Maritime Hamburg on (virtual) tour

Hamburg Convention Bureau chief Florian Gerdes explains a new online virtual tour of memorable maritime meeting experiences in Hamburg: The German city of Hamburg has launched a new online guide showcasing city’s historical port venues, including transformed dockside warehouses and cargo ships fitted for events. The Hamburg Convention Bureau (HCB) if offering its new online homestory showcases, which give a virtual tour oft he city’s unique venues, full of seafaring history, culture and flair. Shed number 52A (Schuppen 52) is one such venue and a previous storage space for spices. Today its 6,000sqm is spicing up the event life for up to 3,000 guests for events ranging from conferences, exhibitions, large parties to gala dinners. For smaller events of up to 200 guests, its sister venue along the Elbe – the Jachthafen marina – fits the bill. Delegates in Hamburg can walk the plank – literally – by boarding the cargo ship Bleichen. This historic vessel used to transport parcels to Scandinavia via the Baltic Sea and recently reopened as a museum and events space following restoration. Where wood, cocoa beans and peanuts were once stored, there’s now a one-of-a-kind event space for up to 200 people. Local organiser Party Rent can cater for groups of up to 20 guests in the salon on the bridge deck, now restored to its former glory. The Hafenmuseum Hamburg nestled among historic quay sheds, meanwhile, covers 100 years of shipbuilding, seafaring, cargo handling and marine technology. The venue is also an event location for up to 400 delegates. Outdoor events can be hosted on the front courtyard and adjacent jetty. Florian Gerdes, Marketing Manager Conventions at Hamburg Convention Bureau, explains: “Almost 10 million containers were handled in Hamburg last year – it’s the second largest port in Europe and widely considered to be ‘Germany’s gateway to the world’. Hamburg would not be the city it is today without its port – it has been the lifeblood of the city for centuries and continues to influence it in so many ways. “Some truly unique and exciting venues form part of Hamburg’s proud seafaring heritage and they are well worth planners considering if they want to offer delegates a truly memorable maritime experience.”