Vienna is a compact city, (easy to access from all major European cities) – no long distances, an excellent public transport system – where all 3 convention centers are direct connected to the well functioning underground system.

The  (VCB) was established in 1969 with the assistance of the municipality of Vienna and the Vienna Chamber of Commerce.

Eleven congress specialists work to acquire congresses, corporate conventions and incentives worldwide. For over 30 years, the office has built up an enormous database of facts and figures: a conventional “business database” pales into insignificance by comparison.  Vienna is the city which international associations use most for their conventions.

This beautifull city is per years on the top of ICCA (International Congress & Convention Association) ranking list of the most popular destinations/cities for international association meetings in the world.

For this issue of the SEEbtm magazine, we have honour to speak with Mrs Ulrike von Arnold, Deputy Director of VCB, and to share with our readers some of her valuable experience in this industry.

1. To be Convention Bureau of the city which is No 1 for congresses and conventions in the world, must be, at least, very satisfying. What is qualification for success in attracting and hosting international events?

Accessibility of the destination is a major point, combined with a good meeting infrastructure for hosting international meetings. Not to forget, we often need Austrian members within the various Societies, interested in stepping forward and willing to BID for the congress.

2. What are the main advantages for Vienna as a congress city?

Vienna is a compact city, (easy to access from all major European cities) –  no long distances, an excellent public transport system –  where all 3 convention centers are direct connected to the well functioning underground system.

3. Should destination hide its weaknesses or not?

Good question but let me tell you, you can not hide weaknesses. It is important to be honest and transparent. You have to tell the truth about traffic, transfer times, accessibility and hotel structure in your destination. Associations talk to each other associations and exchange information on venues and destinations.

4. As a Convention Bureau, you managed to make very important agreement for meeting planners – 75 hotels and PCOs agree to the same rules in one contract! Could You tell us something more about this?

We try to make the work of a meeting planner easy in our destination, and one goal we had was, to implement an agreement where ONE contract can be used for contracting the major hotels in Vienna!!! Our planners are very happy with this agreement as it is time saving and easy. And it also shows that the destination works together in order to attract international meetings.

5. Your main competitors are Paris and Barcelona. Do you cooperate with these cities? In which way is possible to cooperate with your main competitors in terms of long term success of both side?

We have an excellent co-operation with Barcelona. As a matter of fact Barcelona and Vienna exhibit together for example in China, Peking (CIBTM) and also last year Barcelona and Vienna did sales calls in India.

It is a win-win situation, we save exhibition costs, and let the client decide which country she/he will chose for  future events.

6. Can you single out some international event on which you are particularly proud of?

We are especially proud of international meetings when they come back to Vienna, because this tells us that the meeting was successful. For example the WAN-IFRA exhibition and

Congress has taken place in Vienna and will be back again…

7. Once you said that your dream is to make Vienna city center without traffic. Are there any indications that your dream will be soon fulfilled?

This is a political decision and the idea is in my head, I do not know if it ever will happen, but it would be wonderful!!

Vienna Meetings Industry Report 2009

The importance of international congresses as the strongest selling type of congress can be seen in total induced economic and tax benefits. In 2009, 556 international congresses accounted for 22% of the total of 2,569 congresses and corporate events held in Vienna. This relatively low percentage, however, generated 79% of the total added value induced by the congress industry with a value of EUR 581.58 million.

The total induced tax effect of congresses and corporate events in 2009 of EUR 202.80 million was 12% above the previous year‘s figure. In the year of the economic crisis, Vienna benefited from national and international congresses and corporate events totaling EUR 24.55 million. The Vienna congress industry secured a total of 14,548 permanent jobs in the year 2009.

This means that in 2009, the Viennese meeting industry achieved the second best result since 2003, only slightly below the record year 2007.

With Vienna’s excellent position in the international congress business, in particular thanks to the long-term, systematic acquisition work done by the Vienna Convention Bureau, the Viennese congress industry remained almost untouched by the economic crisis.