One of the most romantic cities in Europe, and renowned throughout the world for its music, art, and architecture. Vienna is a beautiful destination for any occasion, but also has a strong reputation as one of the worlds most desired destinations for international conferences. Famous attractions include the Schönbrunn Palace and its lush gardens including the Vienna Zoo, The Spanish Riding School, St Stephen’s Cathedral, to name but a few of the standout attractions. Food in the city is enriched by the influences of the former vassals of the old Hapsburg Empire. The people are friendly and cheerful, and boasting more than a few great Brauhaus to rival those of their Germanic neighbours. However, you choose to spend your visit. Vienna has something for everyone.

About Vienna:

Vienna offers a fantastic, year-round destination for travellers, whether their trip is for business or pleasure. With a befittingly large airport to match its historical status as one of Europe’s most important capitals, and excellent rail connections to neighbouring countries, travel to and from is never a burden, perhaps, thanks to the above-average number of UN department offices and charitable organisations that use Vienna as a base, fixing it firmly in the eye of the World as a city of progress. Befitting a city with such amazing and diverse Architecture, there are some truly impressive and unique hotels and other venues to visit recreationally, and professionally.

Travel Tips and Fun Facts:

Weather: Being a landlocked country close to two different mountains ranges, expect winters to be chilly and summers to be scorching as the seasons roll in and out of Vienna. Do not let travelling during the colder months put you off, however, as Vienna can be at its most beautiful when covered under a blanket of snow, and the Christmas markets rival that of any other nation.

Travel: As mentioned, there is a large airport just outside the city which is being expanded further to include a third runway to further facilitate international travel. Optionally, outstanding rail links to neighbouring countries can provide fun, and impressively scenic method of travel. Travel from Budapest, Bratislava, Munich, Berlin, and Prague is easily negotiable, and with a good quality of service on most Austrian trains will ensure that your trip gets off to a very hospitable start.

Food: Where to even begin? Wien Schnitzel is a very big deal, but one of the best bowls of Goulash you can find anywhere we believe is in Vienna. Bread or potato dumplings, meat or vegetable stews, knuckles of pork the size of your own head, and all to be washed down with steins of glorious golden beer, or goblets of wine from the lush vineyards in the foothills of the city, you may well have to tighten the belt by a few notches by the time you are finished eating after a trip to this city. We recommend you drink the Schnapps the locals offer you after every meal as well as a lot of it is home-made and rather excellent!

Language: Austrian-German. But you will find a handy amount of English speakers due to the cities international prestige, as well as more than a few other tongues from neighbouring regions like Hungary, Bratislava, and Czecha. Due to a strong Jewish community Hebrew is also spoken more commonly than most European cities.
Did you know? Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was not born in the city but came to it from the countryside in his youth. He is however buried there, but not in anywhere near as much luxury as you may think as his remains were exhumed and dumped amongst the bones of tens of thousands of the cities former inhabitants under St Stephen’s Cathedral! You can actually visit the catacombs but it is not for the faint-hearted.

Did you know? Tiergarten Schönbrunn, the zoo housed in the grounds of the palace of the same name, is the oldest continuously operated zoo in the world. A small zoo had previously existed on the premises from as far back as 1540 but was not officially opened to the public until 1779. Today it has the added distinction of being one of the few zoos to house Giant Pandas.

Did you know? The Third Man (1949) is perhaps the most famous film to have been shot in the Austrian capital and starred Orson Welles at the height of his fame. However Welles was something of a pain in the neck on the set of the film and very little footage of him was actually shot in Vienna due to his reluctance to travel and stay there, forcing the production team to even have to use the Assistant Director as a body double in some cases.

You may be wondering why bother using our Venue Finding Service and what’s in it for you ….well here is a list of benefits…

• Firstly its FREE – No fees are added on to any of the rates we quote to you.

• Using this service saves you valuable time – we do all the time-consuming searching so that you can get on with the job of organising the event.

• You can save money – our buying power means that we can access better rate.

• We will get more for your money – we’ll negotiate the best deal for you with added extras such as upgrades and discounted rates !

• We offer a quick turnaround since we are connected to all the account manager at the venues – so we prioritise your needs providing you a detailed proposal of options within 24 hours or less.

• We have been in the business for over 20 years so with our knowledge combined with our database of over 25,000 venues, we can recommend and source a variety of options for your event.

• We have a large network of Event Planner all over the world, so other than just sourcing a meeting room we can also help you arrange offsite dinners to site seeing tours using our expert destination guides.

If this is right for you then please contact our Conference Co-ordinators to help you plan your next Annual Conference, Road show, Meeting or any Event ….

Email: info@conference-desk.com

Could this be your next destination to hold a meeting or event?

Known around the world as “The Island of Eternal Spring”, Tenerife is the largest and most visited of the Canary Islands, and it isn’t hard to see why.  Dominated by the third largest volcano above sea-level in the world the now silent giant, Mount Teide, casts what some scientists have called the largest shadow on the planet out over the ocean every day at sunrise. The entire island is a geological wonderland thanks to years of volcanic activity, influencing almost every aspect of island life from the grapes harvested for the excellent local wine, to the diverse marine life attracted to the mineral-rich waters.

About Tenerife:

Boasting a sub-tropical climate, several UNESCO World Heritage sites, one of the best stargazing locations in the world, a plethora of options for ocean-based activities, and with some standout hotels to stay in, Tenerife provides a unique, standout destination for both commercial tourism and conferencing events. The late-great Professor Stephen Hawking certainly thought so when he travelled to the island for the second STARMUS festival as a keynote speaking. There are two airports located in the North and South of the island to service travel to either Europe or Africa, and even options for travel across the Atlantic, as Tenerife has seen a boom in the last few years as a location for tech-based start-up companies.

Travel Tips and Fun Facts:

Weather: Good all year round thanks to the sub-tropical climate. Even in December you can still find the temperature reaching the mid-twenties on the island.

Travel: A whole host of International hub airports offer flights to Tenerife, but for best year-round access we recommend flying with British Airways from London Gatwick. A four hour flight time is less of a burden then it sounds, especially with the destination in mind!

Food: A gastronome’s haven. The island has a fantastic range of local produce from fresh fish and locally made cheese, to the volcanic grapes that contribute to the excellent local wine, and the banana plantations that dominate the southern half of the Island.

Language: Spanish, but spoken with a more South American twang thanks to mass immigration from, and then re-settling on the island. English is also commonly spoken thanks to the long-established British community and tourism.

Did you know? That Admiral Horatio Nelson lost an arm in battle off the coast of Tenerife in 1797. A festival on the 25^th of July takes place in Santa Cruz every year to commemorate this victory.

Did you know? The depths of the waters in-between the Canary Islands are so vast that Giant Squid dwell in them. Pilot Whales use these waters as hunting grounds, forcing the squid to the surface and devouring it in packs.

Did you know? Mount Teide is not only the highest point of all the Canary Islands but also the highest point in Spain at 3,718m.

Abu Dhabi is the wealthiest of seven oil-rich states, it is the Jewel in the United Arab Emirates, cultural crown- a multi-island, mega flush destination for 5-star play and stay where event the police drive Rolls Royce Phantoms.

Majlis is Arabic for a top-level meeting place and in Abu Dhabi; the traditional majlis – a tented meeting place where hospitality abounded before negotiations began – it has been the setting for business meetings from the heyday of the silk route. The tradition, which characterised the early signing of petroleum concessions, lives on today and our majlis is now among the most advanced and competitive around. Abu Dhabi has taken the best of the past and refreshed it with the finest for the present and future.

Overview of Abu Dhabi….

What was 50 years ago no more than a fishing village, Abu Dhabi now straddles some 200 islands in the Arabian Gulf. Most of the action is in the west, around pristine beachy corniche. The finance district sits astride Al Reem and Al Maryah Island and NW is Arty Smart Saadiyat (with the imminent Louvre & Guggenheim). East is the water Parks, Mega Malls and Motor madness of Yas Island.

Here are some tips & facts!

Weather. Best Time to visit is November – April, pack a shawl for cooler eves. July to September soar to the high 40s.

Don’t use suncream USE SUNBLOCK!

English is widely spoken and the locals are very friendly

The city is very safe  there’s virtually no crime

EVENTS: Volvo ocean race  (Jan)  Hot Yaughts; Abu Dhabi Food Festival (Feb)  Abu Dhabi Classics (Oct May)  Raising the Baton Art Fair ( Nov) F1 ABU Dhabi Grand Prix ( Nov)

The weekend is Friday to Saturday, Sunday is their first day of the week.

Conference Venues in Abu Dhabi

At Conference Desk, we have chosen and selected only the very best hotels in which we wish to work with and here are a few…

Fairmont Bab Al Bahr 

Modish dandy for work and play with spacious suites, vast toe dipper, stagger waterside views of the grand mosque, plus top tables Marco Pierre White and Frankies Italian. The  Fairmont Bab Al Bahr. Offering superior hospitality, state-of-the-art technology and more than 2,500 square metres (26,900 square feet) of meeting space, the business-friendly hotel in Abu Dhabii is your gateway to the wonders of the Middle East.

Ritz Carlton

Set against a backdrop of the majestic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal offers a wide array of facilities including 447 luxurious guestrooms and suites, 85 private villas, ten food and beverage options, and an expansive outdoor pool. With 14 meeting rooms and the magnificent 1,550-square meter (16,685 square foot) Roma Ballroom that is divisible by three, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal can accommodate groups of all sizes for an inspiring meeting experience

Jumeirah at Etihad Towers

Dazzly, a comtempo corniche side pillar of swish apartments with private beach, label stable avenue and fab Talise Spa.

Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche

The premier meeting and conference destination in the city, Emirates Palace attracts business drivers and key decision makers from around the world to its beautiful front steps. A royal wedding, an auditorium hosting the world’s greatest orchestras, operas and 42 meeting and conference rooms, Emirates Palace offers a world-class award winning venue and the most flexible and technologically advanced conference expertise.

ACTIVITIES 

If you are looking for a destination that offers fun-filled activities for your Team then Abu Dhabi has it all..! We work with only the best Destination Management Companies in Abu Dhabi who will provide you and your team a bespoke activity and event package.

Explore the seemingly endless Empty Quarter on a desert safari with an exhilarating ride over sand dunes in a four-wheel drive. Followed by a sunset barbecue at a Bedouin-style campsite, where you can climb aboard a camel, have a go at sandboarding and watch peregrine falcons in flight.

If you’re after an active experience, leave the city behind and take a kayaking or paddleboarding trip through Abu Dhabi’s vast and peaceful mangrove forests.

Yas Island is the emirate’s entertainment hub. Non-stop fun awaits at Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi, which has 45 rides and slides across four thrill levels, and budding Lewis Hamiltons will love racing go-karts around Yas Marina Circuit. Adrenalin junkies can ride the world’s fastest rollercoaster at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, and little ones can enjoy the driving school.

CONTACT US NOW FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON HOLDING AN EVENT HERE.

info@conference-desk.com