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