Viewing the dynamic city of Munich through the limited lens of Oktoberfest requires a bit of reassessment. Business and commerce are in its roots, dating to the early 1300s when the city was granted an important monopoly on salt trading. More recently, Munich enjoyed accelerated growth in finance, advanced technologies, trade fairs and conferences. Siemens, BMW, Linde and Allianz are among the major corporations based here, along with more than 22,000 high-tech companies that are leaders in telecommunications, aerospace and aviation.

Though steeped in history and classic architecture, Munich also has an irresistible modern edge that appeals to a wide variety of meeting and event planners. Last year, the fresh, contemporary space at BMW Welt was selected by the juried Location Award 2013 as Germany’s best event location within the designer location category, while its Event Forum surpassed all previous records, hosting 48,000 guests at 444 events. Premium services include project management, full staffing, technicians, furniture, fixtures and fittings.

Indoor and outdoor function and meeting spaces include museum rooms, the Michelin-starred restaurant EssZimmer, a glass-walled Business Club overlooking BMW Welt Square, and dedicated Event Forum facilities. Incentive options abound, with “experience programs” that range in scope from plant tours and company tournaments at Olympiapark SoccArena to individually planned incentive training behind the wheel on a racecourse during a BMW Driving Experience.

One of Europe’s most popular conference venues, the international trade fair complex Messe München (Munich Exhibition Centre) expanded to include the ICM – Internationales Congress Center München and the MOC Exhibition Center. Upcoming conferences include Communication World 2014, Food & Life Expo, Electronica 2014, the 20th FECAVA EuroCongress and the 60th GSAVA Congress, all in November; and BC India in December.

At the ICM – Internationales Congress Center München, separate control rooms, simultaneous translation booths, mobile lighting bridges, customizable stages and the latest in data and video projection options can be combined with exhibition halls at Messe München to accommodate up to 12,000 people. The vanguard space has proven to be particularly popular for international medical and pharmaceutical conferences.

The MOC Exhibition Center’s combined 320,000-plus square feet of halls, natural-light atria and showrooms are designed to be highly versatile, with a wide assortment of possible configurations. Smaller functions benefit from the privacy afforded by segmented car park elevators, foyers and entryways. The center’s showroom concept makes event running simple, with 142 showrooms and breakout rooms ready for use at a moment’s notice.

Billed as the world’s leading trade fair, the most recent edition of the LASER World of PHOTONICS brought 1,130 exhibitors to Messe München. The event was so successful that every available booth was fully booked. The trade fair will return in June 2015 with an additional exhibit hall and will overlap with the World of Photonics Congress.

A brand-new Ramada Hotel & Conference Center opened right next door to Messe München and features access from the underground station located there. The Ramada’s own facilities include seven multipurpose exhibition rooms, an event hall, the latest conference technology and dedicated meeting planners.

When contemplating this historic city’s host of meeting and event offerings, it’s well worth considering the multitude of unique cultural venue choices. Munich boasts more than 100 galleries and museums, many offering meeting and event space.

Options include the stunning Neoclassical Glyptothek with its vast collection of Greek and Roman sculptures. For a statement meeting, the Alte Pinakothek and Neue Pinakothek art museums, located in the Kunstareal art district, offer meeting and event space. The Alte Pinakothek, ranked as one of the oldest galleries in the world, includes masterpieces by Raphael, Rubens, Poussin and Rembrandt. Its neighbor, the Neue Pinakothek, houses modern works by Monet, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Turner and Rottmann.

Nymphenburg Palace © Hiro1775 | Dreamstime.com

For singular ambience, there’s also the graceful, ornate Nymphenburg Palace. Meeting and function spaces include the Hubertus Hall (maximum 392 people), Orangery Hall (maximum 170), Johannis Hall (maximum 90) and the Iron House (maximum 60). Additional space for small exhibitions can be booked in the Geranium House.

For a different sort of tone, the centrally located Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall) and grand, historic Münchner Künstlerhaus (artist’s house) also make excellent venues, with the bonus of being easily accessible via public transportation. Or tap into unique meeting and event spaces located within the city’s impressive brewery halls. Löwenbräukeller’s largest room provides theater-style seating for 1,650 people. The Hacker-Pschorr Bräuhaus seats up to 600 in its largest room, while the Paulaner Bräuhaus accommodates up to 180, also in theater-style seating.

In the city’s very center, the historic Bavarian-themed Platzl Hotel offers seven banquet and conference rooms with state-of-the-art conference technology and space for up to 140 people. There’s serious atmosphere here: The elegant hotel’s Muller-Pfister-Stube room, seating up to 95 people, dates to 1573. The Platzl is also steps away from Marienplatz, home to the famed Glockenspiel mechanical clock.

Also centrally located, the nine spacious meeting rooms of the Hans Seidel Foundation Conference Center all boast natural daylight. To assist with choices, Convention Bureau Munich provides indispensible help in planning MICE events. DMC Munich, staffed with knowledgeable local professionals, can help round out meetings with incentive ideas that include hiring a private tram to tour the city while feasting on Bavarian sausages and beer, arranging for a traditional Bavarian evening with local music, participation in a classic car rally or staging a company-wide competition of traditional Bavarian activities such as yodeling and bole-throwing.