Germany
Frankfurt – A dynamic business hub for successful events
AS MEETINGS INDUSTRY SHOW IMEX AGAIN RETURNS TO FRANKFURT IN MAY, RATHER LIKE THE LOCAL SPARGELFEST, IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT A SELECTION OF THE SPRING BLOOMERS IN GERMANY’ S EVENTS FIRMAMENT
S ituated in the heart of the
metropolitan region of Frankfurt Rhine-Main and home of IMEX, the city of Frankfurt is not only a financial powerhouse and home to the European Central Bank, but a bustling and dynamic meetings and events destination.
With its ease of accessibility( it is a major air hub and home to Germany’ s largest airport and one of its busiest train stations), attractive venues, wide range of accommodation and industry-relevant business networks, Frankfurt is well equipped to host business events of every size and variety.
Small is also beautiful, however, and this compact city on the River Main is very walkable, with premier event locations, sightseeing attractions and other recreational offerings all in close proximity. Over 12,000 hotel rooms are close to Messe Frankfurt alone.
The Frankfurt Convention Bureau( FCB) is a one-stop events shop and driving force in terms of sustainability, legacy, charity and the development of new event formats.
This is underlined not only by the Destination Partnership with the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers( IAPCO), but also by its successful Congress Ambassador programme.
Mobility strategy With its Mobility Masterplan, the City of Frankfurt has also developed a cityfriendly strategy based on the principles of sustainable urban mobility planning. The plan includes, among other things, the expansion of the underground
“ The City of Frankfurt has also developed a city-friendly strategy based on the principles of sustainable urban mobility planning.”
Left: Frankfurt Alte Oper railway network, with a new station close to the fairgrounds.
To promote the use of local public transport, the FCB offers congress organisers discounted digital tickets for their participants, including on transport servicing the airport.
Frankfurt’ s five key industries: financial services, IT and telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and life sciences, logistics and mobility, as well as the creative industries, are in the spotlight for attracting sector-specific business events. Both the city ' s department of economic development and the promotional agency for the Frankfurt Rhine-Main metropolitan region are actively involved in promoting theme-specific events.
Frankfurt is not all about shiny new buildings and claims to be the only European city to have a‘ new’ old town – a full-scale reconstruction based on the original blueprints of the old town destroyed during the Second World War. This area can also be integrated into the social programmes of conferences and events in the form of guided walking tours.
Moreover, no other German city has such a dense and diverse museum landscape as Frankfurt. The 39 museums and exhibition houses of the city’ s renowned Museum Embankment offer fascinating possibilities for event planners. Gala dinners held among dinosaurs, conferences between works of art by old masters and exclusive guided tours are just a few such examples.
The FCB ' s special Congress and Museum Ticket offers free admission to 39 museums and cultural institutions and costs just € 1 per person.
For help with submitting congress bids, venue and accommodation searching, as well as establishing connections with local players from the fields of business, science and politics, visit www. meetfrankfurt. com or contact the FCB team directly at: congress @ infofrankfurt. de n
ISSUE 136 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 43