The German Convention Bureau (GCB), has posted a surge of new members as 47 providers of meeting and event services in Germany have joined the GCB since January 2007. The range of venues for conventions and large events has also increased with new additions such as CCN Congress Centre Nuremberg, Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Liederhalle Culture and Congress Center, the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart, and the M.O.C. in Munich. Rhein-Sieg-Halle in Siegburg and Hamburg-based Nord Event GmbH, which features venues in the old warehouse district (Speicherstadt), on board sailing ships and windjammers, add to the space offerings.

Other new GCB members include the event agencies C.E.S. Congress & Event GmbH from Berlin, ITC International Travel Concept GmbH from Frankfurt/Main, tauleo events & incentives GmbH from Munich and Pro Toura GmbH & Co. KG from Bremen.

Chain membership a popular option with 36 new hotels

Introduced in 2006, the hotel chain membership option has met with a good response in the industry, as 36 new hotel members go to show: Maritim Hotelgesellschaft mbH has registered eight hotels as new GCB members, Rezidor Hotels Management GmbH six, Accor Dorint SMARD GmbH 17. Rocco Forte has also joined the GCB with three hotels in Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin.

GCB managing director Lutz P. Vogt said: We are very happy that leading hotel chains have upgraded the GCB`s portfolio with further hotels. We can now offer our customers a broad and high-quality range of offerings for meetings and conventions. This success confirms our new strategy.

Additionally, the Movenpick Hotel in Frankfurt City and the Grand Hotel Esplanade Berlin have been new members of the GCB`s hotel chapter since 1 January 2007.