Salzburg – MTLG Destination Update 2019

Salzburg’s alpine scenery has long been attracting film makers. One of the legendary films that celebrated the beauty of the mountains of Austria, and particularly Salzburg, is the romantic musical ‘The Sound of Music’. In addition to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Summer Festival and the Christmas Market, the film, made in 1965 with the majority of the scenes filmed in the city and its surroundings, is one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions. It is impossible to dispute that the city is photogenic. However, there is significantly more to Salzburg than just the stereotype picturesque film set. The city is a centre of hi-tech companies, a development hub for the automotive industry and, in all likelihood, a city with one of the highest qualities of life in Europe. Red Bull, which has long been more than just an energy drink, undoubtedly personifies the new spirit of Salzburg. The company could be ranked amongst the world’s best event organisers and media houses, rather than among drinks producers. However, this is far from the only such story in the city, and we are pleased to confirm that we can also include in this the Salzburg congress industry, which is in excellent shape.

Salzburg is one of the most important cultural metropolises in Europe. The musical virtuoso Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart left an indelible and lasting effect on the city. Directly after the Vatican, Salzburg was one of the most important religious metropolises. Baroque squares, small passages and an abundance of churches and monasteries, which will certainly make an impression on you, testify to the rich heritage of princes and bishops – in architecture as well as in art and culture. This is why Salzburg is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Hiring venues for events is simple since all the main castles are managed by the Salzburg’s Castles & Palaces Management company, owned by the Salzburg State Government, which since 1993 has been managing Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Salzburg Residence, Hohenwerfen Fortress and Mauterndorf.

This year Salzburg is hosting some major corporate and association events. In June 2019 the 30th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care ESPNIC 2019 , with 1000 attendants expected, will take place. In November 2019 a large scale conference (2000 participants) and exhibition for search engine optimization and online marketing for the German speaking markets SEOkomm & OMX. In January 2019 Salzburg is hosting the annual congress on electronic and recycling, The 17th International Electronic Recycling Congress.

For adrenaline junkies, the surroundings of the city offer an abundance of options for fun and speed – speed race tracks, ice cart races and snowmobiles as well as off-road courses. The World Mountain Bike Championship has been held in Salzburger Land several times, and mountain bikes and e-mountain bikes can be used on its numerous downhill tracks.

Real Mozartkugle chocolates are wrapped in silver-blue foil and are only sold in four of Salzburg’s Fürst confectionery shops and on its website. All the other versions, according to the opinions of colleagues from Salzburg, are just imitations. The first nougat balls, filled with marzipan and covered with chocolate, were made in 1890 by the Salzburg confectioner Paul Fürst, who named them after the city’s most famous fellow, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The chocolates achieved lightning-quick success. Today, the silver-blue wrapped chocolates are still made by hand and to the same method as that used by Paul Fürst. The busiest season for the production of Mozartkugel is from May on, because of the famous Salzburg Festival taking place in July and August.  The chocolates are produced all year, but they are in summer months not dispatched anywhere due to the higher temperatures.

However, they are only produced from the end of September to the middle of May, when temperatures are not so high that the quality of the chocolates would be affected during transportation.

Salzburg is also certainly a town of beer. Traditionalists swear by the Augustiner-Bräustübl-Mülln brewery, which has been brewing various types of lager since 1621. The huge garden can accommodate 1,400 visitors and is one of the city’s most special venues. The most important of the city’s beer brand names is Stiegl, which produces a whole range of beers, from lagers to wheat beers and dark Dunkel beers. It has been brewing beer since 1492 and still today remains independent from the large breweries. Congress guests can get acquainted with the brewery by visiting the Stiegl Keller beer cellar, which is literally ‘buried’ in castle hill and offers various spaces for receptions and events. Even more interesting is the Stiegl Brauwelt Museum, which shows the brewery’s five-hundred-year-old history and, at the same time, is an exceptionally unique venue.

A venue which has no match in Europe is situated at Salzburg airport. Amadeus Terminal 2 is an exemplary example of how to fill an empty airport terminal which is otherwise only operational occasionally during the winter tourist season. The venue was immediately exploited by the largest car makers, who linked the possibility of accessing the terminal by plane with the promotion of new cars. The terminal is among the largest of the unique venues in the city, and can accommodate up to 1,700 guests, or 840 in a banquet arrangement. The vast car park is a great advantage and can be part of the experience with the possibility of branding.

VOICES OF SALZBURG
Gregor Gritzky, Messezentrum Salzburg

VOICES OF SALZBURG
Monika Steinberger, Sheraton Grand Salzburg

VOICES OF SALZBURG
Nina S. Gerharter, Wyndham Grand