The Convention Bureau Karlsruhe & Region was established by Messe Karlsruhe in 2009 to position the region’s transnational conference landscape on the national and international stage. It also aims to promote the meetings and industry in the Karlsruhe region through location marketing. As an independent non-profit service centre, the Convention Bureau connects people and ideas on national and regional platforms, provides free support in planning events and helps to establish contacts with experts in the region.
Pia Kumpmann, whose previous role was in the organisation of trade fairs and conferences at Messe Karlsruhe, has headed the Convention Bureau Karlsruhe & Region since its founding. After 15 years, Pia Kumpmann remains the tireless heart and soul of the Convention Bureau and knows every corner of the region between the Black Forest and the Palatinate Mountains.
The City of Karlsruhe and Messe Karlsruhe supported the Convention Bureau from the outset. Importantly, however, they were also joined by several courageous conference hotels, event locations and event service providers which enthusiastically threw their weight behind the newly established Convention Bureau Karlsruhe & Region. These included Schwarzwald Panorama, res ebert, Hotel Ibis Hauptbahnhof, Burg Windeck, AVData, Sokoll and Friends, Schlosshotel Karlsruhe, ACHAT Hotel (formerly Renaissance Hotel), Radisson, BLU, Novotel, Eventtechnik Gleich, Jugendstil-Festhalle Landau, Festhalle Wörth, Bürger und Veranstaltungszentrum Bruchsal, Buhlsche Mühle and BBK. Most of these partners continue to integrate the Convention Bureau Karlsruhe & Region's network of expertise and are an important factor in its success.
The extensive network of partners from the hotel, catering, logistics and event sectors has been continuously developed and enhanced. At the beginning of 2017, there was truly cause for celebration when the hundredth partner contract was signed!
The latest statistics for 2023 bear witness to the positive trend in the region’s travel industry: Both the number of arrivals (645,600) and the number of overnight stays (1,147,200) recorded an increase of over 20 %. A total of 24,500 events took place in the region, with a net sales volume of around EUR 903 million. These figures reinforce the conviction that the potential of the event industry in Karlsruhe and the region is far from exhausted. It is no coincidence that the Convention Bureau's newest partners include three conference hotels that have only just opened their doors. The Intercity Hotel Karlsruhe and the MOXY Hotel opened in 2023, expanding the range of accommodation available in the fan-shaped city. Motel One Karlsruhe will open in April 2024.
The Convention Bureau has established itself as a central point of contact for organisers of meetings and conferences. It actively acquires meetings, conferences and other events for the region and is delighted with the growth in both the number of events and participants.
In particular, the region is strongly promoted by its online portal offering both information and a popular search function for conference hotels, venues and supporting programmes, as well as the printed brochure, in which all partners are presented. The Convention Bureau Karlsruhe & Region regularly exhibits at trade fairs, organises study tours and site inspections for event planners and publishes relevant articles in industry publications. During the COVID pandemic, the virtual LOCATION CHECK was launched, allowing interested parties to gain an impression of various event locations online.
The Convention Bureau Karlsruhe & Region is a member of the German Convention Bureau (GCB) and thus benefits not only from the GCB's international network, but also from valuable suggestions and contributions to discussions on the future of the event industry.
Pia Kumpmann also works as a volunteer regional contact for the Association of Event Organisers (VDVO). This contributes significantly to the networking and visibility of the Karlsruhe region.
In tune with the times
Over the years, the Convention Bureau has taken a dynamic approach, constantly adapting to new trends and the needs of the industry. In 2017, for example, it created two new categories, which are awarded to qualified partners. Accessibility and sustainability are top priorities for many event organisers in an innovative and dynamic region like Karlsruhe. This is why the Convention Bureau's Venue Finder was expanded in 2017 to include search functions for accessibility and sustainability. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting need to switch to more digital offerings, the Convention Bureau has also expanded its search functions with the option to search for organisers who host hybrid events.
Networking and inspiration
The Convention Bureau Karlsruhe & Region serves as a communication platform and source of inspiration for partners, event planners and potential customers. To meet these responsibilities, the Convention Bureau organises events relevant to the industry, including the popular “regulars' tables”, keynote speeches and guided tours.
The almost 70 regulars' tables always take place in one of the Convention Bureau's partner locations and help to impart valuable specialist knowledge, facilitating an intensive, personal exchange of experiences between experts and decision-makers from the MICE industry.
The keynote speeches are freely accessible to everyone, usually take place online and not only transfer knowledge, but also help with personal development and motivation.
All events focus on creating positive synergies through exchange and communication between the participants.
The TOP conference managers from Karlsruhe & the region are currently being presented in the new series Heads of the Event Industry.
Looking to the future
In addition to current political and economic issues, the Convention Bureau Karlsruhe & Region is also intensively involved with trends and trend research.
The event industry is in a state of flux. New technologies, changing customer needs and global upheavals, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, are presenting the industry with new challenges.
Digitalisation is enabling innovative forms of events that combine virtual and physical elements. However, while event organisers must use these new technical solutions, it is vital to maintain the aspect of human contact, which is particularly important in this industry. In the future, data analysis and artificial intelligence will increasingly be used to create personalised content and offers.
Attendees will also increasingly expect individualised experiences and demand sustainable events that minimise their environmental and social footprint.
The Convention Bureau Karlsruhe & Region is keen to get young people interested in the industry and its opportunities, thereby helping to reduce the shortage of skilled labour from which the event industry is suffering.
Rising costs for personnel, technology and infrastructure as well as the increasingly complex legal requirements for events continue to be among the major challenges facing the industry.
The Convention Bureau Karlsruhe has also set itself the task of bringing together local and global players, thus contributing to a balance between cosmopolitanism and regional identity.