Old-World Charm in Vienna
April 07, 2008
Whether it's a waltz in the Hofburg Palace or listening to Strauss on the blue Danube, Vienna offers unbelievable venues in a modern European capital
By Jacquelin Carnegie
Vienna, Austria, is everything you imagine it to be—a quaint town with picturesque streets and imperial palaces, majestic churches, horse-drawn carriages, charming coffeehouses and fabulous desserts. Picture an apple strudel with warm vanilla sauce.
Happily, this charming atmosphere is backed up by present-day capabilities. Austria, often viewed as a nostalgic destination, has the infrastructure and current-day know-how to support incentives of any magnitude. If you'd like to give your incentive travel program participants the experience of waltzing the night away, you've come to the right place. In Vienna, waltz concerts take place virtually all year long. The height of the social season is Fasching (Carnival), which runs from 11:00 p.m. on November 11th until Ash Wednesday, with a whirlwind schedule of costume balls and parties. Your group can learn how to waltz and be fitted with ball gowns and tuxedos to join in the festivities. You can even create your own themed ball in a private palace setting.
"One of the goals of an incentive program is to create a memorable experience, and Vienna is perfect for that," explains Caren Bigelow, director of planning and vendor relations for USMotivation in Atlanta, Ga. "The city is filled with history and culture without being stuffy; it's an alive, vibrant place."
"There are so many options," Bigelow continues. "You can take your group on a relaxed river cruise on the Danube or to a formal dinner and the opera. With so many wonderful musicians there, you can even organize a private concert in one of the palaces. And, because the city is so safe, once the organized activities are over, you can let your participants walk around on their own with peace of mind."
 After all, this is the "City of Music" that inspired composers such as Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mahler, Schönberg and Strauss. Vienna is still alive with the sound of their music. Take your group on a musically themed walking tour such as "Mozart's Footsteps" or "Strauss—King of the Waltz."
Then there are the castles and palaces of the Habsburg emperors. Many of these magnificent settings can be used for private events.
The majestic Hofburg Palace, the Habsburgs' winter residence built in the 13th century, contains 2,600 rooms. Give your participants a visit to the imperial apartments for a peek at the splendor of that lifestyle.
"Vienna is the ideal city for finale-night celebrations," advises Judy Jackson, director of industry relations for Maritz Travel in St. Louis. "There are so many stunning palaces to use, such as the Palais Coburg, that the events are always a knockout."
Not only are the event venues splendid, so are the hotels. Perhaps, stay at the Hotel Sacher, which has been welcoming royalty since 1876 and will make your group feel like visiting dignitaries. The rooms are decorated with antique furnishings and prized oil paintings. Other good hotels for incentives include: the Imperial, the Bristol, the Grand Hotel, the InterContinental and the Hilton Vienna.
 Another important aspect of Vienna is that it's a wonderful destination any time of year. Maritz has done incentive programs there: in winter, for a financial services client with 75 participants; in the fall, for a food industry leader with 150 people; this spring, they'll bring in an oil industry client with 250 people participating; and in the summer, a pharmaceutical company will visit with 60 people.
The Sacher hotel is famous for a special kind of chocolate cake called a Sachertorte—great for in-room gifts. In fact, dessert and coffee has been perfected to a fine art in Vienna. In addition to all the planned activities, your participants can just enjoy sitting in the tranquil haven of an old-style coffeehouse, leisurely reading the paper and watching the world go by. Or, they can learn the art of strudel-making with a top Viennese chef.
Once they're sufficiently fortified, it's time to museum hop. In Vienna, there are over 100 museums—from the Albertina, the Leopold, the Belvedere, to Freud's house and the Schönbrunn, the Habsburgs' summer palace—your group is in for a treat. Many of these museums are available for events.
You might also want to take your group to see some real-life masterpieces—watching the famous Lipizzaner Stallions perform at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna's Imperial Palace is an extraordinary experience. An add-on option for incentive programs is a behind-the-scenes tour.
For some lighthearted fun, take your group to a Heurigen. At the taverns in wine villages on the outskirts of the city, you're served the new wine (Heurigen) from the latest harvest. Sitting at picnic tables, you drink, laugh and sing along with the musicians.
Another idea is a program in Vienna with a side trip to Salzburg (Mozart's birthplace) or to any of the picturesque Alpine villages in Austria's Tyrol area—a scenic paradise year-round. Or, you could offer a memorable day trip (or a Prague-Budapest circuit) on board the Majestic Imperator, a train with luxurious interiors based on those in the Austrian Imperial train.
"Vienna is one of the world's great cities," says Jane Howe, senior buyer for Carlson Marketing in Minneapolis. "We like to do three nights in Vienna and two in Salzburg. Or, offer Vienna, Prague and Budapest, which is very doable."
According to Howe, "Vienna is a wonderful incentive destination, because, with so much to offer, it appeals to varied age groups and interest groups. You can arrange concerts and high-end, themed evenings at one of the palaces as well as do bike tours, cooking classes and visits to wineries."
But just wandering around Vienna's beautiful, cobblestone streets is a treat unto itself. No matter what time of year you plan your travel incentive to Vienna, your participants will thank you for an unforgettable journey back in time—where old-world charm is commonplace.
Planner Resources
Austrian National Tourist Office
www.austria.info
Vienna Convention Bureau
www.vienna.convention.at
Hotel Sacher
www.sacher.com
Grand Hotel
www.jjwhotels.com
Hotel InterContinental
www.ichotelsgroup.com
Palais Coburg
www.palais-coburg.com
Send comments to incentivemagazine@nielsen.com.
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