Association Insight International & European 1 | Page 110

Impressions Basel. Basel is a congress and exhibition city with a long tradition, located in the very north-west of Switzerland on both banks of the river Rhine. The city borders on Germany and France are considered as the gateway to Switzerland. The location makes the city unmistakably cosmopolitan, lively and innovative. Its central location, first-class transport connections and infrastructure as well as the compactness of the city make Basel an important exhibition and congress city in Europe. The city on the Rhine is regarded as the centre of Swiss life sciences and the chemical-pharmaceutical industry and holds important companies in the logistics, transport and financial industry. Basel is also one of Europe‘s leading teaching and research locations for life sciences, medical research, energy and cultural sciences and is home to the oldest university in Switzerland. All this, combined with a beautiful Old Town, 40 museums and a huge range of leisure activities, attracts hundreds of thousands of guests every year to Art Basel, the world’s largest fair for contemporary and modern art, or to Baselworld, the world’s leading watch and jewellery show, and many other top events. Basel is easy to reach. The international EuroAirport BaselMulhouse-Freiburg is located 5  from Basel’s city centre and km is served by a number of international airlines. Together with neighbouring Zurich Airport, it offers connections to all European airports and to more than 200 intercontinental destinations. Moreover, its three mainline train stations connect all Swiss cities and the most important European metropolises. The hotel capacity in Basel consists of nearly 5 800 rooms, located within 20 minutes to the city centre, including low-budget accommodation such as the youth hostel and hotels in nearby Germany and France. Another of the many strong selling points of Basel is the Mobility Ticket. When staying at any hotel in Basel, guests will be given a free Mobility Ticket to use on public transport in and around the city during the whole duration of their stay. The Congress Center Basel is Switzerland’s largest conference centre in terms of surface area and stands for versatility and professionalism. The Congress Center is located in the heart of the city and can be reached on foot or easily by public transport from most hotels. A fantastic new hall complex, designed by the world-renowned Herzog & de Meuron, was completed in spring 2013. The new multifunctional Event Hall, with a pillar-free surface area of some 3 300 m2, plus 1 500 m2 in the foyer, is directly linked to the Congress Center Basel and accommodates events for up to 3 000 participants. Furthermore, with the newly constructed 11 modular rooms the Congress Center Basel counts a total of 25 meeting rooms which can conveniently accommodate congresses up to 5 000 delegates. As a neutral organization, Basel Tourism & Convention Bureau offers expert and free advice on all the planning aspects for conferences or congresses. You can also rely on the Convention Bureau to provide expert information and answers to all questions about Basel as a venue for congresses, business events or incentives. Contact: [email protected] Basel Tourism & Convention Bureau Aeschenvorstadt 36, CH-4010 Basel, Phone [phone], Fax [phone], www.basel.com