The Austria Center Vienna has been the meeting site for the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) since a long time and I have been here for four years in a row now - time for a review.
It's easy to reach using the subway using the U1. Nevertheless, the subway doesn't stop directly under the building or close to it - so masses of people have to walk there every single time. If it is raining - as it is common in March in Vienna - you are out of luck and will be only partially covered.
The building itself is in acceptable shape but has one of the most confusing layouts I have ever seen. Even as someone relatively experienced with this location, I still have to look up every single room number when I want to go to a session. Out of all the radiology meetings I have ever attended, this one is the most confusing due to the site's layout.
The problem is also that the layout is designed in a way that there are no ways to avoid running into the masses of people. The site is simply designed that all people should follow the main ways which leads to traffic congestion during the main days. This is especially true for the connection between the main building and the industry venue across where somehow somebody decided to pub a cab line in between.
Another issue is the fact that there are literally no small food courts or similar. There is usually an extremely overpriced mediocre restaurant and a cafƩ but that's it. There used to be a great espresso stand outside but that's gone. As a result, you rarely see someone holding a coffee to-go cup which is a rare sight at radiology meetings.
The Austria Center Vienna does several things poorly which other venue sites do much better (e.g. RSNA @ McCormick Place in Chicago, IL). I know that there really is no alternative to this place as the ECR meeting simply attracts far too many people to choose a different location. Nevertheless, some small changes could make this place so much better. Due to the confusing design, I am truly worried about what would happen in case of a real emergency as there would be panic in the main halls that would be unavoidable due to the layout. read more