Germany: Prepare for kick off

"We are looking at smaller city destinations and revealing what they have to offer," says GCB marketing director Ute Stegmann. "This will be the main focus of the GCB's activities at IMEX in April 2005, and in our marketing campaigns for the year ahead."

With £8bn (£5.5bn) earmarked for investments in World Cup infrastructure, the breadth of facilities for C&I organisers is changing. For example, in the southern city of Stuttgart, where six games will be played, there are initiatives under way around the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium that are intended to cater for the anticipated rise in interest in the destination.

A multi-functional sports arena is being built near the stadium, and, adjacent to this, the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer Hall will be renovated, increasing capacity to 16,000. Nearby, the Mercedes-Benz Museum will open in May 2006, offering extensive exhibition space, an event area and open-air auditorium. In January 2005, the House of Sports will open; designed as a base for major sports associations, it will also offer meeting rooms for up to 800 people.

Away from the stadium, the city is investing in a new conference and exhibition centre, next to Stuttgart International Airport. "With increased capacity of up to 4,900, it will make Stuttgart Germany's fourth-largest conference city," says Anne Demuth, conference and meetings manager of the Baden-Wuerttemberg convention bureau, Stuttgart Marketing.

Other smaller destinations that have been investing in the C&I market include Muenster, Bonn, Mainz and Rostock. The latter hosts one of Europe's largest annual tall ships events, and a new hotel complex, the Yachthafenresidenz Hohe Dune, will take advantage of this theme. Due for completion in April 2005, the property is next to a yacht marina and will include a conference hall, outdoor exhibition arena and 19 conference rooms. It will also feature six restaurants and a large seafront wellness centre and spa.

Mainz, only 20 minutes' drive from Frankfurt, is rich in history, wine and food, and offers a variety of meeting and conference venues. Its Rheingoldhalle, which currently seats 2,700 theatre-style, will be expanded and reopened in 2006 with an additional convention hall seating up to 1,350, plus another 1,700m2 of exhibition space.

The city of Bonn provides a range of historic buildings for MICE purposes, including medieval monasteries, castles, fortresses and museums. Its International Congress Centre has announced a programme of development, to include a 15-storey, five-star, 200-room hotel, as well as increased meeting space.

"These destinations will awaken fresh interest in Germany, allowing planners and participants to experience Germany's regional character," says Stegmann. "With festivals, culture and local traditions, they will provide a new lease of life to the MICE market."

Smaller German destinations are also getting a helping hand with new routes and travel options. Baden-Baden, 68 miles west of Stuttgart, for example, has opened its international airport, with two direct Ryanair flights a day to London Stansted. The regional CVB anticipates far more UK business as a result. "The opening of the airport has coincided with other developments, such as the city's new Opera House and the opening of our Art Museum, and this makes for a much more attractive package for UK buyers," says Ralf Schlichter, conference and incentives manager at the Baden-Baden Kur and Tourismus.

Opting for Germany's lesser-known cities is not a risky option for UK groups, according to Paul Hussey, managing director of event agency Olive 360: "We can rely on a good infrastructure when working in Germany, as most cities, even the smaller ones, have a convention centre and efficient hotels. Wherever we have gone, we have found flexible venues and helpful, efficient and hospitable suppliers."

The firm favourites

With matches also being fought in Germany's more established conference cities, they too have benefited from infrastructure developments. Berlin, for example, will see the opening of the new Rocco Forte Hotel de Rome in spring 2006. The hotel will be a conversion of a building previously used as the head office of the Central Bank of the German Democratic Republic, with many historic and architectural features being integrated into the 146-room hotel. The ancient vault of the bank will become the hotel's swimming pool, and the former board offices will be converted into suites. The property will also have six conference suites, including a banqueting hall.

In spring 2006 Hotel Villa Kennedy will open in Frankfurt, following a EUR70m (£48m) redevelopment. The hotel will offer 166 bedrooms and suites, conference and banqueting facilities for up to 250 delegates, seven meeting rooms for up to 40, a hydrotherapy spa and fitness centre and an underground car park.

The Dorint Sofitel Bayerpost Munich opened in August 2004, in the centre of Munich. This five-star property is focused on the conference and meetings market, providing 1,800m2 of events space. Its facilities include 20 conference rooms and one of Munich's largest function suites, catering for up to 860 people. The city will also benefit from a EUR72m (£49.5m) development, due to open in early 2007, which will comprise a 160-room Rocco Forte hotel, together with a public square and retail outlets. The hotel will offer eight meeting rooms, including a ballroom that will accommodate up to 400 for receptions.

Meanwhile, Dresden has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which the GCB believes should boost its appeal to UK groups. In addition to this new status, Dresden's International Congress Centre was opened in May 2004. This venue comprises a main room for up to 4,150 delegates, five conference rooms for groups of between 340 and 615, nine break-out rooms and a foyer with 5,500m2 of exhibition and reception space. In early 2006, an adjoining 328-room hotel, the Maritim Conference Hotel, is due to open.

The GCB is highlighting incentive opportunities that groups can enjoy, such as visiting medieval buildings in Esslingen in the south, perusing some of Europe's best Christmas markets in Stuttgart or Nuremberg, taking part in vintage car rallies or getting stuck into team-building activities, including cross-country skiing, climbing or treasure hunts.

The 2006 Fifa World Cup could well be the catalyst that boosts Germany's profile and wakes up organisers to the country's potential. "Knowledge of Germany within the UK market is fairly limited," says Eventscape managing director Patrick Davis. "However, this could well turn to Germany's advantage. People are always looking for something different and that is what the country represents for many delegates. When buyers turn away from traditional incentive destinations and see the infrastructure and expertise in place in Germany, then the path is there for new business."

VENUE FINDER - Meetings in the Black Forest

Iffezheim Racecourse

An internationally renowned racecourse that offers the excitement of a major horse race in May, August and October. Out of season, the course organises special races for corporate groups. Meeting facilities include the Brenner's Lounge opposite the finish line. Groups of between 20 and 1,500 delegates can be accommodated and the racecourse also caters for product launches, exhibitions and parties.

Baden-Baden Casino

An atmospheric and exotic location for receptions and dinners. Visitors can enjoy black jack, roulette, baccarat and poker, among other games. An enclosed outside terrace provides an excellent location for a dinner or awards ceremony, and there are also rooms available for exclusive use, with capacity for up to 100 guests.

Schlosshotel Buhlerhohe

An impressive Baroque-style castle located deep in the Black Forest and considered one of Germany's best spa hotels. It has its own spring water and extensive spa and beauty facilities. The hotel has ten meeting rooms, with a maximum group size of 180 for meetings and 250 for dining or receptions.

Festspielhaus

Now an opera house, the Festspielhaus (Festival Hall) was originally Baden-Baden's railway station. The ticket hall has become the reception area and the waiting room a restaurant. A state-of-the-art venue in place of the tracks offers meeting and conference options. The auditorium can hold 2,500 and receptions for up to 1,000 can be held in the foyer. Other rooms cater for 80 to 300 and groups can have themed dinners on stage after performances.

The Kurhaus

The Kurhaus is another historic building, offering an impressive backdrop for events. It has eight function rooms of varying sizes; the main Benazet Hall seats 1,077, and smaller rooms, including a Hall of Mirrors, can house groups of between 50 and 550. The venue is in the social heart of Baden-Baden and is within easy walking distance of all amenities.

Dorint Maison Messmer Baden-Baden

Originally the Kaiser's summer residence, this refurbished five-star hotel retains the imperial ballroom, with original features. The hotel has 114 double rooms, 47 suites and a luxurious wellness centre that extends more than 790m2 .The hotel's three restaurants offer specialities from the Black Forest region and there are six meeting rooms. Maximum group size for meetings is 165.

CASE STUDY - UGs

Organiser: In-house

Title of event: UGS technical team networking event

Date: 25-27 May 2004

Venue: Millennium Hotel and Resort, Stuttgart

Group size: 720

Budget: Undisclosed

UGS, which manufactures and sells software for product lifecycle management, holds an annual event for its internal technical teams. The objective is to allow staff from across UGS's international offices to network and share ideas.

"Some of our overseas offices are just six people, so this conference helps make them feel part of a bigger community," says Paul Brown, product manager at UGS and organiser of the event.

Brown had two challenges in organising this three-day conference. Firstly, the size of the delegation had grown, thus limiting the venues that can be used, and secondly, as delegates came from European and other destinations, accessibility was a real issue.

More than 60 per cent of the delegates come from Germany, so Brown looked at several German cities, before opting for Stuttgart's Millennium Hotel and Resort. "The venue offered the size and flexibility of several auditoria that could be used concurrently and had the capacity for large gala dinners."

The Millennium Hotel and Resort encompasses a theatre and four cinemas within its complex. UGS took over the main theatre during the day, and block-booked all of the cinemas during the evenings. "This gave us space to run several presentations concurrently and allowed delegates to choose which presentation they wished to attend, without fear of running out of space in any one," says Brown.

Delegates also enjoyed a gala dinner and presentation ceremony on the first night, while the second night was more relaxed, with a buffet and bars. "We offered after-dinner activities, including archery, arcade games, simulators and Quasar. This encouraged networking - and the hotel staff bent over backwards to accommodate us," says Brown.

Accessibility was not a problem, with all delegates able to fly into Stuttgart International Airport. "There was no country from where delegates couldn't easily get a flight to Stuttgart," says Brown. "Everyone could fly in on the morning of the event if they needed to."

GERMANY DIRECTORY

German Convention Bureau: Muenchener Strasse 48, 60329 Frankfurt/Main,

Germany

Contact: Ilse Christine Walter, + 49 69 24 29 30 0

Email: sales@gcb.de

Web: www.gcb.de

Flight duration: 1.5 hours to Frankfurt

Time difference: GMT + 1 hour

Currency: Euro

Current exchange rate: £1 = EUR1.44

International dialling code: + 49.