In 2021, the eyes of the international community of neurosurgeons will be on Hamburg as the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS) will be holding its annual congress here.
Around 2,000 specialists are expected to join the event, which will take place at the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg and once again confirm Hamburg’s relevance as a science location.
In the bid to host the 2021 EANS conference, Hamburg prevailed over strong competition such as Jerusalem, Rotterdam, and Krakow. Following a pitch in Brussels, the contract was subsequently awarded to the Hanseatic city of Hamburg. The winning bid is the result of a focused acquisition strategy as well as excellent collaboration among local stakeholders.
Nele Aumann, head of the Conventions unit at the Hamburg Convention Bureau (HCB), comments: “We are systematically building on Hamburg’s cluster industries. This is where the city’s strengths are to be found, and these strengths are also highlighted in the context of bidding procedures. With the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), we can rely on a strong, committed player with whom we can collaborate closely and who is able to provide relevant expertise in the subject domain. In addition to our city’s favourable infrastructural features and the long track record of the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg in the field of medicine, we can offer a powerful package that has put us in an excellent position, especially in the area of medicine and science.”
Hamburg’s bidding history may illustrate that competition is stiff for high-profile congresses such as the EANS: in fact, Hamburg already took part in an earlier bid to host this event. In 2017, representatives of the HCB and the UKE travelled to Venice to present their concept, which was not successful at the time.
Prof. Dr Manfred Westphal, EANS Member and EANS2021 Congress President, from the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) says: “It is a great success that we have been able to win the bid for the EANS congress with this second attempt. For the UKE, this congress is an opportunity to demonstrate the strong and extensive expertise we have here at the UKE. Our close collaboration with the Hamburg Convention Bureau has now contributed to the fact that this top-class congress is coming to Hamburg.”
Bernd Aufderheide, chair of the management board of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH, which is the company operating the CCH, adds: “In the competition for major international conferences, it is increasingly a location’s mix of available offerings that is making the difference.” With the highly attractive new CCH – Congress Center Hamburg and its long tradition and vast experience, Hamburg will play an even more important role in the field of medical congresses in the future.”
