Once more, presenter Sandra Thier welcomed numerous guests at Stefaniensaal hall in the Graz Congress, at what was already the 11thcelebration of the “Congress Award” here. For mayor Siegfried Nagl, the awarding of the year’s best congress events was evidently a great pleasure:
“In 2018, more than 56,000 participants attended 174 conferences and congresses in Graz. This meant that the result of 2017 was surpassed. This sector secures about 14 per cent of the total of overnight stays and I am very grateful for that. Creating knowledge is the motto here, and it’s a well-chosen one. Scarcely any other concept requires such a great degree of new definition. Creating knowledge today means offering orientation, facilitating encounters and developing potential. Sharing is essential. Consequently conferences are a logical format. I am delighted that you are here today and would like to thank you for bringing conferences to Graz, whilst also requesting, along with Councillor Günter Riegler, that you continue to do so.”
Prompted by a request by presenter Sandra Thier, he also served up some news. In Graz recently a regular veggie-day was introduced, to be repeated every Wednesday. Also Veggie was the Congress Award, in that a specially created Green Meeting soup was served.The event was organised according to the criteria of the Austrian Green Events environmental trademark.
Günter Riegler, Municipal Councillor for Culture, was also pleased to experience a “family reunion” of the Styrian realm of science, museums and culture and to award the City of Graz’s prize for “Eurosensor 2018”.
The Congress Award Graz recognises event organisers from the fields of science, research, business and non-profit organisations, who have rendered outstanding services in the implementation of meetings and conferences as ambassadors of the city of Graz, both locally and on national and international levels. Up to four awards are presented annually. With these awards the city of Graz expresses its appreciation and gratitude towards conference organisers.
Every year a jury is constituted of five to seven members approved by the rectors of the four universities of Graz as well as other research institutions. Evaluation takes place essentially according to the following criteria:
