MEETINGS MADE IN GERMANY – 1/2016 | 1

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MEETINGS MADE IN GERMANYIssue 1 / 2016 | The Newspaper of the German Convention Bureau

The events sector is reinventing itselfTen years ago it was just a fantasy – but now it‘s taken for granted: technology is catapulting the events sector into a new level in terms of imparting knowledge, networking and participation. Despite all the bits and bytes, human beings are still at the centre.

Experiencing the future in the present – that‘s already the norm at Leipzig Interventional Course (LINC). Here, at one of the most important special congresses for minimally invasive vascular medicine, participants with their own personal ‚pick and mix‘ from the programme can move freely between sessions and networking. Live broadcasts from around the world, x-ray live-streams and explanatory charts are projected onto the screen simultaneously or can be ac- cessed on mobile end-devices. Even when it comes to physical buildings, the boundaries are becoming less distinct. Lecture theatres, exhi- bitions, poster areas, foyers and catering zones are arranged in relation to each other and provide an overall entity. However, even though the lay-out is very modern, an ancient human cultural concept is used: the idea of the marketplace.

LINC as an example and trendsetter The innovative way in which Congress Center Leipzig works with LINC highlights once again the profound change in the event sector. More and more companies are realising that a serious

rethink is needed for long-term growth. This is because technical facilities are changing partici- pants‘ behaviour with increasing speed. These new patterns of participant behaviour are rapidly changing the market, competition and business models. New innovative formats and services are sought – and found. The critical thing here is which developments and innovations are ex-pected as well as the new opportunities which are shown by the recent Innovation Catalogue. The Catalogue, created as part of the Future Meeting Space research project (see text box), includes highlights of nearly 120 innovations which are of critical importance for meetings and congresses.

Virtual spaces and digitalised services The innovation catalogue depicts a number of trends: for example, the new generation of meeting and congress participants place more value on sharing concepts and individualised consumer options. At the same time, in view of the growing number of older people in Germany, the inter-generational exchange of experience

is becoming more important in order to preserve knowledge. The result: new formats for trans-ferring knowledge are now very clear as well as being user and subject-specific.

This is made possible by numerous technological innovations which are already available or are about to appear on the market. Holography, digital interpreters or collaboration tools that have large formats or allow intuitive operation make it possible to communicate and collaborate over large distances, create virtual spaces and extend the reality that people can experience. Nevertheless, participants at events will be paying increasing attention to the issue of security, both in real and virtual spaces.

In the sphere of mobility, alternative movement concepts and means of transport will increase further – these include car-sharing and lifts, electro-mobility even in the context of public transport or even drones. Moreover, sustainable materials and concepts, development of global internet access, innovative payment systems

and admission controls will play a greater role in future events infrastructure.

The more relevant the betterThe Fraunhofer Institut undertakes thorough research into future innovations, using their own research and development, professional exper-tise, networks and trend scouts for research. They also make use of results from laboratory work, development work and analyses of inno-vations. In order to guarantee the relevance of innovations that have been brought together, they are evaluated by a multidisciplinary com-mittee. The Institut ascertains which formats, products and services are available on the market, how they are used and how they can be trans-ferred to the events sector. Highlights of nearly 120 innovations are presented. The key criterion for selection is the degree of innovation which is oriented to novelty, readiness for the market and public awareness.

IN RECENT MONTHS TOURISMUS NRW E. V. HAS ALREADY BEEN ABLE TO IMPLEMENT SOME FORMATS, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FROM THE INNOVATION CATALOGUE. IN THE SPHERE OF METHODOLOGY/DIDACTICS THESE INCLUDE, AMONG OTHER THINGS, A TWEETUP WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK THE NORTH RHINE WESTPHALIA TOURIST DAY (#TTNRW15), A BARCAMP ON THE SUBJECT OF FOURSQUARE, WORLD CAFES OR A VINEYARD WALK TO EXPLORE A TOURIST REGION IN NRW. IN OUR CURRENT PHOTOSHOOT WE HAVE ALSO FOCUSED ON AN INNOVATION FROM THE SPHERE OF MOBILITY AND USED A DRONE.

KATJA HEUER, TOURISMUS NRW E. V.

NEW CREATIVE LEARNING AND WORK ENVIRONMENTS THRIVE ON DIFFERENT SPACES AND CONFIGURATIONS WHICH CAN BE USED IN VARIED WAYS TO MEET DIFFERENT NEEDS. THIS VARIETY AND FLEXIBILITY CAN EASILY BE TRANSFERRED TO THE EVENT SECTOR TO CREATE NEW, INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS.

PROF. DR. CHRISTINE KOHLERT, DREES & SOMMER

WE FREQUENTLY USE AUGMENTED OR VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNOLOGIES FOR OUR CLIENTS. AN EXAMPLE IS ON THE STAGE WHERE A UNIQUE PRESENTATION EXPERIENCE IS CREATED FOR GUESTS, OR A TOOL FOR VISUALISATION OF ROOMS OR VARIOUS FORMATS IN 3D BEFORE THE EVENT. SUCH NEW WAYS OF MANAGING AND PRESENTING CONTENT ALLOWS GUESTS TO HAVE AN ALL-INCLUSIVE, LIVE EXPERIENCE AND WILL PLAY AN INCREASING ROLE IN THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF SUCCESSFUL EVENT FORMATS IN THE FUTURE. RAINER KÖNIG, KFP

JUST LIKE THE GCB GERMAN CONVENTION BUREAU, THE EVVC (EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF EVENT CENTRES) SEES THE CREATION OF AWARENESS AS ITS FUNCTION. THIS MEANS AWARENESS OF THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES AND, OF COURSE, THE ASSOCIATED COMPETITION WHICH IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR GERMANY AS A LOCATION FOR CONGRESSES AND MEETINGS. JOACHIM KÖNIG, EVVC

WE WANT TO BE THE INNOVATION DRIVER FOR BERLIN AS A MICE LOCATION TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN BERLIN AS A SCIENTIFIC LOCATION AND TO ACHIEVE EVEN MORE PROGRESS IN MEETING OUR CUSTOMERS‘ NEEDS. THE FIRST BERLIN MICE SUMMIT TOOK PLACE IN JANUARY 2016 AS A ONE-DAY BOOT CAMP. THIS WAS AN EVENT ORGANISED BY OUR PARTNERS WHERE THEY TALKED ABOUT FUTURE ISSUES IN BERLIN MARKETING WHICH THEY THEMSELVES PROPOSED INITIALLY. VISITBERLIN HAS BEEN ORGANISING REGULAR INSTAWALK MEETINGS SINCE DECEMBER 2015 IN ORDER TO INCLUDE PROMINENT BLOGGERS IN OUR MARKETING ACTIVITIES. FOR THE FIRST EVENT, WELL-READ BLOGGERS WERE INVITED FROM BERLIN TO THE NATURKUNDEMUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM) WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS AND WRITE BLOGS IN THE T-REX EXHIBITION BEFORE THE OFFICIAL OPENING. HEIKE MAHMOUD, VISITBERLIN

SUPPORTING THE PROJECT “FUTURE MEETING SPACE” IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SEVEN CENTERS OF GERMANY. NEVERTHELESS, AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SEVEN LARGEST GERMAN CONGRESS CENTRES WE ARE CONSTANTLY ADDRESSING THE QUESTION AS TO HOW WE CAN PROVIDE EVENT PLANNERS WITH OPTIMUM CONDITIONS IN OUR PREMISES – NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. THIS ALSO MEANS IDENTIFYING TRENDS, FOR EXAMPLE IN RELATION TO NEW EVENT FORMATS AND NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR EVENT VENUES, RELATING TO THEM AS A CHALLENGE AND ADDRESSING THEM. THIS APPLIES BOTH TO INNOVATIONS RELATING TO DIGITAL DEVELOPMENTS OR THE QUESTION AS TO WHAT ENABLES VISITORS TO HAVE A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE. CLAUDIA DELIUS-FISHER, SEVEN CENTERS OF GERMANY

2 | MEETINGS MADE IN GERMANY – 1/2016

1. What objectives does the innovation network Future Meeting Space pursue?With the innovation network we are further developing the results of the study „Meetings and congresses of the future“ which was published in 2013. What has been researched here on a theoretical level will now be put into practice.

2. What has been achieved so far? Together with the Fraunhofer Institut we have identified developments and innovations and compiled them in an Innovation Catalogue covering society, methodology and didactics, technology, infrastructure and mobility. The Catalogue shows clearly how current devel- opments will impact event formats in the future.

3. How do GCB members benefit from this?With a whole „toolbox“ of specific recom-mendations for action and navigation aids. With systematic technology scouting you get valuable suggestions concerning how to secure your competitive position and you are encour- aged to experiment with new formats.

4. Which innovation do you personally regard is especially important?We are certain that the rapid progress of technology will challenge the events sector. This will be the case with information and data security as well as innovative forms of knowledge transfer. Despite the whole devel- opment of technology, we still need to take account of human needs.

It is important to address dynamic develop-ments in order to be well prepared.

5. Where do we go from here? What are the next steps?Our aim is to bring together common formats and innovative scenarios in a Future Meeting Guide and to have them evaluated by our stake- holders. On this basis we plan to select and implement a future meeting scenario from 2017. In essence, with the project we intend to introduce scientifically established guide- lines as well as a detailed presentation of results.

The courage to experimentFive questions for … Matthias Schultze, GCB Managing Director

Fast Facts: the innovation network Future Meeting Space » Objective: to analyse and systematise de-

velopments in the events sector in order to develop technical, organisational and spatial requirements for successful events.

» Project flow: in the first phase (1 January 2015 to 30 June 2016) an innovation cata- logue and, based on it, a future meeting guide will be produced from which a scenario will be selected and further developed; in the second phase (from July 2016) the selected

scenario will be implemented.

» Project sponsors: GCB German Convention Bureau and EVVC (European Association of Event Centres) as consortium leader, Fraun-hofer IAO as project manager and five resarch

partners Drees & Sommer AG, KFP Five Star Conference Service GmbH, SevenCenters of Germany, Tourismus NRW e. V. and visitBerlin Berlin Convention Office.

MEETINGS MADE IN GERMANY – 1/2016 | 3

Tech Open Air is above all an event full of con-trasts. It’s where the digital world presents itself in an analogue form, where technology meets art and business meets science – with plenty of keynote talks and on-stage interviews, set in a laid-back, party-like atmosphere.

Very attractive programmeExperienced founders talked about their experi- ences and visions for the future. The main points of attraction at this year’s event included suc-cessful German startups such as Rocket Internet, Zalando, Lieferheld and Dubsmash. But there were also international companies from more than 20 countries, e. g. Native Instruments, SoundCloud, Shazam, Twilio, Elite Daily and the designer Erik Spiekermann.

Chris Barton, the founder of the music recognition program Shazam, gave an account of the im-portant elements required to set up an innovative company. Compromises and second-best solu-tions, he said, are definitely not the right way. Rand Hindi, CEO of Snips, talked about inter-faces which will become so smart, thanks to artificial intelligence, that the user can happily ignore them, as they will be running invisibly in the background. Another highlight was a pres- entation by Dirk Ahlborn, the developer of Hyper- loop Transportation Technologies, a project by the PayPal founder and billionaire Elon Musk and a totally new transport solution based on vacuum tubes. The first test run is about to open shortly.

On the fringe of the event, at a “Pitch-Nic”, ten startups pitched themselves to ten financially powerful investors, following the speed-dating principle. Each startup had exactly five minutes to present themselves and their business plan, hoping to persuade a potential investor.

One event, lots of venuesAnother special feature at Tech Open Air is its approach to geographical space. As before, the TOA venue was the Alte Teppichfabrik (Old Carpet Factory) in Berlin’s district of Friedrichs-

hain. Occupying three floors in this historic brick building, there was plenty of space for numerous presentations and workshops, while a large number of further programme items were on offer all around the building, set in its park-like grounds. Anyone who needed a break could relax on floor cushions, deckchairs or stacks of hay over a cocktail or a smoothie and could network with others, play table football, fly drones or just listen to the musical programme.

In addition to the programme at the Old Carpet Factory, another 140 satellite events took place throughout Berlin. What made them so special was that they were not held by the TOA orga-nisers, but by members of the network that has formed around Tech Open Air, so that the satellite events were effectively “organised by the community for the community”, as TOA founder Nikolas Woischnik put it.

Revolutionary – not just evolutionaryThe community also played a central role in the conceptual design of the event. “We created an event,” says Nikolas Woischnik, “that was ex-actly what visitors wanted. From the very first edition onwards we started to hold so-called Town Hall Meet-Ups. We gathered the com-munity and asked them what form the event should take. The result was more space for inspiration, but also for external disciplines and impressions from art, music and science.”

Another point that was important to the TOA network was practical relevance. In addition to workshops, therefore, the organisers created several “knowshops”. Apart from the content, the network was also involved in the organisa-tion, as it provided the necessary resources and developed the TOA logo. Moreover, there were 150 volunteers who ensured the smooth run-ning of the event. “Obviously an event like ours lives on the commitment of creative young talents and their endeavour to bring out the best and to connect with the art & tech scene,” says Woischnik as he explains the success.

Tech Open Air in Berlin: a pioneering role for future meetings?What will events look like in the future? To answer this question, it’s worth looking at Tech Open Air (TOA) which was held in Berlin from 15 to 17 July 2015. Although this was only the fourth time, it was highly successful again.

And so Tech Open Air has developed into a mix-ture of a convention, an art event and an art & tech scene party. In this casual atmosphere visitors were not given name tags, but arm-bands – with the results that they felt more challenged to talk to one another and to find out who the others were. This disruptive element helped to give the “un-conference” some of its unusual festival-like character – or, as some of the media put it, made it “perhaps the coolest tech conference in Europe”.

TOA as a trend for the future?Has Tech Open Air started a trend with plenty of potential for the future – an event format created and organised with the help of a net-work, geographically distributed venues, greater involvement of visitors in its content, a focus on mutual exchange, discussions in small groups and collaboration in workshops?

Marie Luise Blau from the Fraunhofer Institute of Labour Economics and Organisation (IAO) believes that the TOA format is exciting. She is also involved in the Fraunhofer innovation network Future Meeting Space which aims to

explore new formats for events. The way she sees it, the ultimate aim is to “create a unique event and to find a suitable venue for it”. Under this criterion, TOA has clearly succeeded in “presenting itself as innovative and forward- looking”.

Further details:b www.toa.berlinb www.teppichfabrik-berlin.de

Impressions and views about the event: b www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM5uRVtgew8

4 | MEETINGS MADE IN GERMANY – 1/2016

Discover German expertise at IMEX in Frankfurt Visitors to the Germany stand at IMEX in Frankfurt will be able to meet with over 200 partners presenting Germany as a location for congresses, meetings and events. Hotels, congress centres, locations, city marketing organisations, event agencies and other service providers operating in the German meetings and congress sector will join the German Conven- tion Bureau (GCB) to showcase their offering to meeting planners at the show.

Joining these organisations on the Germany stand this year are two ‘Wild Cards’. The GCB has given two young, creative German compa- nies the opportunity to showcase their products or services free of charge to visitors at the show.

One of the Wild Card winners, Percuma, is a modern conference and event venue situated between Frankfurt and Wiesbaden and set to open in May. Inspired by Bauhaus, a German art school famed for its approach to design, this striking building has event spaces equipped with the latest technology and 10 different room combinations. Delegates can also enjoy the large garden with a beach volleyball court and outdoor kitchen.

“By attending IMEX 2016 we want to present our vision of creativity to a wide international audience and meet with key decision-makers in the sector,” comments Percuma CEO Markus Rösmann.

The second winner, conichi, is an innovative app which connects guest and hotels during their stay to provide a better guest experience. Developed by Hotel Beacons, conichi simplifies check-in and check-out at hotels by using beacon technology to display a guests’ personal preferences —such as allergies, room amenities, or late check-outs— onto a tablet held at the reception once a guest enters a hotel.

Maximilian Waldmann, CEO of Hotel Beacons, explains: „Hotels need to deliver a truly perso-nalised experience in order to make an impact with their customer. The customer experience at check-in is crucial and helps a venue to stand out in a crowded marketplace. The GCB’s Wild Card initiative gives us a unique opportunity to present our new product - visitors to our stand at IMEX will have the opportunity to experience an exclusive product tour via their own smart-phone.”

Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the German Convention Bureau, sums up: „These Wild Cards are both exciting companies showing real innovation in their field. Innovation is an area we focus on at the GCB to ensure Germany continues to deliver a market-leading offering for event and meeting planners. Previous winners have really benefited from the exposure to important decision makers from across the world at IMEX.”

At IMEX in Frankfurt this year, the GCB is set to host destination presentations giving visitors a useful overview of the country’s meeting and event credentials. Planners can visit the stand to discover how Germany is forging ahead in the areas of areas of expertise, sustainability and innovation – the latter is currently being explored by the GCB in their ground-breaking Future Meetings Space study.

Exhibitors on the GCB’s stand include Berlin, Bonn, Cologne, Darmstadt, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart and Wiesbaden as well as the GCB’s partners Deutsche Bahn and Lufthansa. A new exhibitor on the stand is Expedia Meeting Market, tying in with the GCB’s digitalisation strategy – a major focus of their activity this year.

The German Convention Bureau is exhibiting at IMEX in Frankfurt (stand F100) which takes place at Messe Frankfurt from 19 – 21 April 2016.

About the GCB

The German Convention Bureau (GCB) represents and markets Germany as a destination for conventions, meetings, events and incentives both on a national and international scale. It is the first point of contact for companies, associations and organisations around the world plan- ning events in Germany.

Acting as a connector to the wide range of German event service providers, venues and host cities, the German Convention Bureau (GCB) provides hands-on advice and support to planners and executives in all industries and organisations. To bring maximum value, quality and cus- tomisation to each meeting and event hosted in Germany, the GCB also helps hosts and attendees leverage the coun-try’s deep expertise in green meetings and key industries such as pharmaceu- ticals, financials, automotive, logistics & transportation, and technology.

The GCB’s more than 200 members in-clude leading hotels, convention centers, destinations, event agencies and service providers of the German meetings and conventions industry. Accor Hotels, Düs-seldorfCongress, and Stuttgart Convention Bureau are Preferred Partners of the GCB. As Strategic Partners, Lufthansa German Airlines, Deutsche Bahn AG (German Rail- ways), and the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) support the work of the GCB.

The GCB website serves as a useful online tool to find detailed information on Germany, search venues and vendors, get tips for green meetings, catch up on the latest news, access travel guides, and much more. Visit b www.germany-meetings.com

MEETINGS MADE IN GERMANY – 1/2016 | 5

THIS LOBBY HITS

THE ROOF

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Stage to the World – Opening 2019

Are you aiming high with your event? Then the new CCH will be your perfect venue. As you enter, the awe-inspiring, daylight-fl ooded lobby soars up 25 meters. Ideal conditions for spectacular product and brand presentations. And that is just the beginning. The CCH provides many more outstanding options – and a total available area of 36,000 square meters.

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The sharing economy is rapidly reshaping the way we travel and do business and is a hot topic at IMEX in Frankfurt this year. Education sessions will address what meeting and event professionals need to know about this new model for business, including a panel session of sharing economy pioneers discussing How can we work with the new sharing economy? Jean-Michel Petit, CEO and co-founder of VizEat, MeetingRooms.com CEO Caleb Parker and Gary Schirmacher from Maritz Travel Company will all detail their experiences and engage in honest discussion about how the ‘old’ and new economies can work together for mutual benefit. Greg Oates from Skift acts as agent provocateur and SoolNua’s Pádraic Gilligan moderates this lively session designed to improve attendees understan-ding of the sharing economy in the business landscape and its impact on their events.

These sharing economy pioneers are set to further explore this key theme in individual sessions taking place at the show. VizEat’s Jean-Michel will focus on food tourism and authenticity, in his session “The unexpected power of shared meals.” Gary Schirmacher from Maritz Travel Company explores both the challenges and opportunities including cost efficiencies in 3 meetings industry weak- nesses ripe for sharing economy disruption. MeetingRooms.com CEO Caleb Parker will de-tail practical solutions in Embracing technology to succeed in the sharing economy.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, explains: “PwC predicts that the shared economy will develop from a $15bn industry in 2013 to a $335 bn industry by 2025. With statistics like that, it’s clear that these companies will cont-inue to impact both our personal and business lives. With a number of these organisation’s impacting the meetings industry space we felt it was important to begin education and debate on this topic to ensure that we are equipped with essential advice and expertise over the coming years.”

The sharing economy sessions form part of a comprehensive education programme of over 180 education sessions at IMEX in Frankfurt. The Inspiration Hub, home to all the show floor education, will host experts exploring Business Skills, Creative Learning, Diversity, General Education, Health and Wellbeing, Marketing/Social Media, Personal Development, Sustainability, Technology, Trends and Research. CMP/CEU and ISES Points can also be accrued at many sessions.

b www.imex-frankfurt.com/events/education/

What meeting and event planners need to know about the sharing economy – hot topic addressed at IMEX in Frankfurt

6 | MEETINGS MADE IN GERMANY – 1/2016

Exhibitors at the Germany stand F10001 Production Resource Group AG02 Pro Sky03 m:con – mannheim:congress GmbH04 Convention Bureau Rhein-Neckar

Hotel Chester Heidelberg05 100% Karlsruhe & Region06 Karlsruher Messe- und Kongress- GmbH07 Baden-Baden Kur & Tourismus GmbH08 Freiburg Convention Bureau

Hochschwarzwald - Tagen und Feiern, Incentives

09 Bodenseeforum – Konstanz10 Lindner Hotel Düsseldorf Airport11 Robinson Club GmbH12 Hannover Congress Centrum

HannoverKongress13 Deutsche Messe AG

Hannover – The Meeting Planet14 Kassel Convention Bureau/

Kassel Marketing GmbH15 Air Charter Service16 A-ROSA Resorts & Hideaways17 Lufthansa Training

& Conference Center Seeheim18 Sylt Marketing GmbH

Usedom Tourismus GmbH19 Red Carpet Cinema Communication

GmbH & Co. KG20 Hotel La Casa20a Seehotel Niedernberg – Das Dorf am See21 Kongressbüro Magdeburg22 WELCOME HOTELS23 Aeroflot Russian Airlines24 GHOTEL hotel & living25 Conference & Touring

AMANO Group26 RÖMISCHER HOF – PALAZZO ITALIA27 CAMONSITE Conference and more Gmbh

- part of germanyinsight -The Ritz-Carlton, Berlinand Berlin Marriott Hotel

28 Kongresshotel PotsdamVialis GmbH & Co. Travel Services KG

29 Hotel Berlin, BerlinQuality Travel GmbH

30 TempodromScandic Berlin Potsdamer Platz

31 Sofitel Berlin KurfürstendammPullman Berlin Schweizerhof

32 Hotel Palace BerlinK.I.T. Association & ConferenceManagement Group

33 Kempinski Hotel Bristol BerlinAMERON Hotel ABION Spreebogen Berlin

34 InterContinental Berlin35 ANDEL‘S BY VIENNA HOUSE BERLIN

Fox & Rabbit GmbH36 TITANIC Chaussee Berlin

MR Congress & Incentive GmbH37 Estrel Berlin

Estrel Congress & Messe CenterSpreespeicher Event GmbH

38 Messe Berlin Guest Events, CityCube Berlin39 visitBerlin Berlin Convention Office40 Progressive3D GmbH/SchreiberFriends.com41 EVENT Hotels & PROVENT Hotels42 CCL Congress Center Leipzig

& KONGRESSHALLE am Zoo LeipzigPorsche Leipzig GmbH

43 Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbHZoo Leipzig GmbH

44 ellis EVENTS GmbH45 Landgut Stober46 TAO European Incoming GmbH

欧洲之路。47 Maritim Hotels48 capricorn NÜRBURGRING GmbH49 Congress Support International GmbH50 Grand Hotel Heiligendamm51 Chips at Work – People:

Management – Access – Logistic52 Golf Resort Achental53 DORMERO Hotel AG54 Erlebnisland Eurostrand GmbH & Co. KG55 AIDA Cruises56 Hotel-Residence Klosterpforte

57 conichi58 PERCUMA59 Starwood Hotels & Resorts60 The Monarch Hotel GmbH61 WMG Wolfsburg62 AMBER HOTELS63 CongressCentrum Pforzheim/ c/o

Pforzheim Kongress- und Marketing GmbH64 Hotel Traube Tonbach

65 Seminaris Hotel- & Kongressstätten-Betriebs GmbH

66 Verband Deutsches Reisemanagement e. V.Certified GmbH & Co. KG

67 ATLANTIC Congress Hotel Essen68 Congress Center Essen69 Hotel SportSchloss Velen70 Osnabrücker Veranstaltungs und

Kongress GmbH

Find an overview of all exhibitors at the IMEX 2016: b portal.imex-frankfurt.com/vex/vexsearch.php

NEW MEETING DIMENSIONS IN DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY: OPENING 2019

www.newdimensions.ccd.de/en

71 Osnabrück –Marketing und Tourismus GmbH

72 Upstalsboom Hotels73 Atlantic Hotels74 Bremen Convention Bureau75 Bremen Convention Bureau76 Dorint Park Hotel Bremen

F100 SkyTender Solutions GmbHInfoc. German National Tourist Board Infoc. GCB German Convention Bureau e. V.

MEETINGS MADE IN GERMANY – 1/2016 | 7

Whether for international trade fairs, congresses, major events or smaller com-pany meetings – with Meetings & Events, the Lufthansa Group airlines help you to arrange cost-effective travel to the venue for the individual delegates.

To destinations worldwide at attractive prices

With Meetings & Events, you can book any ight with the Lufthansa Group airlines as well as many ights with our North Atlantic and codeshare partners. This means you can y to more than 300 destinations in around 100 countries at reduced fares.

Book and y individually

As soon as the contract has been signed, your delegates can book their own ights through the Lufthansa website or at a travel agency, choosing their travel class individually and earning Miles & More award and status miles in the process.

More ight offers

For delegates travelling together Lufthansa also offers group travel for 10 people or more, as well as a full charter service for especially large groups. And when the greatest comfort and superb service are required, there is Lufthansa Private Jet.

Sustainable travel

The Lufthansa Group’s modern eet of low-emission aircraft, together with numerous environmental and ef ciency measures, ensure that ights are particularly environmentally friendly.

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Destination / corporate stands

F100GCB-Gemeinschaftsstand

F150NürnbergConvention

F110Frankfurt

G160München

G150Lufthansa Group

F010Deutsche Bahn -DB Vertrieb GmbH

551G

aidepxE

G100Hamburg

F020Stuttgart

F040KölnDüsseldorf - The Meetropolis

G010Bonn

G020Convention Wiesbaden

G130Darmstadt

G140Düsseldorf Congress Sport & Event GmbH

F180Dresden

F010 Deutsche Bahn – DB Vertrieb GmbH

F020 Stuttgart• Esslingen live – Kultur und Kongress GmbH• Kongress- und Tagungszentrum Filderhalle Leinfelden-Echterdingen GmbH• Messe Stuttgart & ICS Internationales Congresscenter Stuttgart• Porsche Museum• Stadthalle Reutlingen GmbH• Stuttgart Convention Bureau• Tourismus & Events Ludwigsburg // Forum am Schlosspark // MHPArena

F040 KölnDüsseldorf - The Meetropolis• Broich Catering & Locations• Cologne Convention Bureau• Convention Bureau Düsseldorf• Dorint Hotels & Resorts• Kaiserschote Feinkost Catering GmbH• KölnKongress GmbH• Lindner Hotel City Plaza Cologne• Meliá Düsseldorf• Radisson Blu Hotels Düsseldorf

F110 Frankfurt• Agentur IdeenReich GmbH• Alte Oper Frankfurt GmbH• Congress Frankfurt, Messe Frankfurt• cornerstone meetings gmbh• Eintracht Frankfurt Fußball AG• Frankfurt Convention Bureau• Frankfurt Marriott Hotel• FrankfurtRhineMain Region• Gesellschaftshaus Palmengarten GmbH & Co KG• Grandhotel Hessischer Hof• Jumeirah Frankfurt• Messe Frankfurt Venue GmbH• MIT Event- & Incentive Management GmbH• MUVEO GmbH • PRO TOURA Eventlocations GmbH• Walther-von-Cronberg-Platz

F150 NürnbergConvention• City of Nuremberg / Office for Economic Development• Nuremberg Tourist Board• NürnbergMesse GmbH• NürnbergConvention Bureau• NürnbergConvention Center NCC

F180 Dresden• Brähler ICS Konferenztechnik AG - Niederlassung Dresden• cubicworx GmbH• Dresden Convention Bureau• FUCHS Event + Incentive GmbH• Maritim Hotel & Internationales Congress Center Dresden• OSTRAPARK DRESDEN• Sächsisches Staatsweingut GmbH Schloss Wackerbarth• The Westin Bellevue Dresden

G010 Bonn Region Convention Bureau• World Conference Center Bonn

G020 Wiesbaden• Courtyard by Marriott Wiesbaden - Nordenstadt• Dorint Pallas Wiesbaden• Hotel Oranien Wiesbaden• Jagdschloss Platte• Mercure Hotel Wiesbaden-City• pentahotel Wiesbaden • Radisson Blu Schwarzer Bock Hotel • Rhein-Main Congress Center• Convention Wiesbaden

G100 Hamburg• AMERON Hotel Speicherstadt• CCH - Congress Center Hamburg• east Hotel Hamburg• Empire Riverside Hotel• GASTWERK HOTEL HAMBURG (GmbH & Co. KG)• globalmobility Deutschland GmbH• Grand Elysée Hamburg• Hamburg Convention Bureau GmbH• Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten GmbH• lübeckongress e. V.• Maison van den Boer Deutschland GmbH• NORD EVENT GmbH• Radisson BLU Hotel Hamburg• Sofitel Hamburg Alter Wall• TUI Cruises GmbH

G130 Darmstadt• darmstadtium• Wissenschaftsstadt Darmstadt Marketing GmbH

G140 Düsseldorf Congress Sport & Event GmbH

G150 Lufthansa Group

G155 Expedia MeetingMarket

G160 München• angelo by Vienna House Munich• BMW Group• BMW und MINI Driving Experience• Brauereigasthof Hotel Aying• DMC Munich stöcker & friends GmbH• Dolce Munich Unterschleissheim

• Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Starnberg• Messe München GmbH• Munich Convention Bureau• Olympiapark München GmbH• Starwood Hotels Munich• Team Seefried events. emotions. efficiency.

8 | MEETINGS MADE IN GERMANY – 1/2016

How to master the challenges of the sharing economyThe sharing economy is on the up: While tra-ditionally goods and services were supplied in exchange for payment, sharing and swapping is becoming ever more popular. The sharing economy includes anything from sharing consu-mer goods such as books or cars or renting out spaces and rooms to exchanging knowledge (Wikipedia), social contacts and experiences, for example in the case of “living room concerts” and “kitchen surfing” events.

The sharing economy principle doesn’t stop at the MICE sector either which raises a number of questions: Which challenges does this new economic or business model pose to organisers, operators, suppliers and service providers? How will events and services have to be organised and marketed for them to continue to be successful with delegates? Thorben Grosser of EventMobi and Nicolas Günther of Travel-zoo will both address these questions in their seminars at IMEX in Frankfurt and we’ve taken the opportunity to chat with them beforehand about the sharing economy and what it means for the MICE industry.

GCB: The sharing economy seems to have become an established concept by now. Which consequences will this new socio-economic model have for the MICE industry?

Nicolas Günther: The sharing economy is cur-rently one of the sector’s most burning issues. No matter if cars, bikes or surfboards – there’s nothing that couldn’t be provided or exchanged on loan. And if you’re thinking of joint cooking events or dinners, it becomes clear how import-ant the aspect of providing an experience is in this context. The MICE industry, too, is affected by this concept.

Thorben Grosser: Personally, I can see first effects for the MICE industry in different areas. One example would be when delegates, for instance, don’t use the hotel rooms alloted to an event but search independently for their accommodation, or when they bypass bus transfers that are provided and use apps such as MyTaxi or similar services. But it’s not just that: We can also already see the first private meeting room providers coming on the market.

Nicolas Günther: Up to now, accommodation or travel sharing offers were mainly focused on end consumers, however, the market is now shifting from B2C to B2B – if private providers offer spaces for events, it’s something that

could be of interest for event organisers. We, at Travelzoo, are keeping a close eye on market developments and, for example, regularly survey our members. This provides us with a valid snapshot of the industry and we can definitely say: There’s already a demand.

Thorben Grosser: And the most important question would then be: What does already exist and how are we using it? Transport and accommodation offers based on the sharing principle are currently the most prevalent ones but there are also other services that are gaining a foothold, such as renting out unusual spaces for meetings. It’s unlikely that these will be for large capacities, say 1,000 delegates, however, spaces for a few dozen participants are quite conceivable. There are, for example, a number of really interesting and out of the ordinary offers on the market in Berlin, such as an old barn or houseboat on the Spree river. So, why shouldn’t organisers think about adding an unusual meeting room to the agenda instead of the conventional conference room option? The question then is how agile and flexible hotels and congress centres will be able to react to such trends. However, in the end, the MICE industry as a whole is affected by the sharing economy and it will change the sector to a greater or lesser extent, depending which aspect we’re talking about. All the players involved will have to learn to handle the challenges in a flexible way or else they will face tough times.

GCB: Nicolas, your seminar’s topic is “Oppor-tunities and Risks of the Sharing Economy“. What are the main opportunities and risks you would name?

Nicolas Günther: First of all, I’d like to stress that both aspects are important – the risks as well as the opportunities. Reputation is for ex-ample a factor that is an opportunity for service providers: Experiences with a certain provider are shared on a platform which creates a great degree of market transparency. This provides hotels with a good opportunity to position their offer in the market, in particular when they concentrate on their core competence in order to be more competitive. According to one of our surveys, 53 % of respondents have reser-vations with regards to cleanliness, payment, the booking process, etc when it comes to accommodation services. Which opens up opportunities for hotels to score with their po-tential customers by stressing their quality and services because despite the whole sharing idea,

convenience and service are very important for many customers. This shouldn’t be unde-restimated.

GCB: Thorben, your talk asks the question “Sharing Economy: planning friend or foe?“. Which negative and which positive aspects would you name in this context?

Thorben Grosser: In general, I rather see the positive things about it and the opportunities that the sharing economy opens up. One aspect that I’d like to stress in particular is the opportunity to once again create great experi-ences. Based on my own personal experience, there are too many hotels with the same boring brown carpets and even more boring brown walls. Meetings held in such an environment strike me as rather foreseeable and predictable. How much more exciting would it be to do something that’s the opposite and unpredictable and design your meetings in a completely dif-ferent way.

Customers have different expectations now which means that the MICE industry needs to come up with more inspiring concepts and unusual ideas. This could, for example, be that delegates meet up for a joint transfer to the venue in order to engage in networking right from the start. Or participants could stay to-gether in one accommodation with individual rooms for everyone but one joint kitchen for people to convene in the evening and talk about what happened during the day and cont-inue networking. Things like this make a diffe-rence to the usual evenings spent in one’s hotel room and they create a special atmosphere and different dynamic between people.

I think it’s important that event planners are more flexible and try things that are exciting and intriguing for delegates. Which in turn means that you’ll have to be able to let go of all your much loved habits and be open to new ways of doing things and welcome them.

GCB: Which other topics will your seminars address?

Nicolas Günther: My IMEX talk is on the hand about the status quo and on the other hand about future perspectives. Having the right marketing strategy is an immensely important topic and that starts with your business model and includes how you position yourself and your

USP as well as the use of push and pull tactics. Plus, I’ll also include a couple of case studies to illustrate that. The sharing economy is defini-tely a challenge and the question is how you react to it and what kind of things can really be done and implemented. At the end of the day, it’s always a question of how you position yourself and how your marketing and sales are structured. Last but not least, my seminar will give participants insights into how Travelzoo has approached the topic and how successful our campaigns are. All in all, there’ll be lots of useful and instructive information for anyone attending the seminar.

Thorben Grosser: To start with, it is very important for me to give attendees a market overview and outlook, i. e. I’ll be looking at questions such as what’s around, what’s being done, what’s being avoided and what could be feasible instead or what’s successful. And, most importantly: How can I as a service provider get a slice of this pie? And since it fits in well with the topic, the dialogue between the partici- pants of my seminar, sharing knowledge and exchanging experiences, will be incorporated in my talk as well.

GCB: What are your feelings about taking part in the upcoming IMEX?

Nicolas Günther: I know IMEX to be an inspi-ring event and place where I’ll catch up with many of my contacts which is something I’m really looking forward to. This year, moreover, I’m particularly excited about my seminar and am very much looking forward to it.

Thorben Grosser: For me, IMEX is the best MICE industry event in Europe and I’m looking forward to represent EventMobi at the GCB stand which I feel very honoured to do.

GCB: Many thanks for the interview. We’re very much looking forward to IMEX in Frank-furt, too!

About Thorben Grosser, EventMobi:

Thorben Grosser’s mission to provide easy- to-use apps for events and experiences precedes even his event management and mobile technology studies. As head of EventMobi’s European office in Berlin, he supports organisers all over Europe who want to integrate apps into their projects.

With its powerful platform, EventMobi provides the right tools for all kinds of events – be it registration apps, including live polls and surveys or event apps. The app enables delegates to experience the event that they visit via their smart phone or tablet. Customers such as Disney, Lufthansa and large associations trust EventMobi and the added value the tech-nology provides for attendees.

About Nicolas Günther, Travelzoo (Europe) Ltd:

Nicholas Günther, who holds a degree in business, took on the position of Head of Sales for Travelzoo Germany in January 2015 and as such, is responsible for the entire German sales team. Travelzoo is a global media commerce company with more than 28 million members in Asia Pacific, Europe and North America.

With 25 offices worldwide, Travelzoo® publishes offers from more than 2000 travel and entertainment providers. Travelzoo’s deal experts review offers and test prices, availability and quality. This provides ad-vertising opportunities for hotels, airlines, cruise companies and tour operators as well as for tourist boards and local providers of leisure activities.

MEETINGS MADE IN GERMANY – 1/2016 | 9

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Accente Services – With passion for gustoFrankfurt is the financial hub and trade fair metropolis on the river Main, a city staying true to its roots while being cosmopolitan at the same time. This is the place where you can enjoy “Green Sauce” as well as Sushi, and drink “Äbbelwoi” or champagne. This is where the whole world meets for major trade fairs, events or congresses, and where everyone feels at home.

The city and its citizens are traditionally good hosts to people from around the world. Frank-furt’s Accente Gastronomie Service GmbH has been renowned for its good service and good food for well over 50 years. As the biggest trade fair caterer in Germany, Accente runs restaurants and shops located on the Frankfurt fairground. Additional services provided to trade fair and congress organizers, such as stand and event catering services, as well as personnel services complement our portfolio.

Accente is your competent partner for events of all sizes staged at various fairground locations. More than 240 employees and 3,000 temporary staff are passionate about ensuring culinary excellence. The cumulative experience gained over decades coupled with a constant desire to try something new is the basis for long-term success. This is particularly true of gastronomy and catering, as customer demand is constantly changing.

Accente Services already launched a sustain- ability initiative in 2013 by introducing the „Green Catering“ concept for catering to major events. With the opening of the new, sustainable Kap Europa congress center in 2014, a full all-inclusive catering package for conferences, congresses and events was introduced. Special emphasis is

placed on the use of sustainable, regional, and seasonal products.

Two new features, „Brain Food“ and „Health Food“, have now been added to Green Catering, which both focus on the wellbeing of each and every individual. The Accente chefs specifically created Brain Food dishes to enhance the well-being of our guests, and to boost their mental fitness. Healthy and easy to digest ingredients provide the body with sustainable energy without burdening it. Health Food is also targeted at par-ticularly health-conscious guests, as it provides the body with wholesome nutrition.

Apart from catering to conferences and mee-tings, event catering is a specialty of Accente Services. With all its experience, the counseling provided and much blood, sweat and tears our team lends culinary splendor to events of all sizes. Be it menus, buffets or flying services – each catering is unique. Coupled with our in-house

personnel service, equipment rental service and the largest kitchen in the state of Hessia located on the fairground, we provide “spot on” catering – and we do so for 12 guests just as well as for 12,000 guests. Every day, Accente prepares a variety of fresh dishes for trade fairs, events, and also for canteens. A separate part of the com-mercial kitchen is reserved for the preparation of Sushi by our experienced master Sushi chef.

Its proximity to and close ties with Messe Frank-furt offer Accente many advantages, which our customers benefit from: As Accente’s adminis-tration, production and logistics departments are located at the “Dependance” building on the fairground, all dishes and beverages are swiftly delivered to the respective locations, and are still fresh on receipt. Moreover, our employees have been familiar with all aspects concerned for years, and can thus optimally plan and calculate everything. Additional kitchens, service stations and bars can be set up almost anywhere.

Be it decorations, furniture or technical equipment – we quickly find the best solution for any customer requirement.

Since 2009, Accente has been managing its very own event location in the entertainment district of Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen, the “Wirtshaus Depot 1899”, an elaborately renovated former tram depot furnished in contemporary style. In the daytime, people meet here for lunch, an original unfiltered Depot beer, or for classic regional dishes. At night, the Wirtshaus turns into an event location, which is perfectly suited for conferences, ceremonies and presentations, and can accommodate from 10 up to 850 guests thanks to its flexible partitioning possibilities and adaptable facilities.

For further information see:b www.accenteservices.de

M Hotels · International Sales Offi ce · Kuelpstrasse 2 · 64293 Darmstadt · GermanyTelefon +49 (0) 6151 905-710 · info.vki@maritim.com · www.maritim.com

M Hotels · Business premises of M Hotelgesellschaft mbH · Herforder Strasse 2 · 32105 Bad Salzufl en · Germany

Maritim Hotels offer over 40 years of experience in managing small, medium and large European or global conferences in around 50 hotels in Germany and all over the world.

Plan your tailor-made conference with Maritim from 2 to 5,000 people: our professional team will be on hand.With Maritim’s slogan of “meetings and accommodation under one roof”, the centrally located hotels

are the ideal choice for business travellers and holidaymakers alike.

Meetings made in Germany!

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Visit us at IMEX

in Frankfurt/Germany,

19 to 21 April 2016,

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Executive Board: Matthias Schultze, V.i.S.d.P.: Birgit PacherEditorial Staff: GCB German Convention Bureau e. V.

Authors: GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. unless indicated otherwiseFrequency: biannual publicationLayout: www.blauequelle.de

Pictures: Michael Pasternack, except:www.flickr.com / Sergey Galyonkin: S. 1; shutterstock: S. 2; TOA Berlin / Pablo Ruiz Holst : S. 3 Accente: S. 7;

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