Travel expenses information of Messe Berlin

1. General

The rules for travel and expenses only apply to speakers of the DMEA Congress, the DMEA Seminars or congress session hosts, as well as for members of the program advisory boards. Exceptions are possible after an agreement with the event organizer.

Travel expenses of participants shall only be refunded if their employer does not pay the cost.

The following costs are covered for the above-mentioned persons:

• one overnight stay including breakfast (excludes extras and personal expenses such as parking fees, minibar, telephone etc.)
• travel expenses (train and flight in 2nd class/economy or travel allowance 0.30€ per km)

Precondition:

• the speaker's employer does not bear the costs (please sent along the Declaration on the Reimbursement of Travel Expenses (PDF, 98.8 kB))
• a total value of EUR 300 per person is not exceeded

Please note that only costs that have actually been incurred will be reimbursed. Exceptions regarding the reimbursable amount of travel costs are possible in agreement with bvitg Service GmbH. If necessary, please contact dmea@bvitg.de.

The travellers are responsible for their declarations and the completeness of documentation. All participants are obliged to limit the cost of travel to the minimum necessary. Deviation from the principles of efficiency and economics must be sufficiently justified.

2. Organizational procedures

2.1. Travel application

An invitation or confirmation from the bvitg that the traveler is participating in the DMEA program must be provided.

2.2. Booking

Trips are to be made by the most economically advantageous means of transport in each case, taking into account the time required for the route to be covered.

2.3. Travel cost billing

Travel expenses for speakers and moderators must be settled no later than eight weeks after the DMEA or 14 days after an advisory board meeting, i.e. all relevant documents must have been forwarded to Messe Berlin GmbH. Entitlement to reimbursement of travel expenses will expire if the receipts for settlement have not been submitted within eight weeks or 14 days after the end of the event.

For the travel expense declaration, all receipts must be submitted in the originalif possible. This applies particularly to travel tickets and airline tickets (boarding passes in the case of electronic ticket). The traveller bears the responsibility for accuracy of the receipts. This is confirmed by the corresponding signature on the invoice, which must be submitted.

The invoice must be submitted as a PDF.

The invoice must list the event, the date of participation, the reason for the invoice and the account details.

It must also state whether the person is liable for VAT. Please note on your invoice if you are "not subject to VAT". If you are subject to VAT, please enter the applicable VAT number on your invoice.

In addition, a declaration must be included that the respective employer does not bear the travel costs itself (see template, page 4). Travel expenses and fees for user presentations or representatives of exhibitors are excluded from this.

The travel expense declaration prepared will be checked by Messe Berlin GmbH's financial accounting department with regard to both (tax) compliance and the completeness of enclosed receipts. Reimbursement may be refused in the event of improper proof of costs incurred.

Please send the invoice with the original documents to the following address:

Messe Berlin GmbH
Messedamm 22
14055 Berlin

Subject: Travel cost declaration DMEA 20245

Note: The invoice can also be sent by e-mail with digital receipts and the declaration of travel cost coverage (see page 4) to the following e-mail address, stating the order number (4600029032): dmea@messe-berlin.de

2.4. Clearing

Credit balances are paid out on a non-cash basis by the financial accounting department.

3. Reimbursement of travel expenses

3.1. Basics

Reimbursement of travel expenses is compensation of expenses. Only expenses that have led to expenditure and be proven will be accepted. Only in special justified cases may expenditures be granted with self-issued documents. Benefits granted to the traveller (e.g. BahnCard) are to be made available Messe Berlin GmbH.

3.2 External influences

Travel must be planned in such a way that delays (within a usual framework) do not affect the course of the event. Should a means of transport not be reached in time due to external influences (e.g. strikes, bad weather, etc.), only the price of the originally booked transport will be refunded. Any additional costs incurred by the failure to do so shall be borne by the traveller.

Exceptions will be checked by the organizer in individual cases.

3.3. Travel expenses

Train

No traveller is entitled to travel expenses reimbursement from a trip with use of the 1st class. All travellers are entitled to use the 2nd class. If a BahnCard holder travels cheaper in first class than in second class travel must be confirmed by us prior to booking.

In cooperation with Deutsche Bahn, Messe Berlin GmbH offers an event ticket at special rates. This can be booked six months before the DMEA. You can find all information here.

Aircraft

For air travel, only the tourist or economy class tickets will be refunded.

In cooperation with Lufthansa, Messe Berlin GmbH offers an event ticket at special rates. You can find all information here.

Private motor vehicles

The mileage allowance statement must be enclosed as proof. Refundable are EUR 0.30 per kilometre driven. For private car use the mileage allowance is limited to EUR 150; economic justification is required for reimbursement in excess of this amount. All claims arising from the use are settled with this global reimbursement. This also includes any entrainment of colleagues, luggage, etc. The increased parking fees for several days near the airport are to be avoided and less expensive alternatives are to be chosen.

Taxis / public transport

For necessary travel at the business location away from home, regularly scheduled public transportation, including shuttle buses to airports, must always be used.

Taxi rides are only permitted in exceptional cases, e.g. if the destination cannot be reached by public transport or if the use of local transport is not reasonable due to extensive/heavy luggage or urgency. The necessity must be justified. The settlement of taxi rides must be made on the basis of a receipt completed in full by the taxi driver (date, fare, route, tax details, signature).

3.4. Accommodation costs

In general, one overnight stay per person can be accounted for, provided that the accommodation is in middle class hotels. If a person has agreed to take on several tasks in the DMEA program, additional overnight stays are reimbursable. In this case the event host has to be consulted if necessary.

Definition of middle-class hotel for Germany: 3 stars (comfort, accommodation for medium requirements), applies analogously for all destinations. Unless Messe Berlin GmbH and/or the host bvitg e. V. suggest higher-quality hotels.

4. Entry into force

The travel expenses guidelines are to be applied to all travel related to the DMEA effective immediately.