Jens Ihsen has been Director of Düsseldorf Convention for exactly one year.
He certainly imagined his start at the city’s service provider for major congresses and events to be different.
Whether trade fairs, scientific congresses or industry events: everyone is wondering whether, how and when they will get through the corona crisis as organizers.
In an interview with Wissensregion Düsseldorf e.V., Jens Ihsen tells us what he can do for organizers and: that there is also positive news, keyword “Universiade 2025″…
What congresses are possible in 2021?
Wissensregion Düsseldorf: Mr. Ihsen, as a municipal subsidiary, Düsseldorf Convention is responsible for bringing major congresses – be they business, scientific or public fairs – to Düsseldorf.
Of course, you don’t have a crystal ball either.
But as an expert, when do you expect larger congresses to be held in the region again?
What advice would you give to our universities and industry associations – when can we start planning again? J. Ihsen: As far as the first half of 2021 is concerned, we are talking about smaller and medium-sized events.
In other words, fewer large events, but rather conferences and meetings.
Together with our partner network, we have summarized safe concepts in our city in the workbook – “Safe planning”.
This is available on our website www.duesseldorf-convention.de for download.
We will use good concepts to make events safe in 2021.
We consider the planning of larger events and congresses from the second half of the year to be very realistic and are already experiencing high demand for both small and large events.
Knowledge Region: One major event that we are particularly interested in is the Student Olympics: can you tell us what’s new regarding the organization of the Universiade 2025?
The federal and state parliaments have now decided in favor of the Rhine-Ruhr region’s bid. J. Ihsen: The event is primarily a sporting event, which would suit us well in Düsseldorf.
I see the potential for this event to also facilitate site congresses and events and thus contribute to the knowledge region.
What makes Düsseldorf special for congresses?
Knowledge region: Sometimes we take the offerings in our business city for granted.
The fact that the trade fair is also a locational advantage for many knowledge producers in the region has to be said again and again.
How is Düsseldorf seen as a venue abroad, what distinguishes us in the eyes of others? J. Ihsen: A mixture of hard facts and soft facts: on the one hand, the perfect infrastructure of the city, the congress center and the trade fair center between the Rhine and Nordpark, the third largest airport in Germany and the 10-minute city.
However, we are also noticing more and more that safety, a beautiful cityscape and a good shopping experience play an important role.
Wissensregion Düsseldorf: And what support can you offer interested organizers of trade congresses in Düsseldorf?
Which services can be used by whom and how? J. Ihsen: We support absolute specialists in their fields in transforming knowledge into knowledge formats and thus into exciting specialist congresses.
Whether room booking, location search, supporting programs, luggage and shuttle service: we see ourselves as a one-stop store.
We are currently also supporting the Max Planck Institute in Düsseldorf with the official application for the MMM Congress (Multiscale Materials Modeling) in order to win it for Düsseldorf.
Wissensregion: Your “mothers”, the state capital Düsseldorf and Düsseldorf-Marketing, are members of our Förderverein für die Wissensregion Düsseldorf e.V. What do you expect as support for your work?
What do you wish for the future that Wissensregion Düsseldorf could do even better? J. Ihsen: I would like to see a stronger external impact and media presence in order to further raise the profile of the knowledge/science cluster in and around Düsseldorf.
At the end of the day, this pays off for all players in Düsseldorf.
Photo: Düsseldorf Convention
