Record revenue in 2012, special anniversary and outlook for 2013
With turnover at more than EUR 10.5 million, 2012 was among the most successful years in the HOFBURG Vienna’s history. The 350 events hosted during the course of the year contributed EUR 190 million to the Austrian economy. And now the conference centre is gearing up to celebrate its 55th anniversary in September 2013.
2012 – a successful year all round
“The 2012 financial year delivered some of the best results in our history, with revenue reaching some EUR 10.5 million,” explained HOFBURG Vienna Managing Director Renate Danler. This performance is all the more impressive in light of the current economic climate. “We did particularly well in the second half of the year thanks to a succession of large-scale conferences with up to 2,000 delegates,” Danler continued. Conferences and meetings had a major bearing on earnings, accounting for 55 percent of the event mix and contributing a total of some 60,000 bednights for the Austrian capital. Banquets and galas, the HOFBURG Vienna’s second-largest segment, now contribute around 13 percent of revenue, while balls account for 10 percent.
The HOFBURG Vienna’s proprietary event, LE GRAND BAL of the HOFBURG Vienna, generated 7 percent of annual turnover, contributing more than EUR 3 million in induced economic impact. At 6 percent of the total, the fairs and exhibitions segment returned a slight year-on-year gain, while concerts remained unchanged at about 5 percent. Revenue from the events business was supplemented by almost EUR 7 million from catering activities. “Consistent gains in catering revenue show us that offering a wide range of options is not only important for hosting banquets and gala dinners, but also an increasingly significant part of our event activities,” Danler noted. The HOFBURG Vienna including the permanent seat of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was responsible for an induced economic impact of EUR 190 million in 2012.
The highlights of the financial year included numerous large-scale medical get-togethers such as the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (TERMIS) World Congress, the European NeuroEndocrine Association (ENEA) Congress, the Resuscitation Congress and UNIDO Global South-South Development Expo. The UNIDO political summit was held as a green meeting for the first time, setting a high-profile sustainability benchmark at the HOFBURG Vienna.
2013 – strong bookings, and 55 years of conferences at the Hofburg
In September 2013 the HOFBURG Vienna conference centre will host a jubilee concert to mark its 55th anniversary. The inauguration of the conference centre more than half a century ago triggered a chain of key developments in the Viennese and Austrian congress industry, including major hotel projects, the foundation of Austrian Airlines and the creation of the Vienna Convention Bureau.
2013 is shaping up to be yet another strong year: in the first month of the year alone the HOFBURG Vienna hosted 22 traditional balls will welcome more than 65,000 guests. Conferences continue to reign supreme, even in the winter months.
The Austrian Hotelier Association (ÖHV) will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a conference (Jan 22-23). From 27-28 February the 5th annual forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations will bring delegates from all over the world to the Hofburg. Returning events in 2013 include the International Vienna Motor Symposium (25-26 Apr), Forum Prävention (4-6 Jun) and the Werbeplanung.at summit (11-12 Jul). Among the other highlights of the year are scientific conventions such as the CTBT Science and Technology Conference (17-21 Feb), the STI & AIDS World Congress (14-17 Jul) and the Meteorological Satellite (EUMETSAT) conference (6-30 Sep) – all of which will attract between 1,000 and 2,000 delegates. An international IT meeting in March and a surgical congress in June underline the trend towards larger-scale conferences with more than 2,000 participants.
The HOFBURG Vienna’s Managing Director expects the conference business alone to generate around 60,000 bednights for the Austrian capital. The Sustainable Entrepreneurship Award (10 Apr), the Romy Gala (20 Apr), the Russian Business Gala (24 Apr) and the TARA Gala (30 Nov) are just four of the leading gala events lined up for 2013. Reservations are coming in thick and fast for the 2013 LE GRAND BAL of the HOFBURG Vienna, following the successful debut of this proprietary event last year.
The event segment continues to be characterised by demand for increasingly complex event formats and a tendency towards ever shorter lead times. A highly dedicated team and state-of-the-art innovation management are the keys to keeping pace with the proliferation of new technologies and increased demand for formats such as hybrid conferences.
