ICCA’s 2019 statistics captured 13,254 rotating association meetings, the highest ever recorded annual figure in its yearly statistics, with an increase of 317 from last year’s record-breaking figures.
Year on year, ICCA has seen a promising consistent growth pattern in the association meetings market. The ICCA Association Database now includes 21,000 regularly occurring meeting series, 260,000 meeting editions and 12,000 international associations.
The most respected global comparison of destinations’ performance in attracting international meetings, ICCA’s annual country and city rankings are highly anticipated by the meetings industry.
ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath said: "ICCA’s annual statistics report is one of few that compares destinations’ meetings-related performance on a global scale and therefore provides great insight into global trends in the meetings industry. Given the current circumstances, it is great to once again highlight the consistent growth in association meetings globally. These figures show the need and importance of face-to-face events, and consequently that the industry will be instrumental in the global recovery when the time is right."
2019 city rankings: Paris holds on to the coveted title and remains in first position
In the number one spot in the ranking by number of association meetings in 2019, we have Paris for the second year in a row, followed by Lisbon, the city with the highest increase in number of events (+38) moving up 4 places from being 6th last year. Regular contenders of the top 5, Berlin (3rd), Barcelona (4th) and Madrid (5th), have made it once again, but Berlin and Madrid have swapped places from last years’ rankings.
Impressive newcomers to the Top 50 by number of meetings are Valencia (44 places higher) and Istanbul (40 places higher), respectively holding 48th and 44th position.
Cities
1 Paris 237
2. Lisbon 190
3. Berlin 176
4. Barcelona 156
5. Madrid 154
6. Vienna 149
7. Singapore 148
8. London 143
9. Prague 138
10. Tokyo 131
11. Buenos Aires 127
12. Copenhagen 125
13. Bangkok 124
14. Amsterdam 120
15. Seoul 114
16. Dublin 109
17. Athens 107
18. Rome 102
19. Taipei 101
20. Sydney 93
Countries
1. USA 934
2. Germany 714
3. France 595
4. Spain 578
5. United Kingdom 567
6. Italy 550
7. China 539
8. Japan 527
9. Netherlands 356
10. Portugal 342
11. Canada 336
12. Australia 272
13. Korea 248
14. Belgium 237
15. Sweden 237
16. Austria 231
17. Switzerland 221
18. Argentina 214
19. Poland 213
20. Brazil 209