When you say Munich, you also have to say FC Bayern Munich. Anyone thinking about successful sporting events in Munich immediately has the 1972 Olympic Games in mind. The Bavarian capital is inextricably linked with sports. Whether it is soccer, athletics, ice hockey, yoga or handball - something is always taking place. And it doesn't just stop at top sporting events. Munich also hosts numerous trade fairs and conferences on the subject of sports, such as ISPO, Outdoor by ISPO, f.re.e or YogaWorld.
The 1972 Summer Olympics, the 1974 and 2006 World Cups, the 1988 and 2020 European Soccer Championships and now the 2022 European Championships. Hardly any other German city can look back on so many successful major sporting events. And it continues. "Munich will continue to host sporting highlights in the coming years. The state capital is proud to host the 2024 European Championships after 2021. It will be a great soccer festival for all Munich residents and for all guests," says Katrin Habenschaden, 2nd Mayor of Munich.
The fact that Munich has been nominated again is unusual and shows the city's popularity as a venue for various sporting events. After all, Munich is the only host city for UEFA EURO 2020 that will also host matches at the 2024 European Football Championship.
But that's not all, because after Munich's success as one of the venues for the 2019 Handball World Championship, there will be a new edition in 2024 at the EHF European Championship 2024. From January 10 to 28, 2024, the arenas will host the European handball crown, which, of course, the German national handball team is also hoping for. In addition, the Champions League final will be held in Munich in 2025.
"As a sports city, Munich with its 50-year Olympic tradition is a popular city break destination," says Sven Ehricht, owner and managing director of SPORT SPEAKER GmbH, which arranges for former top athletes to speak at events. In addition, there is the balance between athletes, spectators, sponsors and media. "If this fits, the sporting event becomes sustainably successful."
One of the most important pillars for Munich as a sports city are, of course, the 1972 Olympic Games. The numerous sports venues and the accompanying infrastructure, as well as the Olympic spirit of several generations, form the legacy on which events are planned today. The state capital still benefits from the image of the world sports festival, the guests from all over the world, the investments, the spatial planning. The Olympic Park, then built on the outskirts of the city, is now in the middle of the city and is a place for everyone, for sports, culture and recreation.
Even organizers, agencies and participants of congresses that are not primarily concerned with sports benefit from Munich's reputation as a sports city. Olympic champions from five decades can accompany lectures, talks or team events with sporting activities.
The SPORT SPEAKER GmbH alone provides well-known top athletes such as Olympic high jump champion Heike Henkel, the winner of the Four Hills Tournament Sven Hannawald, Olympic track cycling champion Kristina Vogel, Olympic silver medalist in the decathlon Frank Busemann, Olympic biathlon champion Kati Wilhelm or Klaus Wolfermann, Olympic champion in the javelin throw in 1972 in Munich. Professional top performers turn a conference or congress into a real highlight.
But it's not just about meeting professional athletes and listening to their talks. "I like to recommend to event planners that they get out of the meeting venue once in a while," Ehricht says.
Meet in sports venues. Get out of the same old conference hall, into the Olympic Stadium, the Olympic Hall, the Olympic swimming pool, the rowing regatta course, the Olympic Tower or the Allianz Arena - meetings, events and seminars that are active in sports can be booked everywhere. The sporting reference environments reinforce the messages of the events and at the same time provide the stage for team-building framework activity programs, moderated by Olympic champions and world champions."
Movement is essential. Head and body want to be challenged. Or as Sven Ehricht says, "Without movement in the body, there is no movement in the head." Time slots for this can also be found during conferences or congresses. And Munich in particular offers the ideal setting for this:
a morning run through the English Garden or along the Isar River, active breaks at the conference venue or nearby - after all, everything is close together in Munich - or even active evening programs and team events. "Sometimes a short sightseeing tour of the city by bike or a walk to dinner instead of a bus ride is enough," says Ehricht.
