance in the discussion and equally reinforce Germany’s position as a great green meetings destination,” says Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the GCB. In 2013 the greenmeetings and events conference will take place for the second time. In 2011 the event, including the online conference, boasted 530 international attendees from all kinds of disciplines – from event planners through operators of conference centres, hotels, halls and arenas as well as service providers, experts from the fields of

science, senior event professionals to political and business experts and environmental organizations.

material, to logistics, technology and socially compatible time & human resources management. www.greenmeetings-und-events.de

n Go for Green Learning –

from A to Z! greenmeetings and events 2013 will offer support to organizers and is a pioneering event in the industry.

Though lectures, discussion forums and many case studies experts and speakers will share their practical experience and convey hands-on, practice-tested solutions for staging green events – from environmentfriendly travel to and from events and the reduction of printed information

German Minister of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Reactor Safety, Peter Altmaier takes the patronage of the upcomming greenmeetings and events conference 2013

“Greenlight”: Meeting Experts Green Award

T

he first Meeting Experts Green Award is another “greenlight” of the conference. “According to the Meeting and EventBarometer 86 percent of event planners in this country believe that the importance of green meetings will remain the same or even continue to rise.

The variety of green services is also constantly growing with just under 40 percent of providers having already implemented a

sustainability management system in their company. With the new award we want to further strengthen this motivation in the industry,” says EVVC President Joachim König.

The award will be presented for the first time during the greenmeetings and events conference in Darmstadt on February 26th, 2013 in five different categories that highlight the topic of green meetings. www.meeting-experts-award.de

darmstadtium – a “right and fair” Venue!

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s a “green venue”, the Green Globe-rated science and congress centre darmstadtium, has a “right and fair” commitment to green conferences. Be it e-bikes, charging points for electric cars, or its cooperation with atmosfair –

the non-profit climate protection organization – the convention center in the heart of the metropolitan regions Rhine-Main-Neckar has a well-established profile for green meetings. “Holistic sustainability management is an absolute

prerequisite for sustainable and future-forward business practices.

The greenmeetings and events conference is a good opportunity for us to demonstrate our many options for “sustainable” meetings. All of darmstadtium’s corporate practices

GREEN MEETINGS 09

are governed by the guidelines and specific guiding principles of the Sustainability Codex, hence showing its commitment to economic, ecological and social responsibility,” says managing director Lars Wöhler.

The convention centre found confirmation of their green expertise at the Berlin Week of the Environment last June when darmstadtium was the only German convention centre to be invited by the German president to present its sustainability concept at Schloss Bellevue. n Sustainability par Excellence Resource-friendly sustainability and an IT infrastructure that is unique in Germany are the hallmarks of darmstadtium as one of the most popular and exciting venues – for science, business and culture. Its

convenient location, combination of architectural and technological measures, use of renewable energy sources such as photovoltaics, geothermal energy, biomass and heat recovery, stand for sustainability par excellence. The photovoltaic system on the rooftop generates around 70,000 kWh annually, cutting the

convention centre’s carbon emissions to approx. 40 t. The in-house biomass boiler is fed by wood chips from local forests and generates additional carbon-neutral energy. By using rainwater for sanitation systems the venue also saves fresh water. www.darmstadtium.de

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GREEN MEETINGS

Sustainability is the Number One Topic of the Events Industry As a key focus of modern business practices sustainability and the responsible handling of resources are of increasing importance in the MICE industry. With the development of a Sustainability Codex, the German Convention Bureau contributes to firmly establishing Germany’s profile as trend setter at an international level.

n

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n times of dwindling resources it is inevitable to address environmentpolitical topics. But not only politicians have realized this. Business and event industry players are also becoming increasingly aware of how to sustainably handle the resources available to them. Despite all the efforts of individual companies to become climate-neutral, a uniform strategy is often lacking. Therefore the GCB recently joined forces with the EVVC to develop a holistic approach to sustainability encompassing economic, ecological and social aspects.

The “right and fair” Sustainability Codex is to help pool innovative ideas and make their implementation measurable according to the guidelines. This gives the decisionmakers of the German meetings and conventions industry a further quality hallmark that will provide a decisive edge on competition worldwide.

To get a hands-on introduction to the topic you can attend one of the seminars launched by the GCB in 2012, which trains participants to act as “sustainability advisors”. As ambassadors for green practices, they can make a decisive contribution to integrating sustainability in their company’s own philosophy. n Sustainability Codex for the event

industry The German Convention Bureau and European Association of Event

Centres (EVVC) made a decisive contribution to the growth of the field of meetings sustainability by developing the joint Sustainability Codex. Following the greenmeetings and events conference in 2011, on the results of which the codex is based, the members of both associations continued to develop and define its contents in an open and transparent process.

The GCB and EVVC members both played an active role in developing the codex. After defining a draft version in several work meetings all members of the two associations – around 1,000 companies – had an opportunity to comment on the codex online in several rounds and develop it further in workshops.

The final version of the codex is composed of ten guiding principles and an explanatory text. It is based on the United Nations Global Compact launched in 1999 by the then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to make globalization more social and ecological.

Ecological sustainability is a major topic of the meetings and congress industry. This is the result of the Meeting & EventBarometer 2012: 86 percent of event planners believe that the importance of green meetings will remain the same or even continue to rise.

The Codex creators invite anyone involved in event organization and execution to show their commitment to the industry’s green

responsibilities by declaring their support of the sustainability codex.

With this voluntary self-commitment “sustainable entrepreneurs” embrace sustainable practices in all relevant economic, ecological and social fields and regularly report about their progress in implementing the codex.

One year after the first step – the declaration of support for the sustainability codex – the companies are expected to describe their specific measures in an on-going report. Companies may take another voluntary step by reporting about self-imposed goals and measurable results.

www.fairpflichtet.de/en/

n Fit for Green Meetings! Further

Training Seminars for Sustainability Advisors in The Events Industry This year the German Convention Bureau (GCB) offers its members and interested non-members an opportunity to gain qualifications as a sustainability advisor during a 1.5day seminar. On the remaining dates in Munich (5./6.11.) and Frankfurt (18./19.12.) attendees will have the opportunity to gain sound theoretical and practical knowledge of the organization and implementation of green congresses, meetings and events. The training measures are part of a GCB project backed by the German Environment Foundation (DBU) to lower carbon emissions of events in agreement with the European Association of Event Centres (EVVC).

The seminar contents include, among other things, defining sustainability from environmental, economic and social viewpoints as well as briefing attendees on the certifications they can obtain in this field. In addition, the latest key indicators and future supply and demand trends will be discussed.

The course focuses strongly on sustainability in practice by presenting case studies and individual www.germany-meetings.com

measures ranging from environmentfriendly travel from and to the event through the reduction of printed information material to socially compatible HR management.

In working groups the attendees generate ideas and measures of their own for green meetings and then test the feasibility of their schemes.

Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the German Convention Bureau (GCB) underlines the project’s importance for the German events industry: “With the new seminars we can train around 500 advisors in the next few years thanks to the DBU’s funding. They will then convey their extensive knowledge on sustainability within their companies.” n German Convention Bureau (GCB)

Receives Green Globe Certificate The German Convention Bureau (GCB) has successfully completed the Green Globe certification procedure.

The Green Globe is a sustainability certification system that is recognized worldwide and rates companies from environmental, social and economic aspects. For this purpose special assessment methods have been developed for the segments

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GREEN MEETINGS / NEWS – GREEN

of meeting and convention centres, hotels and meetings & events.

“Germany is already among the worldwide leaders for green meetings. A recognized name like Green Globe helps underline Germany’s unique value at an international level. The important thing is that sustainability should be understood beyond the pure environment aspect and should include social and economic issues”, says Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the GCB. In Germany 27 convention and event centres and 17 meeting hotels have already been awarded the Green Globe certificate.

n Green Solutions As an interface between organizers of meetings and conventions and providers of services, venues and destinations in the German meetings market, the GCB offers advice and support for planning and organizing memorable events. If you want to go green, you will find a wealth of information online including green meetings guides and tips and a CO2 calculator for events plus much more: www.gcb.de

n Further ‘sustainable’ activities of the GCB: ■■

■■

■■ ■■

■■

Co-Host of the greenmeeting & events conference being held again in 2013 February 26th and 27th in Darmstadt.

Hands-on advice for the realization of green meetings on the GCB website, including a green provider search function.

A CO2 calculator on the GCB website.

Representation in the German Standards Committee for Sustainable Event Management under the new project of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Support to the Green Travel brochure and Green Travel film of the German National Tourist Board produced as part of its 2012 theme.

www.gcb.de/en/the-gcb/green-gcb

Best Practices for Green Meetings: Westin Grand Frankfurt Adopts Scheme

T

he Starwood Hotels & Resorts Group in Germany has integrated cutting-edge environment-friendly measures and sustainability principles into its business strategy that is setting a positive trend-setting example for implementing sustainability in modern hotel management.

n Responsible Handling of Resources A central focus of resource-friendly management at the Westin Grand Frankfurt is taking strong measures to save as much energy as possible by employing the latest findings in sustainable technology. For example, as part of the recently completed

refurbishment of the conference and restaurant area all conventional, incandescent lighting has been replaced by more energy-efficient and controllable LED lighting systems.

Further, the prevention or reduction of paper consumption has been taken by switching to energy-

NEWS – GREEN 13

efficient Kyocera printers in all offices and water nozzles on sinks and bathtubs as well as corresponding adjustments to toilet flushing systems also help lower water consumption in the long run.

In addition, environment-friendly hotel management includes using no chemicals for cleaning. Instead the hotel uses cleaning and care products that are environment-friendly.

Doing without single-portion packaging at the breakfast buffet also helps lower waste production as much as possible.

These measures are a major step towards achieving the ambitious energy goals of the next few years: by 2020 The Westin Grand Frankfurt wants to lower its consumption of energy by 30% and use of water by 20%.

n Hotel Restaurant Uses FRESH Regional Produce The culinary offerings of the Westin Grand Frankfurt are

based on the FRESH concept.

The letters stand for: “Flavoured”, “Regional”, “Energetic”, “Sensual”, and “Healthy”. This means healthy

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NEWS – GREEN

cooking with fresh ingredients that are mostly sourced regionally.

Seasonal and regional produce is favored for fruit, vegetables and herbs.

In addition, sustainability and speciesappropriate breeding are major criteria for the selection of suitable meat and fish suppliers.

As a special highlight the hotel offers “honey from our own rooftop”. Six beehives with an estimated 280,000 bees live on the roof of the Westin Grand Frankfurt.

In a radius of up to 5 kilometres the

city bees can feed on all kinds of trees and plants. So this city honey is not just a special delicacy but also contributes to the trend for greater environmental awareness in urban spaces. n Raising Environmental Awareness

Among Staff, Business Partners, Guests and Communities The Green Council, a committee of staff members from various departments of the Westin Grand

Frankfurt, develops ideas and projects to continue the sustainable management of the business. One of these projects includes the new green guest card “Eine frische Idee – A Fresh Thought”, which indicates that bed linens and towels are to be changed only on demand, enabling guests to make an individual contribution to saving the environment.

For more information on the Westin Grand Frankfurt please visit: www.westingrandfrankfurt.com

Congress Alliance of Germany: 100% Green Meetings Committed All Ten Member Conference & Meeting Venues Following the New Sustainability Codex and Hold Green Globe Certification

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eeting planners and delegates who choose to host their events in Germany are sure to see green meetings as a top offering as all ten member venues of the RuhrCongress Bochum from Aachen to Weimar are now following the new “right and fair” Sustainability Codex for the meetings industry and have been awarded Green Globe Certificates. With both efforts, each individual venue is committing to act sustainably in all the relevant economic, ecological and social elements surrounding events and conferences.

“Sustainability is our commitment towards future generations, and we are happy and proud that all member venues of the Congress Alliance fully embrace this commitment”, says Andreas Kuchajda, Managing Director of RuhrCongress Bochum.

What this ensures is that event planners are on the safe side when they opt for a Congress Alliance member in terms of sustainability rigor – and more – as every venue has a team with a green mindset and strong expertise who are able to organize and implement an event professionally and with sound green advice.

Members of the Congress Alliance include venues in Aachen, Bochum, Friedrichshafen, Hannover, Kassel, Mainz, Münster, Pforzheim, Rostock and Weimar.

n Sustainability in Action at Conference Alliance

Member Venues Adopting responsible and sustainable principles and practices at Conference Alliance Venues starts with little details. Certainly, a responsible use of resources and energy finds its culmination in a venue built according to full “passive building” standards. But there are also many small-scale measures, requiring a lower investment, that show a commitment to sustainability and bring green results.

For example, congress centrum neue weimarhalle in Weimar, Germany offers an electric car charging point in its in-house garage and has greatly improved its energy efficiency by converting its lighting system to a more energy efficient approach.

NEWS – GREEN 15

booking a greenplus package. This package includes travel to and from the event with the Deutsche Bahn rail travel event ticket, free public transport, sustainable catering, and many more options that lower carbon emissions by up to 80 percent. Many venues also include the use of an electric Smart car.

Though the green measures of these venues differ, they all have one thing in common: their strong commitment to sustainability with every single Congress Alliance member venue having started a process that will improve not only their single venue’s ecological balance but also that of the meetings industry across Germany as a whole.

The Rostocker Messe- und Stadthallengesellschaft mbH, (Rostock is a small town at the Baltic Sea) recently used the refurbishment of their Hall 2 to install a new lighting concept and can now save 18.73 kWh by using more efficient lamps.

In other venues, such as Congress Centrum Mainz, Messe and Congress Centrum Halle Münsterland, and Kongress Palais Kassel, 2 hours drive from Frankfurt, customers can make meetings climate-friendly by

n About the Congress Alliance Founded in 2004, the Congress Alliance aims to pool joint distribution and marketing interests. To meet the membership criteria of this federation, which is limited to ten venues, the members must meet quality standards that are laid down for the Congress Alliance label and regularly monitored by an independent institution. For more information visit: www.congressallianz.de

darmstadtium – climate friendlY congress destination green meetings: an opportunity for suppliers and companies to show awareness and take responsibility for the environment and the future. The darmstadtium, a model for sustainability, conservation of resources and intelligent use of energy, is predestined for its role as a climate friendly congress destination.

The darmstadtium is the meeting place for science, business and culture, spread over 18,000 m² at the heart of the rhine-Main metropolitan region and only 20 minutes from Frankfurt international airport. The darmstadtium fulfils all the requirements of a top event location with a range of multifunctional rooms – 21 conference rooms as well as a main hall equipped with the very latest conference technology that can be partitioned into three smaller halls seating up to 1,667 guests – and foyer areas flooded with natural light for accompanying exhibitions. make your meeting green!

www.darmstadtium.de

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NEWS – GREEN / DESTINATION

Explore Mainz with Congresscardplus The Green Globe and Ökoprofitrated Congress Centrum Mainz (CCM) is stepping up its commitment to sustainable events once again with its new edition of the congresscardplus a bonus program with many benefits for meeting planners and attendees.

These include: free use of shared, public transportation including the bus network of Mainzer Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) and ESWE transport within Mainz/ Wiesbaden as well as a free walking tour of Mainz and complementary entry to the Gutenberg Museum and Natural History Museum. The card is valid for three days from the date of issue.

“We want to give our event customers and congress delegates an opportunity to get to know Mainz beyond their event as an attractive and modern city. And, on the other hand, we naturally want to keep conveying our sustainable approach to our customers. Around 75 per cent of emissions of an event are caused by delegates traveling to and from the venue and at the location itself. With congresscardplus these emissions can be reduced considerably,” explains August Moderer, Managing Director of mainzplus CITYMARKETING GmbH. For climate-friendly travel to and from the event the CCM already introduced event tickets for the Deutsche Bahn rail system some years ago, which provided delegates with carbon free travel all over Germany.

The congresscardplus can be obtained by event customers through the Congress Centrum and distributed to attendees.

For the delegates of national and international congresses congresscardplus is a very handy

bonus thanks to the free use of public transport. www.ccmainz.de/gruen-reisen Maritim Focuses on Sustainability in Event Management Maritim’s newly launched “ProUmwelt” (pro-environment) initiative has identified protecting the environment and sustainable development as key targets. A review of the areas of energy, waste, water, purchasing and employee mobility has been undertaken in all hotels. In addition to this, Maritim has trained its staff throughout the country as sustainability advisors, assigning them with the task of playing a leading role in managing the project. Besides this role, the staff will also be entrusted with advising event partners on all matters relating to sustainability.

The training course that has been followed by Maritim staff since May 2012, entitled “Fit for Green Meetings”, is being delivered by the German Convention Bureau (GCB) in conjunction with the DBU (or Deutschen Bundesstiftung Umwelt) Germany’s federal environmental foundation). The intensive training, highly practical in orientation, focuses on questions such as “What is an energy-efficient meeting?” or “Is climate-friendly is the same thing as carbon-neutral?”

In July 2010, the Maritim Hotel Bonn was the first German hotel to be awarded the “Green Globe” Sustainability Certificate.

“Sustainability is a major issue, which most businesses today are only too keen to trumpet. Nevertheless, it is a field in which a great deal of confusion reigns. Our initiative is designed to promote environmental awareness, but we are also aware that consumers must have access to clear, manageable and standardized

certification. The industry has its work cut out for it with regard to sustainability,” says Maritim Hotels CEO Gerd Prochaska,. “It is an area in which the hotel industry definitely needs to catch up, but when the time comes, we will have already done the groundwork.”

In conjunction with the “ProUmwelt” initiative, on 15th September 2012, Maritim also launched its new “Maritim Green Meeting” conference package.

This sustainable package requires, for example, the use of fair-trade coffee and locally made products, and the provision of FSC-certified notepads, recycled flipchart paper and biodegradable pens. In addition to room rental, technical equipment and conference catering, the Green Meeting package includes a 3-course dinner menu or lunch buffet and costs from € 53 per person per day. As with the existing “Maritim Exclusive” and “Maritim à la carte” conference packages, the “Green Meeting” package – with rates starting from € 65 and € 42 respectively per person per day – offers a number of additional services that can be added to your booking. www.maritim.com One Excellent Web Address for Two Great Cities: KÖLNDÜSSELDORF – The Meetropolis Using the concept “KÖLNDÜSSELDORF – The Meetropolis”, the Rhine region’s two most multifaceted metropolises are bundling what they have to offer and are marketing themselves even more tightly together worldwide as a single conference region. The most important communication platform for the campaign – initially set to run for three years – is the single, attractive and useful website at

NEWS – DESTINATION / PARTNER 17

www.meetropolis.de representing the two urban destination partners. Here event planners, attendees, journalists and others will find everything they need to know about the Meetropolis region, and lots of good information on infrastructure, hotels and event venues in the two cities of Cologne and DĂźsseldorf.

Visitors are welcomed to the website’s homepage with impressive panoramic photos of the region that provide a preview of the advantages that these two cosmopolitan conference metropolises offer. www.meetropolis.de

Berlin Convention Office of visitBerlin Becomes Full Member of Best Cities Global Alliance

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or eleven years the Berlin Convention Office (BCO) of visitBerlin has been a partner for meetings, congresses and incentives in Berlin. To successfully promote the German capital on an international level as well, a continuous presence in core markets is indispensable. Hence, the BCO has been a full member of the BestCities Global Alliance since

May 2012. This service network of international meeting and convention hubs includes, among others, Dubai, Singapore and Melbourne. By becoming a member, the German capital has paved the way to joint marketing activities worldwide.

In addition, the team of the Berlin Convention Office has already been successfully cooperating with Marketing Challenges International, Inc. since 2009. The BCO agency helps US and Canadian associations, companies, and event and incentive agencies. Since 2010 the BCO has also been cooperating with the agency Hume Whitehead, giving it a presence in the UK. Hume helps the team promote Berlin on the UK market.

Extraordinary events are a specialty of the BCO. Highlights include Meeting Place Berlin taking place for the seventh time July 4 - 8th, 2013 where national and international

convention and meeting planners can get to know the capital. They visit special hotels and venues, take part in incentives and discover the attractions of the metropolis.

For more information on Berlin Convention Office, its services, and Berlin highlights visit convention. visitBerlin.de. The website offers an interactive, at-a-glance introduction to the German capital and a compass for incentive trips called BerlinCentives which gives comprehensive information about extraordinary Berlin incentive experiences and helps you choose the right event. visitBerlin Berlin Convention Office Am Karlsbad 11 10785 Berlin www.convention.visitberlin.de t:+49 (0)30 26 39 183 f:+49 (0)30 26 47 48 965 convention@visitberlin.de

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FOCUS ON THE GCB

The German Convention Bureau at EIBTM in Barcelona, November 27th – 29th, 2012

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his year’s EIBTM, the Global Meetings, Incentives, Events and Business Travel Exhibition, will take place in Barcelona November 27 – 29th, 2012. At this event the German Convention Bureau will share the latest developments in the events industry each day at 11:00 am – 12:00 pm and again at 2:00 – 3:00 pm. Dirk Walterspacher, Managing Director of the CO2OL Carbon

Business Forest Finance Group, will brief attendees on “How to organize a sustainable meeting – guidelines, tips and best practices” and The Hamburg Convention Bureau and Stuttgart Marketing GmbH will present hands-on examples that demonstrate how green approaches can be implemented.

German Pavilion J 100 / 8

n GNTB theme for 2012: Business Travel in Co-operation with the GCB

and AUMA German Pavilion J 100 / 8, Hosted Buyer Lounge Welcome Reception 28 November 2012, 4.00 p.m.

Official welcome by the German Consul General in Spain Welcome and lectures: ■■

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Ulrike Bohnet, Director German National Tourist Office in Madrid Theme year 2012: Business Travel Destination Germany Matthias Schultze, Managing Director, German Convention Bureau: Germany as a MICE destination

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Sylvia Kanitz, Head of Marketing, AUMA: Trade Fairs in Germany

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Key Note: Victor Noguer, Managing Director, IBTA Iberian Business Travel Association

Seminars 27 November and 28. November 2012, at 11:00 am – 12:00 am and 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ■■ How to organize a sustainable meeting Dirk Walterspacher, Geschäftsführer CO2OL

FOCUS ON THE GCB 19

Meeting Experts Conference (MEXCON) Makes Successful Debut in Berlin n The first Meeting Experts Conference took place in Berlin June 18th – 20th, 2012. The initiators of MEXCON – the

German Convention Bureau (GCB) and European Association of Event Centres (EVVC) – had invited leaders and experts of the MICE industry and political decision-makers to share ideas at the International Congress Centre (ICC) in Berlin

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he objective of the first German meetings industry summit was to boost networking among organizers and providers and raise awareness of the sector with an extensive program of specialist forums, general meetings of trade associations, and seminars.

In his keynote speech on “Europe’s future role as a business and science hub – opportunities for the events industry” Günter Verheugen (Vice President of the EU Commission and former EU Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry) pointed out the role of the meetings and conventions industry as a “motor for all of Europe“. The answer to the question of how Europe can remain competitive in light of economic challenges was “innovation“. Sharing ideas contributes to an innovationfriendly environment. “The secret recipe behind this is: networking and communication. The role of conventions can be compared to the nervous system of the human body: they ensure that the right signals are transmitted,” concluded Verheugen.

Over three days, MEXCON offered the 800 delegates and over 70 exhibitors an ideal platform for sharing experiences, discussing challenges and exchanging future perspectives of the industry. It was also a strong platform for making political decision-makers and the public in general aware of the large,

The secret recipe behind this is: networking and communication. The role of conventions can be compared to the nervous system of the human body: They ensure that the right signals are transmitted positive economic and employment impact of the meetings industry. On the last day of MEXCON there was a panel discussion on “How will the events industry look in 2030?” which produced some interesting forecasts.

Harry Gatterer, Managing Director of the Austrian Future Institute, pointed out that face-to-face events are still as important as ever, despite increasing virtualization, and predicted that they will become even more so in future. Simultaneously,

standards for meetings will be rising in the coming “age of events”.

MEXCON offered ideal conditions for jointly addressing the challenges that lie ahead and leading the event industry into a successful future.

The organizers of MEXCON were pleased with the attendance and results of the successful kick-off event. www.mexcon.de

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FOCUS ON THE GCB

As part of the GCB’s General Assembly during the MEXCON also the GCB Board was elected: from left to right Hilmar Guckert (assisting chairman), Claudia Langhoff, Bernd Wiedemann, Dirk Führer, Yvonne Coulin, Andrea Pernkopf, Gerrit Jessen, Petra Hedorfer (chairwoman), Matthias Schultze (Managing Director GCB), August Moderer (assisting chairman), Alfred Diem, Carola Schröder; missing: Daniela Schade

Review: IMEX America 2012

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uilding on its success at last year’s inaugural IMEX America, the key trade show in North America for meetings, conventions, incentives, and events, the German Convention Bureau (GCB) returned to the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas for IMEX America 2012.

The 2012 show greatly increased in numbers, attracting 2,400 buyers from across North America and 43 other global markets – 20% more than last year – and 1,700 individual attendees.

The German Pavilion, supported through the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, also expanded its presence by 20 percent (with 37 subexhibitors), making it the largest booth at the show.

Individual appointments with representatives from the German Convention Bureau doubled in size, from 38 in

2011 to over 70 in 2012. The GCB also presented the benefits of “Meetings Made in Germany” to 14 hosted groups predominantly from the US and Canada, but also as far as from the UK and even India.

On day 2 of the show the GCB hosted a press event based on a unique format, the “speed date”. Feedback from previous events had indicated that journalists are increasingly critical of traditional press conferences and prefer brief and concise modes of communication, which is why the German Convention Bureau and its North American PR agency, Clareville, organized a “Speed Date with Germany” and its preferred partners Convention Bureau Duesseldorf, darmstadtium Congress Center, and Maritim Hotels. The event was attended by journalists from some of the most important North

FOCUS ON THE GCB

American meetings media, including Successful Meetings, MeetingsNet, and Prevue Magazine, who all indicated that they liked the new format.

Day 2 of the show ended with a reception with the German Consul General from Los Angeles, Bernd Fischer, followed by the “EURO Party”, a joint event organized by all European countries represented at IMEX America. The EURO Party gave some 500 hosted

buyers and other attendees the chance to enjoy some food and drink and mingle with European destination representatives and their partners.

The overall response to these activities and IMEX America as a whole has been very positive and multiple partners have already indicated that they want to exhibit as part of the German Pavilion at IMEX America 2013.

Discover new dimensions See unimagined perspectives, immerse yourself in flood-lit atmospheres and experience a very special spatial feeling! – As you can see, we are excited about our ICS International Congress Center Stuttgart, its open, bright architecture, the pleasant atmosphere and the state-of-the-art infrastructure.

To enable you to share our enthusiasm, we would like to invite you on a discovery tour of new dimensions. For an initial brief insight, order your free 3D glasses and “The ICS in 3D” brochure at www.ics-in-action.de.

Just click on it!

V isit

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International Customer Events Promote Germany as a Destination for Fairs and Meetings n As part of the theme year of the German National Tourist Board (DZT) for 2012 - “Business Travel Destination

Germany – Trade Fairs and Conventions“ - the German Convention Bureau is organizing many customer events together with the DZT to showcase Germany as a business travel destination.

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nternational visitors spend 13.5 billion euro in Germany each year on overnight business travel. Together with 14.6 billion euro from domestic travelers, business travel accounts for a share of 24 percent of tourist overnight expenses in Germany – this is the result of a recent study funded by the German Ministry of

Economics and Technology (BMWi) and published together with the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW). So-called promotable business trips, which comprise the segments of trade fairs (21 percent) and meetings, incentives, congresses and events (MICE: 26 percent), account for just under half

of all overnight business travel. On a European scale Germany is therefore the top business travel destination.

This year the GCB is organizing customer events together with the DZT in the UK, Belgium, USA and further major source markets.

The events in New York, Brussels and London confirm the concept’s

FOCUS ON THE GCB

Customer event in Brussels

success and allow us to expect an equally positive response to coming events in Austria, Switzerland, China, Poland and further markets. n “Business Travel to Germany” -

Kick-off Event in New York As part of the customer event “Business Travel to Germany” organized by the GCB in cooperation with the DZT“, Germany was showcased as an attractive destination for meetings, incentives, conventions and events. A total of 85 journalists, event planners and many invited international guests took part in the event on 20th

n GNTB theme year events -

in collaboration with the GCB

www.germany.travel/gcb n■

20 March 2012, New York, USA

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20 September 2012, Brussels, Belgium

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26 September 2012, London, UK

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16 October 2012, Paris, France

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29 October 2012, Wien, Austria

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20 November 2012, Zürich, Switzerland

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4 December 2012, Milan, Italy

Customer event in London

March 2012. Germany stands out in the business travel segment for its excellent infrastructure, security, welltrained staff, networked traffic routes and pioneering role in the field of sustainability.

Michael Lohscheller, CFO of the Volkswagen Group, was the featured keynote speaker of the event.

Lohscheller highlighted the success of networking in business relations between Germany and the USA, citing the Volkswagen brand as an example. n GCB Customer Event A Success in

London On September 26, 2012 the annual GCB customer event for the important UK market took place in London. As part of the “fields of expertise” strategy pursued by the GCB and its members, the motto of the evening was the “environment” and “sustainability and events“.

This theme was implemented in an interactive and entertaining format with a hosted “Green Trends Quiz“ and various “Green Trends Stations” informing participants about various aspects of sustainability and particularly “green meetings”.

12 GCB member companies took the opportunity to establish contacts with UK customers and present

their offerings. As a keynote speaker, a Lufthansa representative presented aspects of Lufthansa’s sustainability program. The sustainability theme was also mirrored by the choice of venue. The energy-efficient Blue Fin Building was designed by the award-winning architect team Allies & Morrison. Located on the Thames’ South Bank with stunning views of London’s skyline, it owes its name to the 2,000 blue aluminum fins which its facade is covered with. n GCB Customer event “Mobility

of the Future” Gets Ideas Moving in Brussels On September 20, 2012 the German Convention Bureau hosted a customer event in the D’leteren Gallery in Brussels.

There representatives of companies, associations, and agencies met members of the GCB from the fields of hotel and destination marketing to share ideas on the future of mobility.

The lecture on “Mobility of the Future” by Philipp Casse provided a sound introduction to the topic and drew attention to sustainable means of transport for business travelers.

Following that lecture delegates had the opportunity to present their visions of the future and jointly develop new ideas.

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Compliance – Ethical Behavior in Business Relations

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ell-managed business relations and communications are one of the basic prerequisites of a company’s success.

However, in a world cluttered with messages around unique selling propositions (USPs) and an overwhelming amount of social media and traditional communications, businesses are constantly challenged to meaningfully position their products and services in the Global Marketplace.

Face-to-face contact has a unique role to play in breaking through this clutter with clients and prospects

and scientific findings show that information that is connected with a personal and live experience are most likely to linger in the mind.

While businesses have long realized the importance of addressing customers personally and producing new creative ideas for convincing them of the quality of the company’s services in face-to-face settings, there are also ethical limits that need to be observed.

Business lunches, incentives, hospitality measures, fam trips and many different types of events are intended to boost individual

customer relations but our industry also needs to be careful of the negative headlines that can result from hosting events with a singular focus on leisure, free travel and valuable gift giving.

Originally a medical term used to define the patient’s role in following doctor’s orders, “compliance” has now also spread across the world and into the German-speaking business sphere to meaning the fulfillment of specified regulations by a company or industry to rule out unethical behavior or even criminal corruption.

A look into the German Criminal

Code, however, clearly demonstrates that the ban on undue advantages and bribery (§ 299 of the German Criminal Code) does not suffice to guarantee a clear and coherent approach in the world of business.

The events industry therefore needs to deal with the topic of compliance and develop specific guidelines for fair and ethical behavior towards market players.

The German Convention Bureau (GCB) supports compliance to ethically sound behavior in the events industry and has created guidelines for its own staff in cooperation with lawyer Sylvia Schenk from Frankfurt.

These guidelines - which specify clear rules for the transparency of business contacts, documentation and handling of invitations and gifts - can also provide insights for others across the events industry as the debate and education around compliance continues.

The GCB recently talked to Sylvia Schenk, lawyer and member of the board of management of Transparency International Germany to help shed some additional light on compliance specific to events:

IN THE SPOTLIGHT 25

will also serve as a yardstick for the events industry in the long term.

GCB Q.: What influence do you think compliance will have on event formats with a strong leisure factor (e.g. fam trips)?

Schenk A.: In the compliance debate it is important to take a close look at the intended purpose: Section 299 of the German Criminal Code (bribery and corruptibility in business relations) protects competition.

Decisions should not be influenced “by undue means”, e.g. by offering personal advantages to those employed to make decisions in a company in exchange for preferential treatment. But this does not mean a ban on developing marketing measures that target the customer’s business or provide meaningful information to decision-makers.

Those who plan events for their company naturally need to see the required venues, hotels and even social program options. This can be organized transparently from the compliance aspect without granting undue advantages.

is a code of ethics describing the company’s principles. These are guidelines on how to deal with conflicts of interest, gifts and invitations and provide employees with specific guidance for particularly sensitive issues. It is important to have this framework that is explained, among other things, in hands-on training sessions that address the specific questions and concerns of staff.

Sylvia Schenk ■■

Born 1952

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Labour court judge 1979 - 1989

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GCB Q.: How important do you think compliance will be in future for the events industry and how is it related to “sustainability”?

Schenk A.: Sustainability would not be possible without compliance as obeying the law and other regulations is part of the third pillar of sustainability – besides ecology and economy - the social dimension. It also expressly includes the fight against corruption. In addition, even the best objectives, e.g. to save resources and protect the environment, are worthless if it is not ensured that they are being met. If you take sustainability seriously, you cannot evade compliance. And this

GCB Q.: What do you consider to be the main task of companies who want to systematically implement compliance? What are the obstacles to its implementation? Does it make sense to create individual corporate guidelines?

Schenk A.: The most important aim is to promote integrity. This cannot be done with a torrent of regulations or a sprawling bureaucracy that instills a fear of independent decision-making and becomes counter productive. Rather compliance and ethics requires a culture that is practiced within the company - with superiors setting a good example. Supporting this

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District council and city council for sport and law, City of Frankfurt 1989 - 2001 Licensed to practise law 2004

Sylvia Schenk specializes in sports law, corporate law and in the area of compliance.

Alongside her consultant‘s role at Schmalz Rechtsanwälte, Sylvia Schenk is a judge at the Deutsches Sportschiedsgericht (German Court of Sports Arbitration) and at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, as well as being a member of the Board at the German Olympic Academy.

In addition, Sylvia Schenk continues to enrich the general tenor of legal debate with numerous publications, lectures and seminars.

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MEETING DESTINATION GERMANY

World-Class Transportation & Mobility Expertise Makes Germany A Great Place to Meet n World Economic Forum Study Ranks Germany Third in World For Infrastructure Quality

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he recently announced Global Competitiveness Report 20122013 issued by the World Economic Forum ranked Germany 3rd for its infrastructure in terms of quality out of 144 economies worldwide.

This infrastructure, along with seamless transportation and mobility industry expertise is part of what makes Germany a leading global meetings, events and conference destination.

In 2011 Germany hosted 2.72 million events in total, up 4.5 percent

from the previous year and also holds the #1 event location spot for Europe and #2 globally (sources: Meetings & EventBarometer Germany 2012 and the ICCA survey 2011).

So what’s behind these numbers and what makes Germany such a popular destination for meeting planners & attendees alike, especially on the Mobility and Transportation industry front?

The factors range from a highly accessible and integrated

transportation system and profound industry expertise & resources, to meeting friendly pricing and providers, and many green & innovative business travel options. n Accessible & Integrated Transportation Moves Visitors Seamlessly With 40 airports, 20 of which are international, 12,850 kilometers of world-class highways, and a strong train network of almost 33,500

kilometers serving 5,400 locations, business visitors can get to, from and around Germany with ease.

Once visitors are at their local destination, German public and private transportation by train, car, bus, car sharing, taxi and even bicycle gets them around safely and easily.

These various transportation services mesh and move together like well-oiled gears, saving time and increasing efficiency for delegates, key benefits especially given that event lengths are generally shortening in Germany and around the globe.

Germany’s convenient, physical location has also been recognized as a meetings strength with the country being called the most accessible in Europe by the European Union’s ESPON (European Spatial Observation Network) survey in 2011. n German Industry Expertise Draws

Meetings For The Knowledge Economy When meeting organizers choose Germany as their destination they are able to profit from the people, resources and places that comprise Germany’s renowned industry expertise realms, business leadership and R&D.

MEETING DESTINATION GERMANY 27

Whether the goal of planners is to leverage local industry expertise in order to develop content, identify trends, build sponsorships, choose speakers, or create networking or incentive activities, the possibilities in Germany are bounded only by imagination and business strategy.

In the Mobility and Logistics realm, that means bringing attendees to the home base cities of some of the world’s strongest players including DHL, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, BMW, Lufthansa, Schenker, Deutsche Bahn (German Railways), Daimler AG and more. Many of these companies allow conference attendees to get a first hand look at what makes their brands and products so special through tours and visits, driving tracks, and museums.

It also means leveraging the brain power that resides at organizations and places like The Institute of Transport Research in Berlin, The House of Logistics & Mobility (HOLM) in Frankfurt, the Institute of Transport and Automation Technology in Hanover, and the University of Stuttgart in Stuttgart.

In an effort to add new and additional value for event planners and delegates, both Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn offer special packages geared towards business meetings and events.

“Seamless mobility is one of the core benefits Germany offers to business travelers,” says Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the German Convention Bureau.

“Further, leading German travel providers such as Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn provide customized solutions to the meetings industry, making travel to and within Germany increasingly easy and

n German Mobility Fast Facts ■■

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Frankfurt Airport is the third most important airport in Europe after London and Paris, serving 56 million international passengers annually and making Frankfurt one of the most accessible locations on the European continent.

2.2 million tons of cargo also pass through the Frankfurt Airport, the largest cargo volume of all European airports.

The House of Logistics and Mobility (HOLM) at Frankfurt Airport brings together collaboration around projects, research, education and training for logistics and mobility professionals, students, scientists and business leaders.

Berlin is headquarter to the leading manufacturers of modern rail technology Deutsche Bahn AG and Bombardier Transportation. Shows such as InnoTrans - the International Trade Fair for Transport Technology - chose Berlin for this and its various rail industry research institutes and technical museums.

The state of Hesse and the German federal government are working together on a project called, “Electromobility Model Region Rhine-Main” to promote the use of hybrid and electric vehicles.

Hamburg is the port of choice for seven major shipping lines from China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, has North Europe’s largest railway hub, and features one of the most modern container terminals in the world.

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value-driven. So whether you are visiting for a conference or coming in for a small incentive trip, your infrastructure experience in Germany should always be top notch.” n Hamburg gets Meeting Planners and Attendees Flying High with Aviation Expertise Hamburg, for instance, is known for its expertise in infrastructure and mobility - from sea, rail and air.

From an aviation viewpoint, Hamburg is adjacent to the fifth largest airport in Germany and home to industry leaders Airbus and Lufthansa Technik AG. Other quality aviation technology suppliers also reside there.

Young professionals come into the Hamburg aviation industry from the internationally renowned Technical University Hamburg-Harburg and the Technology Centre HamburgFinkenwerder.

On the research side, The ZAL Center for Applied Aviation Research is located in Hamburg, feeding the industry with new ideas and approaches across Germany and the globe.

Having this hotbed of aviation, Hamburg serves as a draw for shows like the Aircraft Interiors Expo taking place April 9 - 11 next year. This is the world’s largest trade fair for the aircraft interiors industry focusing on in-flight entertainment, connectivity and passenger services.

Likewise meeting organizers and delegates in the pharmaceutical, biotech technology, medical, financial & economic fields find that German business, science, social and academic people and programs can make their conference, meeting or event one of a kind.

n German Museums and Activities with a Mobility Focus Berlin: ■■ The German Technical Museum: A journey through the cultural history of traffic engineering. www.sdtb.de/English.122.0.html Frankfurt: ■■ Airport tour, Frankfurt Airport. www.frankfurt-airport.com/content/frankfurt_airport/en/shop_enjoy0/airport_ sightseeingtours.html Hamburg: ■■ The International Maritime Museum Hamburg in the HafenCity. www.imm-hamburg.de ■■

Harbor Museum Hamburg. www.hafenmuseum-hamburg.de

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Factory tours at Airbus. www.globe-tours.de/en/visit-airbus/airbus.html

Leipzig: ■■ Plant visits and tours at BMW. www.bmw-werk-leipzig.de/leipzig/deutsch/lowband/com/en/index.html ■■

Visits and tours at Porsche. www.porsche-leipzig.com

Munich: ■■ BMW Welt and BMW Museum. www.bmw-welt.com/en/events/big_adventure_weekend.html ■■

Transportation center in the Deutsches Museum. www.deutsches-museum.de/en/verkehrszentrum/information/

Stuttgart: ■■ Mercedes-Benz Museum. www.museum-mercedes-benz.com ■■

Porsche Museum. www.porsche.com/international/aboutporsche/porschemuseum/visitorservice/

MEETING DESTINATION GERMANY 29

Lufthansa’s Meeting & Event Programs Provide Value & Flexibility

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ufthansa is building on the benefits of its 200 destinations, 80 country route network, for example, by offering special solutions under the “Lufthansa Meetings & Events” program.

This includes value pricing, companion options, individual booking and connection flexibility.

The Lufthansa Star Alliance Program can also be used to bring in delegates and staff from around the world.

Further, large groups from a common location can book charter flights and

surprises Heritage and innovation, multifunctional congress centre and outstanding venues.

Perfect for meetings, conferences and events of any size.

up to 10.500 people · centrally located in the city centre · all sights in walking distance · conference capacity · 90 hotels with more than 9,000 beds · international airport with easy access

BTZ BREMER TOURISTIK-ZENTRALE

Bremen Convention Bureau Phone +49 (0)421 30 800 16

kongress@bremen-tourism.de www.bremen-convention.de

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MEETING DESTINATION GERMANY

for more exclusiveness, the Lufthansa Private Jet program stands for the ultimate in luxury and privacy.

Sabine Zimmer-King, Project Manager of Messe Freiburg and organizer of the 66,000+ attendee “Intersolar Europe” exhibition and conference has had a positive experience working with Lufthansa and their Meetings program: “The scope of the services we needed [for the show] was very large and we found working with Lufthansa AG extraordinary. We wanted to provide the highest level of service and flexibility for the best value and we got that. It was also very easy to access and navigate the Lufthansa booking portal from the Intersolar website in just a few clicks, or to work through a travel agent. Award miles and lounge access were also provided. ” Lufthansa offerings for conference, convention and event organizers can be found at www.lufthansa.com/MICE.

n Companies with Mobility Expertise to Share Frankfurt: ■■ DB Schenker Logistics: Leading German provider of integrated logistics services and European leader of rail freight transport. www.dbschenker.de/de_en/index.html ■■

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DHL Global Forwarding GmbH: Part of the world’s leading logistics group transporting letters, goods and information. www.dhl.de/en.html Lufthansa Cargo: One of the world’s leading cargo carriers. http://lufthansa-cargo.com/en_de/mainnav/company/about-us/

Hamburg: ■■ Airbus: The world's leading aircraft manufacturer. www.airbus.com Kassel: ■■ Volkswagen AG Baunatal: The largest aluminum foundry in Europe and home to more then 300,000 components. www.volkswagen.de, http://en.volkswagen.com/en.html ■■

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Bombardier Transportation GmbH: The world’s only manufacturer of both planes and trains. http://www.bombardier.com Daimler AG - Mercedes-Benz Factory Kassel, Europe's largest commercial vehicle the Achswerk. www.daimler.com/dccom/ 0-5-1037139-1-1349416-1-0-0-0-0-0-8-7145-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.html

Leipzig: ■■ Porsche Leipzig GmbH: State of the art sports car production. www.porsche-leipzig.com ■■

BMW Factory Leipzig: Innovation production technology. www.bmw-werkleipzig.de/leipzig/deutsch/lowband/com/en/index.html

Munich: ■■ BMW Group headquarters: Home of the world famous automobile brand. www.bmwgroup.com ■■

The MAN Group: a leading European supplier of trucks, buses, diesel engines, turbo machinery and special gear units. www.man.eu/en/index.html

Stuttgart: ■■ Daimler AG: One of the world’s leading producers of premium cars and the world’s biggest manufacturers of commercial vehicles with global reach. www.daimler.com ■■

Dr.Ing. Ferdinand Porsche AG. www.porsche.de

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Robert Bosch GmbH. www.bosch.com

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Recaro GmbH & Co KG: Automotive, airplane, stadium, office and child safety seating. www.recaro.com

MEETING DESTINATION GERMANY 31

DB Bahn AG Offers Transport By Rail, Car and Even Bike With a Mind Towards Going Green

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hen traveling by rail in Germany, Deutsche Bahn also offers unique and innovative options for meeting and event planners and conference attendees.

Their core product is the “Event Ticket” which provides a nationwide, fixed price from any rail boarding station and offers green conscious business travelers 1/3 the CO2 emissions of road transport.

For those who want a CO2-free rail experience, the “Event Ticket Environment Plus” package is also available. This uses trains that run on electricity from renewable energy sources within the rail grid. It also carries the approval of the TÜV Süd, a global testing, inspection, certification and training organization.

Juliane Rammelt, responsible at Conventus Congress Management & Marketing GmbH for development and sales, is fully aware of the benefits of the Deutsche Bahn Event Ticket: “The demand and use of Event Tickets are on the rise. Customeroriented service, lower prices, time savings, relaxation, and environmental awareness are the travel wishes of many conference attendees.Via the Event Ticket the Deutsche Bahn provides a modern and flexible way to travel and also casts a positive light on our congress and the congress organizers as being environmentfriendly,” says Rammelt.

Conference organizers at K.I.T. Group GmbH in Berlin have also been pleased with the benefits of the German Rail system for the past several years, “German and

international event clients highly value sustainable mobility and environmental awareness as well as effective time management,” says Jocelyne Mülli, CEO. Additionally providing the ultimate in show branding and attendee bonding, event planners can also choose charter trains or Show Trains which can customize car configurations for up to 800 delegates and allow for logo and graphic branding of events and companies on the interior and exterior of the train.

Once conference and meeting travelers have reached their rail destination, Deutsche Bahn then offers customers, creative and green ways to get around on the ground.

For example, the 10-year-old “Flinkster” car sharing service now operates in 800 rail stations across Germany with 2,500 cars in 140 cities. This carpooling fleet also includes upwards of 100 electric cars that can be hired in Aachen, Berlin, Darmstadt, Frankfurt / Main, Hamburg, Magdeburg, Saarbrucken, Stuttgart, Trier and other cities.

Deutsche Bahn also provides private car shuttles and chauffeur services.

Gruitrooy Clara, Director of EMA – Euro-Mediterranean Association for Cooperation and Development Association – feels this is a great way to go for VIPs. “Our high-level conference guests from the Middle East and North Africa were delighted with the punctual and reliable shuttle chauffeur service.

Everything was very well organized

by Deutsche Bahn and collaboration with them was easy and responsive.

We will definitely use this service for our next event and look forward to a long-term partnership with Deutsche Bahn.”

On the other end of the formality spectrum, for those who want the ultimate in green mobility they can jump on one of the 8,500 Deutsche Bahn “Call a Bike” cycles that are available in eight cities and at over 40 train stations. Pedelecs - bicycles with electric motors - are also integrated into the public rental system and can be rented in Aachen and Stuttgart. www.bahn.de

For further information on the Deutsche Bahn’s offerings please use following contact address: veranstaltungen@dbbahn.com

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n Upcoming Conferences in Germany With a Mobility Mantra 2013 ■■

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Aircraft Interiors Expo, April 9-11, 2013, Hamburg: The world’s largest trade fair for the aircraft interiors industry focusing on in-flight entertainment, connectivity and passenger services. www.aircraftinteriorsexpo.com 14th European Automotive Congress EAEC, June 11-13, 2013, Dresden - Organized by the Association of German Engineers (VDI,) brings together Europe’s most influential engineers, scientists and executives to review technical priorities and winning strategies for the European automotive market. www.fisita.com/events/diary?id=691 International Automotive Exhibition IAA, September 10-22, 2013, Frankfurt: The world’s largest automotive fair. www.iaa.de/en/visitors/ 13th Day of the Automotive Industry, October 17, 2013, Stuttgart: One of the largest automotive economic conferences in Germany, organized by the IFA. www.ifa-info.de/de/site/content/home

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CeMAT, May 19-23 May, 2014, Hanover: The international trade fair for the intralogistics industry focusing on excellence in materials handling. www.cemat.de ILA Berlin Air Show- International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, May 20-25, May 2014, Berlin: Run biannually, this global aviation exhibition is the oldest in the industry (since 1909) and spans many aspects of aviation including commercial, aerospace, military and general. www.ila-berlin.de/ila2012/home/index_e.cfm InnoTrans, September 23-26, 2014, Berlin: The International Trade Fair for Transport Technology is an international showplace for the railway industry. www.innotrans.de/en/

n German Institutions and Scientific Centers with Mobility on Their Minds Berlin: ■■ Institute of Transport Research ,The German Aerospace Center-German Space Agency (DLR.) www.dlr.de ■■

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Institute of Railway Technology run by The Interdisciplinary Research Network Rail Technology Association (IFV). www.bahntechnik.de/en/home.htm Institute for Surface Transport of TU Berlin (ILS). www.ils.tu-berlin.de

Frankfurt: ■■ House of Logistics & Mobility (HOLM): At the airport. A platform for interdisciplinary and applied project work, research, and education & training for logistics, mobility and related disciplines. www.frankfurt-holm.de Hamburg: ■■ The ZAL Center for Applied Aviation Research GmbH: Technology and research center. www.zal-gmbh.de ■■

Hamburg Container Terminal: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWOvlreG6ac; www.portofhamburg.com/en/overview/containerterminals

Hanover: ■■ Institute for Production Systems and Logistics (IFA). www.ifa.uni-hannover.de ■■

Institute for Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGV). www.pslt.uni-hannover.de/english.html

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Institute of Transport and Automation Technology (ITA). www.ita.uni-hannover.de

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Institute of Integrated Production Hannover (IPH). www.iph-hannover.de

Stuttgart: ■■ University of Stuttgart: Numerous studies on all aspects of automotive engineering. www.uni-stuttgart.de/home/index.en.html

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GCB Uses Key Industries to Market Germany as an Events Destination n For an increasing number of event planners it is important to find companies, associations or scientific institutions at

the location that fit the theme of their event and offer interesting possibilities for creating social programs and similar options.

www.germany.travel/en/gcb/ key-sectors/key-sectors/ key-sectors.html

The GCB website www.germanymeetings.com also serves as a useful online tool to find out more about Germany, search venues and vendors, get tips for green meetings, catch up on the latest news, access travel guides, and much more.

T

he German Convention Bureau (GCB) uses fields of expertise such as logistics and mobility, among others, to market Germany worldwide as a destination for meetings and conventions.

According to the 2012 Meeting & EventBarometer 82 percent believe that “networking of organizers with local industry-specific expertise at the destination is becoming increasingly important”.

Due to this fact the GCB launched a “key industries” strategy in 2011. In this context the specialization of German cities and regions in certain segments is used to gain meetings and conventions for Germany on suitable themes.

Aligning German destinations with expertise areas provides them with an edge on international competition for events by providing clients with the added value of knowledge sharing. The GCB focuses specifically on six major fields of expertise of German industry and science: Transportation, logistics and traffic, financial services, energy and the environment, technology and innovation, health and medicine, as well as chemicals and pharmaceuticals. The GCB offers indepth information on the cities who have established a position in these fields on its website.

Also follow the German Convention Bureau on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ GermanyMeetings and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ GermanConventionBureau.

n Pre-order now!

In 2013 the GCB will publish an atlas of Germany’s fields of expertise in March – including maps and articles on each expertise area – is intended to help planners map the right region for their event that supports organization’s industry goals and strategies. To pre-order your free copy please email info@gcb.de Subject: Atlas.

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Fields of Expertise and Best Practices: Networking in Leipzig n Identifying and promoting the fields of expertise of German cities and regions, hosting strong, on-strategy events,

and establishing fruitful industry networks – are the guiding principles of the “fields of expertise” strategy for the German Convention Bureau.

L

eipzig, the „Trade Fair City of the East“ (in the federal state of Saxony), is a strong case in point for the effective implementation of this strategy for meetings clients.

With a population of over 500,000, Leipzig is a major hub for key industries including automotive & transportation, energy & environmental technology, medicine, logistics & services, and trade & administration. This variety drives strong interest in Leipzig as a destination for trade fairs, conventions, and events. Events coming to the city in 2012, for example, ranged in size and focus from the annual Leipzig Book Fair (with 163,000 visitors), the German Road and Traffic Congress (for 1,500 delegates), the 16th Annual Convention of the International Commission on Clouds and Precipitation, and the 64th Congress of the German Urological Society (7,000 delegates).

Leipzig has also been focusing on expanding its expertise in biotechnology and offering access to that expertise for meeting clients.

Many trailblazing research institutions in fields such as,

bioprocess technology, biosensors, drug discovery research, regenerative medicine, genetic engineering, biomaterial research, industrial biotechnology and cell & tissue culture technology are already established in Leipzig and Cyometery is now also coming to the fore.

Cytometry – an early diagnosis method for malignant tumors that examines the blood and the leukocytes and provides important information on a patient‘s health status and disease course - is a strong and growing niche expertise segment for Leipzig. Leipzig‘s Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), the Biotechnological-Biomedical Centre of Leipzig University (BBZ) and university clinics in Leipzig all work in this field. Leipzig is also home to Professor Attila Tarnok, head of research for the Clinic for Pediatric Cardiology at the Heart Centre of Leipzig University and winner of the Distinguished Service Award of the International Society for the Advancement of Cytometry (ISAC) for his great commitment to the field and his work as editor-in-chief of the journal Cytometry Part A.

With this hotbed of Cytometry in Leipzig, the city submitted a successful, proactive bid to host the World Congress for Cytometry, CYTO 2012 this past July, staged annually by the International Society for the Advancement of Cytometry (ISAC).

After stints in Seattle and Baltimore the world congress took place for the first time in Germany and for the first time in Europe since 2008.

The successful conference bid reflects Leipzig‘s international visibility and expertise in this dynamic field of research. ISAC President and CYTO 2012 Chairman John Nolan said, “We are happy to come to Leipzig for the first European ISAC Congress since Budapest 2008. The scientific and economic expertise of the city and federal state of Saxony provides an interesting framework for an excellent program,“ says Nolan.

In addition, the choice of Leipzig also demonstrates the important role that thought leaders like Professor Tarnok can play in bringing new meetings business to cities. It was Tarnok who convinced influential German colleagues, among others, to back the bid and he also worked in cooperation with the Leipzig Tourism and Marketing GmbH organization, the venue Leipziger Messe GmbH, and local partners to help make the show a success demonstrating the advantages of networking between science, industry and the public sector. www.do-it-at-leipzig.de

Hamburg – events at the waterfront www.hamburg-convention.com Hamburg offers you countless different options for your next event.

We look forward to welcoming you and your guests to our city.

The Hamburg Convention Bureau assists you free of charge, and gives you access to Hamburg’s unique locations and professional network of service providers. Please feel free to contact us!

Phone +49 (0)40 / 300 51 610 | info@hamburg-convention.com | www.hamburg-convention.com

Hamburg Convention Bureau