City of Vienna provides €4m of funding to meeting organisers

The City of Vienna is providing the Vienna Tourist Board and Vienna Convention Bureau with €4m of financial support for meeting organisers in the city. The Vienna Meeting Fund 2021-2023 will also extend funding to corporate conferences and hybrid events, which it previously had not. Funding is provided for business events that strengthen Vienna as a location for business and innovation, and which take place in the city from 1 May 2021 to 31 December 2023. This includes association congresses, association meetings, as well as corporate meetings, company events and conferences. Any event is eligible which takes place in a Viennese location and includes at least 50 people for a minimum duration of four hours. Further financial support can be obtained for events that generate overnight stays in hotels, and which incur costs in implementing hybrid features. The maximum funding per event is €60,000. Christian Woronka, director of the Vienna Convention Bureau, commented: “We are thrilled to launch the Vienna Meeting Fund 2021-2023 to welcome, and fund even more events in Vienna by international organisers, as well as expand our support for the first time to include corporate events and hybrid meetings. “Vienna remains one of the world’s leading meeting destinations, even in challenging times. The funding programme is an important support for the industry that provides a perspective for the future and at the same time underlines the importance of the meetings industry. “After all, Vienna as a meeting destination and Vienna’s role as a city of international meetings, play an important role in Vienna’s strategic development. Our novel approach demonstrates our continued commitment to the recovery of the meetings sector, and we look forward to welcoming fund applications”.