Congress Award Graz

Congress Award

The Congress Award Graz honours organisers of scientific, business and NPO conferences and meetings who act as ambassadors of the city at local, national and international levels by holding their events in Graz.

Graz’s positioning as a research and business location is closely linked to the buzz created by the local conference and meetings industry. The Congress Award Graz is an expression of the council’s gratitude to event organisers for their many services to the city.

The award was founded by Graz city council, Messe Congress Graz GmbH and Graz Tourismus und Stadtmarketing GmbH. The prize money is voted by Graz City Council.

The Congress Award Graz has the following categories:

• Regular events
• Unusual one-off events
• Innovative special events

The prize money is EUR 2,000 per award, and is paid in full to each winner.
 

How to enter

Entries must take the form of written submissions. The form is available from the Graz Convention Bureau, Messe Congress Graz and the Kulturamt. It can also be downloaded as a pdf from www.kultur.graz.at/congress-award, www.graztourismus.at/congress-award and www.mcg.at/congress-award.

All organisers of conferences and meetings hosted in the year before the award ceremony in question are eligible to take part. Applications should be submitted to the Convention Bureau Graz in digital form, or by post (eight copies).
 

Selection process and jury

Each autumn a jury consisting of between five and seven members (or replacement members) is appointed in consultation with the rectors of the four Graz universities – the University of Graz, University of Technology, Medical University and University of Music and Performing Arts – as well as the Fachhochschulen (universities of applied sciences), Austrian Academy of Sciences, the University of Teacher Education Styria, the management of Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, the head of the Styrian provincial government’s Department 3 – Science and Research and the Kulturamt in its capacity as Graz city council’s science funding body.

The jury judges the entries and nominates winners in the various categories. There does not have to be a winner for every category. Initiators and jury members are also free to take the initiative and themselves nominate conferences.
Entries are evaluated according to the following criteria:

• International character
• Scientific impact (national and/or international)
• Number of overnight stays and induced economic impact
• Size and number of delegates
• Contribution to Graz’s image
• Direct economic impact (revenue and budget)
• Regular scheduling
• Innovation, originality and initiative
• Attention paid to sustainability (“green meetings”)
   

Contact:

Messe Congress Graz Betriebsges.m.b.H.
Messeplatz 1
8010 Graz
www.mcg.at/congress-award

Stadt Graz
Kulturamt
Stigergasse 2/II (Mariahilferplatz)
8020 Graz
www.kultur.graz.at/congress-award

Graz Convention Bureau
Graz Tourismus und Stadtmarketing GmbH
Messeplatz 1
8010 Graz
www.graztourismus.at/congress-award