Gothenburg: A Digital Twin in Sync with the City!

View over Garden Society of Gotenburg 

At every meeting, lessons are learnt and new ideas are born that influence the very direction of a destination. Gothenburg has a sector-based approach to its business, and has developed it by using meetings and events as test beds with on-demand solutions such as its new digital visitor guide. We spoke to these local experts about the recipe and preparation of a plan to build a modern, impactful destination.

Gothenburg is not just any city; it is home to major universities, research institutes, science parks, various testbeds and open innovation environments. It is one of Sweden's main industrial regions and an important knowledge centre, boasting the highest percentage of R&D sites for global companies in Sweden. Gothenburg is also recognised as a leader in innovation in Europe and is ranked among the top global science and technology clusters in terms of patents and publications per capita. Together with a long tradition of public and private partnerships, these elements provide a solid basis for the city's sectoral approach to bidding for events and meetings. “The City of Gothenburg's Meetings Action Plan 2024-2026 governs the way the destination works with MICE activities, and aims to support the strategic objectives of the Destination Development Programme 2023-2030,” says Annika Hallman, Head of Meetings/Convention Bureau at Göteborg & Co. These include an attractive year-round offer, the strengthening of business and academia in the destination, consisting delivery on world-class sustainability, and added value for residents.

For many years, Gothenburg has used meetings and public events as tools for sustainable destination development, collaborating with dedicated stakeholders to drive change. “We have noticed that sustainability has become increasingly integrated into RFPs and we suspect that this will intensify with the upcoming EU directives. Associations may need to align themselves with the sustainability standards of their corporate partners, influencing venue selection and event practices.” The convention bureau has collaborated with the city’s universities for almost 40 years, and these local champions have always been essential to its success as a meetings destination. “We also work closely with the regional economic development agency and directly with R&D-intensive companies in the region, such as AstraZeneca and Volvo Cars. Together, we identify strategical meetings in key sectors and development areas, using these events as tools to meet needs and objectives, such as attracting talent, investment and skills development.”
 

Gothenburg is taking a historic leap forward in its development, where hotel capacity has increased by 30% (3,600 rooms) in five years and massive investments have been made in infrastructure. “We’ve been distributing data-driven knowledge to strengthen the competitiveness of the hotel sector.” On the other hand, digitalised solutions are now a natural part of meetings, even if face-to-face meetings are preferred, albeit selectively. “Delegates today need to feel that a physical meeting is meaningful, creating clear added value for their organisations,” says Hallman. Increasingly, associations also want to leave a positive impact or legacy on the destination, a point not lost on Gotebor&Co: “Our inclusive structure, Gothenburg Way to Legacy, promotes involvement at all levels of our stakeholders, pushing associations and local partners towards positive collaboration in our strong tradition of extensive networks. The aim is to benefit both the association and the destination.”

This impact programme consists of a Method, a Toolbox and a Community Support section, and has provided a solid basis and an excellent starting point for their impactful work. “Our strategy of bidding for meetings in strong sectors and key development areas remains unchanged. This approach has been key to our success, leveraging collaboration between academia, the private sector and the public sector,” Hallman adds. Their impact areas depend on both the vision and objectives of the association and the city's priorities. “It all starts with strategic bids and the impact can be economic, social or environmental. Our legacy efforts are aligned with the main sectors and development areas identified. By clearly defining and demonstrating how meetings can be used to create positive social impact, policymakers have gained a better understanding of their value.” At the DMO, there is a group dedicated to impact strategy, made up of the Head of Sustainability, representatives from the CVB, the public events department, the Trade and Industry Group, and the destination development department.
 

The Digital Twin — Combining new technologies with social challenges

For seven consecutive years, Gothenburg has been ranked as the world's most sustainable destination according to the Global Destination Sustainability Index, and in 2021, Lonely Planet named Gothenburg the world's best sustainable city stay. The city's holistic approach to sustainable development integrates environmental, social and economic perspectives into decision-making, planning and execution. “Sharing best practices allows us to evaluate a visionary and long-term development process, where new technologies, the circular economy and social innovation have crucial roles to play,” says Fredrik Lundgren Project Manager, Association and Corporate Meetings, at Göteborg & Co. In terms of innovation, digital transformation and urban development, sustainability is a strong catalyst for Gothenburg in the development of solutions for companies and society. “One example is our digital twin development project to make our destination more accessible both for groups with special needs and for local visitation purposes.” Events also serve as ideal platforms for testing and presenting sustainable solutions: “by setting high standards and requirements for suppliers, we can stimulate demand for sustainable solutions and influence positively the behaviour of visitors and delegates,” he adds.

Gothenburg has long wanted a digital representation of its meetings ecosystem. Since 2017, the city and its planning office have developed an 800-square-kilometre digital twin of Gothenburg, comprising a comprehensive data warehouse with various meeting facilities, landmarks and hotels. This development was built parametrically using geographic data (GIS) and building information modelling (BIM), creating an excellent basis for digital tools and experiences now and in the future. Since it includes several levels of sensitive data, only selected parts are accessible in the virtual representation of Gothenburg. “Since the digital visitor's guide is based on Gothenburg's digital twin, we can show the essence of the city in just 10-15 minutes. When developing digital site visits, we will focus on a specific area called the events district, a 1.5 square kilometre zone with arenas, venues, meeting facilities, hotels and restaurants. With this guide, the city will also reach new target groups such as meeting organisers or venue finders. Our destination would like to emotionally connect these people to the city in a very efficient and time-saving way, as well as demonstrate its walkability,” says Lundgren.
 

Visitors will be directed to a digital environment where they can explore various hotels, facilities, restaurants, entertainment and attractions with the help of a virtual concierge. It is also possible to choose different times of day and different seasons. As well as being a perfect tool for the organisers, the CVB's aim was to increase accessibility for disabled visitors as well as avoiding unnecessary carbon emissions. “This idea arose from the question ‘how can Gothenburg take the next step towards sustainability and increased accessibility? There is still a lot of development work ahead and the plan is to have a test version ready by the beginning of 2025 and a full version the following year. Some of the developments will take place in collaboration with various partners as part of an EU project,” he tells us.

During the pandemic, the need for hybrid solutions has become especially evident, prompting all of Gothenburg's main venues to reassess their physical and technical capacities. In response, Göteborg & Co conducted a survey among its venues to understand how they evaluate their offerings and assess readiness to meet demand in terms of capacity, personnel and technology. ‘The survey highlighted the remarkable flexibility of our venues. More than half of them had already offered hybrid meeting solutions, and most of the other venues had clear plans to adapt their business models to meet changes in demand. Some venues took advantage of the months of tight restrictions to develop new concepts and reach new audiences, while others focused on improving the appeal of their facilities. We also found openness and a willingness to learn more about hybrid solutions and new technologies,’ says Lundgren.

Some venues were convinced that the pandemic would act as a catalyst for changes in meeting behaviour, as more people chose to explore alternative formats resulting in an increase in smaller meetings where only key participants met in person. ‘This made us realise the importance of integrating digital solutions at every stage. It was a natural step, as our company was already leading several digital initiatives and POCs (Proof of Concepts), testing our capabilities and opportunities as a destination management organisation. We partnered with technology companies, Mastercard and major attractions to explore how to better understand our visitors.’ At the same time, the annual delegate surveys – carried out at various congresses and conferences – showed a high level of satisfaction: “Over 90% of delegates were satisfied with the meeting venues, the functionality of the technology and the quality of the service. In addition, almost all delegates consider Gothenburg to be a sustainable meeting destination,” Lundgren concludes.