The Vienna Convention Bureau took home gold at the 65th ICCA Congress, winning the association’s Best Marketing Award for its “Waltz into Space” campaign.

“The Best Marketing Award is a special moment in the ICCA calendar because it brings our community’s creativity to the forefront. It is where bold ideas meet brilliant execution, where storytelling becomes a powerful tool for change, and where we celebrate the people who dare to do things differently,” said Dr. Senthil Gopinath, CEO, ICCA.  “This year’s theme, ‘Imagination and Impact,’ captures exactly what our industry needs: the courage to challenge convention and the imagination to show what is possible. Congratulations to the Vienna Convention Bureau on this outstanding achievement. I hope their success inspires others across our global community to think bigger, tell their stories with confidence and create marketing that truly makes a difference.”

The Bureau received the award, which is sponsored by Northstar Meetings Group, at the 65th ICCA Congress, held this week (Nov. 8-11) in Panama City, Panama.

Photo (l-r) ICCA CEO Dr Senthil Gopinath; Ross Barker, Vice President EMEA, Meetings & Sports Division, Northstar Travel Group; incoming ICCA President Christoph Tessmar; Marina Knittel, Team Manager, Associations, and Isabella Graf, Campaign Manager, B2C, Vienna Convention Bureau; Patrick Delaney, Managing Partner, SoolNua; Stephanie Cheung, Managing Director, MarketID. Photo courtesy of ICCA. 

This year’s finalists were selected following a highly competitive process, recognizing campaigns that bring bold ideas to life through compelling storytelling, unique perspectives and bold strategy. The other finalists joining the Vienna Convention Bureau were:

• Ottawa Tourism: Magic on Set
• The Hague & Partners: It’s My Bleisure

Following live presentations and a final vote by the judging panel and Congress delegates, the Vienna Convention Bureau emerged as the winner.

“For us, this recognition means more than winning with a creative campaign. ‘Waltz into Space’ shows what can happen when destination marketing and business events work together towards the same goal: using Vienna’s strong identity in a new way and opening up fresh perspectives on the city,” Marina Knittel, team manager, Associations, and Isabella Graf, campaign manager, B2C, Vienna Convention Bureau. “Music and tradition became the starting point for a story about science, innovation and the future — supported by an extraordinary collaboration with ESA and many partners across different disciplines and countries. We are incredibly proud of everyone who helped make this mission possible.”

Photo credit: (l-r) ICCA CEO Dr Senthil Gopinath; Ross Barker, Vice President EMEA, Meetings & Sports Division, Northstar Travel Group; incoming ICCA President Christoph Tessmar; Marina Knittel, Team Manager, Associations, and Isabella Graf, Campaign Manager, B2C, Vienna Convention Bureau; Patrick Delaney, Managing Partner, SoolNua; Stephanie Cheung, Managing Director, MarketID. Photo courtesy of ICCA.