„Product innovation” and “professionalization” of SMEs in the thermal environment - this was the background of the event of the ETC AT-HU-project PROthermae in ITZ Fürstenfeld on June 24, 2014.

Without tourism, the Fürstenfeld region's economy would be at the level of 1973/74. Currently, the thermal region recorded 5 times the residents as guests with a turnover of € 100 million. Crucial for the success of the region is mainly the retention of "regionalism" in tourism. For the cooperation of small, regional suppliers with the leading companies in the region, the ease of delivery is most important.

At the beginning, the most original local tourist flagship, the thermal spa of Loipersdorf has been presented by CEO Wolfgang Wieser. From the originally pure „Health Spa“, Loipersdorf changed to an innovative „2 bath strategy“- Life Spa & Relexation Spa - by focusing on regionality and seasonality. CEO Hannes Wagner represented the Hotel 4 Seasons****, situated in a close range to Loipersdorf & deep-seated in the region. The success of the hotel - almost 42,000 overnight stays in 2012 while revenue increased - results from the new philosophy: "Quality instead of Saving." As a “work of art” (philosophy: "Living in harmony between nature, man and beast") and regional leading company who denies particularly sustainable ways, Rogner Spa Blumau was presented by director Melanie Franke. Opened in 1997, the complex consists of the spa area and a 4-star hotel and recorded 150,000 overnight stays / year and 67,000 daily visitors annually. One of the showcase projects is certainly the geothermal plant of the spa, which is producing natural CO2 and green electricity.

For the set-up of the 5th GADGET Café, RUN invited not only suppliers & companies in the broad environment of tourism but also young people and students from the region to get the opportunity to gain an insight in this special field by joining together this two worlds to make contacts and forge linkages. The training program for employees in Styrian SMEs in the field of energy & environment, developed by the FH JOANNEUM, especially the topics of intercultural communication, planning and controlling of R & D projects as well as methods to increase customer loyalty, has attracted a great number of attendants.