It’s a unique destination that treasures the past, present, and future like precious gems. Germany, a historically important country that is also refreshingly vibrant, dazzles visitors by doing just that.
Take the city of Leipzig, located in the east of Germany. “Leipzig epitomizes the dualism of tradition and change,” says Ronald Kötteritzsch, director of marketing and sales, Leipziger Messe GmbH, Congress Center. “You find the tradition in the unique cultural and musical heritage. In many places, Leipzig looks like a typical old German city in the best sense of the words. But at the same time, the city has always constantly renewed and reinvented itself, and now features more modern inventions and companies like Porsche.”
He adds that Leipzig was “the spiritual spark plug” to East Germany’s Peaceful Revolution in 1989, which led to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
From Porsche to Mercedes-Benz, the “Made in Germany” tagline is recognized across the globe as a hallmark of quality. The same could also be said of “meetings made in Germany,” as professionalism, a penchant for perfection, and responsiveness to clients’ requests have become the standard.
North American meeting planners have historically focused on Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich for meetings and incentives, but there are other smaller German cities to consider as well, says Laura d’Elsa, regional director, U.S. and Canada, German Convention Bureau based in New York City.
“Hamburg and Leipzig are two of Germany’s many hidden gems,” she says. “When planners take a closer look at them, they are impressed with the first-rate infrastructure in these cities and the can-do attitude of the local people, and they are charmed by the culture and lifestyle.”
Leipzig: Attractive for Incentives
Germany is also popular for incentives. “It’s not a traditional incentive destination with white-sand beaches and palm trees, but it’s becoming increasingly popular as a new form of incentive that features everything that has to do with cars,” adds d’Elsa.
Many events in Germany incorporate the country’s iconic driving machines. Driving incentive programs take groups speeding along the Autobahn in Mercedes, BMWs, Audis, and Porsches.
Just as a Porsche is no ordinary car, Porsche Leipzig is no ordinary production plant. Take the building itself. Its diamond-like form is an architectural wonder.
“We looked at different cities for this production facility and preferred to keep the ‘Made in Germany’ name,” says Thomas Lenck, marketing communications spokesperson for Porsche Leipzig. “Leipzig has worked well for us as it has a good infrastructure, an educated workforce, and is directly on the Autobahn. We show event customers our ideal of a manufacturing facility.”
Approximately 450 Cayenne and Panamera models are built at the plant every day. Not only is the production facility available for tours, but an FIA-certified racing circuit that includes highlights from Sebring, Monaco, and the other top tracks of the world can also be experienced. The customer center is a popular spot for meetings, conferences, and other events, and can host up to 800. A highlight for many is the chance to get out on the track either behind the wheel or next to an instructor for high-speed laps, a rush of adrenalin guaranteed.
Leipzig is a city that takes meetings and incentives seriously but remains under the radar for many planners.
“In 2010, the New York Times listed Leipzig among the world’s top 31 fascinating places to go, and Leipzig appears to be en vogue among people who want to explore new destinations,” says Kötteritzsch. “But we are aware that we still have much work to do to make Leipzig better known, especially in the U.S., a market with great potential.”
Leipzig is tapping into its areas of expertise to help attract meetings and conventions. Kötteritzsch points to “clusters of excellence” in the city in fields like medicine and bio sciences, automotive, and logistics, as well as energy and environment.
“If a planner organizes a conference that deals with one of these fields, he will find out that Leipzig has a lot of local brainpower that adds to the success of the conference,” he says.
Hamburg Coming on Strong for Meetings
Hamburg is an energetic, multifaceted, and happening port city that sports a system of canals, more bridges than Venice, and Germany’s busiest harbor — the city’s landmark and the focal point around which everything else revolves. Germany’s second largest city after Berlin, Hamburg is also one of the country’s greenest.
“What many people do not know is that Hamburg was the first city in Germany to open a modern, purpose-built conference center in 1973 in a prime downtown location between Alster Lake and Elbe River,” says Andrea Weidinger, associate director of the Hamburg Convention Bureau. “Meeting planners see that the Hanseatic City of Hamburg is a growing, modern metropolis and that new opportunities are opening up constantly, particularly for the event planning industry. They also learn that Hamburg has more design hotels and top restaurants than any other city in Germany. Economic dynamism, excellent quality of life, and well-established business relationships are key factors in the city’s past and future development as an international business metropolis.”
HafenCity, currently under construction in Hamburg, is one of the biggest urban development projects in the world. It comprises 388 acres of converted warehouses and sustainable construction and includes apartments, the Elbphilharmonie — a new concert hall — and a new Westin that will feature 244 rooms and suites and is slated to open in 2016. The Elbphilharmonie is anticipated to become a symbol of Hamburg on par with the Sydney Opera House. Its undulating glass façade, resembling a crystal ship, dazzles.
Not only did Hamburg establish Germany’s first public opera house in 1678, but the city served as a springboard for the Beatles, who played the clubs of St. Pauli in the 1960s. Singer-songwriter Stefanie Hempel leads groups on a magical mystery walking tour of Beatles stops along the Reeperbahn, singing and playing the ukulele along the way.
When it comes to cuisine, German beer, wine, and traditional dishes are world-renowned, but the country offers much more than sauerkraut, bratwurst, and spaetzle. Restaurants offer a wealth of cuisines from around the world, in addition to a wide range of modern dishes.