The Hofburg Vienna has clearly confirmed its growing appeal among organisers of large-scale events – with four conferences for 1,000-2,000 delegates lined up for September and October alone. Turnover for 2012 is projected to hit EUR 10.5 million, and the trend towards larger-scale conferences with an increasingly international focus is set to continue in the next few years.
Busy autumn schedule ahead
The second half of 2012 will get under way with a series of large-scale medical conferences and high-level political summit meetings. To start with, the 2012 TERMIS World Congressbrang 1,500 physicians to the Hofburg Vienna from 6-8 September. This international get-together put the spotlight on various aspects of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Hot on its heels came the 15th Congress of theEuropean Neuroendocrine Association from 12-15 September which brought around 1,000 delegates to the Hofburg. Next up, from 18-20 October around 1,900 medical professionals will converge on the Austrian capital for the Resuscitation Congresswhere they will share all the latest findings in the field of emergency medicine. These three medical conferences will be followed by the Pioneers Festival from 30-31 October. Around 2,000 delegates are expected to attend this high-calibre business meeting: The former imperial residence is also a popular venue destination for international political summits. “We are particularly proud to welcome two high-level meetings to the Hofburg this September: the Council of Europe Conference of Ministers of Justice and the CCA Ministerial Conference,” says Hofburg Vienna Managing Director Renate Danler.
Trends and projections
“These conferences and the bookings already confirmed for 2013 and the years after that clearly show that our attractiveness as a venue for large-scale conferences is on the rise,” Mrs Danler notes. The Hofburg Vienna’s current event procurement strategy is increasingly targeting international get-togethers for 300 delegates or more. Event organisers are not only drawn to the Hofburg by its unique atmosphere in the historic heart of the Austrian capital, but also by the centre’s one-stop approach. Around EUR 15 million has been invested in fixtures, fittings and equipment over the past five years. The main focus of the investment programme, initiated in partnership with Burghauptmannschaft Österreich, was on conferencing equipment, IT systems and building maintenance. Mrs Danler expects turnover to reach around EUR 10.5 million in 2012 – a figure that does not include revenue from catering activities.
A number of larger conferences have already confirmed their slots for 2013. The Austrian Hoteliers Association (ÖHV) will celebrate its 60th jubilee on 22 and 23 January, bringing a special anniversary event to the Hofburg during the Viennese ball season. The spring schedule will be given a boost by a high-level UN conference and a pair of medical get-togethers for 1,500-2,000 delegates, as well as the annual International Vienna Motor Symposium on 25 and 26 April. “We have also seen increasing numbers of conference organisers from all over the world booking their events at the Hofburg Vienna,” Mrs Danler concludes. Every year the international conference centre generates somewhere in the region of EUR 190 million for the Austrian economy.
