Welcome to one of Europe’s largest and most advanced convention centers! On Friday, April 29, 2022 the new CCH – Congress Center Hamburg will be officially opened by Hamburg’s First Mayor, Dr. Peter Tschentscher. The complex has undergone comprehensive remodeling and modernization since January 2017. Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH (HMC) is now the operator of the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg, which was designed to compete with Europe’s finest convention centers.

“The new CCH provides Hamburg with a state-of-the-art convention center with enormous potential, situated at an attractive location right in the middle of the city. It offers ideal conditions for hosting international conventions and other events exploring the key topics of the future. The new CCH comes as a boost for Hamburg’s tourism and hospitality sector, highlighting our city’s pivotal role as an international business and science hub,” said Dr. Peter Tschentscher, First Mayor of the State and City of Hamburg.

“With its superb functionality, the new CCH will set new standards and is sure to meet the expectations of today's convention organizers in every respect. By being able to rely on decades of expertise in the convention business, we will be able to continue the success story of the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg and win many fascinating event organizers for our beautiful city," said Bernd Aufderheide, President and CEO, Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH.

"We've all been waiting for this moment for a long time. By officially opening our convention center, we are back on the national and international market, and we would like to take this opportunity to extend a cordial invitation to all our customers to come and see for themselves what the new CCH – Congress Center Hamburg has to offer. It is modern, flexible, attractive and ready to host major national and international events. We are looking forward to numerous future-looking conventions and other events taking place here," emphasized Heike Mahmoud, Chief Operating Officer, CCH – Congress Center Hamburg.

'Soft opening' began in fall 2021

When the ITS World Congress opened its doors on Monday, October 11, 2021, the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg opened a new chapter in its history. The kickoff event in the great Hall 1 was the first official gathering at the partially opened convention center since the beginning of the construction work in early 2017. From October 2021, Hamburg Messe und Congress was able to hold several events at the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg as part of a 'soft opening’ phase, including several medical conventions and the Hamburg Aviation Forum.

Few major cities around the globe are in the fortunate position of being able to offer an exhibition campus and a convention center situated right in their middle. Hamburg is one of them. Interconnected by Planten un Blomen park, which is part of the Hamburg Messe und Congress site, the CCH and the exhibition complex form a unique event campus. For guests, this means short distances, excellent accessibility, a nature area for recuperation, and a varied urban environment nearby.

Conventions and trade shows are places of international information sharing about technologies, science, politics and business topics. On the Hamburg Messe und Congress campus, the city is able to provide all the spaces, technology, logistics and know-how that is needed to host major events for discerning audiences. This not only benefits tourism and the food service and hospitality industry, it also enables the City of Hamburg to present itself as a key destination for events with a big stage for major players to discuss and develop current and future topics and make far-reaching decisions. As a location for exhibitions and conventions, Hamburg is thus an important business driver for the entire region, a role which greatly benefits the city's international perception as an iconic metropolis.

Highly flexible and multifunctional

The new CCH – Congress Center Hamburg, based on designs by the architectural cooperative agn leusmann / Time Hupe Architekten, is one of Europe’s most advanced and largest convention centers with 36,000 square meters of available space. The number 12,000 has taken on a special meaning: 12,000 square meters of event space. 12,000 square meters of foyer space. And 12,000 visitors who can attend events at the CCH simultaneously. The complex can provide up to 50 multifunctional halls for conventions and events of any kind, spread across four levels and three event sections – West, Center and East. Each of the three sections has its own entrances and exits. Situated in the central part of the city, the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg is as attractive as it has always been – a true world-class convention center. Not only that, it is also sustainable and barrier-free.

A unique complex for events

Modernized and remodeled by Sprinkenhof GmbH, the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg enthralls visitors with its light-flooded modern architecture, expertly designed spatial concepts and first-rate AV systems.It also sets new standards in terms of location, flexibility and individuality. Even the redesigned “Congressplatz” square and the new entry area give a foretaste of the unique character of this building – a magnificent impression that continues to build as guests walk through the generously-dimensioned entrance hall and Belvedere.

Key target audiences of the CCH, apart from medical conventions, include scientific and association conferences as well as corporate events. "There is strong interest in our new convention center. Over the coming months, many events will take place at the new CCH – Congress Center Hamburg," says Heike Mahmoud. As of 2023, many cultural events will once again be on the CCH calendar. Talks with concert organizers are in progress.

Here's an excerpt of the 2022 calendar of events at the new CCH – Congress Center Hamburg:

Deutsche Biotechnologietage 2022 (German Biotechnology Days 2022) on May 4 and 5, 2022
ISC High Performance 2022 from May 29 to June 2, 2022
The 20th International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology from June 12 to 15, 2022
74. DGU-Jahrestagung(74th Annual Convention of the German Urologists Association) from September 21 to 24, 2022

For more information on the new CCH – Congress Center Hamburg please go to www.cch.de/en/.

Photos for press use are available for downloading here. Credit for the enclosed photo: © Hamburg Messe und Congress / Jürgen Nerger.

History facts

A look back at the beginnings: On April 14, 1973 in the morning, Gustav Heinemann, the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, officially opened the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg. For more than forty years the “old” CCH had a formative influence on the national and international convention scene, serving as a model for other convention centers across Europe. Game-changing conventions took place at this venue, and world-famous stars were celebrated in its auditoriums by exhilarated audiences. As many as 130 global conventions have been hosted at the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg to date. From 1973 to 2016, around 250 events took place at the CCH per year, including many medical conventions. International government leaders have spoken from the podiums of the CCH, and global corporations have held annual general meetings here. Countless festive balls, dance tournaments, award ceremonies, grand galas and events of all kinds have taken place at the CCH. Major organizations held gatherings at the CCH, such as the United Nations (1982); the 19th Postal Union Congress (1984), with a duration of forty days the most lengthy event ever held in Hamburg; the 15th World Cancer Congress (1990); and the 96th Lions Club International Convention (2013). The Evangelical Church in Germany likewise chose the CCH for its 34th National Convention in 2013.