Munich Has Plenty to Offer for Meeting Planners in 2020

In the spring, the Science Congress Center Munich (SCCM) is scheduled to open on the Technical University of Munich (TUM) campus. It is part of the new research campus called Galileo-Neue Mitte Garching and is conveniently located halfway between Munich City Center (a 25-minute trip by underground) and the international airport, making it an ideal spot for meetings and events. One of the world’s largest lecture halls that incorporates natural daylight, the Audimax seats 1,300 people and is at the heart of the new Science Congress Center. In addition, the campus also features an auditorium for 300 people and additional meeting space totaling 17,000 square feet and many shops and restaurants. This is a vibrant community comprised of scientific and research institutes and the modern and bright design help inspire meetings. The southern part of the building houses a Courtyard by Marriott with 250 rooms. For guests planning on longer visits, there is also the Stellaris Apartment Hotel offering 159 fully furnished apartments.

Another unique meeting venue: MOTORWORLD plans to expand by opening a new location in Munich in the summer of 2020. According to the company, the Motorworld Group develops, builds and operates experience worlds that are dedicated to mobile passion. The Munich site will be located on the site of a former railway repair shop in the Freimann district and will be transformed into a venue comprised of boutiques and workshops, event locations of varying sizes, a four-star-themed hotel and many restaurants all with an automotive flair. The Zenith, Kohlebunker and Kesselhaus event halls are already up and running. One distinctive feature that car aficionados are guaranteed to love are the glass boxes which proud owners can rent to exhibit their favorite automotive treasures.

If your attendees didn’t get their fill of travel at MOTORWORLD how about taking them on a time travel through 7,000 years of Bavarian history? Aided by virtual reality glasses and haptic systems, TimeRide transports audiences in Ludwig II’s peacock wagon and immerses them in the life of the times. It is a fun and educational experience guaranteed to impress!

While Americans might consider football (or soccer as we know it) enjoyable to watch, Bavarians take their football very seriously. Understandably they are proud that Munich was chosen as the only German city to host the European Football Championship Tournament,  played in 12 cities to mark the league’s 60th anniversary. Four games of the UEFA EURO are scheduled to be played in Allianz Arena.

Another cause for celebration in Munich in 2020: the memorial year in honor of composer Carl Orff, the most important and internationally popular Bavarian composers of the 20th century. His 125th birthday will be celebrated on July 10, 2020 and the Orff Centre Munich is planning many performances throughout the area, as well as, educational programs to honor him.

Certainly, one of the most anticipated events in Munich in 2020 is the One Young World Summit. Youth leaders from around the globe will convene in Munich “to drive change, take action and tackle today’s most pressing issues.” An important component of this Summit is the One World Counsellors (high-profile leaders) who will come to Munich to share their real-world experience of making a positive social impact. In previous years, this group of counsellors has included Nobel Peace laureates, heads of state, and activists including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Sir Bob Geldof, Justin Trudeau, Emma Watson and Meghan Markle. In 2017, 2.9 million people were impacted by the work started by One Young World Ambassadors. It will be exciting to see the impact of this year’s event!

In addition, Munich will host many other large-scale and noteworthy conferences like the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe Congress (CIRSE) with over 7,000 onsite visitors and over 1,250 online participants. The International Association of Professional Congress Organizers (IAPCO) will also convene a gathering of PCOs, CVBs, Convention Centers, and Associations to “Connect & Share” and learn to lead at this event in Munich.

One of the most iconic of the 2020 highlights (and maybe the most important, depending on who you ask): Oktoberfest 2020, which will run from September 19 to October 4, 2020. A tradition has developed that Munich’s mayor kicks of Oktoberfest every year at the tapping ceremony in the Schottenhamel festival hall at 12 noon on the first Saturday of the Wiesn. The mayor taps the first beer barrel and opens Oktoberfest with the cry “O’zapft is (it is tapped)!”

Whether you are interested in new venues, sporting or cultural events or dynamic congresses – there are lot of reasons to be excited about visiting Munich in 2020!