The German meetings and conventions market has discovered its appreciation for the unusual: to an increasing degree, event centres and event locations are becoming venues for unusual performances, according to the latest “Meeting & EventBarometer 2008”. The number of events held in Germany continued to increase perceptibly in comparison with the previous year. Germany is in a good position to fulfil the growing demand for special event facilities.

The programmes of 1,611 German event locations – twelve percent more than in the previous year – currently include options for meetings, seminars and events at unusual locations and they also offer the infrastructure for performances of all kinds. German event locations have also made headway as to how they are perceived worldwide: the international experts from specialist associations, specialist journals and research institutes that were polled in conjunction with the “Meeting  & EventBarometer 2008” evaluated the quality of the event locations with the “school mark” of good [1.93]  – in 2007 they were “only” assessed with the lower mark of  2.2. Castles, monasteries, theme parks, zoos as well as former factory floors are a few of the exciting event venues that companies and organisations are making use of with growing enthusiasm in order to welcome their meeting participants and guests in unusual surroundings.

“The organisers’ desire for a special ambiance and events gives Germany the opportunity of presenting itself not just as a meetings and events destination, but also as a land of culture. As a result, business and leisure tourism become increasingly more interlinked and can mutually influence each other in a positive way,“ explains Petra Hedorfer, the CEO of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB).

Sports and cultural events already account for 18.7 percent of all events in convention centres, and 15.2 percent of the events in the event locations. Even though traditional seminars, meetings and conventions are still the most important type of event in those venues with a proportion of 38 percent, nevertheless, they are imbued with a truly special atmosphere through the extraordinary ambiance. “The multifaceted offers in Germany are stimulating the demand for meetings and conventions in Germany even further,” says Lutz P. Vogt, Managing Director of  GCB German Convention Bureau, with gratification. August Moderer, President of the European Association of Event Centers (EVVC) adds: ”The great demand for German event locations is an indication of the good quality of the offering in this sector.”

The “Meeting & EventBarometer 2008“ was conducted by the European Institute for the Meetings Industry (EITW) on behalf of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB), the GCB German Convention Bureau and the European Association of Events Centers (EVVC).