The GCB

Basic Information

The GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. markets Germany as a destination for conventions, meetings, events and incentives both on a national and international level, and is the place to contact for anybody planning an event in Germany.

Its 250 members include leading hotels, convention centres and destinations, car hire firms, event agencies and service providers of the German meetings and conventions industry. Maritim Hotels and Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH and darmstadtium science and convention centre are Preferred Partners of the GCB. As Strategic Partners, Deutsche Lufthansa, Deutsche Bahn and the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) support the work of the GCB.

The GCB is an interface between organisers of meetings and conventions and suppliers of the German meetings market, offers advice and support for planning and organising events, and provides contacts and addresses. Its website www.germany-meetings.com features an online search facility for meeting venues, newsletter, Germany guide and a lot more.

GCB Press Releases 2009

Meeting & EventBarometer 2010: Summary

Germany’s image as a meeting and event destination is constantly improving

Despite a strong decline in demand both suppliers and organisers from Germany and abroad still consider Germany the number one meeting destination by far: Around 80 per cent of both groups are convinced that Germany’s image as a meeting and event destination is constantly improving – this was the strikingly unanimous result of the Meeting & Event Barometer. Initiated by the European Association of Event Centres (EVVC), the German Convention Bureau (GCB) and the German National Tourist Board (DZT), the survey on the German meeting and event market was presented at IMEX trade fair today. In 2010 the initiators commissioned the European Institute for the Meetings Industry (EITW) to conduct the survey for the fourth time already.

• Das Meetings und Eventbaroment 2009 - Management Info
• Das Meetings und Eventbaroment 2009 - Management Info
• Das Meetings und Eventbaroment 2007 - Management Info

Basic Information

History of the GCB

• The German Convention Bureau was founded in March 1973 as Deutsche Kongreßvereinigung DKV GmbH & Co.KG. on the initiative of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.
  Objective: To promote Germany as a destination for foreign incoming conventions
• In December 1973 it was already renamed Deutsches Kongressbüro /German Convention Bureau.
• In 1974 Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus (German Tourist Board) joined the 30 founding members (including Deutsche Bahn and Lufthansa).
• To promote Germany as a meetings destination the GCB then developed brochures, attended fairs, bought advertising space and did many other things over the years that followed.
• It constantly recruited new participants and already had 120 members by 1984.
• It published a first conventions survey in 1988.
• Reunification brought a new surge of its membership figure.
• In the 1990s the GCB expanded its marketing activities and visited all major fairs.
• In 1996 the GCB launched its website www.gcb.de!
• Since 2001 the GCB has been managed by director Lutz P. Vogt.
• In 2003 the GCB celebrated its 30th birthday and hence 30 years of successful work!