The entire spectrum of topics in the broad field of Pharmaceutics, Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology will be addressed. Additionally, the exhibition ResearchPharm® will provide a cross-disciplinary platform for pharmaceutical scientists working in all fields of drug development. Young and experienced scientists from academia and industry are going to present their latest research achievements.

austria_center_vienna_world_meeting_on_pbpt_2880x1920px-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_World_Meeting_on_PBPT_2880x1920px

Getting here

Austria Center Vienna

PBP World Meeting

pbp_worldmeeting_logo_2020_440px-2

PBP_WorldMeeting_Logo_2020_440px

International Association for Pharmaceutical Technology

12th World Meeting on Pharmaceutics, Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology 2020

The international biennial world meeting with innovators and experts in the field of aesthetic surgery and medicine is especially designed for those who like to exchange ideas with brilliant scientists and who want to use the latest trends to build a successful practice. In addition to the surgical disciplines, the World Congress includes the latest achievements in the field of non-invasive treatments.

austria_center_vienna_isaps_2880x1920px-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_ISAPS_2880x1920px

ISAPS World Congress

isaps_logo_2020_440px-2

ISAPS_Logo_2020_440px

ISAPS

Congress of the International Society of Aestethic Plastic Surgery 2020

Through successful case studies, debate and innovative networking sessions, the forums attendees learn how to utilize latest technology to keep growing their business whilst developing strong partnerships.

austria_center_vienna_ihtf_2880x1920px-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_IHTF_2880x1920px

IHTF 2021

ihtf_logo_2020_440px-2

IHTF_Logo_2020_440px

Arena International Events Group

International Hotel Technology Forum

From November 12th to 14th, the time has come again: The Vienna Games Festival goes into the next round. Over three days you can try out new games and well-known classics to your heart&#8217;s content - from simple card games to cooperative board games. A great supporting program is waiting for young and old, as well.

austria_center_vienna_spielefest_2880x1920px-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_Spielefest_2880x1920px

Spielefest 2021

spielefest2021_logo-2

Spielefest2021_Logo

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

austria_center_vienna_david_scheurich_057ciakw-ag_ludwig_schedl-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_David_Scheurich_057(c)IAKW-AG_Ludwig_Schedl

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

presse-release_113000-rapid-tests-at-the-austria-center-vienna

Presse Release_113,000 Rapid Tests at the Austria Center Vienna

Austria Center Vienna Rapid Testing Walk-In

Rapid Testing Walk-In

austria_center_vienna_walkin_teststrasse_2880_1920-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_WalkIn_Teststrasse_2880_1920

Austria Center Vienna Rapid Testing Drive-In

Rapid Testing Drive-In

austria_center_vienna_bilanz_schnelltest_2_2880x1920-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_Bilanz_Schnelltest_2_2880x1920

<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

press-release_austria-center-vienna-supports-city-of-vienna-with-largest-testing-centre-2

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

Opening rapid testing

austria_center_vienna_eroeffnung_hacker_covid19_schnelltestciakw-ag_ludwig_schedl-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_Eroeffnung_Hacker_COVID19_Schnelltest(c)IAKW-AG_Ludwig_Schedl

Opening rapid testing 2

austria_center_vienna_eroeffnung_teststrasse_covid19_schnelltestciakw-ag_ludwig_schedl-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_Eroeffnung_Teststrasse_COVID19_Schnelltest(c)IAKW-AG_Ludwig_Schedl

Opening rapid testing Hacker

Opening rapid testing Ludwig

austria_center_vienna_eroeffnung_ludwig_covid19_schnelltestciakw-ag_ludwig_schedl-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_Eroeffnung_Ludwig_COVID19_Schnelltest(c)IAKW-AG_Ludwig_Schedl

Opening rapid testing box

austria_center_vienna_eroeffnung_box_covid19_schnelltestciakw-ag_ludwig_schedl-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_Eroeffnung_Box_COVID19_Schnelltest(c)IAKW-AG_Ludwig_Schedl

Opening rapid testing group picture

austria_center_vienna_eroeffnung_gruppenfoto_covid19_schnelltestciakw-ag_ludwig_schedl-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_Eroeffnung_Gruppenfoto_COVID19_Schnelltest(c)IAKW-AG_Ludwig_Schedl

Opening rapid testing group picture 2

austria_center_vienna_eroeffnung_gruppenfoto2_covid19_schnelltestciakw-ag_ludwig_schedl-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_Eroeffnung_Gruppenfoto2_COVID19_Schnelltest(c)IAKW-AG_Ludwig_Schedl

Opening rapid testing nasal swab

austria_center_vienna_eroeffnung_nasenabstrich_covid19_schnelltestciakw-ag_ludwig_schedl-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_Eroeffnung_Nasenabstrich_COVID19_Schnelltest(c)IAKW-AG_Ludwig_Schedl

Opening rapid testing person

austria_center_vienna_eroeffnung_testperson_covid19_schnelltestciakw-ag_ludwig_schedl-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_Eroeffnung_Testperson_COVID19_Schnelltest(c)IAKW-AG_Ludwig_Schedl

Opening rapid testing person 2

austria_center_vienna_eroeffnung_testperson2_covid19_schnelltestciakw-ag_ludwig_schedl-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_Eroeffnung_Testperson2_COVID19_Schnelltest(c)IAKW-AG_Ludwig_Schedl

<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

2019_veranstaltung-c-iakw-ag-ludwig-schedl-2-2

2019_Veranstaltung (c)-IAKW-AG Ludwig Schedl-2

Foto: Einführungsvorlesung WU im Sept. 2020

2020_wu_vorlesung-ciakw-ag_ludwig_schedl-2

2020_WU_Vorlesung (c)IAKW-AG_Ludwig_Schedl

Foto Susanne Baumann-Söllner

Foto Baumann-Soellner

baumann-soellnerciakw-ag_andreas_hofer-2

Baumann-Soellner(c)IAKW-AG_Andreas_Hofer

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

press-release_austria-center-vienna-welcomes-support-package-for-organisers

Press release_Austria Center Vienna welcomes support package for organisers

Veranstaltung aus dem Jahr 2019 im Austria Center Vienna

2019_veranstaltung_austria-center-vienna-2880x1920-c-iakw-ag-ludwig-sched-2

2019_Veranstaltung_Austria Center Vienna 2880x1920 (c)-IAKW-AG Ludwig Sched

<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

On 16 and 17 September the Austria Center Vienna conducted around 2,000 rapid tests in a pilot project in partnership with the Vienna University of Economics and Business, Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund and medical products wholesaler Alpstar. The resulting interest from event organisers, hotels, hospitals, national and international business and politicians was overwhelming. Across all industries there are high hopes for the new antigen tests. The Austria Center Vienna will make the key insights from the pilot project publicly available, in the interests of creating a repository of information which can be used as a foundation for future events. 

Test 3 Austria Center Vienna

Test 3 COVID19

test3_c-iakw-ag_ludwig-schedl-2

Test3_(c) IAKW-AG_Ludwig Schedl

Susanne Baumann-Söllner Austria Center Vienna

Susanne Baumann-Söllner COVID19

baumann-soellner_c-iakw-ag_ludwig-schedl-2

Baumann-Söllner_(c) IAKW-AG_Ludwig Schedl

Press release 

Press release: Austria Center Vienna takes stock of Covid-19 pilot project

austria-center-vienna-takes-stock-of-covid19-pilot-project

Austria Center Vienna takes stock of covid19 pilot project

Covid 19 testlane graphics

Covid 19 Testlane

austria_center_vienna_testlane_covid19_web

Austria_Center_Vienna_testlane_Covid19_web

graphics testlane

austria_center_vienna_graphics_covid19_testlane

Austria_Center_Vienna_graphics_Covid19_testlane

austria_center_vienna_testlane_covid19_web-2-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_testlane_Covid19_web (2)

<p>“We wanted to use the pilot project to show that rapid tests can significantly improve the safety of events, and that their use is practicable from an organisational point of view. The overwhelming feedback and interest from all industries shows us just how much hope is being placed in the new testing system. We are very pleased to have provided this initial impetus with the support of our project partners and would like to make our insights available to all interested parties,” explained Susanne Baumann-Söllner, Managing Director of the Austria Center Vienna. Out of the 2,000 rapid tests that were handed in, five were positive. The diagnoses were subsequently confirmed in PCR tests conducted immediately after.</p>
<h2>Rapid testing at large-scale events: viable from both an economic and organisational perspective</h2>
<p>The central finding from the pilot project was that rapid tests are indeed practicable in real-world conditions and represent a meaningful addition to existing hygiene and safety measures. In preparation for the project, a scalable system of test lanes was developed specifically for the rapid test (see test lanes graphic).</p>
<h2>Key figures: 30 seconds per swab, one medic per lane, results in max. ten minutes</h2>
<p>The pilot project delivered valuable insights into the amount of time testing takes ahead of an event, as well as the number of staff needed: as a basic rule of thumb, the number of test lanes needed and time slots for participants is calculated on the basis of the 30 seconds it takes to complete each swab. Each test lane requires one medical expert to take the throat swab and two to three assistants to prepare the solution and support the test subjects. In addition, a team of paramedics is on hand at the end of the test lane to manage any positive cases. Conducting the test took an average of six to ten minutes from swabbing to receiving the test result – significantly less than the 15 minutes originally planned in.</p>
<h2>Five positive results – daily testing at multi-day events required</h2>
<p>A total of around 2,000 rapid tests were conducted at the event, with test subjects including students, staff members, employees of partner companies and journalists. In total, five people tested positive. After being isolated immediately, an additional PCR test was carried out before the individuals concerned were sent to quarantine at home.<br />
On the second day of the event, one person tested positive, having presented a negative result on the first day. This particular case once again confirms that an antigen test only ever provides a snapshot of an individual’s viral load. This suggests that rapid tests should be carried out on a daily basis at multi-day events. In addition, a negative test result should never be mistaken for total protection against Covid-19 – but it is an effective tool that significantly reduces the chances of infection at events.</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>
<div id="attachment_27211" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27211" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-27212 size-large" src="https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Teststrassen_c-IAKW-AG_Ludwig-Schedl-1024x682.jpg" alt="Bild: COVID19 Teststrassen vor dem Austria Center Vienna" width="1024" height="682" srcset="https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Teststrassen_c-IAKW-AG_Ludwig-Schedl-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Teststrassen_c-IAKW-AG_Ludwig-Schedl-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Teststrassen_c-IAKW-AG_Ludwig-Schedl-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Teststrassen_c-IAKW-AG_Ludwig-Schedl-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Teststrassen_c-IAKW-AG_Ludwig-Schedl-2048x1364.jpg 2048w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Teststrassen_c-IAKW-AG_Ludwig-Schedl-1440x959.jpg 1440w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Teststrassen_c-IAKW-AG_Ludwig-Schedl-720x480.jpg 720w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Teststrassen_c-IAKW-AG_Ludwig-Schedl-512x341.jpg 512w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Teststrassen_c-IAKW-AG_Ludwig-Schedl-360x240.jpg 360w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Teststrassen_c-IAKW-AG_Ludwig-Schedl-256x171.jpg 256w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Teststrassen_c-IAKW-AG_Ludwig-Schedl-128x85.jpg 128w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Teststrassen_c-IAKW-AG_Ludwig-Schedl-64x43.jpg 64w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Teststrassen_c-IAKW-AG_Ludwig-Schedl-32x21.jpg 32w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Teststrassen_c-IAKW-AG_Ludwig-Schedl-24x16.jpg 24w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><p id="caption-attachment-27211" class="wp-caption-text">©IAKW-AG, Ludwig Schedl</p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Key insights at a glance</h2>
<h2><strong>1. Predictable lead times: 30 seconds per person</strong></h2>
<p>Relatively generous lead times were defined for the initial project: three time slots of 30 minutes each were planned for a maximum of 1,000 people, so the basis for the calculation was almost exactly one minute per test per lane. It turned out that the swabs can be taken much more quickly – particularly at the start of the first day when the queues were quickly processed. The Arbeiter Samariter Bund medics confirmed that 30 seconds per test subject was a reliable pointer (median value depending on target group, need to explain the procedure, etc.). This means that each test lane was able to process an average of 120 people each hour. Depending on the number of participants at an event, the specific lead time can be calculated using the number of test lanes and time slots as factors (example based on 2,000 participants: 17 test lanes with a 60-minute lead time or with two time slots of 30 minutes each, or three time slots of 20 minutes each. Longer lead times must be calculated if there are fewer test lanes). Depending on the information provided in advance (e.g. using video clips) and queueing discipline (outstanding during the test project), an average lead time of just 20 seconds can be achieved under ideal conditions.</p>
<h2><strong>2. Time taken to get through the test lane: six to ten minutes</strong></h2>
<p>Conducting the test took an average of six to ten minutes from swabbing to receiving a test result. Ideally, the test lane should be broken down into sections so that the test subjects can move along it every 30 seconds while observing distancing requirements.</p>
<h2><strong>3. Staffing requirements per test lane: one paramedic and at least two assistants</strong></h2>
<p>Each test lane requires one paramedic to take the throat swab and two to three assistants to support the testing process. This set-up was confirmed during the pilot project. An additional team of trained medical workers and at least one ambulance is required at the end of the test lanes to isolate any positive cases immediately and provide care if required. On top of this, costs such as security personnel, build-up and breakdown, cleaning, furniture and protective equipment for assistants (sanitiser and disinfectants, wipes, masks, gloves, potentially also protective suits) also need to be taken into account.</p>
<h2><strong>4. Proportion of positive cases: 0.25% of participants in the pilot project</strong></h2>
<p>Close to 2,000 tests were conducted (students, staff, customers, journalists etc.). There were five positive results, so the proportion of positive cases was around 0.25%.</p>
<h2>5. Standardised procedure for dealing with positive cases</h2>
<p>The following procedure proved to be effective: if the test returned a positive result, the subject was immediately isolated (with a privacy screen) and an additional PCR test was conducted directly on site by a paramedic. The individual was then reported as a suspected case and taken from the premises by the ambulance service to quarantine at home. If they travelled to the event in their own car, they were permitted to make their own way home. The PCR samples taken from the suspected cases were anonymised and taken to the lab together for analysis.</p>
<h2>6. Validity period: daily testing required at multi-day events</h2>
<p>On the second day, a positive result was returned from an asymptomatic test subject who had tested negative the previous day. This confirms that tests are a snapshot and that antigen testing must be carried out on a daily basis at multi-day events to maximise the chances of reliably identifying carriers at a given time.</p>
<h2><strong>7. Tests well received by participants</strong></h2>
<p>Although the rapid tests were only announced a few days before the Vienna University of Economics and Business’s introductory lectures were due to take place owing to the fact that the product used had only just come onto the market (a short explanatory video on the procedure was sent out as an accompanying measure) – the process resonated very well with all test subjects. The lecture was also streamed in another hall for individuals who were unwilling or unable to take the test. As nobody refused the test, the streaming hall remained empty. In total, 50-60% of the students invited to take part in this optional event elected to do so, in spite of the possible waiting times and the fact that they could stream it at home.</p>


Austria Center Vienna takes stock of Covid-19 pilot project: rapid tests can significantly improve the safety of events

austria_center_vienna_hygienekonzept_veranstaltungen_1280x720-2

Newsflash_Hygienekonzept_Veranstaltungen_1280x720

#safemeetings

Our hygiene plan for your event

austria_center_vienna_stadt_wien_covid19_1280x720-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_Stadt_Wien_COVID19_1280x720

COVID-19 rapid test in cooperation with the City of Vienna

Information and registration

austria_center_vienna_greenmeeting_landscape-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_GreenMeeting_Landscape

The future is green

Green meeting

What's on?

austria_center_vienna_hybrid_meeting_ledwand2_2880x1920-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_Hybrid_Meeting_LEDWand2_2880x1920

View more

Hybrid Meeting

austria_center_vienna_lageplan_2880x1920-2

Austria_Center_Vienna_Lageplan_2880x1920

The Venue

bg-index-facts-mobile-2

bg-index-facts-mobile

bg-index-facts-desktop-2

bg-index-facts-desktop

ic-departing-2

ic-departing

Arriving

600 direct flights daily from/to 195 cities worldwide

The best <br>reachability

ic-medal-2

ic-medal

Why Vienna

9 times in a row No. 1 Mercer Quality of Living ranking

Highest safety for Vienna

ic-lugagge-2

ic-lugagge

Where to stay

More than 434 distinctive charming hotels

Best hotel infrastructure

Discover Vienna

Vienna — now and forever

austria_center_vienna_saal_a_porr_event_2880x1440-2

Main_Building_Hero_Hall_A_Porr_event_2880x1440

Plan your event now

Discover the wide range of halls, rooms and outdoor spaces.

Your event in the heart of Europe

The video offers impressions of the Austria Center Vienna

startseitenvideo_final_komprimiert-2

Startseitenvideo_Final_komprimiert

Visual description visual description visual description visual description visual description visual description visual description visual description visual description visual description visual description visual description visual description.

Home

Your event in the heart of Europe

Hybrid Meeting

-Austria Center Vienna

Vienna — now and forever

General

Sales