Austria Center Vienna Applauds ECR 2025’s Dual Bea World Triumph

ECR2025 Exterior © Henri Manzano | Austria Center Vienna

The 2025 European Congress of Radiology has captured two top honours: the European Society of Radiology’s (ESR) flagship event secured the coveted “Best Event Award” at Bea World, one of the global event industry’s foremost competitions, claiming first place in both the “Best Congress/Conference” and “Best Convention in the World” categories.

A major contributor to the success of the event’s immersive approach was the flexibility of the venue — a space shaped by continuous investment in modernization and digital solutions. The Austria Center Vienna extends its congratulations to the European Society of Radiology, a valued long-term partner, on this remarkable recognition.

“In recent years we have invested heavily in modernisation and digitalisation to provide our clients with the ideal setting for their events. On Level 0 and the newly redesigned Level -2 alone, there are now close to 500m² of LED displays which provide the perfect canvas for innovative event staging. It is plain to see that we are setting new standards in the events industry and helping our clients create unforgettable experiences for their participants thanks to our polySTAGE – a true world-first – as well as the other digital displays throughout the building and our flexible use of space. For me, this award for ECR 2025 is a fantastic confirmation of this strategy,” says Austria Center Vienna Managing Director Susanne Baumann-Söllner.
 

Interactive, immersive, and redefining congress experiences

The 2025 European Congress of Radiology captured the jury’s attention with a deeply immersive format that blended expert talks, hands-on installations and virtual-reality components, all woven into a coherent storytelling framework. A digital universe — crafted with Unreal Engine and animated through LED surfaces, 3D graphics, and motion-capture technology — guided attendees through a sequence of themed “worlds,” reinforcing the event’s core narrative at every turn. This distinctive setup strengthened participant involvement and further solidified the ECR’s reputation as one of the most dynamic and forward-thinking congresses globally, transcending the traditional boundaries of medical-imaging events.
 

About IAKW-AG and the ECR

Internationales Amtssitz- und Konferenzzentrum Wien, Aktiengesellschaft (IAKW-AG), is responsible for the maintenance of the Vienna International Centre (VIC) and the operation of the Austria Center Vienna (ACV). As Austria’s largest conference venue — featuring 21 halls, 134 meeting rooms and roughly 26,000m² of exhibition space — the ACV ranks among the leading venues on the international congress scene. The European Congress of Radiology (ECR), held at the Austria Center Vienna since 1991, now draws more than 20,000 attendees each year. Organised by the European Society of Radiology (ESR), it is Europe’s largest radiology congress and the second-largest worldwide.
 

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