At the Hofburg Vienna, uniqueness and cutting-edge come together in a very special way. And they are also among the reasons why 2019 will bring such a wide spectrum of events to the congress and event centre. We are charting the course for a future in which hosting high-end business events will play a central role. With this in mind, we would like to take this opportunity to present an exclusive insight into the world of events this year.
Versatile venue
The Hofburg Vienna’s fantastic mix of events each year highlights its versatility as a venue, which has earned it a place among the leaders on the Austrian and international market. Around 57 percent of revenue is accounted for by congresses, corporate meetings and OSCE conferences. National and international banquets, the second-largest segment, make up 11 percent of the total. These two segments also generate the largest contribution margins. Ball events contributed 12 percent of operating profit. The New Year’s Eve ball – a proprietary event held at the venue since the company’s foundation and relaunched as the Hofburg Silvesterball in 2014 – accounts for an impressive 10 percent of revenue. Fairs and exhibitions generate around 7 percent of the total, while concerts account for around 3 percent of profit. Around two thirds of events have an international dimension to them, with this category representing an important source of income for the Viennese economy and the city’s hotel industry in particular. Each year, between 300,000 and 330,000 participants attend the 300-320 events and meetings held by the OSCE at the Hofburg.
Let’s waltz!
During the ball season at the Hofburg Vienna, which runs from January to March, ballgoers glide across the dancefloors to the sounds of the waltz at 19 famous events. Around 60,000 ball fans from all over Austria and the rest of the world experience Viennese ball tradition at its finest in the opulent state rooms of the Hofburg each year, boosting the city’s tourism sector in the process. On 31 December 2018, around 2,500 guests from 45 countries rang in the New Year in style at the Hofburg Silvesterball.The Viennese ball season continues to dazzle with an exceptional variety of events.
Highlights include the sweet Zuckerbäckerball, the rocking WU, TU and BOKU student balls, and events with a distinctly Austrian flavour such as the Jägerball and the Steirerball where guests dress in traditional Alpine fashion. And then come the classics like the Wiener Ärzteball, Juristenball and the Ball der Pharmacie. Each and every one has a charm all of its own that guarantees a captivating and memorable night’s entertainment.
With more than 2,000 hours of dancing and celebrations, the ball season is not just a highlight of the Viennese cultural calendar – it is also a major contributor to the local and national economy. The former imperial residence is the most popular ball venue in the nation’s capital. On average, guests spend EUR 275 on a night at the ball. As the host of a wide variety of ball events once again in 2019, the Hofburg Vienna plays a major part in the sector’s success, and will help to drive up the number of overnight stays in the city thanks to its unique atmosphere.
MOTTO Catering treats guests with its delectable food and drinks deep into the early hours. Over the course of the season, the company supplies 20,000 bottles (wine, Sekt, champagne), up to five tonnes of crushed ice and more than 3,000 portions of its ice cream specialities. And then there are the ever-popular Sacher-Würstel sausages, sandwiches and snacks – with Faschingskrapfen doughnuts a firm favourite. Event preview
The conference schedule for the first half of 2019 is packed with multi-day fairs and congresses. Highlights include ART Vienna from 15-17 March, which serves up a successful blend of young and contemporary art, modernist classics and design. On 4 April the specialist marke(ding) boutique fair will present all the latest breakthroughs in the world of promotion and haptic advertising. Spring will be given over to events such as the 2019 Pioneers festival (9-10 May) and Forum Prävention 2019 (20-23 May). This year the International Vienna Motor Symposium will celebrate its 40th anniversary in the Hofburg Vienna state rooms from 15-17 May. From 24-28 June 2019, leading experts will put their heads together at the CTBT Science and Technology Conference and countless international scientists will come to the venue for the congress of the European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (30 Jun-2 Jul). The autumn schedules are filling nicely with various events including the 2019 Börsianer Fair, which focuses on investment and finance from 25-26 September and the HR Inside Summit 2019 from 9-10 October. Cytokines 2019 (20-23 Oct) is expected to bring around 700 participants to the former state rooms of the imperial Hofburg palace. The start of December 2019 will see leading medical specialists converge on the venue for the 2019 ÖGDV Dermatology Meeting.
Information
Hofburg Vienna
Heldenplatz, 1014 Vienna
Monika Scheinost
Head of Marketing & Sales
T +43 (0)1 5873666-600
F +43 (0)1 5356426
