Reinforcing Groningen with extended congress expertise

Groningen Congres Bureau (GCB) is continuing as a private limited company and has become part of Congress by design (Cbd). This is a logical step that will further professionalise the congress opportunities in Groningen. Moreover, with the move to Zernike Park, GCB is now located right in the heart of the scientific world. Both developments reflect where GCB's strength lies: local knowledge and experience in organising scientific congresses, strengthened by Cbd's expertise and international network.

Although the GCB team is continuing under the banner of Cbd, it will remain based in Groningen. The move to the university park was completed in February, placing the bureau close to important clients such as RUG and UMCG, but also close to start-ups in the digital world. Sandra Mulder, account manager and contact person in Groningen, says: “The strength of GCB remains intact, with valuable local connections and stakeholders. At the same time, we and our clients benefit from Cbd's larger network and expertise.”

Attractive congress city
“We are joining forces,” continues Niels Fundter, managing director of Cbd. “Cbd and GCB can contribute very well to making the city of Groningen attractive, partly by bringing in more congresses that link up with the city’s five core sectors. Our knowledge of the international association market and experience in congress recruitment reinforce GCB's local knowledge. In line with this, GCB and Groningen Conventions are currently exploring how they can breathe new life into the Groningen Congress Alliance, which was established in 2018 to make Groningen one of the leading congress cities in the Netherlands.”

Opportunities for meeting design
The ‘by design’ aspect will be given more attention in the coming months. For instance, the entire Cbd and GCB team is currently undergoing training on the subject of meeting design. This fits in with the development of continuing to integrate hybrid working forms into conferences post-Covid. “The Covid pandemic has shown us where to find opportunities to serve the conference world even better,” Mulder concludes. “We do this by taking a flexible and sustainable approach that appeals, connects and contributes to social and scientific progress. Making an impact starts with sharing knowledge. This is central to our internal organisation and to the cooperation with our clients and partners.”