With the motto “Changing Realities. New Opportunities”, over 220 delegates from 35 countries and 133 hotel & tourism educators met at FHWien der WKW from October 3rd to 6th. With top speakers, exciting presentations, an extensive social program and final award ceremony in the Vienna City Hall, the event was a complete success.
The EcoEvent planned by the team of the Tourism & Hospitality Management Study Programs ensured a varied program and smooth running. During the four-day conference, among others, Norbert Kettner (CEO Vienna Tourist Board) presented his Visitor Economy Strategy for Vienna. Petra Stolba (Managing Director of Österreich Werbung until 2021, since 2022 Head of Cabinet of the 1st Vice President of the European Parliament) spoke about the European Green Deal and its impact on tourism. And in a panel discussion on Friday, industry representatives discussed the New Work Realities and challenges in HR management with the audience.
In addition to numerous workshops, lectures and paper presentations, personal exchange was not neglected. The participants particularly appreciated the dialog between representatives of tourism education, business, politics and science.
Florian Aubke, Head of Tourism & Hospitality Management Study Programs, is delighted with the successful EuroCHRIE 2023:
We are overwhelmed by the positive response to this event. We were also particularly pleased with the appreciative feedback on hosting the conference as an EcoEvent! The meeting provided an ideal platform for the exchange of knowledge, ideas and best practices in the field of hotel and tourism education. The variety of presentations, workshops and discussions showed how dynamic and innovative our industry is and how much creativity is used to respond to challenges.
EuroCHRIE as EcoEvent for the first time
The event, which was held as an Eco Event, scored points with a particularly sustainable program and process. For example, routes to the social events (e.g. in the Vienna Prater) were covered by public transport, attention was paid to regional and seasonal food, and the entire conference program was communicated paperlessly via an app.
Award ceremony and gala at Vienna City Hall
The highlight of the EuroCHRIE conference was the gala with award ceremony on Friday evening at the Vienna City Hall. A total of six different awards were presented. The special feature: Instead of a statuette for the winners, a tree was planted for all 220 delegates!
Passing the baton to Doha 2024
The event concluded with a handover to Qatar. Next year, representatives of the largest international association of hotel and tourism educators will meet in Doha on the topic of “Hospitality and Tourism in a New Era: Building Bridges and Overcoming Challenges”.