Bregenz, Dornbirn and Feldkirch are home to four special locations which effortlessly fuse business, culture and architecture to offer the perfect setup for an impressive event: Messequartier Dornbirn, Kulturhaus Dornbirn,Montforthaus Feldkirch and Festspielhaus Bregenz. Whether you’re looking for something classic, unusual, small or large, here are four special buildings that can be adapted for any occasion to match your big ideas.

Sabine Tichy-Treimel is Managing Director ofMesse Dornbirn, with over 30 years in the events business including at WWP Weirather-Wenzel & Partner and the Fohrenburg brewery. She likes to compare the Messequartier Dornbirn site to a colourful bouquet of flowers: there’s something for everyone here, to suit any occasion. Indeed, it plays host to 8 large trade fairs and around 80 other events each year. This includes fairs with 45,000 guests, sporting events and B2B events, concerts and shows, gala events and congresses. But at the same time, there are also rooms in this exhibition centre that can be used for smaller events - including remote and hybrid events.

Halls 9 and 11 are particularly versatile, says Sabine - whether for concerts, trade fairs or congresses. Her personal highlight is the elliptic entrance to Hall 11: as you glance upwards when entering, she describes it as a wonderful metaphor looking up through a keyhole to success.

Anyone organising an event here is supported by a dedicated team: at events from concerts to congresses they are on hand to ensure everything runs smoothly, and at trade fairs they oversee the entire organisation process. 

Fritz Ortner has been part of the Kulturhaus Dornbirnteam since day one and has been Managing Director since 2018. He’s in charge of day-to-day operations, manages appointments and assists event organisers. This cultural centre can adapt to all types and sizes of event - whether for 30 or 730 guests. Depending on the event format and seating, the Kulturhaus can be transformed into the perfect location for conferences and congresses, balls and company parties, lectures, exhibitions and concerts. The rooms can be used together or individually and no matter which option you choose, the special flair and atmosphere here contribute to the event’s success. 

There have already been many highlights for Fritz at this special place in the centre of Dornbirn. These include the Global Fibre Congress, which has been attracting participants from all over the world to the city for 40 years, and concerts with regional greats and international stars such as Dave Brubeck, Randy Crawford and Ludovico Einaudi.

When it comes to sustainability, Kulturhaus Dornbirn is well in line with modern standards. It’s been an important issue for Fritz for over ten years. Since 2013, the Kulturhaus has held the Austrian Ecolabel for Green Meetings and Green Events. The venue itself also has a licence to certify events in accordance with the relevant guidelines. Although awareness of this type of event still needs to be raised, the Kulturhaus team provides expert support and advice to interested parties right from the outset. 

At Feldkirch’s Montforthaus, Anna-Maria Meier-Satran oversees operations and has one foot in marketing and the management team. Her varying tasks mean that she knows Montforthaus inside out. Thanks to this building’s multifunctional design, the ambience can be quickly and easily adapted to the ideas of event organisers, whether a lecture in the large hall, networking in the atrium or a meeting over food in the gallery. Even the roof terrace can be used for breaks and the old indoor swimming pool for the after-party. One particular event stands out for many, including Anna-Maria: the ‘Serenade im Atrium’. This in-house classical concert is a specially designed format making use of the building to create an atmospheric sound along with unique lighting effects.

For Anna-Maria, organisational flexibility is just as important as adaptable spaces. Especially because requests nowadays tend to be cancelled at short notice, requiring unprecedented adaptability. If everyone arrives and leaves with a smile, Anna-Maria considers the event a success. In order to lay the best possible foundations, the team supports event organisers to make coordination as easy as possible. This offer of support is gladly taken up, covering everything from technology to catering to logistics.

At all events, one topic has become increasingly important in recent years: sustainability. Montforthaus itself attaches great importance to minimising CO2 emissions and providing an ideal infrastructure. The building is certified to organise events in accordance with the guidelines of the Austrian Ecolabel for Green Meetings and Green Events. The fact that this topic is increasingly in demand shows how awareness of sustainable event organisation is growing.

Matthias Wunder has been working at Bregenz’s Festspielhaus since his studies and took over as Head of Event Organisation in 2022. With 23 event rooms, the building adapts to the requirements and ideas of congresses, conferences and participative formats. Matthias often cites the ‘Childhood, Youth and Society’ symposium as a prime example of the location's flexibility, where smaller groups work in various "studios". Another successful case is the ‘Female Future Festival’, which uses the foyers as exhibition or lounge areas. Indeed, many guests are surprised by how versatile the Festspielhaus can be. Matthias's personal highlight is the lakeside foyer with a view of the lake stage and the sunsets over Lake Constance, as well as the workshop stage whose technical infrastructure enables all kinds of performances.

Not only does Matthias encounter all facets of the building every day, he even experienced it first-hand at his own wedding! One event that stayed long in the memory was the ‘LGT Company Day’: "The entire building was decorated and at the end everyone came together to round off the day,” he remembers. “For me personally, one unforgettable element was the balloons. At the end, everyone had a balloon in their hands. We had agreed in advance that the balloons would not be released, otherwise they would disappear between the technical equipment, railings etc.. Of course, everyone still released their balloons as if on command and we had to collect balloons afterwards at dizzying heights. Flexibility was required: we even attached pins to sticks and used them to pop the balloons."

At the Festspielhaus Bregenz, sustainability has long been more than just a buzzword. It has been certified as a Green Location by the Austrian Ecolabel and is allowed to licence events itself. The in-house caterer is also certified, which makes it even easier to organise a green event. No matter whether green, hybrid or live, for Matthias the aim of every event is for guests to go home with a smile on their faces.