The UFZ is a world-leading institution in the field of environmental research and enjoys high social recognition. It points out ways to use natural resources sustainably for the benefit of mankind and the environment. Leipzig is therefore an attractive location for conferences in this field. The CCL, the city’s largest conference venue, has been cooperating with the UFZ on attracting these industry meetings for many years. Consequently, expertise on planning and implementing successful congresses goes hand in hand with scientific competence. In addition to the ISME 2018, another example of this was the Congress of European Microbiologists (FEMS) in 2013. Both congresses were secured by the CCL in partnership with Professor Hauke Harms. The head of the UFZ’s Department of Environmental Microbiology welcomed his colleagues in his capacity as conference president.
Bids of this kind are also supported by the City of Leipzig. It has developed a cluster strategy to concentrate on establishing networks between, and supporting, growth-oriented and forward-looking industries. Besides the health and biotechnology sectors, these include clusters for energy and environmental technology, logistics, the automotive and supplier industries, and the media and creative industries. A glance at the city’s conference calendar underlines its concentration on these fields of competence. In 2019, for example, there will also be a large number of medical conferences, which will be hosted by representatives of the renowned University Hospital, the Heart Center as one of the largest specialist clinics for cardiac diseases in Germany, and other Leipzig clinics.
Sustainably convincing: Leipzig welcomes the “greenmeetings and events” conference in 2019
Successful bids are also based on a special team spirit at the conference destination. Around 50 partners – including congress and event venues, conference hotels, service agencies, PCOs and logistics partners – are involved in the “Feel the spirit…do-it-at-leipzig.de” congress initiative. They form a powerful network both for attracting conferences but also in their planning, preparation and execution. This sustainable approach was also instrumental in the decision to host the “greenmeetings and events” conference 2019 in Leipzig. The conference is organised by the German Convention Bureau e. V. (GCB) and the European Association of Event Centres (EVVC).
“At the conference and congress destination of Leipzig, sustainability practiced at all levels: this is what the caterer fairgourmet stands for, for instance, which won the Meeting Experts Green Award at the last greenmeetings and events conference,” explains Joachim König, former President of the EVVC. GCB Managing Director Matthias Schultze adds: “The Congress Center Leipzig (CCL), Leipziger Messe and all the members of the ‘Feel the spirit…do-it-at-leipzig.de’ initiative have also committed to the principle of sustainability – and last but not least, the city itself is positioning itself as a ‘fair-trade town’ and with innovative sustainable mobility concepts.”
In 2013 the CCL won the Meeting Experts Green Award for its ICCA Green Traffic initiative in the “Sustainable event” category. fairgourmet won in 2017 with its nomination as a sustainable company. All the more reason for Leipzig’s representatives to look forward to welcoming the German conference industry on 18 and 19 February 2019 to discuss sustainability in the events sector at the KONGRESSHALLE at Zoo Leipzig.
