Leipzig The City of Trade Fairs

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1,073 words Steffi Gretschel
88 lines (Head of International PR Tourism)
Phone: +49 (0)341 7104-300
E-Mail: s.gretschel@ltm-leipzig.de
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PRESS RELEASE
(presse08/003/02.25)
First choice for conferences, meetings and events
Leipzig: The City of Trade Fairs
Why Leipzig?
Leipzig has long ceased to be an insiders' tip among meeting planners – it is increasingly the
first-choice location. As a lively centre of business and academia that also offers cultural
activities, shopping opportunities and nightlife, Leipzig inspires its visitors with its sheer variety.
Few other German cities radiate such vitality and optimism. Saxony's largest city now boasts a
cutting-edge infrastructure in terms of the trade fair, congress facilities and hotel industry and
offers a high level of professionalism combined with an unrivalled welcome.
The “mother of trade fairs” – looking back on 1000 years of success
The city's recipe for success in the field of trade fairs and congresses has been tried and
tested over more than 1000 years. Located at the intersection of the trading routes "via regia"
and "via imperii", the city, which was originally named Lipzk, the "place by the lime-trees",
became one of the key markets for merchants. Sometime around 1165, Leipzig was
simultaneously endowed with both city and market privileges. In 1497, the city was granted
imperial trade fair rights. In conferring this status on the city, Emperor Maximilian bestowed
imperial protection on all merchants attending the trade fair and forbade the surrounding
dioceses from establishing similar markets. Leipzig is consequently the oldest centre of
market fairs in the world. Leipzig's innovative energy can also be seen in the fact that the
concept of the samples fair was created here in 1895 and the first technical trade fair was held
here in 1918; it is not known as "Europe's marketplace" for nothing.
Progress is a Leipzig tradition
Leipzig set new standards with the inauguration of the new trade fair site in 1996 and an
innovative concept for industry trade fairs.
Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH, Augustusplatz 9, 04109 Leipzig, GERMANY

The Leipzig Trade Fair, one of the most modern trade fair and congress centres in Europe,
and the adjacent Congress Center Leipzig (CCL) offer the perfect backdrop for all kinds of
events – from academic conferences and corporate functions right up to large-scale projects
such as the Leipzig Book Fair and Auto Mobil International (AMI). Situated in a landscaped
park, the trade fair site combines the highest architectural and aesthetic standards with the
latest in modern technology. With 23 multi-functional spaces and an exceptional service
offering, the CCL is ideal for both congresses and conferences. And what's more, the city of
Leipzig boasts the most modern ISDN network in Europe, together with a highly efficient
telecommunication and transport infrastructure.
The city where nothing is very far away
Leipzig/Halle international airport links Leipzig directly with many German and European cities.
Leipzig is also on Deutsche Bahn’s high-speed rail network. Leipzig can be reached by direct
train from Frankfurt or Hamburg in three hours and from Berlin in one hour. The city is also
located at the intersection of three major motorways (A9, A14 and A38). The trade fair site is
very close to the airport. The city centre is only a 15 minutes’ journey from the airport on public
transport. A well-structured network of metropolitan trains, trams and buses will take you to all
parts of the city and the surrounding area at any time of the day or night.
Hotels & events
Leipzig has around 12,500 guest beds in around 6,850 rooms, more than 40 percent of which
have been awarded 4 or 5 stars. And Leipzig’s hotels also offer congress, conference and
seminar facilities, ranging from consulting rooms for a small number of people right up to
ballrooms for up to 1,000 guests. In addition, the city also offers unique event locations, with
space for up to 10,000 people. With around two million overnight stays and several million day
visitors, and these figures continually rising, Leipzig is one of the most popular destinations for
city breaks in Germany. Over 70 percent of visitors are attending conferences or on business.
Unique cultural and recreational opportunities
According to an EU-wide study, Leipzig’s more than 500,000 inhabitants are the most satisfied
in Germany when it comes to their hometown. Be it the theatre, the opera or the over 50
museums, the zoo, the abundant green spaces or the newly created lakes to the north and
south of the city, Leipzig offers countless opportunities for making your event something to
remember. 1,400 cafés, bars and restaurants, numerous cabarets, theatres and vaudeville
stages offer a diverse nightlife which knows no official closing time. At the same time, the city
centre houses a multitude of opportunities for shopping and new experiences. Besides the
numerous newly erected department stores, visitors to Leipzig are fascinated by the former
trade fair halls and the closed system of arcades which in this form is unique to Leipzig. Leipzig
has been the capital of the musical world for centuries. Acclaimed composers such as Bach,
Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH, Augustusplatz 9, 04109 Leipzig, GERMANY

Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Schumann and Wagner lived and worked here. This unbroken
tradition continues to live through the world-famous Gewandhaus Orchestra and St. Thomas'
Choir right up to today. And with almost 16,000 cultural heritage sites, Leipzig tops the German
rankings, as well as boasting the largest stock of Wilhelminian and Art Nouveau buildings in
terms of both quantity and quality.
Leipzig: City of trade fairs and congresses – A success story
Cooperation between Leipziger Messe GmbH, Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH (LTM
GmbH), various conference hotels and numerous congress services providers has played a
key role in the successful development over recent years. Since 2007, the initiative
do-it-at-leipzig.de has been setting new standards in congress marketing. The 45 partners
included in this pool make financial and other contributions to marketing activities and together
sell Leipzig as a congress and conference destination. Key achievements include the new
brochure "Meetings & Events in Leipzig" and the service portal www.do-it-at-leipzig.de, which
has been completely redesigned and expanded. Leipzig's success is also reflected in the
world ranking published by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).
The 2007 list included eleven congresses held in the city that met the ICCA's strict criteria.
In 2011, the 50 th ICCA Congress takes place in Leipzig from Saturday 22 to Wednesday 26
October 2011.
"Feel the spirit" – that is the slogan of the Leipzig congress initiative. Anyone who visits Leipzig
will breathe the spirit of the city and will leave Leipzig inspired and full of new ideas. See for
yourself!
Information: www.do-it-at-leipzig.de, www.leipziger-messe.de, www.ltm-leipzig.de
Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH
Augustusplatz 9, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
Phone: +49 (0)341/7104-265, info@ltm-leipzig.de
www.ltm-leipzig.de, www.leipzig.de
Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH, Augustusplatz 9, 04109 Leipzig, GERMANY