Austria’s largest congress centre was hit incredibly hard by the Covid-19 pandemic in the 2020 financial year. As with the rest of the international events industry, its core business evaporated overnight in March, leading to a 61.2% year-on-year decline in revenue to EUR 5.14m. A turning point came in September with the internationally-groundbreaking rapid testing pilot project, which provided the basis for what is now Austria’s largest testing and vaccination facility. This critical operation can be compared to an ongoing large-scale congress, which in 2021 will lead to capacity utilisation and staffing reaching levels not seen before at the venue.

Scheurich, David

Department Head Communication; Press Officer

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Press Release: Austria Center Vienna takes stock of the pandemic

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Press Release_Austria Center Vienna takes stock of the pandemic

Foto Susanne Baumann-Söllner vor Impfstraße

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Foto Impfstraße Austria Center Vienna

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<p>“2020 was a year of extremes for us: after an outstanding start, the outbreak of the pandemic saw our core business grind to a halt overnight in March. In September, though, we became the first venue in Europe to demonstrate that rapid testing was an effective tool for combating the spread of Covid-19. And since then we have been supporting the City of Vienna as the largest testing and vaccination facility in Austria. I am extremely grateful that we can make an active contribution towards a gradual return to normality,” said Susanne Baumann-Söllner, Managing Director of the Austria Center Vienna.</p>
<h2>International congresses: complete collapse of core business</h2>
<p>The Austria Center Vienna was one of the first congress centres in Europe to feel the full force of the pandemic. The European Congress of Radiology (ECR) – the venue’s largest congress by some margin, with up to 25,000 participants – had to be postponed at short notice at the start of March. And the same applied for all of the other large-scale congresses. This development was reflected in a complete collapse in revenue from events: turnover plummeted 61.2% to EUR 5.14m as against the EUR 13.29m reported in what was a particularly strong 2019. The 2020 figures include other income (primarily from testing lanes in November and December) of EUR 2.72m. “The sudden outbreak of the pandemic came as a shock for the entire industry. We used the following months to postpone events, continue our various construction projects and come up with numerous hygiene plans and hybrid meeting concepts,” explained Baumann-Söllner.</p>
<h2>Rapid testing pilot project provides turning point</h2>
<p>In September 2020, a unique opportunity presented itself for the Austria Center Vienna to acquire a fresh batch of the newly authorised and, in some cases, still contentious Covid-19 rapid testing kits. Run in partnership with the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU), the project drew a great deal of interest internationally, with around 2,000 students being tested shortly before their lecture. Baumann-Söllner elaborated: “What is now standard practice worldwide seemed like something out of a science fiction movie for many at the time. It was a stroke of luck that we were able to contribute to the logistical side of things in our capacity as a congress centre with many years of experience of large-scale events. We continue to use the DNA of this pilot project today, tweaking it as necessary.”</p>
<div id="attachment_111918" style="width: 2890px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-111918" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-111919 size-full" src="https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_2020_Umsaetze_2880x1920.jpg.png" alt="Statistik Umsätze aus Veranstaltungen" width="2880" height="1920" srcset="https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_2020_Umsaetze_2880x1920.jpg.png 2880w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_2020_Umsaetze_2880x1920.jpg-300x200.png 300w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_2020_Umsaetze_2880x1920.jpg-1024x683.png 1024w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_2020_Umsaetze_2880x1920.jpg-768x512.png 768w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_2020_Umsaetze_2880x1920.jpg-1536x1024.png 1536w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_2020_Umsaetze_2880x1920.jpg-2048x1365.png 2048w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_2020_Umsaetze_2880x1920.jpg-1440x960.png 1440w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_2020_Umsaetze_2880x1920.jpg-720x480.png 720w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_2020_Umsaetze_2880x1920.jpg-512x341.png 512w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_2020_Umsaetze_2880x1920.jpg-360x240.png 360w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_2020_Umsaetze_2880x1920.jpg-256x171.png 256w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_2020_Umsaetze_2880x1920.jpg-128x85.png 128w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_2020_Umsaetze_2880x1920.jpg-64x43.png 64w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_2020_Umsaetze_2880x1920.jpg-32x21.png 32w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_2020_Umsaetze_2880x1920.jpg-24x16.png 24w" sizes="(max-width: 2880px) 100vw, 2880px" /><p id="caption-attachment-111918" class="wp-caption-text">Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, revenue from events in 2020 was down 61.2% on the previous year. © www.acv.at</p></div>
<h2>2021: vaccination and testing lanes comparable to an ongoing large-scale congress</h2>
<p>With the Austria Center Vienna already operating a testing facility at the venue since November 2020 on behalf of the City of Vienna with the support of the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund medics, it has since been entrusted with running vaccination lanes, which opened in March 2021. To date, around 1 million rapid tests have been taken and around 700,000 doses of the vaccine administered. Baumann-Söllner: “I would like to say a big thank you to the City of Vienna, all partner enterprises and, above all, the numerous employees who have been hard at work making this mammoth project possible for more than half a year! Each day we welcome between 15,000 and 20,000 residents of Vienna at the venue, which is the equivalent of hosting a very large congress seven days a week without closing, from seven in the morning until seven at night.” Due to the staffing demands this brings, the number of people working at the venue has been increased temporarily from 90 permanent employees to more than 600 at present. And this does not include people at contractors with high staffing requirements, such as security and cleaning providers.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div id="attachment_111915" style="width: 2890px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-111915" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-111916 size-full" src="https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_Impfstrasse_2880x1920.jpg" alt="Impfstrasse" width="2880" height="1920" srcset="https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_Impfstrasse_2880x1920.jpg 2880w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_Impfstrasse_2880x1920-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_Impfstrasse_2880x1920-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_Impfstrasse_2880x1920-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_Impfstrasse_2880x1920-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_Impfstrasse_2880x1920-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_Impfstrasse_2880x1920-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_Impfstrasse_2880x1920-720x480.jpg 720w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_Impfstrasse_2880x1920-512x341.jpg 512w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_Impfstrasse_2880x1920-360x240.jpg 360w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_Impfstrasse_2880x1920-256x171.jpg 256w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_Impfstrasse_2880x1920-128x85.jpg 128w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_Impfstrasse_2880x1920-64x43.jpg 64w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_Impfstrasse_2880x1920-32x21.jpg 32w, https://www-api.acv.at/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Austria_Center_Vienna_Impfstrasse_2880x1920-24x16.jpg 24w" sizes="(max-width: 2880px) 100vw, 2880px" /><p id="caption-attachment-111915" class="wp-caption-text">The Austria Center Vienna is currently Austria’s largest testing and vaccination facility © www.acv.at/Ludwig Schedl</p></div>
<h2>Events returned in May – but international congresses and Spielefest delayed until 2022</h2>
<p>Thanks to the latest easing of restrictions, the Austria Center Vienna welcomed back a series of smaller virtual and hybrid events in May, starting with the Red Bull Campus Clutch – its first ever esports tournament. Following the virtual World Congress of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the start of the month, the Congress of the European Academy of Neurology will be held in June, and this July will see the European Biophysics Congress take place at the venue as a hybrid event. Another highlight, coming at the start of September, is the high-security 5th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament. Due to continued uncertainty, larger-scale international congresses will not be returning until 2022. Regrettably, the same goes for the Wiener Spielefest, which has been put back a year.</p>
<h2>Outside is the new inside: a pandemic trend that’s here to stay</h2>
<p>With testing and vaccination lanes operating in the background, the largest modernisation project in the venue’s history is currently nearing completion. After covering the square with the danubeSAIL and the addition of the new Panorama Walk, the finishing touches are also being put to the new entrance building. “We’re delighted with the results, and are already busy planning the next round of modernisation for the years to come. Projects include a redesign for the entrance hall, a modern lounge area, a refurb for the car park and greening measures. The pandemic trend of “outside is the new inside” is definitely here to stay after Covid. In response, we are already looking at ways to make the square outside the main building and the terraces more attractive and we want to take steps to incorporate the neighbouring Donaupark for the benefit of future congress participants,” Baumann-Söllner concluded.</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 (ACV). The Austria Center Vienna is Austria’s largest conference centre. With 24 halls, 180 meeting rooms and some 26,000 square metres of exhibition space, it is one of the top players on the international conference circuit.</p>


Total standstill gives way to “ongoing congress”:  Austria Center Vienna takes stock of the pandemic for the first time

Last Saturday the Austria Center Vienna hosted its first-ever esport contest, the Red Bull Campus Clutch, which took place as a hybrid event. The national final of the Global Valorant University Tournament represents a whole new digital direction for Austria’s largest conference and event centre. Like Spielefest, it adds an exciting new format for a younger target demographic.

Reis, Claudia 

Deputy Press Officer

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Press release: First esport tournament at the Austria Center Vienna

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<p>“The pandemic has had a huge impact on all parts of the congress and event industry in recent months. So it really is a massive relief that we are starting to return to normal and will be hosting events again soon. The Red Bull Campus Clutch, which took place at the venue on Saturday kicked off a busy summer for events for our team in 2021,” explained Susanne Baumann-Söllner, Managing Director of the Austria Center Vienna.</p>
<h3>Developing new esports and gaming segment</h3>
<p>Red Bull Campus Clutch is a global esport tournament for students from more than 50 countries who face off against each other in online game Valorant. The Austrian final took place on Saturday at the Austria Center Vienna – and, as a hybrid event, the Red Bull Campus Clutch perfectly illustrated how the Austria Center Vienna is working to add a more diverse range of cultural events to its portfolio. A brand-new virtual studio and seamless high-availability WiFi for up to 35,000 simultaneous connections mean that the perfect infrastructure is ready and waiting for esport competitors at the Austria Center Vienna. “We remain passionately committed to opening up the venue even more in future for local residents. Our first event, Spielefest 2019, laid the foundations in this regard. And now we are showing just how versatile we are with our first-ever esports event,” Baumann-Söllner confirmed.</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>


First esport tournament at the Austria Center Vienna

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.

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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<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.

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

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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

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Arriving

600 direct flights daily from/to 195 cities worldwide

The best <br>reachability

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ic-medal

Why Vienna

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

Highest safety for Vienna

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Where to stay

More than 434 distinctive charming hotels

Best hotel infrastructure

Discover Vienna

Vienna — now and forever

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Plan your event now

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