The congress city of Basel got off to an excellent start in 2023. Thanks to BIO Europe Spring, which was staged in the Congress Center Basel from 20 to 22 March 2023, local hotels were almost fully booked out again for the first time in a long time. And that’s not all. A similar scenario is expected with the annual Conference of the International Society of Travel Medicine (CISTM) which is being held from 21 to 25 May 2023.
Some 3,200 decision-makers from all over the world honoured our city on the Rhine with their presence on the occasion of Europe’s largest spring conference for the biotech industry. The conference not only attracted a high number of attendees but also constituted a prime example of sustainability. A package of measures had been worked out with the organisers aimed at significantly improving the environmental balance sheet of the event. These included a “bring your own bottle” initiative to avoid disposable tableware, a communication campaign for low-emission travel to the venue and a digital event guide. Alongside the ecological aspects, participants’ physical and mental health was also taken into account, with a wide range of relaxation and movement options on offer. And to do something good from a social angle too, the organisers engaged in cooperation with the Basel Cancer League. “For all these reasons, BIO Europe Spring had a true signal effect”, said Jonas Scharf, Head of MCH Exhibitions & Events. “Because it gave us the opportunity to transfer our existing resource-saving endeavours to an industry event for the life sciences –a sector which holds such importance for Basel.”
It is also hoped that the CISTM congress in May will have an impact way beyond the national borders. Professor Christoph Hatz from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute played a major role in ensuring that Basel won the bid to host this congress, which will now bring 1,500 travel medicine experts to our city. “The premises at the Congress Center Basel are just the right size for a congress such as this”, he says. “And, in addition, the International Society of Travel Medicine received an incredible amount of support from the employees at Messe and Congress Center and Basel Tourism”. It’s no wonder, therefore, that Jonas Scharf is also absolutely delighted to have been awarded this conference. “Events of such renown help us to further consolidate our international standing as a centre of knowledge and innovation.”
