13,254 meetings of rotating associations worldwide last year. This record figure recorded by the ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) is not about to be equalled, at least not in 2020. With an additional 317 events registered in 2019, the level has never been so high, following a particularly prolific 2018. By country, France is part of this dynamic - until now - ultra positive and has climbed to the top of the list of the most attractive destinations for hosting major congresses, overtaking Spain to take its place behind Germany and the United States, unchanged number 1 for two decades.
Among France's major cities, Lyon has made a jump in the rankings by moving up 22 places to 41st in the world in this benchmark ranking, ahead of cities such as New York, Chicago and Toronto. Toulouse is experiencing a similar dynamic, becoming the third most attractive French city - and 84th in the world - for hosting international conferences, ahead of Nice, Marseille and Bordeaux.
Above all, for the second year in a row, the CICA ranking recognizes Paris as the world's top destination in front of LisbonThe Portuguese capital, which bases its offer on the infrastructures of the Parc des Nations as well as on a multitude of event venues, even jumped four places compared to 2018. The Portuguese capital, which bases its offer on the infrastructures of the Parc des Nations and a multitude of event venues, has even jumped four places compared to 2018 thanks to a record increase in the number of events held in 2019 (+38), for a total of 190.
Paris hosted 237 international congresses meeting ICCA* criteria in 2019, compared with 212 in 2018. " We are very proud of this recognition of the commitment of the professionals working with us, which has made Paris a world-renowned destination for the congress sector. "said Corinne Menegaux, Managing Director of the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau. " Paris remains world capital of international congresses and we are proud to contribute to strengthening this leadership It's a good thing that we're going to be able to offer you the best possible service," said Pablo Nakhlé Cerruti, Managing Director of Viparis, the operator of the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre and convention centre.
The Paris Convention Centre, Europe's largest convention centre inaugurated at the end of 2017, has helped to consolidate Paris' position with, in particular, the hosting of 33,000 participants at the World Cardiology Congress, organised by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Or the largest conference ever organised in Europe until today. At the same time, the Palais des Congrès de Paris has hosted three conferences with over 4,000 participants.
Thanks to these key locations, Paris continues to widening the gap with the other regulars in the Top 5, i.e. Berlin (3rd with 176 events), Barcelona (4th with 156 events) and Madrid (5th with 154 events). Above all, the French capital leaves far behind Viennaa city with which Paris used to vie for top spot. While the Austrian capital hosted a record number of events - 5,490, up 17 % - particularly national congresses and corporate events, there was a clear drop in the number of major international congresses.
For example, only five events with more than 5,000 delegates were held in Vienna in 2019. half as much as usual. This year-on-year drop can be explained by the fact that the second half of 2018 was boosted by a large number of international meetings linked to the Council of the EU. " In addition, some of the major players in the Vienna meetings sector have invested in their meetings infrastructure, with the result that they have been unable to offer full capacity throughout 2019 due to renovation projects It's a great way to get to know Vienna", explains Christian Woronka, Head of the Convention Bureau at the Vienna Tourist Board (VCB).
For the Austrian capital, 2020 was looking brighter, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. " 13 major conferences with more than 5,000 participants were scheduled for 2020, so this year's performance would have been equal to or even better than that of 2018. "said Norbert Kettner, Vienna's Director of Tourism. Unsurprisingly, 2020 looks set to be a year to forgetBut industry professionals are already looking to the future with ambition. " 2020 will be a very difficult year for the events sector, but we are convinced that events and professional meetings will be one of the driving forces behind the recovery. We are working with all our partners, who are working harder than ever to make Paris a more attractive place to be. "Pablo Nakhlé Cerruti, Managing Director of Viparis.
* Only meetings that meet the CICA's rigorous evaluation criteria - rotation between at least three countries, proven attendance of at least 50 participants and held on a regular basis - are recorded in the world association's annual statistics.
