Destination - CIM

[austria destination]Ulrike von Arnold: Esgibt keine Pariser Küche,aber eine Wiener Küche.Ulrike von Arnold: Thereis no such thing as Pariscuisine, but there isViennese cuisine.Photo: Vienna Convention Bureaunen, wie man Torten verziert“, beschreibtvon Arnold. Beliebt bei Teilnehmern sind dieFestveranstaltungen am Heldenplatz.Kulinarische Events wie die Falstaff Weißweingalaund die Falstaff Rotweingala, aufder sich Winzer präsentieren, sowie die GalaTrophée Gourmet gehen über die Bühne derHofburg Vienna. „Diese Gala- und Messeveranstaltungensind meist eigenständigeEvents. Sicherlich könnte man im Vorfeld dieKongress- und Galaveranstalter Photo: Sofitel Vienna StephansdomViennese cuisinePleasure is a part of culture in Austria, whether in a gourmet restaurantor wine tavern. Vienna’s bid book ranges from Viennese schnitzel tochar in beeswax.n Paris cuisine? When the French bid for a world congress they proclaim they live in cloverin France. Ulrike von Arnold nonchalantly counters that “there is no such thing asParis cuisine, but there is Viennese cuisine.” The Deputy Director of the Vienna ConventionBureau knows that Vienna is the only city that has its own style of food named afterit, nurtured from the influences of a variety of countries. For von Arnold food undeniablycomprises one of the main ingredients of her culture. “Joseph Marie de Maistre, theFrench writer, diplomat, and political and historical philosopher (1753 ‒ 1821) once said,‘Every nation gets the government it deserves.’ I believe, every people gets the cuisinethey deserve!”The Vienna Convention Bureau takes into account the culinary aspect according tothe type of event, since it fundamentally contributes to feeling good. “In our applicationswe mention the possibilities of a cosy wine tavern, which can also be privatelyrented for larger groups, and the coffeehouse culture,” reports von Arnold. The Viennesecoffeehouse after all is known around the world “as an oasis of cosiness”. An institutionin Vienna is the Café Central in the Ferstel Palace with homemade pastries, inthe early 20th century a gathering place for Arthur Schnitzler, Sigmund Freud or LeonTrotsky. Since 2011 Viennese coffeehouse culture has been on the UNESCO World IntangibleCultural Heritage List.During site inspections the client dines in a restaurant with Viennese dishes on its menu.“Typical dishes include Wiener Schnitzel and Tafelspitz (prime boiled beef), best hadwith a glass of Grüner Veltliner or Riesling, naturally from Vienna.” Von Arnold: “Viennais the only metropolis in the world that cultivates wine that is worth mentioning within itscity limits. 700 hectares of Viennese wine gardens – that characterises the city’s imageand its culture of enjoyment.” 230 wine growers work the vineries, whether on the Nussbergor Bisamberg hills, and open these in the autumn for the Vienna Wine Excursion day.“For example, with incentive groups one can take a wine hike with a wine tasting at theWeinberg or learn how to decorate cakes at the Hofzuckerbäckerei Demel pastry shop,”reveals von Arnold. Participants especially like the festival events at the Heldenplatz.Culinary events such as the Falstaff Weißweingala (white wine gala) and FalstaffRotweingala (red wine gala), where wine growers present their products, as well as theGala Trophée Gourmet, are held at the Hofburg Vienna. “These gala and exhibitionevents are usually independent events. One could surely introduce the organizers of thegalas and congresses to each other beforehand in order to generate new synergies,”says Hofburg director Renate Danler. “We have already experienced this in our own customerevents.”The Austria Center Vienna (ACV) conference centre also hosts such events. “Therange of events is very broad, from gala dinners in the Grand Ballroom to barbecues onthe square in front,” explains Michael Part, Deputy Head Sales Manager Associations.Midday breaks and coffee breaks are normally held in the exhibition area to stimulatenetworking. Through their caterers the ACV and Reed Messe Wien Exhibition & CongressCenter offer biologically grown, seasonal, and regional foods.“The Hofburg Vienna caterers actively offer a green coffee break, a green buffet, or alight business lunch,” emphasises Renate Danler. Not for nothing do Gerstner and Copalocafeature the Austrian Environmental Certificate.CIM 6/201383