Over 100 delegates, representing institutions and businesses in the German conferencing and meetings sector, gathered on 10th and 11th June 2013 in Messe Essen’s Congress Center South, for the General Assembly of the GCB German Convention Bureau e.V.
Looking back on 40 years of the GCB
The GCB’s 40th anniversary was the central theme of the two-day meeting. Petra Hedorfer, Chief Executive Officer of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) and Chair of the GCB’s Board of Directors, paid tribute to what has been achieved in this time:
“The creation of the GCB 40 years ago was a courageous and ground-breaking move. The GNTB, along with a host of other partners and stakeholders, can now look back on the real success story of Germany’s development as a conferencing and meeting destination under the leadership of the GCB.”
The International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) has ranked Germany as the top European destination for association conferences for each of the past nine years, placing it in second place globally. The Meeting & Event Barometer 2013 reported a total of 2.97 million events in Germany during 2012, a 9.2 per cent increase on 2011.
“The GCB itself has become increasingly professional over the years and has now become the industry expert for the German conferencing and meetings sector,” added the head of the GNTB.
The GCB’s marketing highlights aspects of the German meetings industry that are key to its success, focusing on issues such as sustainability, while also demonstrating how meetings can be enhanced by ready access to Germany’s expertise in important economic and scientific fields.
Hosts with so much to offer: Ruhr Metropolis and Messe Essen
Partners Messe Essen GmbH and Ruhr Tourismus GmbH supported both the General Assembly, which took place in the Congress Center South, and the evening reception in the Colosseum Theatre. Rudolf Jelinek, Mayor of Essen, Egon Galinnis, Managing Director of Messe Essen and Axel Biermann, Managing Director of Ruhr Tourismus all used their welcoming speeches to highlight the growing status of Essen and the Ruhr area as an attractive location for conferences, meetings and events.
GCB Managing Director Matthias Schultze gave thanks for their support:
“Messe Essen and Ruhr Tourismus have been outstanding hosts for this year’s General Assembly. The distinctive atmosphere of the Ruhr area has certainly added something extra-special to our anniversary celebrations. Just as the GCB is considering both the past and the future of the conferencing industry this year, the Ruhr Metropolis is creating a link between its industrial heritage and state-of-the-art meeting and event facilities, which will serve the industry far into the future.”
