This Month we get to know better Congress Bremen & Messe Bremen
What was your motivation to join ICCA?
CONGRESS BREMEN is excited about the prospects offered by the ICCA. It provides the opportunity for even better international networking and exchange of ideas in the congress sector.
What sets Congress Bremen & Messe Bremen apart?
CONGRESS BREMEN is broadly positioned, on the one hand, planning and organising its own extremely successful congresses with up to 5,000 participants as well as major trade exhibitions, and on the other hand, also taking care of guest organisers who rent Bremen's exhibition and congress grounds.
How well this site is suited for large international trade fairs and conferences is demonstrated by very satisfied international organisers of, for example, the IAC, Breakbulk Europe, Space Tech Expo Europe, and the Hydrogen Technology Conference & Expo. Bremen is home to internationally renowned companies and institutes. This is something guest organisers appreciate. It is also Germany’s seventh-largest industrial city and has a very high concentration of academic facilities.
The Bremen Exhibition and Congress Centre and the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen have just the right size to ensure that every international event attracts widespread interest, has media impact, and can take place successfully. In addition, the venue offers the benefits of a central location not far from Bremen's picturesque old town. It is conveniently located next to Bremen's main railway station and can also be reached quickly from the airport. Available on its doorstep are hotels of all categories, including first-class establishments. And the site is very versatile: a congress centre with 16 conference rooms and exhibition spaces, six exhibition halls which can be used flexibly thanks to mobile room dividing systems, and the ÖVB Arena, which is also a popular venue for sporting events and concerts. All these spaces are interconnected and can be variably combined. Added to the ensemble is an outdoor area with an additional 100,000 square meters.
The Bremen site is still comparatively young: Halls 4 to 6 only opened in 1997, with Hall 7 completing the site in the early 2000s. Initially, the facilities were only used for rental to external organisers. However, today the company organises around 20 trade fairs and congresses under its own management.
What can we expect to see from Congress Bremen & Messe Bremenin the future?
The congress business is interesting for CONGRESS BREMEN from many perspectives, and even better international networking is the logical next step. Identifying and discussing trends, exchanging examples of best practices - this is what cooperative work is all about.
Which trends do you see in the Association Meetings?
The pandemic has also massively accelerated the implementation of future trends. The congress business is currently in a phase of upheaval in which in-person events are increasingly supplemented by digital elements. Interactivity, sustainability, accessibility, and diversity have moved to centre stage.
What is an industry challenge your organisation is facing currently?
The Bremen Messe und Congress Centrum has very good WLAN capacities and LAN lines as well as a streaming studio, so CONGRESS BREMEN is perfectly equipped for the latest changes. However, increasing digitalisation also raises questions, such as how exhibitors can benefit from this trend. The economic viability of hybrid events in which participants meet on-site with participants connected online is another central topic. The most important challenge today is implementing these new developments while avoiding the dangers. That's what makes it so exciting and important to exchange ideas right now. We are looking forward to a very productive cooperation.