For the next month, from 14 June, football fans will be turning their attention to the ten German cities hosting the Euro Football Championship. These include Stuttgart, which is hosting five matches, including a quarter-final. The capital of the Baden-Württemberg region is hoping to boost its tourist numbers, which stand at around four million visitors a year. The French figure prominently among them, thanks to the proximity to the destinationIt can be reached in 1? hours from Strasbourg and 3 hours 12 minutes from Paris by TGV and ICE.
With countless event venues in the city, MICE tourism plays a key role. To support this activity, the Stuttgart Convention Bureau assists with requests for events, particularly large-scale events with more than 250 participants. Organisers can also benefit from a number of "extras", such as a free travel pass for the duration of the event or special branding. for large conferences. In particular, the Convention Bureau is very proud of the fact that for three days it managed the 6,000 participants at a medical congress in 2021, at a time when health restrictions were still in force in Europe.
Although Stuttgart was not spared the destruction of the Second World War, the city has preserved some of its old streets and quarters, including its central Castle Square. This cobbled quadrilateral is surrounded by the old Renaissance castle, the new Baroque castle and the Kunstmuseum, the city's oldest art gallery. Museum of Fine Arts housed in a glass cube with contemporary lines. Aptly nicknamed Kubus since its opening in 2005, the building offers two meeting rooms (the largest seating 350 people) and its restaurant (150 seats) for events.
To get a good idea of the size of the city and its hilly, green surroundings, we recommend climbing the SWR Fernsehthurm, a true emblem of the city. Set on a hill, the slender 217-metre-high building was the world's first reinforced concrete television tower, erected in 1956, and boasts two panoramic observation platforms over 150 metres above the ground (which can be reserved for 60 people).
A renovated stadium for Euro Football
But the real star of the moment is obviously the MHP ArenaVfB Stuttgart's 60,000-capacity stadium has been given a facelift for the UEFA EURO 2008 football tournament, with large windows opening onto the outside to let in more light. The works have created new areas overlooking the pitch or around the perimeter of the stadium. The Mice business will benefit fully from these improvements, as the stadium was already hosting around 300 events a year using three stands. The new facilities include a piano bar (72 people), a beautiful press room with a huge LED screen (240 people), a host of boxes, including several VIP boxes (20 to 45 people depending on configuration) that can be used as sub-commission rooms or creative spaces, as well as lounges and catering rooms that can be transformed into exhibition areas (for up to 450 people).
The big news is the first Porsche Tunnel ClubAn exclusive 360 m² design space with a bar and restaurant for 240 people, whose bay windows overlook the long tunnel used by the players to get to the pitch. " The Arena is very flexible and can be used for workshops, conferences, exhibitions, etc. It is also possible to hold a conference in the arena, a tour of the stadium and a dinner at the Porsche Tunnel Club. We can host several events simultaneously thanks to this multiplicity of spaces and real separations between each venue. The only constraint during the year is the match schedule, which means that there are safety constraints before each match." says Lars Bogosch, head of sales and marketing at Arena Events. As an added bonus, the players' changing rooms can also be made private, and participants can even take away a shirt with their name on it. As for accommodation, the stadium is in the immediate vicinity of the Hilton Garden Inn Stuttgart Neckarpark, a 4* hotel with 150 rooms.
Events at the heart of the cradle of automotive history
The MHP Arena can easily be associated with a visit or an event taking place in the following settings Mercedes-Benz Museum just a few hundred metres away. A real attraction in the German city, attracting over 800,000 visitors a year since it opened in 2006, the museum's futuristic concrete ellipse houses 160 of the 1,200 cars in its collection. The lift is like a time machine, allowing visitors to rediscover the first steam-powered vehicle invented by a Frenchman, Nicolas Joseph Cugnot, in 1769, the first electric vehicle - dating from 1839! - and, of course, the first car built by Carl Benz in 1886.
His association with engine manufacturer Gottlieb Daimler led to the creation of the Mercedes brand in 1900. name of the daughter of one of its biggest and richest clients The merger between Benz and Daimler did not take place until 1926, giving birth to Mercedes Benz. You'll fall in love with the superb 1920-1930 models, some of which were designed during the era of Ferdinand Porsche before he left to found his own firm. Or the racy racing cars of the 1940s and 1960s.
With 120 events a year, ranging from 20 to 1,000 participants, the Mercedes-Benz Museum offers a number of spaces for hire. On the ground floor, there is an atrium seating 400 people, extended by a large circular hall (200 people for conferences), with a capacity of 1000 guests at a cocktail party. Two rooms, which can accommodate 50 and 120 people, are located on the 8th floor, overlooking the MHP Arena. MICE groups can also take advantage of private tours in the evenings after 6pm and during the day on Mondays, when the museum is closed, allowing them to do almost everything within its walls.
And there's more automotive history to be found at the Porsche Museum, housed in a building of equally daring architecture, the structure of which is said to use more iron than the Eiffel Tower. Located 10 minutes north-west of Stuttgart - and 30 minutes from the Mercedes-Benz Museum - this museum also exhibits iconic vehicles to promote the innovative and sporting aspects of the brand. In addition to guided tours, including a special team-building tour, the museum offers its restaurant and 600 m² conference area, which can accommodate 300 to 600 people depending on the configuration, and is complemented by an 800 m² terrace.
A modern, high-quality hotel
While the automobile industry was once Stuttgart's mainstay, technology research, aerospace, agri-food, winegrowing, digital animation and finance are now driving the economic growth of this city of 634,800 inhabitants. 6e German metropolis. Thanks to the presence of international chains (Le Méridien, Pullman, Marriott, Mövenpick, Aloft, Holiday Inn...), the hotel offer, exceeding 11,000 rooms, is varied due to a tradition of large exhibitions linked to industrial development from the 19th century onwards.e century.
Following its relocation to the airport in 2007, the Messe Stuttgart exhibition centre has grown to cover 120,000 m², including nine halls, a congress centre, 33 meeting rooms and an exhibition area. a 14,000-seat plenary hall. Several hotels are located nearby, offering a total of 800 hotel rooms. It should be noted that Messe Stuttgart will be connected to the new main railway station in just 7 minutes in 2026 when the latter and the high-speed line to Ulm are completed. Its next major event will be IBA'27, the International Building Exhibition, scheduled for 2027 on the theme of construction and the city of tomorrow.
Taking in the sights at the Radisson Blu
Among the latest hotel openings, the Radisson Blu, due to open in November 2023, is well worth a visit for its location in the very contemporary Porsche Design TowerThe hotel is located on the northern edge of Stuttgart, just 6 minutes by underground from the main railway station. A coworking space, a coffee bar and the lobby are located on the ground floor, while the 167 rooms are divided between the 12th floor and the ground floor.e and the 23rde floor. Its restaurant - which can be privatised - is located just below, on the 10th floor.eThe meeting rooms cover an area of 600 m² one level above. So you can enjoy uninterrupted views of the vineyards that cover the surrounding hills.
The Radisson Blu has a total of two 10-person boardrooms and nine meeting rooms, three of which can be adapted to accommodate up to 100 people. " The meeting area has the advantage of two fireplaces to separate groups when we welcome two events simultaneously" says Stefan Welti, the hotel's general manager. And, if a customer requires larger capacities for a conference, they need only cross the road to reach the Thearterhauss Stuttgart, an auditorium that can hold up to 1,300 people." .
This summer, the popular Radisson Blu will be welcoming the singer Pink and her staff for her concert on 19 July, also at the MHP Arena. They will discover thea very pure, masculine world of the establishment with its references to the world of Porsche in both its public areas and its bedrooms.
Premium coworking at the Ruby Hanna Hotel & Bar
Also to be opened at the end of 2023 by the Munich-based group Ruby HotelsThe Ruby Hanna is located in the city's shopping district. The old façade contrasts with the design and whiteness of the 147 rooms, spacious enough to accommodate an oversized bed and an open bathroom. The wine-themed lobby is the lively heart of the hotel, with bistro tables in the breakfast room and a huge 24-hour bar that doubles as the reception. The Ruby Hanna is true to the concept of Lean Luxury developed by the chain by eliminating services deemed non-essential in rooms while offering others within easy reach on the landing: laundry, fridge, drinks machine, etc.
In addition to a small meeting space on the mezzanine, this four-star hotel boasts the following key features an entire floor dedicated to coworking with a loft feel, including five meeting rooms (for up to 18 people), workstations for the day and offices for short, medium or long-term rental. Its open space, equipped with an open kitchen, can easily be used for receptions for up to 100 guests after 6pm.
L'Emilu revisits the Sixties
Overlooking the back of the Stuttgart town hall, which has been preserved from the horrors of war, the Emilu is a other design address which opened its doors in September 2021. The 4-star establishment, which pays homage to the 1960s, was built within the walls of a former administrative building from the same era, many features of which have been preserved, such as its vintage staircase. It now offers 90 modern rooms, including 11 suites, the six with terraces being located on the 6th floor.e floor. To make the most of the view over the city's rooftops, this is the level where a pleasant lounge and bar are located, used for creative meetings and small conferences (20 people) or cocktails (40 people). Three other small work rooms with 5, 8 and 12 places are available for companies at this hotel, which is also very popular with Stuttgartites for its Fritz restaurant, which serves very local cuisine.
Going green at the Waldhotel
Situated in the heart of a wooded hill overlooking Stuttgart, just a few minutes' walk from its emblematic television tower, the Wald Hotel is an institution. A four-star superior establishment with 96 rooms that the Swiss football team rightly chose as its base for the Euro Football Championship. The design and arty furnishings of what was once a holiday resort from the 1910s onwards, then place of convalescence after the Second World WarIn the heart of Stuttgart, the school is close to the city centre (10 minutes), the airport and the Messe Stuttgart exhibition centre (20 minutes).
The Waldhotel offers several meeting venues, with three rooms ranging from 41 to 53 m2, a plenary room that can be divided into two for 120 people in a theatre), as well as part of its restaurant (30 people), not forgetting a room - for 26 to 60 people depending on the configuration - created in a house dating from the 1930s that also houses the hotel's two suites. La relaxation area There's also a piano bar for cocktails, a tennis court and a wellness area with two treatment rooms, a fitness room, steam room, sauna and solarium. The hotel has been awarded an environmental label and is committed to environmental protection through a number of initiatives, including the use of green electricity from its solar panels. " This makes all the difference for some companies with declared CSR commitments".says Leonie Saiger from the school's Sales and Marketing department.
Maritim, a MICE heavyweight
Last but not least, the city's biggest MICE carrier, the Maritim Hotel. Located to the north-west of the city centre, it offers 555 rooms, including 78 suites with a modern decor, but above all 15 meeting rooms. These include the Maritim Room (350 people) and, more importantly, the majestic Alte Reithalle, a former riding school dating from 1885 that can accommodate 700 people in a theatre and 480 for a banquet. The establishment is also connected to the Lierderhalle cultural and congress centre, which houses around fifteen halls including the Beethoven (2089 seats) and Mozart (752 seats) amphitheatres, three halls (320, 406 and 1869 people in theatre) and almost twenty meeting rooms (27 to 99 people).
