SALZBURG GIVES YOU WINGS
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The stunning architecture and an interesting similarity between the postcards of Salzburg and Ljubljana is usually my first association of this romantic and idyllic place. Above Salzburg is the mighty Hohensalzburg fortress, the largest, fully-preserved fortress in Central Europe, with the Alps in the background.
[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”900px” height=”” background_color=”#bed68b” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” inside_shadow=”false” outside_shadow=”false” ]Salzburg Summer Festival – It was a template for the creators of the Ljubljana Summer Festival. The Salzburg Festival is linked with the city’s favourite son Salzburg, Mozart. His birth house is one of the most visited tourist attractions of the city.[/dropshadowbox]
Salzburg is a smaller city with about 150,000 inhabitants, but for the Austrian meetings industry it is extremely important. One of the most important cultural capitals of Europe, the UNESCO cultural heritage of the historic city centre Altstadt and an excellent congress offer attracts international event organisers. The choice of attractions in the city is really diverse, from a number of museums and galleries to baroque buildings, palaces, fortresses and parks.
Salzburg is easily accessible. Most of the old town is accessible on foot or by excellent public transport. Salzburg Central Station, which is the centre of an important European rail hub, will be renovated this year. Every day, the station handles 500 trains with more than 25,000 passengers. Simple access by rail is part of the city’s strategy of green tourism and sustainable development.
[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”900px” height=”” background_color=”#bed68b” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” inside_shadow=”false” outside_shadow=”false” ]World-renowned institutes – Mozarteum University, Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, University of Education Salzburg, Paracelsus Private Medical University and Paris Lodron University. In addition to the 22,500 students, the developed scientific research scene is massive capital for a congress destination. [/dropshadowbox]
Entrepreneurs are impressed by the quick access to nature, the combination of modern and traditional, regulated legislation and the positive entrepreneurial attitude. It is therefore not surprising that the city has successful global companies such as Red Bull, Porsche Holding, Palfinger, Atomic, Skidata and many others.
Every year Salzburg attracts about 5.5 million tourists. Within a radius of 50 km is over 70,000 hotel rooms, nearly 40,000 of them are in a category suitable for congress tourism. Especially interesting is the fact that the region has some of the finest restaurants and widely known chefs, belonging to the culinary champions’ league. The highly developed tourism industry also brings some higher prices, which is typical for such besieged tourist destinations.
Salzburg is, according to the number of conferences, second place in Austria behind the capital Vienna according to the statistics of Austrian Convention Bureau. In 2012 Austria hosted 2,007 congresses and events . They had 354 national and 193 international congresses. Almost half of all conferences (914) took place in Salzburg.
[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”900px” height=”” background_color=”#bed68b” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” inside_shadow=”false” outside_shadow=”false” ]High-tech conference centre – Salzburg Congress – It was opened in 2001 in the beautiful Mirabell park. The flexible design, with 15 congress halls with capacities from 20 to 1,320 participants, has one of the best technical equipment offers in Europe. [/dropshadowbox]
Exhibition Center Salzburg has in recent years completed €34 million of investments in a new multifunctional hall, which offers 15,170m2 of space. This increased the capacity of the centre to up to 6,000 congress participants. The list of hotels with congress facilities is also very long, with the Radisson Blu Hotels & Conference centre and its 18 halls considered for biggest in Austria. the spectacular Hohensalzburg city fortress is suitable for receptions and teambuilding programs. Another of the congress venues is the Mirabell Palace, which with its gardens and architecture is under UNESCO protection.
The surroundings also do not lack for picturesque locations, with the underground salt mines that gave the name to city just a step away, or the charming alpine towns where they have developed a whole range of incentive and teambuilding programs.
For lovers of high-octane revolutions, on the other hand, the Museum Hangar 1 will be the most suitable for their needs. In the Museum are Red Bull Formula 1 and the complete collection of Dieter Mateschitz.
[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”900px” height=”” background_color=”#bed68b” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” inside_shadow=”false” outside_shadow=”false” ]Salzburg Convention Bureau – which works on the non-profit model of its older brother in Vienna. Salzburg also has great congress ambassadors and advocates of event organisers. 38 congressional providers in Salzburg have a green eco-label, awarded by the Ministry of the Environment.[/dropshadowbox]
Another advantage of Salzburg was revealed at this year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi, with Salzburg having competed against Sochi and Pyeonchang in 2007. Salzburg’s candidacy was most likely lost due to the higher political interests of the International Olympic Committee. Otherwise, the benefits outlined in the nomination are still up to date for the congress organisers and, above all else, the sustainable approach that was planned and defended before the global popularity of green meetings.
If security and political stability are treated as givens, the key advantages of Salzburg are the compactness and manageable size of the city, the easy accessibility, the convention centre in the city centre and the technological sophistication of the destination. Salzburg is already in its essence and urban organisation one of the most sustainable world congress destinations. In addition they care a lot about your congress and welfare of participants. A friendly gesture for event organisers is the free concert which is prepared for international congress guests, and the already mentioned congress subsidies if you bring to the city at least 250 international participants as well as cheaper tickets for public transport. A small city by size, but a congress metropolis by its offer and approach to congress tourism.
Destination grade: 4,37– QUALITY MEETING DESTINATION
Individual grades:
5 excellent meeting destination
4 quality meeting destination
3 recommendable meeting destination
2 average meeting destination
1 passable
Individual grades:
A. Natural and cultural factors: 4,63
The picturesque alpine landscape with Mozart, lakes, culture festivals and rich history creates an unmistakable experiential diversity and atmosphere that makes Salzburg one of the most famous tourist destinations of Europe.
B. General and transport infrastructure: 4,48
With its location in the heart of Europe Salzburg has a great starting point in congress tourism, helped also because of the high quality of life. Excellent public infrastructure, idyllic nature, recreation and sports infrastructure is also unequalled. Probably one of the most friendly and regulated destinations in Central Europe, which possesses all the characteristics of a metropolis packed into an extremely attractive package.
C. Tourist infrastructure: 4,41
Although you will find Mozart on every step of your way and it seems that the clock stopped in the times of the famous composer, Salzburg is a very modern and cool tourist destination. It appears that Salzburg was formed and lives for tourism and it is especially necessary to highlight the extraordinary culinary scene.
D. Meetings infrastructure: 4,53
Two top-quality, modern and high tech congress centres – Messezentrum Salzburg for 6,000 participants and Congress Salzburg for 2.500 participants – are together with a top quality conference hotel infrastructure a foundation for congress destination. Marketing is successfully connected by the Salzburg Convention Bureau, which last year celebrated its 10th anniversary.
E. Subjective grade: 4,36
Austrian efficiency and organisation, peppered with the baroque charm of its city, is the formula for success in the field of medium-sized congresses up to 2,500 participants. A cosmopolitan mix of visitors and the local population is torn between tradition and the fast pace of the 21st century
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Comparison with the region:
It is difficult to compare Salzburg with it much larger brother Vienna, yet it offers all the characteristics of a congress destination and a cosmopolitan mix of visitors. For current logistics and transport restrictions of the city medium sized congresses with up to 2,500 participants are best suited. In this area they will offer you a superior product wrapped in superior packaging. Unlike the congress sister Ljubljana, which shares a lot in common, Salzburg has no problems with branding and visibility. Otherwise, location, location, location and once again location is considered a crucial reason for choosing Salzburg for your event.
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Cool meetings:
Ikarus Restaurant, which is located in Hangar-7 in Salzburg, every month hosts the best chefs in the world who present their favourite masterpieces in cooperation with the owner of the restaurant, Eckart Witzigmann, and chef Martin Klein. April’s chef was Slovene Ana Roš from restaurant Hiša Franko in Kobarid. This is one of the best world-class culinary stories in the world, if not the best in line with its concept.
Issue: KONGRES MEETOLOGUE 2013
Pdf: KONGRES-MAGAZINE-meetologue-2013
