#Celebrate25

This anniversary offers an opportunity to look back on significant milestones, memorable events and lasting partnerships. Above all, it is a chance to celebrate the values that have shaped Salzburg Congress from the very beginning.

Not loud, but thoughtful. Not showy, but purposeful. Salzburg Congress has always been defined by a distinctive approach: one built on reliability, quality, innovation and a spirit of hospitality that combines Austrian charm with international standards.

The venue that many Salzburg residents once knew as a setting for balls and social gatherings has evolved into one of Austria's leading congress centres. Today, it welcomes national and international scientific congresses, conferences and professional meetings, bringing together people from around the world to share knowledge, ideas and expertise.

The path from then to now has been guided by clear principles, strong partnerships and a willingness to embrace change while remaining true to its identity. Those same values continue to shape Salzburg Congress as it enters its next quarter century.

Over the past twenty-five years, Salzburg Congress has welcomed world leaders, pioneering researchers, industry experts and international associations.

Its history reflects not only the development of a congress centre, but also the changing world around it – from technological advances and economic transformation to global challenges that have reshaped the meetings industry.

What has remained constant throughout is the commitment of the people behind the venue. Their expertise, adaptability and dedication have helped establish

Salzburg Congress as one of Austria's leading congress destinations and a trusted partner for organisers from around the world.

Following more than two years of construction, Salzburg Congress officially opened its doors in 2001. The new venue also marked the beginning of a strategic repositioning. As part of Tourismus Salzburg GmbH, Salzburg Congress would continue to serve as a valued event venue for the people of Salzburg while pursuing a more ambitious goal: establishing itself on the international congress stage.

The modern congress centre, recognised for its architecture and state-of-the-art technical facilities, was designed to attract new markets and bring major international and European congresses and conferences to the city. One of the first major events hosted at Salzburg Congress was the World Economic Forum, which was held at the venue on two occasions.

The World Economic Forum Eastern Europe was successfully held at Salzburg Congress under extensive security arrangements in July 2001. Just two months later, the terrorist attacks of 9/11 would profoundly change the global political and economic landscape.

At precisely this time, Salzburg Congress was hosting its first major international congress with delegates from the United States

35th IPLOCA Convention – International Pipe Line & Offshore Contractors Association

10 – 14 September 2001

Around 600 international delegates travelled to Salzburg for the convention,

organised in cooperation with Panorama Tours Salzburg as Professional Congress Organiser (PCO).

Barbara Schwaiger, who has been part of the Salzburg Congress team since its opening, recalls: "From 10 to 14 September 2001, we hosted the International Pipe Line & Offshore Contractors Association convention, attended by around 600 delegates. More than 50 participants had travelled directly from New York, and one can only imagine the impact these events had on them. We experienced the atmosphere and uncertainty of those days first-hand. Afterwards – as we all know – travel changed completely. It took many months before we had all adapted to the new realities and regulations of international air travel."

As if that were not enough, the team also spent several months addressing construction defects in the newly opened building. As a result, much of the first year was devoted to overcoming unforeseen challenges.

Also in 2001, Salzburg Congress joined forces with Congress Graz, Congress Innsbruck and Design Center Linz to form the "Meet in Austria" cooperation. The partnership focused on joint marketing and promotion and would remain an important pillar of Salzburg Congress's activities for decades to come. The collaboration continues to this day.

Until the late 1990s, Salzburg Congress had been the city's premier venue for balls and gala events. That changed with the reopening in 2001 and the venue's new strategic focus. One of Salzburg's largest and most traditional balls, however, remained at Salzburg Congress: the Edelweißkränzchen continued to be held at the venue every year until the pandemic, including during the 2002 carnival season. The event regularly attracted around 2,500 guests. According to staff, the pine needles from the decorative forest created for the occasion could still be found in the corners of the building long after the festivities had ended.

From 2002 onwards, the annual meetings of the Austrian Society of Cardiology, with between 800 and 1,000 participants, became one of Salzburg Congress's most important recurring events, alongside the annual meeting of the Austrian Society of Internal Medicine.

AMCB – Austrian Meeting & Convention Business

3 – 5 April 2002

Together with the Austrian National Tourist Office and Salzburg Information,

Salzburg Congress was presented to representatives of the Austrian meetings industry and international guests.

By the end of 2002, Salzburg Congress was able to look back on a highly successful first full year of operation. A total of 233 events were held on 335 days of the year, attracting 105,144 delegates and visitors.

Reflecting on these figures, Bert Brugger, then Managing Director of Salzburg Tourismus GmbH, remarked:

"Given that we had only recently re-entered the highly competitive European congress market following several years of construction work, we could be more than satisfied with both the number of events held and the level of attendance achieved."

2006 was a defining year for Salzburg Congress, marked by a series of high-profile events and a major cultural anniversary. During the first half of the year, Austria held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, bringing leading European politicians and decision-makers to Salzburg.

From 26 to 29 January, Salzburg became a focal point of European politics. Among those attending were European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, European Commission Vice-President Margot Wallström and President of the European Parliament Josep Borrell. The conference was held at the invitation of Austrian Federal Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel. Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birth, the two-day Sound of Europe conference opened at Salzburg Congress on 27 January.

From a tourism perspective, the Mozart Year proved to be the most successful in Salzburg's history up to that point, with the city recording more than 2.2 million overnight stays for the first time.

Opening Conference – Sound of Europe

26 – 29 January 2006

Leading European politicians gathered at Salzburg Congress for the two-day Sound of Europe conference, held as part of Austria's Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

2007 and 2008 were dominated by the most severe global financial crisis since the Great Depression. The collapse of investment bank Lehman Brothers in autumn 2008 sent shockwaves through international financial markets and created widespread economic uncertainty. Just two months later, Salzburg Congress hosted the largest event in its history to date. Despite the challenging economic climate, Daimler AG chose Salzburg as the venue for its European Dealer Event, bringing owners and managing directors of Mercedes-Benz dealerships to the city.

In three waves, a total of 3,000 dealers from 29 countries travelled to Salzburg. New strategies and vehicle models were presented in the presence of the company's senior leadership team. The project involved an extensive network of local partners, including Hellbrunn Palace, Salzburg Airport's Terminal 2, regional transport providers, Panorama Tours and 28 hotels. Preparations took around eighteen months.

"The collaboration within the city and with our external partners was outstanding.

Everyone pulled together and, even today, we still keep in touch with many members of the team involved.

The scale of the event pushed us to the limits of what was possible.

A temporary hall was even constructed in front of the congress centre

to create additional catering space.

Together, we successfully mastered every challenge."

Mag. Barbara Schwaiger, Sales Manager at Salzburg Congress

In 2009, the informal "Meet in Austria" partnership, of which Salzburg Congress was a founding member, evolved into a new cooperation between Austrian congress centres under the name "5-Star Congress Group". Its focus remained on joint marketing activities in German-speaking markets, particularly within the association sector. Events were organised jointly in Vienna and Geneva, further strengthening the international profile of the participating venues.

In June 2011, Salzburg Congress celebrated its first successful decade with a major anniversary event. The figures spoke for themselves: more than one million visitors had attended around 1,500 events, generating total revenues of €20 million. The economic targets set at the time of the venue's reopening had not only been achieved, but exceeded. At the same time, collaboration with Salzburg's universities and research institutions continued to grow in importance. These partnerships would become an increasingly significant pillar of Salzburg Congress's development, helping to strengthen its position as a leading venue for scientific and academic events.

As competition for international association meetings intensified, the acquisition of European association events became increasingly important. To strengthen its position in this highly competitive market, the Sales & Marketing team began working with a specialist partner agency in the United Kingdom from 2012, further professionalising its bidding and invitation management processes.

The in-house Congress Services department also underwent significant development from 2015 onwards. Having already supported organisers with hotel reservations and social programmes for several years, the team expanded its range of services in response to growing demand. Participant registration and financial administration were added to the portfolio, enabling Salzburg Congress to offer organisers a more comprehensive service. The department's expanded expertise was demonstrated at major events such as Eurogin 2016, which welcomed 800 participants, and AIRMED 2022, attended by around 900 international delegates.

“For particularly large events, we all pull together even more closely. Everyone lends a hand wherever they are needed, regardless of their department or role. So it is not unusual to find colleagues from New Media, Sales & Marketing or International Sales Promotion working side by side to prepare a thousand delegate welcome bags. For me, it is this flexibility and sense of teamwork that truly define the character of Salzburg Congress.”

Robert Hild, Head of Congress Salzburg Congress

A light-hearted footnote from 2015: the much-debated and rarely used ladies' urinals were removed from Salzburg Congress. Despite their innovative design, the unconventional facilities never quite caught on with visitors.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic brought the global events industry to a standstill from February 2020 onwards. Congresses, conferences and meetings were cancelled around the world, fundamentally reshaping the sector. While Salzburg Congress hosted more than 100 events in 2019, generating approximately 70,000 overnight stays, activity in 2020 fell to almost zero.

At the same time, the industry was forced to innovate. Digitalisation accelerated, online events and hybrid formats emerged, and new technical possibilities were explored. Since its opening, Salzburg Congress has been regarded as one of Austria's most technologically advanced congress centres: Throughout this period, investment in digital infrastructure and state-of-the-art broadcasting technology continued. This enabled us to deliver virtual and hybrid event formats professionally, ranging from interactive web conferences to technically complex live broadcasts. Salzburg Congress has thus demonstrated how an organisation can rise to any challenge with the right combination of teamwork, expertise and modern technology.

The pandemic also reinforced the value of personal interaction. While digital formats proved their worth, they could not fully replace the experience of meeting face to face. As soon as in-person events became possible again, organisers and delegates returned to Salzburg Congress. Until then, however, parts of the venue served an entirely different purpose, housing COVID-19 testing facilities.

2022 also marked a new chapter in the cooperation between Austria's leading congress centres. Since 2019, the venues in Salzburg, Graz and Innsbruck had worked closely together under the name Austrian Congress Group, successfully navigating the challenges of the pandemic. In 2022, the partnership was relaunched as Austrian Congress Culture, accompanied by a new identity and renewed strategic focus.

Since then, the cooperation has continued through joint sponsorship activities, trade fair appearances, familiarisation trips and roadshows. Built on mutual support and a shared commitment to strengthening Austria's position as a sustainable and successful congress destination, the partnership remains an unusual yet highly effective model. Over the years, it has helped attract major events to Salzburg, Graz and Innsbruck alike.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 once again altered the global landscape. Ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East continue to influence international travel, tourism and the meetings industry to this day.

Against this backdrop, congresses and conferences remain as important as ever, particularly for science, research and business. In an era of online meetings, digitalisation and remote working, personal interaction has become increasingly valuable. This was reflected in the number and quality of congresses hosted at Salzburg Congress in recent years.

More than ever, Salzburg benefits from its accessibility, safety and international reputation. The city's unique combination of cultural heritage and modern infrastructure, together with the central location of Salzburg Congress, continues to attract organisers and delegates from around the world. Cultural icons such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and The Sound of Music also contribute to Salzburg's appeal as an international meeting destination.

Through the Young Researchers Programme, students from Salzburg are offered significantly reduced registration fees, enabling them to attend presentations by leading international researchers in their own city. The initiative makes an important contribution to Salzburg's position as a centre of knowledge and research and is highly valued by the universities.

Further investment was made in Salzburg Congress in 2025. After 24 years, the venue's entire furniture inventory was renewed at a cost of approximately €1.4 million.

"Following Barcelona and Lund, it was both a great pleasure and an honour to bring the leading experts

in bone marrow diagnostics to Salzburg and to introduce them to my city.

The choice of Salzburg was met with tremendous enthusiasm. International delegates associate the city

with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and The Sound of Music, and it enjoys an outstanding reputation as a congress destination.

Alongside Salzburg's beauty, its central location and excellent accessibility add significantly to its appeal.

While the scientific content is, of course, the primary focus, the informal exchange that takes place alongside the programme

should never be underestimated. These personal encounters are particularly valuable when younger colleagues

suddenly find themselves sharing a table with some of the leading figures in their field."

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Karl Sotlar, Head of the Institute of Pathology at Salzburg University Hospital and the Paracelsus Medical University

"International scientific congresses of this kind bring enormous prestige

not only to Salzburg Congress, but also to the city itself.

We greatly value our close collaboration with the medical and scientific communities in Salzburg.

These are relationships that develop over many years and often grow into trusted long-term partnerships."

Mag. Barbara Schwaiger, Sales Manager at Salzburg Congress

The entire Salzburg Congress team

would like to thank its clients, partners

and all those who have contributed to its success

over the years and decades.

We are deeply grateful for the trust placed in us

and for the opportunity to grow together.

Together, we have helped shape and strengthen

Salzburg's reputation as a congress and meetings destination,

both within the city and far beyond its borders.

We look forward

to the next quarter century.

celebrate25