Vienna has been considered one of the leading meeting destinations worldwide for years. In 2022, Vienna's more than 240 meeting venues were already well booked again, and this trend is continuing in 2023: almost 40 events with more than 1,000 participants are already planned. However, the metropolis expects even more events to take place, due to the partly short-term booking behavior, especially in the corporate segment. At the present time, numerous applications and inquiries as well as short-term acquisitions are being submitted. For example, Aquaculture Europe, an event of the European Aquaculture Society (EAS) will take place at the Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center in September. The past events have attracted around 2,000 participants from up to 80 nations.

Christian Woronka, Head of B2B Management and Vienna Convention Bureau, also sees great opportunities to build on pre-pandemic success levels: "2023 will be an exciting year for the international meetings industry. Despite the challenging economic situation and continued many uncertainties, the demand for face-to-face meetings is clearly noticeable. We are pleased to see many, primarily large-scale medical congresses choosing Vienna as their meeting location. Several of these events will bring more than 10,000 international participants to the meeting destination Vienna. We are also experiencing strong demand in the corporate segment, some of which is more dynamic than many had expected. In this area, we expect bookings to be made at short notice. We are adjusting to these general conditions and are doing everything we can to make 2023 another strong year for Meeting Destination Vienna."
 
While the congresses and corporate meetings taking place in Austria's capital span a wide range of industries, the focus of this year’s events is on the fields of human medicine, as well as natural sciences, which have traditionally been strongly anchored to Vienna.

Below is a selection of  meetings and events that will take place in Vienna in 2023:

• February 17-24: APRI International Conference - The Arctic Science Summit Week - ASSW - This annual conference brings together representatives of Arctic research and will be held at the University of Vienna in 2022.
• March 1-5: European Congress of Radiology - The European Congress of Radiology will be held for the 29th time in Vienna, once again at the Austria Center Vienna. As has been the case for years, the ECR will be a hybrid congress, with the motto "Cycle of Life" emphasizing the role of radiology along the entire human lifespan.
• April 23-28: General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union - EGU - Also at the Austria Center Vienna, around 10,000 geoscientists from all over the world are expected in April. The EGU covers all disciplines of earth, planetary and space sciences and provides a format for scientists, especially young researchers, to exchange ideas.
• May 30-July 6: ViennaUP'2023 - Vienna becomes the meeting point for the international startup scene with startup talks, networking, pitch sessions, coaching sessions and hackathons. Meeting locations are spread across the city.
• September 8-12: 41st Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons - ESCRS 2023 - In September,  12,000 cataract surgery representatives will gather at this congress at the Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center.
• September 9-13: Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine - EANM - In mid-September, the Austria Center Vienna welcomes another major medical congress, where  more than 6,000 experts in nuclear medicine are expected to attend.
• September 25-28: IAAPA Conference & EXPO Europe - Euro Attractions Show - The most important event for the leisure industry in Europe will be held in Vienna for the third time, welcoming over  10,000 participants. The venue selected for the conference is the Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center, located directly next to the Prater amusement park.
• October 11-12: HR-Inside Summit 2023 - Around 2,000 executives and HR managers from the DACH region will meet at the HOFBURG Vienna to exchange ideas and network.

Most major events take place in Vienna's three convention centers. The Austria Center Vienna - ACV with its 19 halls as well as 180 meeting rooms on five levels sets standards in sustainability and innovation: Huge LED walls promising an innovative lighting concept, efficient heat recovery saving 90% energy and a worldwide unique digital infrastructure. The Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center is located on the former site of the great World's Fair of 1873, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. Today, Messe Wien is home to numerous major congresses with its 55,000 m² of exhibition space and a further 7,000 m² of space in the Congress Center. Great importance is devoted to sustainability, with further attention dedicated to the use of available resources. In addition, the venue is completely barrier-free, making it a leader in accessibility. The International Congress and Event Center HOFBURG Vienna, located in the heart of the city, enchants meetings attendees with its historical and sophisticated flair. The location, whose origins date back to the 13th century, hosts around 300 events a year and is ideal for balls, gala events and also congresses.
 
Christian Woronka, Head of B2B Management and Vienna Convention Bureau, describes the city of Vienna as an ideal meeting destination for 2023: "In Vienna, imperial flair meets a smart and livable city that is constantly evolving. With three centrally located convention centers and over 240 other diverse locations, we are ideally positioned for the coming meeting year."