One of the world's leading conference destinations has unveiled a major new subvention package as it seeks to undo the damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Vienna Meeting Fund aims to get the business meetings and events sector thriving again in the Austrian capital.
Event organisers bringing their meetings and events to the city from now until the end of 2023 will be eligible to claim up to €60,000 per event from the Vienna Tourist Board.
The City of Vienna is providing the Vienna Tourist Board and the Vienna Convention Bureau with €4m to financially support national and international organisers who hold meetings in the city.
“The funding programme is an important support for the industry that provides a perspective for the future and at the same time underlines the importance of the meetings industry,” said Vienna Convention Bureau director, Christian Woronka.
“After all, Vienna as a meeting destination and Vienna's role as a city of international meetings, play an important role in Vienna's strategic development. Our novel approach demonstrates our continued commitment to the recovery of the meetings sector, and we look forward to welcoming fund applications”.
The fund is accessible to national and international association meetings, congresses, and corporate meetings. However, exhibitions, trade fairs and cultural or sporting events are excluded.
Given the current meetings climate, the fund is also available to organisers planning hybrid events with the in-person element in Vienna.
Up to €60,000 is available per event if all three modules are met but all events must at least meet the basic requirements of funding module 1 to access funds.
The Modules:
Module 1: The event takes place in a Viennese location against payment, includes at least 50 participants present on site and has a minimum duration of four hours.
Module 2: If the congress or corporate event also generates overnight stays, funding module 2 can also be applied for. In this case, the number of overnight stays in Viennese accommodation establishments must amount to at least 10 per cent (2021), 30 per cent (2022) or 50 per cent (2023) of the total number of participants on site.
Module 3: If costs are demonstrably incurred for the continuous implementation of the event as a hybrid meeting, the requirement for funding module 3 is met.
The prerequisite is that they plan and hold (or have held) a meeting in Vienna and bear the economic risk and thus all costs for this event. Agencies are eligible to apply if they act as organisers themselves or can be shown to be working on behalf of the organiser.
Applications for funding can be submitted online from now until 3 December 2023 or until the funds are exhausted. The first-come, first-served principle applies.
After submission, the Vienna Convention Bureau will check the application and organisers will be notified in writing of the preliminary funding amount. The actual funding decision and funding amount will be determined after the event has been held, when all information and documents have been submitted and checked. Payment will be made by the Vienna Tourist Board.
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
