International congresses today are far more than traditional in-person events. They combine face-to-face networking with digital reach, scientific content, live production, and global connectivity. To meet these evolving demands, VIECON Messe Wien continuously develops its service offering for organizers and relies on the expertise of its Preferred Partner, STEINERLIVE, which has been providing technical support to the venue since 2004.

Expectations of congresses have changed significantly in recent years. While presentations and panel discussions once formed the core of an event, organizers now face a much broader range of requirements. Content is expected not only to engage audiences on site, but also to be streamed, recorded, shared, and made available long after the event has concluded.

“Today’s congresses are far more than traditional in-person gatherings. They combine personal interaction with content production, international networking, and digital services,” explains Thomas Wasshuber, Owner and Managing Director of STEINERLIVE.

As a result, congresses are increasingly evolving into communication and content platforms. Presentation technology, audio and video direction, live interpretation, streaming services, and digital tools must work together seamlessly. For organizers, this means growing technical complexity that nevertheless needs to remain easy to manage.

Particularly at international professional and scientific congresses, organizers depend on reliable processes and clear structures. Technical infrastructure plays a central role in achieving this. The demand is for solutions that integrate various audiovisual systems while ensuring smooth and efficient event operations.

The industry is moving away from isolated technical services toward fully integrated solutions. Event technology, IT, broadcast capabilities, and content management are increasingly converging. For organizers, the focus is not on the technology itself, but on how easily and efficiently it can be utilized.

From STEINERLIVE’s perspective, modern congress technology is successful when it keeps organizational complexity in the background, allowing event teams to focus on content, participants, and the overall program.

At the same time, technological innovation is opening up new possibilities and creating new expectations. AI-powered translation services, automated captioning, digital content offerings, and hybrid event formats are expanding opportunities for international reach and accessibility.

These solutions are becoming increasingly important, particularly for scientific and medical congresses. They make content more accessible to multilingual audiences while extending engagement far beyond the days of the event itself.

“The next stage of development is not simply about adding more technology. It is about creating smarter connections between systems. Event technology, IT, broadcast, and content management are merging into a single integrated infrastructure,” says Thomas Wasshuber.

Alongside technological expertise, experience and in-depth venue knowledge remain critical factors for successful events. Established workflows, short communication channels, and a thorough understanding of a venue’s unique characteristics contribute significantly to planning reliability and operational efficiency.

As the technical partner of VIECON Messe Wien since its opening in 2004, STEINERLIVE has extensive knowledge of the venue’s physical, organizational, and technical environment. This combination of established infrastructure, practical experience, and continuous technological development provides the foundation for delivering even the most complex international congresses efficiently and professionally.

For congress organizers, this evolution delivers one key advantage above all else: greater confidence in managing increasingly sophisticated event requirements. Modern audiovisual services help present content professionally, engage international audiences, and support the efficient execution of complex event formats.

Through its partnership with STEINERLIVE, VIECON combines long-standing venue expertise with state-of-the-art technical capabilities. This creates the ideal conditions for organizers to focus on what matters most: high-quality content, meaningful connections, and an event that delivers lasting impact.