Leipzig again reached a record number of overnight stays in 2012. Participants of congresses, conferences and events have a considerable share in this.
The initiative project “Feel the spirit … do-it-at-leipzig.de” is unique all over Germany. It unites 48 partners – conference hotels, congress centres, event locations, agencies, PCOs and carriers, who join their efforts to promote the conference city. With an increase of 13.4 per cent, the highest in any major German city, Leipzig again reached a record number of overnight stays in 2012. Participants of congresses, conferences and events have a considerable share in this.
In April 2013 do-it-at-leipzig.de was relaunched after a comprehensive makeover. Beside a modern layout, additional features were incorporated – among them a new partner structure, a quick search on the cover page and a shortlist feature, with which various service providers can be contacted simultaneously. Furthermore, when carrying out a request, the user can upload a file with details on the planned event. A news area and social media tools were integrated as well. Numerous search criteria regarding size, location and furnishing will continue helping meeting planners search and select.
Volker Bremer, managing director of Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH, about this: “The new web presence was revised with the user in mind. At their first contact, congress organisers receive valuable information and support for their decision-making process. And the clear focus on a team play of partners has also been very positively perceived by the website’s visitors.”
In addition to the web presence, the conference brochure “Meetings & Events in Leipzig” has been revised as well. It is prefaced by emotional statements of well-known personalities.
New ‘ambassadors’ were integrated into the contextual concept, such as Sebastian Krumbiegel, singer of the band “Die Prinzen”, and the St. Thomas’s chorister Johannes Hildebrandt. Photographed in well-selected locations they create the same kind of striking contrast that the previous image compositions had been known for.
As regards congresses and conferences, Leipzig has meanwhile become a premier league player. Andre Kaldenhoff, director of the CCL Congress Center Leipzig, confirms this: “The 2011 ICCA World Congress helped a lot to improve Leipzig’s image and its international renown as a conference city. With about 100,000 participants per year the economic effects of the CCL are enormous.”
Another proof of success is that, on 26th February 2013, the CCL was the first to receive the Meeting Experts Green Award in the category Sustainable Event. The jury acknowledged the transfer concept for the 2011 ICCA World Congress, which exclusively relied on public transport. The concept had been developed and put into practice by trainees and students of Leipzig’s public transport company, the Leipzig Trade Fair company and the companies Fairnet and Fairgourmet. Since the beginning of this year, Leipzig has been “Member in Focus” of the German Convention Bureau (GCB). The marketing package that comes along with this provides the chance to place special emphasis on Leipzig and its initiative project “Feel the spirit… do-it-at-leipzig.de”. Part of it is the prominent presentation of Leipzig in the MICE area of the GCB website; it is featured in the GCB’s e-mail signature and incorporated into the social media strategy. As a “Member in Focus”, Leipzig is also introduced in an article of the GCB customers’ magazine, receives a priority treatment in the world-wide communication and can participate in trade shows and workshops at reduced rates.
These measures efficiently complement the conference initiative project’s own marketing activities. Among them are the annual presentations on international trade events such as IMEX in Frankfurt or EIBTM in Barcelona, familiarisation trips for meeting and event planners and press trips for international specialised journalists. Fortunately the number of partners is growing – this year, the Belantis theme park and City Tagung Leipzig have joined in.
