Madrid has more than confirmed its position as Spain's leading MICE destination. In fact, seven of the biggest international congresses will be held in the Spanish capital in 2017. Some of them have been very enthusiastic about the city, such as the World ATM Congress, which is now in its fifth year in Madrid and has decided to make the city its home for a few more years. A decision that comes as no surprise, given the satisfaction of participants and event organisers alike: according to the Meetings Tourism Report 2015, the city received a very good score of eight out of ten.
Is it the great culture that emanates from its museums, which are among the finest in the world, or its dynamic economic environment? Is it its abundance of green spaces or the zest for life that emanates from its thousands of restaurants and bars? It's certainly a little of all of these things, which combined make the Spanish capital a very popular destination for business tourists.
As the world's fifth-largest city for congresses according to the ICCA benchmark ranking and Spain's leading MICE destination, Madrid has a wealth of assets on hand for hosting professional events of all sizes, from exclusive board meetings to major congresses with 20,000 participants. Perfectly connected to the rest of the world with 200 direct flights to 70 countries, Madrid has two major meeting venues: IFEMA, close to the airport, and the Municipal Convention Centre at Campo de las Naciones. The hotel offer is extremely varied, with almost 750 establishments, ranging from the chic to the very designer, from the trendy at low prices to the large hotel specialising in seminars and meetings.
But it's also on the fringes of events, with its diversity of charming and prestigious venues and incentive activities, that the city stands out. A visit to the Prado and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums, a treasure hunt around the Plaza Mayor and in the streets of the old town, tapas and flamenco classes, cocktails in the gardens of Retiro Park, gala dinners in historic palaces or on the lawn of the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, home of the legendary Real Madrid: Madrid has everything to make great memories.
