Congresses back to record levels, Austria Center Vienna reports

Austria’s largest congress centre, the Austria Center Vienna, reported a successful financial year in 2023, with revenue from events reaching approximately €18.4m, and nearly 88,000 international participants attending. The results are similar to the pre-pandemic record year of 2018. The introduction of the innovative polySTAGE marked another significant milestone, the venue management said. International participant numbers rose by 42% to 88,000 (2022: 62,000), and revenue from events increased by 41% to €18.4m within a year (2022: €13m). A total of 20 international events with over 1,000 visitors each took place at the Austria Center Vienna in 2023. The European Congress of Radiology (ECR) and the General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) were the largest, each attracting over 15,000 participants. Susanne Baumann-Söllner, managing director of the Austria Center Vienna said: “Last year definitely exceeded our expectations. Besides welcoming back key returning medical and scientific congresses, we were also able to attract numerous international corporate clients. Enthusiasm for live, in-person events is greater than ever before, as we can see by the numerous short-notice bookings,” The polySTAGE, unveiled in September 2023, is a world first, offering a multitude of staging possibilities with its 360sqm surface area, including 174sqm of movable LED modules. Baumann-Söllner added: “Our customers are blown away by the spectacular application possibilities. The polySTAGE’s secret is that it appeals to our emotions – through movement, visual effects, and even direct interaction with participants.” The innovation won gold and silver at the German Stevie Awards.