Why Austria

A third of the population lives in the capital Vienna and for good reason; it is where imperial flair intertwines with a 'smart' and comfortable metropolis. For the third time in the past five years, Vienna captured the first spot in the 2022 Global Liveability Index, the annual report published by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Austria’s capital is considered one of the leading meeting destinations worldwide, with three major convention centres: The Austrian Centre Vienna (ACV) home to 19 halls and 180 meeting rooms; Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Centre is located on the former site of the great World’s Fair of 1873, which celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2023 and the International Congress Centre HOFBURG Vienna, located right in the heart of the city, presenting  historical and sophisticated flair, ideal for gala events, awards, balls and congresses. All complimented by a further 240 diverse locations across Vienna. Beyond Vienna, other cities provide their own specialisms such as Graz, second largest metropolitan area, is known as the 'City of Knowledge’, courtesy of six universities with 16 faculties. Research institutions that operate out of Graz focus on aerospace and automotive technology, biotechnology and plant design. All of which delivers the city's reputation as a seat of academia and research. Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck follow in terms of size, all equipped with major congress centres and their own unique selling points.

With health at its core, Austria’s topographical resources are where the population relaxes and gets fit, as we integrate with nature at every level of our lives. The Austrian Alps covers 62% of the country's total land area and approximately one third of the country's forested areas are protected. The Grossglockner Mountain is the pinnacle of the nation standing at 3,798m, whilst the Krimml Waterfalls (Europe's tallest), cascades down from a height of 380m. These are just a few reasons why we are environmentalists at heart, working hard to preserve our pristine nature, but also leverage its potential for a healthy work-life balance. Hence, we responsibly use our natural assets to elevate your MICE event. We can tap into unique natural experiences within glaciers, meadows, vineyards, alpine valleys, river gorges and Alpine summits; We bring modern facilities into these special environments'; a prime example is the new Gurgl Karat Congress Centre. Gurgl Carat is located right in the centre of Ötztal’s village of Obergurgl, Tirol, and offers countless opportunities for exciting side programs amid the mountainous nature. Referred to as the ‘Diamond of the Alps’ based on its futuristic architecture, it has specialisms in the field of science, being closely linked to Innsbruck University, but also a varied cultural portfolio enhances the lives of locals.

In recent years what the global MICE industry has often classed as the latest trends, we see as age-old characteristics handed-down from one generation to the next, to protect our assets for the future. Austria has been a pioneer in sustainable event management for many years; the ‘Austrian Ecolabel for Green Meetings & Green Events’, was the first European certification system for sustainable events developed in 2010. Today, countless Austrian companies operating in the MICE field are signed up to this nationwide database and initiative. Austria is one of the world’s most eco-friendly countries, with about about 63% of waste recycled and the majority of the electricity comes through the use of renewable energy sources. In rural areas, many of our hotels of all classifications are still family-run. This means generational knowledge and expertise funnelled into your stay, providing a unique or unexpected twist to any incentive programme, including gastronomically, by moving away from meat-centric dishes, throughout an event. On that note, organic farming is not new in Austria, emerging in the Carinthia region back in 1927. Countless Austrian suppliers take their commitment to the planet very seriously; a case in point is the Hilton Vienna Park, Europe’s largest downtown full-service meetings and events hotel, which is a sustainability-focused venue with over 60 sustainability initiatives, including 100% of the electricity used in the hotel is waterpower generated and heading towards becoming Hilton’s EMEA flagship for sustainability an wellbeing.

The most rewarding incentives are those that enthral, educate and provide a flavour of local customs and cultures. We invite you to unleash your potential through our incentive packages and experience the Austrian way of life and its rich tapestry via history, culture and nature; the opportunities are quite simply unlimited in number. The work of World-famous Austrian composers Mozart, Haydn, Liszt, Mahler, Strauss, Schubert and Schoenberg feature at the Vienna Philharmonic’s open-air Concert, held annually in the grounds of the Schönbrunn Palace, an UNESCO World Heritage Site, attracting 150,000 music lovers. Just imagine incentivising employees at such an event or even channelling Mozart’s genius with a product launch in Salzburg’s House for Mozart. Austrian artistic icons Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele found inspiration on their canvas and their work can be the backdrop of a fabulous evening gala in Vienna’s baroque Belvedere Palace. The gold workshop at the Belvedere Palace provides a dazzling incentive, firstly marvel at Gustav Klimt’s works of art and then learn how they were created during his 'Golden Phase'. For active-adventure, there can be hardly any better place in Europe to curate your own incentive playground; Austria has 695 peaks with a height of 3,000 meters, 25,000 lakes, more than 300 themed hiking trails and nearly a 100 long distance hiking-trails, so the possibilities are infinite! Delegates can even feel like James Bond for a day, with brilliant incentive programmes within the Ötztal region, such as the, 007 Elements, iceQ Restaurant or AREA 47, Austria’s largest and most challenging adventure park where Red Bull cliff divers go and train.

Another characteristic defining Austria's business, commerce and industry landscape is creativity and innovation. The meetings & events sector can feed off these incredible knowledge hubs, with examples evident across the nation. Austrian companies are at the vanguard of evolving the 'Smart Factory' into reality; industry 4.0 and the expertise it requires are at home in the manufacturing sector, accounting for 22% of GDP. This is also true of the software & IT sector, alongside R&D, with Austria being a top three European research destination. Green Tech has a long heritage in the country, which today is experiencing massive growth potential, because like many other aspects of our nation, it has its roots back in Austria’s historical annuls, giving it a head start on other nations; environmental technologies, energy efficiencies and alternative energy generation exits in many forms and are pivotal to our future. Today, 70% of electricity required in Austria is generated by Hydropower. The fact that Green Tech has already existed for many decades, has meant that electricity from hydropower has long been the best energy solution in the mountain landscape of the Alps. What began with simple mill wheels was revolutionised by the invention of the Kaplan Turbine by the Austrian Viktor Kaplan in 1903.