Business is our strength, consulting is our passion

We are the first port of call for all businesses, associations and agencies planning a congress, meeting, event or incentive in Hamburg.

The Hamburg Convention Bureau is Hamburg’s official, non-partisan agency for marketing Hamburg as a destination. Our Conventions unit comprises experienced experts who will navigate you through all planning stages. We are well acquainted with the local industry, and we will support you in achieving your objectives as swiftly as possible.

Our team of dedicated marketing professionals can provide you with free and independent advice with regard to securing suitable venues and hotel accommodation and in compiling a social programme. We maintain an extensive network with local service providers, public authorities and economic clusters. We organise inspection visits whenever required and use our industry expertise to support you in preparing your conference bid.

In the area of conventions, we focus on acquiring international business events related to those industries that are part of Hamburg’s economic clusters. In particular, we concentrate our efforts on Hamburg’s local cluster initiatives and scientific landscape. In addition, we also focus on the strategic development and expansion of our target markets.

In our role as ambassadors for Hamburg as a MICE destination, we promote the Hamburg Metropolitan Region at trade fairs and industry events as well as in reputable media.

Areas of expertise

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Destination marketing

We specialise in B2B events and promote Hamburg as a destination in our target markets at trade fairs and via dedicated HCB events.

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Location development

We develop Hamburg as a location: we raise public awareness for promotable business tourism and we highlight the MICE industry’s benefits for Hamburg. We harness the city’s potential and we are committed to developing the quality of local services with a view to the future.

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Consulting

Based on our consulting expertise, we navigate our clients through Hamburg’s MICE landscape and make recommendations tailored to our clients’ specific needs.

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Contacts & networks

We have in-depth knowledge of Hamburg, and we maintain an extensive network with local service providers and stakeholders from politics, academia and business, which enables us to establish relevant contacts for you.

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Acquisition of conferences and conventions

We are experts in acquiring conferences: we know the national and international MICE industry inside out, and our active approach to bidding and approval procedures enables us to strengthen Hamburg as a destination especially via cluster-specific business events.

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Client support

We provide you with professional support before, during and after your conference: we obtain quotes and secure hotel accommodation, and we conduct site inspections. We make use of our local network to facilitate your event, and we are available for feedback meetings.

Our services for you

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Conference bidding

We advise you from the early stages of the bidding process, which enables us to help you compile a bid book and jointly identify services and facilities suited to meeting the requirements specified by the organiser.

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Accommodation capacity

For events with a large number of participants, we can assist you in securing hotel accommodation. We take care of contacting partner hotels and enquiring about room capacity during the desired event period.

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Location scouting

Thanks to our extensive network we can assist you in finding suitable conference facilities and locations and in providing you with a choice of options for your event. As an independent point of contact we can swiftly refer you to relevant contact persons.

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Networks

We organise inspection tours upon request and establish contact with public authorities, cluster initiatives, businesses and science institutions.

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Site inspections

We can arrange for a site inspection tour prior to your event so as to give you an overall view of the premises and the local conditions of the relevant venue.

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Funding

During low demand periods, we can support you by providing congress funding. For more detailed information, please contact us.

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Marketing

We make our marketing and communication channels available to you so you can promote your event and publish information relating to your event.

Contact

Kai Dieterich

Head of Strategy and Communications

kai.dieterich@hamburg-tourismus.de
T +49 (0)40 / 30051-613

Kai Dieterich is interim head of the Conventions division. In this role, he manages the division’s operational business – from strategic marketing to activities in target markets and communication issues.

Kai Dieterich is also head of the Strategy & Communication department. In this function, he is responsible for the further development of the corporate strategy of the Hamburg Convention Bureau. This is done in close coordination with the companies belonging to the Hamburg Marketing GmbH holding company at a higher level. In order to successfully position Hamburg as a premium location for congresses and conferences, Kai Dieterich coordinates and optimises the further profiling of destination marketing and the associated operational processes. This also includes the management of corporate communications both internally and externally.

The Strategy & Communication department is also responsible for supporting the HCB partners and for market research and observation. It also supports the conventions divisions in individual areas by exploiting synergies within the company. Kai Dieterich has been a member of the HCB core team since the HCB was founded in 2009 and previously headed strategic and operational marketing in the Conventions division. He acquired his in-depth specialist knowledge among other things through a Bachelor’s and Master’s programme in England.

Florian Gerdes

Marketing Manager Conventions
Focus: UK, USA & China

florian.gerdes@hamburg-convention.com
T +49 (0)40 / 30051-652

As a marketing manager, Florian Gerdes is responsible for clients from Great Britain, the United States and China. Florian deals with queries emerging from these markets, while also managing target group-specific events and PR measures for clients. At trade fairs, forums and sales calls, Florian serves as the contact person for event planners from agencies and private enterprises in particular.

Florian studied hotel management in Switzerland with a focus on marketing. He holds a BA in business administration and a diploma from the Swiss Hotel Association. His career path has also led him to the United States, Italy and Tanzania.

Sarah Meyn

Marketing Manager Conventions
Focus: Hamburg Economic Cluster

sarah.meyn@hamburg-convention.com
T +49 (0)40 / 30051-410

A trained geographer, Sarah set the course for her career in tourism at an early stage by following her interest in internationalism. Thus, her private life as well as her tourism studies and her work have led her e.g. to Australia, Japan and Africa. As a member of the event marketing unit, she was in charge of coordinating the networking reception in London, the PR work, and the social media channels for Hamburg on Tour, the HCB’s live communication event. With her international perspective and her hands-on knowledge in project management, Sarah contributes valuable skills to the HCB’s event unit. Her current focus lies on systematically attracting association events across all economic clusters.

Caroline Molitoris

Marketing Manager Conventions
Focus: Media & IT, Creative Industries, Renewable Energies & Smart City

caroline.molitoris@hamburg-convention.com
T +49 (0)40 / 30051-615

With a special focus on Hamburg’s locational expertise and economic clusters, Caroline Molitoris is responsible for acquiring meetings and events. Caroline is your contact person for cluster-related events and queries from the fields of media & IT, creative industries, renewable energies and smart city and can connect you with the right person for your event. Thanks to her excellent networking links with these industries and the combined expertise resulting from this, Caroline can provide systematic advice and support to stakeholders from associations, agencies and businesses organising their events in Hamburg.

Caroline also benefits from her previous experience as project manager of the Hamburg Ambassador programme at the HWF Hamburg Business Development Corporation. Having studied tourism and event management at the EBC College in Hamburg, Caroline also holds an MBA from the FOM University of Applied Science.

Saskia Müller

Marketing Manager Conventions
Focus: BeNeLux, Scandinavia & France

saskia.mueller@hamburg-convention.com
Tel +49 (0)40 / 30051-651

As part of her role in the HCB’s conventions division, Saskia Müller is responsible for Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Scandinavia. Saskia advises and supports event organisers from agencies and private enterprises in implementing their events in Hamburg. In addition to her consultancy tasks she also coordinates HCB’s marketing measures in these markets, e.g. by initiating highly visible events and media cooperation projects.

Born and bred in Bielefeld, Saskia trained as an event manager and later attended Stenden University (Netherlands), where she studied business administration and marketing with a focus on tourism and event management.

Frank Pflugfelder

Marketing Manager Conventions
Focus: Logistics, Maritime Industries & Aviation

frank.pflugfelder@hamburg-convention.com
T +49 (0)40 / 30051-655

Born and bred in Basel, Frank Pflugfelder advises clients from the economic clusters of logistics, maritime and aviation wishing to hold an event in Hamburg. Besides managing event queries, Frank’s range of tasks includes developing innovative concepts for advancing the meeting business, as well as participating in promotional industry events.

Frank has in-depth knowledge and 15 years of experience in the trade fair and event industries. He has worked e.g. with Reed Exhibitions Deutschland GmbH and, on behalf of Karlsruhe Messe und Kongress, as a project coordinator for Learntex, a specialist fair.

Karin Samland

Marketing Manager Conventions
Focus: Germany, Austria & Switzerland

karin.samland@hamburg-convention.com
T +49 (0)40 / 30051-614

Karin Samland advises and supports clients from Germany, Austria and Switzerland who are interested in Hamburg as a venue and who are seeking to hold a conference or meeting in Hamburg. Karin has many years of experience in the meetings and convention industry and previously worked for various renowned hotels in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. She has strong local knowledge and an excellent local network. On behalf of the HCB, Karin also develops and coordinates promotional, communication and marketing activities specifically tailored to the German, Austrian and Swiss markets.

Born in Austria, Karin trained in tourism management and has a long track record in organising large-scale conventions, conferences and events. As a convention sales and events manager at the Grand Elysée Hamburg she was in charge of organising events of up to 1,000 guests. Prior to joining the HCB in early 2015, Karin worked as director of sales and marketing at the Privathotel Lindtner Hamburg.

Karine Serra

Marketing Manager Conventions
Focus: Medical, Healthcare & Life Science

karine.serra@hamburg-convention.com
Tel +49 (0)40 / 30051-617

At the HCB, Karine Serra is in charge of actively attracting international congresses to Hamburg. A graduate event manager, Karine is dedicated to the cluster industries of medicine, healthcare, and life sciences. Karine is a native of France and has lived in Hamburg since 2001. As well as knowing the the city inside out, she has in-depth knowledge of the tourism and MICE sectors. Karine has gained many years of experience in planning and implementing international events, e.g.with Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH as project manager for trade fairs abroad. Most recently, Karine held the role of senior project manager in destination management with MR Congress & Incentive GmbH, where she was responsible for the French market.

The HCB on tour – our schedule at a glance

The HCB regularly presents itself together with hotels and MICE partners from the Hamburg Metropolitan Region at major trade fairs and industry events. Please get in touch with us if you wish to make an advance appointment. We look forward to meeting you at the Hamburg Metropolitan Region’s exhibition booth or at one of the industry forums.

Events/Activities 2020	Place	Date
PCMA Convening Leaders	San Francisco	05.01. – 08.01.
Meeting Matters 2020 – Networking Event	Brussels	20.01.
IAPCO Edge	Munich	21.01. – 23.01.
Healthcare Events Forum (org. by M&I Forums & Healthcare Events)	Helsinki	11.02. – 13.02.
IAPCO Annual Meeting & General Assembly	Vancouver	12.02. – 15.02.
Netzwerk Dinner	Stockholm	14.02. – 17.02.
Netzwerk Dinner	Amsterdam	02.04.
GCB MICE Networking Event	Brussels	28.04.
ICCA Association Expert Seminar	Frankfurt	09.05. – 11.05.
IMEX 2020	Frankfurt	12.05. – 14.05.
Möde Mekka 2020	Denmark	27.05.
Netzwerk Dinner	Zurich	24.06.
M&I Forum Europe Summer (org. by M&I Forums)	Oslo	05.07. – 08.07.
C&IT Agency Forum	UK	04.08. – 06.08.
B2B Destination Workshop	UK	27.08.
Meeting Live International	Region Copenhagen	cw 35
IMEX America	USA	15.09. – 17.09.
The Meeting Space	tba	24.09. – 26.09.
IBTM World	Barcelona	01.12. – 03.12.
HorizON (NEU) (org. by American Express Meetings & Events)	Sevilla	12.12. – 14.12.
Hamburg on Tour	tba	tba