The Austria Center Vienna claimed a brace of Stevies® at the 2021 German Stevie® Awards: for Spielefest 2019 – which was named best B2C event – and for its rapid testing lanes pilot project, which was singled out in the most valuable company response to the Covid-19 crisis category. The winners will receive their prizes on 20 May at an online awards ceremony.

Reis, Claudia 

Deputy Press Officer

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Press release: Austria Center Vienna bags coveted Gold and Silver Stevie® Awards 

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Press_release_Austria Center Vienna bags coveted Gold and Silver Stevie® Awards

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Susanne Baumann-Söllner in front of the testing lane

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COVID-19 testing lane Austria Center Vienna

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<p>“We are delighted to have won two international awards at once. It’s a great honour that our first proprietary event – Spielefest 2019 – scooped a Gold Stevie Award at the first time of asking. A huge amount of effort from the whole team and their expertise in hosting events went into it. Particularly since all of our business evaporated due to Covid-19, I am delighted that our internationally trailblazing pilot project has received the recognition it deserves and that our Covid-19 testing lane attracted a Silver Stevie Award,” said Susanne Baumann-Söllner, Managing Director of the Austria Center Vienna. “These two projects could scarcely be more different: I would like to thank my entire team for their extraordinary achievements – both in times of crisis and during normal operations.”</p>
<h2>Gold for Spielefest 2019 as best B2C event</h2>
<p>The original Wiener Spielefest games festival took place 31 times in all – including an uninterrupted stretch spanning several decades at the Austria Center Vienna. For commercial reasons, the previous organisers decided to discontinue it. But with Spielefest a firmly-established highlight for families and board game aficionados, the Austria Center Vienna was committed to bringing this popular fixture back and putting its own spin on it as a new-look proprietary event. In 2019, Spielefest returned to the Austria Center Vienna after a three-year break. Amongst the features picked up on by the jury were the spaces set aside for trying out the games on offer, particularly for younger age groups, as well as the appealing overall concept. They also praised the way that the event honoured the traditional board gaming experience, while also breathing fresh life into it. “What was particularly impressive was the belief in and commitment to a great idea, and that was what ultimately led to its success,” as one juror put it. “This praise and the award encourages us to continue along the successful path we have chosen,” Baumann-Söllner explained.</p>
<h2>Silver for Covid-19 rapid testing lanes as a valuable company reaction</h2>
<p>More than a year ago, the coronavirus pandemic turned our lives upside down over night and the international congress and event industry was significantly affected. We used the small window in which large-scale events were permitted to run a pilot project involving the Vienna University of Economics and Business. The first of its kind in Europe, it involved setting up a rapid testing facility that would allow students to attend the traditional opening lecture inside the venue in September. To safeguard the wellbeing of those present, all 2,000 students who attended the lecture were tested for Covid-19 prior to entry as an additional precaution. The resulting interest from event organisers, hotels, hospitals, national and international media, business and politicians was overwhelming. All of the processes and insights were published on the website as a white paper and adopted by numerous other organisers. The insights gained during the pilot project fed into numerous Covid-19 prevention measures and were used to fine-tune the nation’s largest testing facility.</p>
<h2>Best practice: bold initiative for the entire industry</h2>
<p>The jury praised the rapid and bold initiative which was put in place in response to the pandemic, as well as the value added for organisers and other sectors. “Exceptional circumstances call for exceptional ideas. A great initiative to give this hard-hit industry a chance – and all in a very short space of time,” was one juror’s verdict. “I would also like to flag up how the insights gained in this area are immediately passed on, so that as many ventures and people can benefit from them quickly,” another jury member added. “Besides vaccinations, at the Austria Center Vienna we think rapid testing will have a major part to play – as an admission ticket to help us to return to normality and for future events. We are also proud of our valuable contribution to combating the pandemic through the testing and vaccination lanes we are currently operating at the venue on behalf of the City of Vienna. This allows us to do our bit to bring great events like Spielefest back to the Austria Center Vienna as soon as possible,” Baumann-Söllner concluded.</p>
<h2>About the Stevie® Awards</h2>
<p>Recognising outstanding achievements in over 200 different categories, the German Stevie® Awards are a high-profile business accolade for companies in Europe’s German-speaking countries. For the seventh time this year, organisations from Austria, Belgium, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Switzerland were invited to submit nominations detailing their accomplishments and contributions since July 2018. The German Stevie® Awards are one of eight Stevie® programmes, which are among the highest-profile business prizes in the world. Each year more than 12,000 applications are received from more than 70 countries worldwide. A virtual awards ceremony will be hosted on 20 May 2021 to honour the winners of the German Stevie® Awards.</p>
<h2>About IAKW-AG</h2>
<p>Internationales Amtssitz- und Konferenzzentrum Wien, Aktiengesellschaft (IAKW-AG) is responsible for maintaining the Vienna International Centre (VIC) and operating the Austria Center Vienna. The Austria Center Vienna is Austria’s largest conference centre, with 24 halls, 180 meeting rooms, and some 26,000 m² of exhibition space, and is one of the top players on the international conference circuit.</p>


Austria Center Vienna bags coveted Gold and Silver Stevie® Awards

Since December, the Austria Center Vienna has been supporting the City of Vienna by hosting the nation’s largest testing facility. In the two weeks in the run-up to Christmas and New Year, around 113,000 rapid tests were conducted at the venue. Due to heavy demand, the number of testing lanes was increased, with up to 20 now available. Thanks to its highly encouraging experiences, Austria’s largest congress centre is hoping that the system will provide palpable relief for the ailing event industry this year.

Scheurich, David

Department Head Communication; Press Officer

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Press Release: 113,000 Rapid Tests at the Austria Center Vienna

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Presse Release_113,000 Rapid Tests at the Austria Center Vienna

Austria Center Vienna Rapid Testing Walk-In

Rapid Testing Walk-In

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Austria Center Vienna Rapid Testing Drive-In

Rapid Testing Drive-In

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<p>“Between 18 and 31 December we conducted around 113,000 rapid tests at the Austria Center Vienna. As expected, demand was strongest before Christmas and New Year’s Eve, when up to 17,000 tests were performed each day,” explained Susanne Baumann-Söllner, Managing Director of the Austria Center Vienna. There were 266 positive antigen tests, which equates to around 0.24% of the total. From an organisational point of view, managing broad swings in the number of people coming for tests was a particular challenge. Significant demand on the weekend before Christmas – particularly at the drive-through testing lane – called for swift action to add capacity. “In a very short space of time we upped the number of walk-in lanes from the initial three to 16. Thankfully, we were also able to quickly hire and train staff to support the medical personnel, as well as additional marshals and security stewards. In total, up to 200 people were involved in running the facility each day. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the whole team, who proved that they were up to the challenge both indoors and outdoors in wintry temperatures,” Baumann-Söllner said.</p>
<h2><strong>Heavy traffic on testing facility website</strong></h2>
<p>In addition to managing the facility and taking care of storage logistics on site, the Austria Center Vienna was also responsible for the website, which included an explanatory video and FAQs for residents of the capital, as well as a link to the City of Vienna’s registration and appointment booking platform. More than two million page impressions were logged in December. “Our usual congress business sees us host events for up to 20,000 people, who are all highly active online. But this level of interest and the amount of feedback on social media and every other media channel was something we had not experienced before,” Baumann-Söllner confirmed.</p>
<h2><strong>Rapid tests and vaccinations: hope for the event industry</strong></h2>
<p>The Austria Center Vienna carried out Europe’s first large-scale rapid testing pilot project in partnership with the Vienna University of Economics and Business back in September. The insights gained from the trial run, which involved 2,000 participants, were then used to optimise the City of Vienna testing facility. “We have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic as a congress centre and have high hopes for the newly introduced vaccination programme which, in combination with rapid testing, will act as an ‘entry ticket’ for events. As an international pioneer, we have shown since September that this kind of ‘testing before admission’ is possible from an organisational and practical point of view. The notion of rapid testing has gone on to be very well received by the population, as well as politicians and the business sector. Which is why we are confident that we can use this arrangement to gradually reintroduce larger events this year,” Baumann-Söllner added.</p>
<p><strong>The rapid testing lanes (walk-in and drive-through) will remain available to use free of charge for everyone living and working in Vienna. Information and registration:</strong> <a href="https://www.acv.at/en/rapid-testing">www.acv.at/en/rapid-testing/</a></p>


113,000 rapid tests at Austria’s largest testing centre over the holiday season: event industry set to benefit going forward

Austria’s largest event centre will be playing an integral part in Vienna’s coronavirus testing strategy from 1 December: anyone wishing to visit old people’s homes, nursing homes and hospitals, as well as employees of critical infrastructure providers or the emergency services, can take a free rapid test that provides results after just 15 minutes. Alternatively, drive-through testing lanes for anyone with symptoms are available in the venue’s underground car park. It is the largest Covid-19 testing facility to be set up in Austria so far – with a daily capacity of up to 15,000 tests.

Press Release: Austria Center Vienna supports City of Vienna with largest testing centre

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Press Release_Austria Center Vienna supports City of Vienna with largest testing centre

Opening rapid testing

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<p>“This September, in the first pilot project of its kind in Europe, we tested 2,000 students from the Vienna University of Business and Economics in a very short space of time. And now we are putting all of our planning and management experience as well as the necessary testing lane logistics at the disposal of the City of Vienna,” confirmed Austria Center Vienna Director Susanne Baumann-Söllner.</p>
<h2>Walk in or drive through</h2>
<p>The testing facility is open from 7am to 7pm seven days a week from 1 December. To begin with, three testing lanes will be set up on Bruno-Kreisky-Platz – the covered square in front of the main entrance to the Austria Center Vienna – for use by people without symptoms, who can travel to the centre by public transport (U1 underground station Kaisermühlen-VIC). The tests are aimed at anyone wishing to visit care homes, as well as employees of critical infrastructure providers (e.g. hospitals). People with symptoms are requested to travel to the testing centre by car and use one of the four testing lanes in the on-site parking facility. The service is provided independently of the mass testing programme operated by the federal government between 4 and 13 December. Once mass testing is completed, the capacity of the Austria Center Vienna testing facility will be expanded to up to 15,000 tests per day. The service will be available for the Viennese population to use throughout the winter.</p>
<h2>Online registration required in advance</h2>
<p>A negative rapid antigen test result is valid for 24 hours, with repeat testing an option. Before taking a rapid test, users must register online. Test results are provided on a printout and sent by SMS afterwards. Anyone attending the facility must bring a mask, a photo ID (e.g. passport, driving licence or e-card with photo), their social insurance number and the QR code they received when registering (on their smartphone or a printout).</p>
<h2>Standardised procedure</h2>
<p>The procedure for the antigen rapid testing lanes was developed under the Austria Center Vienna pilot project before being adapted with the support of the City of Vienna, and has now been standardised. Each of the individual steps involved is overseen by a member of staff on site: after applying hand sanitiser, test subjects have a swab taken from their nose or throat by a healthcare professional. Next the swab is dipped in a test solution before the subject moves on to the next station, where a few drops of the solution are applied to the test cassette, which displays a result in just a few minutes. The test cassette is checked and, if the result is negative, the subject is given written confirmation. An SMS is also sent to their phone afterwards. If the result is positive, the test subject is isolated before a healthcare professional administers an additional PCR test and initiates the contact tracing process.</p>
<h3>Detailed information and video online</h3>
<p>Detailed information is now available online at <a href="https://www.acv.at/en/rapid-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.acv.at/en/rapid-testing</a>. Resources include an explanatory video, link to the registration website, FAQs and details of how to get to the testing centre.</p>
<h3>About IAKW-AG</h3>
<p>Internationales Amtssitz- und Konferenzzentrum Wien, Aktiengesellschaft (IAKW-AG) is responsible for maintaining the Vienna International Centre (VIC) and operating the Austria Center Vienna. The Austria Center Vienna is Austria’s largest conference centre, with 24 halls, 180 meeting rooms, and some 26,000 m² of exhibition space, and is one of the top players on the international conference circuit.</p>


Austria Center Vienna supports the City of Vienna: nation’s largest testing centre open at the venue from 1 December

Austria’s event industry has been extremely hard hit by the pandemic. Since March, around 50 events at the Austria Center Vienna have either been postponed or cancelled, meaning this year has been a virtual washout for the congress tourism industry, which is such an important element of the capital’s economy. But now a financial support package for organisers could help to convince them to stage events in Vienna in 2021, despite the ongoing uncertainties.


Foto: Veranstaltung aus dem Jahr 2019 im Austria Center Vienna

Veranstaltung aus 2019 im Austria Center Vienna

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Foto: Einführungsvorlesung WU im Sept. 2020

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Press Release: Austria Center Vienna welcomes financial support package for organisers

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Press release_Austria Center Vienna welcomes support package for organisers

Veranstaltung aus dem Jahr 2019 im Austria Center Vienna

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<p>“2020 has been a complete catastrophe for Vienna and the international congress industry. So organisers are very uncertain as regards planning for 2021. Which is why we need to put specific measures in place now that will restore confidence, while also significantly enhancing planning security during these difficult times,” explained Susanne Baumann-Söllner, Managing Director of the Austria Center Vienna.</p>
<h2>State support package for organisers – a plus point for Vienna</h2>
<p>The EUR 300 million financial support package recently agreed in the Austrian parliament is designed to deliver greater planning security in future. If an event is subject to restrictions or is cancelled, the organiser’s liability will be limited by the Federal government. “Large-scale events involve lead times of several months, so any short-notice changes can result in significant losses for an event, or prove to be a bridge too far,” Baumann-Söllner noted. “We welcome the support package that has just been announced as it will reimburse organisers for unavoidable expenditure due to last-minute changes. This model could give Vienna the lift that it so badly needs and quickly lead other international congress destinations to follow suit.”</p>
<h2>Conditions for congresses</h2>
<p>Other measures besides the financial support package are required to provide the necessary planning certainty for international conferences: “The current cap on participant numbers of 1,500 for indoor events deals a knockout blow to the majority of our events,” Baumann-Söllner said. She believes that the maximum number of participants needs to be increased significantly from spring onwards at the very latest, depending on the trend in Covid-19 case numbers. And the congress industry is dependent like virtually no other on developments elsewhere in Europe and overseas. “We want to do our bit to make it possible for events to take place in 2021 with the highest safety standards and the largest possible number of participants. With this goal in mind, in September we launched a rapid test pilot project on our own initiative, which allows participants to get tested and receive their results within 10 minutes. The use of rapid testing and the upcoming financial support package are important steps towards ensuring that Vienna can gradually get off to a new start as a congress destination in 2021.”</p>
<h2>About IAKW-AG</h2>
<p>Internationales Amtssitz- und Konferenzzentrum Wien, Aktiengesellschaft (IAKW-AG) is responsible for maintaining the Vienna International Centre (VIC) and operating the Austria Center Vienna. The Austria Center Vienna is Austria’s largest conference centre, with 24 halls, 180 meeting rooms, and some 26,000 m² of exhibition space, and is one of the top players on the international conference circuit.</p>


Austria Center Vienna welcomes financial support package for organisers: important step towards increased planning security in 2021

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