Exhibition regulations
of Wiener Kongresszentrum Hofburg Betriebsgesellschaft m. b. H.
The generic masculine chosen in this document refers to male, female and other gender identities.
1 GENERAL
1.1 These regulations form an integral part of the agreement between the Contractor (Definition of Contractor” find in General Terms and Conditions Clause 2.) and Wiener Kongresszentrum Hofburg BetriebsgesmbH (hereinafter referred to as “Hofburg Vienna”). The Contractor shall ensure that these rules are known to and complied with by its business partners (e.g. stand assembly firms, partner companies, and other contractors), hereinafter also referred to as “Third Party Companies” or “Agents”.
1.2 The validity of Hofburg Vienna’s General Terms and Conditions, House Rules and Fire Safety Regulations shall neither be altered nor restricted by these exhibition regulations.
1.3 Please treat the floors, walls and doors with the utmost care, as the premises largely comprise historic buildings.
1.4 In the Hofburg Vienna, the bringing in of balloons filled with helium is prohibited due to the built-in fire alarm system (linear detector)!
2 TOURS AND INSPECTIONS
2.1 Prior to the commencement of event/exhibition set-up, the or an authorised representative thereof and the project manager assigned by Hofburg Vienna shall conduct a joint inspection of the facilities hired. The purpose of such inspection shall be to identify and record in writing any existing damage in the event/exhibition area. The Contractor (or authorised representative) shall sign the record of the inspection. Following the conclusion of the event and removal of all relevant objects, an acceptance report recording any damage shall be drawn up and signed by both parties to the contract. An authorised representative of the Contractor must be present for the entire duration of set-up and dismantling.
2.2 Before the commencement of trade fairs and other selected events, a security inspection will be carried out with a representative of the authorities or under the supervision of Hofburg Vienna. This will involve inspection of the escape routes required for the expected number of visitors to the building. The venue will only be approved by the management of Hofburg Vienna after this inspection has taken place, and guests and the public may only enter the building after such approval has been granted. The Contracting Party or a fully authorised representative must be present for the security inspection.
3 LIFT DIMENSIONS, FLOOR LOADINGS
3.1 Goods lifts are available for transportation purposes. The loading surface of the lift at the Hofburg Congress Center (main entrance on Heldenplatz / delivery gate Autotor 2) is 1.50 m wide and 4.20 m long; maximum loading height is 2.10 m, and load capacity is 4,200 kg or 56 persons. The loading surface of the lift in the Redoutensäle area of the building (entrance on Josefsplatz) is 1.50 m wide and 2.40 m long; maximum loading height is 2.25 m and load capacity is 2,000 kg or 26 persons.
3.2 If the internal lifts are to be used to transport materials during set-up, Hofburg Vienna shall provide one lift attendant per lift used, at the expense of the Contractor.
3.3 In order to prevent damage to floors (stone and parquet), the Contractor and/or Third Party Companies or Agents shall use suitable carts, trucks and trolleys which do not leave marks or scratches. Use of forklift trucks or pallet trucks is prohibited. Forklifts or pallet trucks may not be used.
3.4 If materials are transported via the stairways the ramps must be used; otherwise, the items in question must be carried by at least two persons.
3.5 The maximum permitted floor loading capacity of 350 kg per square metre must be adhered to.This also applies to loading carts, trucks or trolleys and can also be applied to stage elements.
3.6 Hofburg Vienna reserves the right to require the Contractor to provide a structural and/or technical report on the objects that the Contractor wishes to set up on the premises.
4 LOADING ZONES
4.1 Loading zones next to Hofburg Vienna’s premises may be reserved for the Contractor on request. The area required and the anticipated duration of loading must be notified to Hofburg Vienna. The vehicles used must display a parking permit (available from the porter, upon presentation of an official photo ID or driving license). Heavy goods vehicles are absolutely prohibited from parking in the loading areas for the duration of the conference/exhibition. Please observe this rule strictly, as infringements can result in considerable expense for the Contractor. Hofburg Vienna accepts no liability for parking fines or tow-away fees. The loading zones must be kept clear outside set-up and dismantling times.
4.2 Deliveries with trucks should note that there is a night and weekend driving restriction in Austria. Night driving restrictions are from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. as well as limited to trucks with 7.5 tons gross load weight, with the exception of low-noise trucks, , i.e. if the truck has an output of more than 150 kilowatts, it must not be louder than 80 decibels. Such trucks are allowed to drive at night in Austria even if they have a maximum permissible weight of more than 7.5 tons. There is a weekend driving ban on all roads in Austria for lorries (trucks) with a permissible gross vehicle weight (GV) over 7.5 tonnes or trucks with trailers if the permissible total weight of the truck or trailer is more than 3.5 tonnes, on Saturdays from 3 p.m. to midnight and on Sundays and public holidays from 12 a.m. to 10 p.m. Should an exception need to be made for truck access during the above mentioned times, special authorization is needed. This can be found under: www.sondertransporte.gv.at
4.3 Since 1 January 2015, trucks and articulated vehicles must display an emission standard sticker corresponding to the vehicle’s emission class during journeys to and within Vienna. These can only be issued by car repair shops authorised to carry out section 57a motor vehicle tests, motoring clubs and the federal states’ official motor vehicle inspection offices.
4.4 Hofburg Vienna cannot support loading and unloading of trucks either with manpower or with machines.
5 DELIVERIES, ALTERATIONS TO THE PREMISES, THIRD PARTY COMPANIES AND EQUIPMENT, AND OBJECTS BROUGHT ONTO THE PREMISES
5.1 All deliveries must be arranged in cooperation with our partner company IML - Messe Logistik GmbH (contact: Wolfgang Unzeitig, tel. +43 (0)660 26 47 582, e-mail: wolfgang.unzeitig@iml-vienna.at). Direct deliveries to the Hofburg Vienna will not be accepted for safety reasons.
5.2 In the event that alterations to the premises are required in connection with the event/exhibition or that Third Party Companies, third party equipment or any other objects are brought onto the premises of Hofburg Vienna, particular care shall be taken to comply with clauses 13, 14 and 15 of the General Terms and Conditions. Objects of any kind whatsoever may only be brought onto the premises upon prior agreement between the Contractor and Hofburg Vienna. The parties shall agree on the time and means of delivery, and storage if necessary.
5.3 Hofburg Vienna also reserves the right to reject Third Party Companies desired/engaged by the Contractor if there are justified concerns with regard to such companies’ care and diligence.
5.4 Bringing in motor vehicles onto the premises is possible after consultation. Before bringing in motor vehicles, the safety requirements of the motor vehicle must be presented with certificates and proof of compliance in the form of the necessary official and technical permits furnished to Hofburg Vienna. Please note that the fuel tanks of such vehicles must be completely drained and flooded with nitrogen and the batteries disconnected. In the case of newer vehicles, due to technical innovations it may not be necessary to disconnect the battery and the fuel tank may only need to be drained to a minimum level (max. five litres). For technical reasons, it is not necessary to disconnect the battery in vehicles of the younger generation and the tank content must be emptied to a minimum (max. 5 litres). In the case of vehicles with electric drive (e-cars/hybrid/plug-in hybrid/e-scooter/ etc.), a high-performance fire protection blanket for motor vehicles, that corresponds to the vehicle must be brought along, stored in the immediate vicinity of the exhibition location for the duration of the vehicles brought in. A safety distance of all around at least 2.5 meters around an electric vehicle must remain free.
6 EXHIBITION SET-UP AND DISMANTLING, SUPERVISION
6.1 The exhibition area inside the Hofburg Vienna premises must be treated with care at all times. This applies in particular to the floors, walls, doors and doorposts, light fittings, staircases and lifts. In this context, leaning building materials, supporting structures and exhibition objects on walls and pillars is only permitted in exceptional cases with an appropriate protective sheeting. Hofburg Vienna reserves the right to remove objects of any kind that are leaning against walls and pillars without appropriate protective sheeting.
6.2 It is not permitted to drill, screw or hammer nails into the building’s walls, ceilings, floors or pillars. Walls and pillars may not be subjected to loading by the weight of exhibition stands or exhibits. When planning your event, please bear in mind that all structures, stand elements, equipment, etc. must be self-supporting.
6.3 Where objects (stand structures, rigs, etc.) are set up for exhibitions the Contractor shall lay suitable protective sheeting or carpeting (minimum thickness 2 mm) under them. Such structures must be positioned at least 15 cm away from the walls. If rigs are erected on stands, these superstructures must immediately be approved and declared structurally sound in writing by a structural engineer; this must take place prior to the inspection by the authorities.
6.4 The maximum permitted height of assembled stands is 3 m. Care must be taken to ensure that stand constructions do not touch the bottom of chandeliers. Wall mounted light fittings in the Hofburg must be carefully incorporated into stand designs; they cannot be dismantled due to their age and the nature of their construction. A minimum distance of 15 cm must also be maintained from the wall lights!
6.5 Painting and wallpapering within the exhibition facilities during the course of stand set-up works is only permitted if the floors and walls are protected within a large area by suitable sheeting that has been approved by Hofburg Vienna.
6.6 The Contractor shall make best efforts to prevent dust being generated. Woodworking equipment such as milling cutters may not be used unless fitted with an appropriate integrated automatic dust extraction system (dust bag).
6.7 If double-sided adhesive tape is employed to fix carpeting or tiles to the floor, and/or secure decorations, only tape approved by Hofburg Vienna from the company Tesa; name: tesa-Oberflächenschutzband 60428 and label: Schutztape PVC-Träger Naturkautschuk 28mm wide x 66m long per roll may be used. Such tape must be removed by the Contractor after the event so that no residues remain.
6.8 Only loose laid carpets or floor tiles may be used to cover the floor or staging blocks inside the exhibition facilities. Use of adhesives to fix floor coverings to the floor, or of self-adhesive carpet tiles, is prohibited. Use of adhesives to fix tiles on top of a carpet that has been affixed (e.g. on staging blocks or fixed stage) is also prohibited. There is a floor foil approved by Hofburg Vienna that is non-slip and can be printed, contour-cut and attached to the floor as desired (e.g. with directional arrows as signposts). Please contact Hofburg Vienna for purchase information.
6.9 Dismantling must be performed competently and completed by the contractually agreed deadline, otherwise Hofburg Vienna shall be entitled to have all items that have been brought onto the premises put into storage or completely removed at the Contractor ’s risk and expense, regardless of ownership.
6.10 The Contractor shall be responsible for the disposal of all and any waste arising from the event itself, and/or set-up and dismantling. If the Contractor fails to comply with this obligation, Hofburg Vienna shall be entitled to arrange for the disposal of waste at the Contractor’s expense.
6.11 The Contractor shall deploy supervisory staff in the exhibition facilities at its own expense during set-up and dismantling. Such staff shall ensure that exhibitors and their employees or Contractors perform the necessary work with care and without damaging the building or its contents.
6.12 Temporary electrical installations – for example, electrical connections for exhibition stands - are seen in law as temporary new installations. Without exception they must be installed and tested by our licensed electrical installation partner, Lesonitzky, and the test result documentation must be displayed as proof that the test has been carried out. The documentation must be presented on request.
6.13 Likewise, exhibition stands may only be connected to mains electricity by our contracting partner, Lesonitzky. It is forbidden for organisers or exhibitors to connect fuse boxes or electrical loads to the venue’s electrical sockets themselves.
The management of Hofburg Vienna reserves the right to unplug or disconnect illegally connected electrical connections at any time. If connection or switching points are obstructed due to temporary constructions installed independently by an organiser or exhibitor, the Hofburg Vienna may disassemble such constructions. The stand builder and the Contracting Party shall be jointly and severally liable for resulting damages and related costs, due to breach of the Exhibition Regulations.
7 SAFETY
7.1 All hall entrance and exit doors, emergency exits, corridors, stairwells and the like must be kept completely free and unobstructed at all times. Circulation and escape routes must be at least 2.25 m wide.
7.2 Emergency exit signs must be visible at all times and may not be obstructed nor enclosed by structures. If obstruction of an emergency exit light will be unavoidable for architectural reasons, this must be discussed in advance with Hofburg Vienna. In any such case a substitute emergency sign must be mounted on the stand.
7.3 Fire protection equipment such as hand-held fire extinguishers, fire alarms (push-button alarms) and hydrants must be visible and accessible at all times. They may neither be obstructed nor enclosed by structures. The location of the safety equipment is indicated on the floor plans. In the event that walls or stands are nonetheless erected in front of a push-button alarm, it must be possible to activate the alarm at all times (via openings in the stand partitions), and signs should be used to clearly indicate the position of the alarm.
7.4 Fire doors must be kept closed when not in use. If a fire door needs to be kept open as part of a circulation route, magnetic door holders designed for this purpose must be used. In this case, the fire door must be opened far enough to engage with the magnetic door holder. (Attention: Fire doors often only have to be fixed at an opening angle of 90 degrees using holding magnets). Should this not be possible, the door may only be held open with a wedge if an alternative fire safety measure is deployed, namely a fire watch, and provided that the fire watch submits written confirmation of this arrangement. The Contractor shall bear the costs relating to the fire watch.
7.5 Flammable materials such as paper, cardboard, reed matting or highly inflammable plastics may not be used for stand construction or facing, or for decorative purposes. Valid impregnation certificates must be submitted to Hofburg Vienna for any decorations posing a potential fire hazard (TR1 EN 13773, C1, DIN 4102 B1, ÖNORMEN B 3825 und A 3800-1).
7.6 Naked flames, cooking appliances, lasers and gas cylinders of all kinds are prohibited.
7.7 Storage of empties and packaging in and behind stands is prohibited.
7.8 Storage on the premises of Hofburg Vienna requires prior agreement.
7.9 According to the Venue Directive, a volume limit of 100 dB (LA,eq) applies directly in the audience area and a limit value of 118 dB (LC,eq) for the low frequencies (bass). If an energy-equivalent continuous sound level of 93 dB (LA,eq) or 111 dB (LC,eq) is exceeded in the audience area, suitable hearing protection devices with a sound attenuation of at least 15 dB must be provided to visitors free of charge before the event begins and the audience must be clearly informed of the potential risk to human hearing in a suitable manner before and during the event.
8 LIABILITY
Please refer to the “General Terms and Conditions”.
9 CATERING
On-stand hospitality may only be provided in consultation with Hofburg Vienna, and by the CATERING companies authorised by Hofburg Vienna, which will be specified in the quotation provided to the Contractor a separate agreement with respect to such services shall be made with one of the companies named in the quotation. The Contractor is strictly prohibited from bringing its own food and beverages onto the premises or engaging its own catering Contractors.
10 SUBSIDIARY AGREEMENTS, AMENDMENTS
Amendments or additions to this agreement shall only be applicable if made in writing.
Last update: 10/2024