For 10 years running, the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) has ranked Germany as the leading European conference location for international associations. Additionally, Germany has also continued as the second most popular spot for association meetings globally, closing the gap behind the U.S. and increasing the ranking distance from others in contention.
The 2013 ICCA country figures show that a total of 722 international association conferences were hosted in Germany, 11.2 percent more than last year. This total narrows the gap with the United States, which remains out in front with 829 conferences (down 0.5 percent from 2012). Meanwhile, Germany has extended its substantial lead over third-place Spain which hosted 562 conferences or 2.2 percent more than last year.
Germany cities also fared exceptionally well in ICCA’s worldwide and European city rankings. Berlin remained in the top five on both lists, hosting 178 international association conferences in 2013, up six, or 3.5 percent, from the previous year. Other German cities landing in the top 100 for Europe include Munich, Hamburg, Dresden, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Cologne, Aachen, Bonn, Dusseldorf and Heidelberg. In total, more than 30 German cities made the ICCA rankings in 2013.
According to Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the German Convention Bureau:
“We are proud that Germany has remained at the top of the ICCA rankings for a decade. The number of meetings we host and the number of people who attend them attest to a winning strategy of infrastructure, value for the money and industry expertise for international association conferences.”
The German Convention Bureau (GCB), which promotes Germany globally as a destination for conferences, meetings, incentives and events, highlights these three strategic attributes to empower meeting planners in creating unique events that provide hands-on learning and expert access for their delegates. This strategy not only enhances the profile of German suppliers but also helps event organisers identify the perfect destination for events that will result in higher learning value.
A diverse range of industry associations select Germany as their meeting destination. In 2013, about a third of the conventions was in the technology and innovation sector; another quarter was in medicine and health. Other leading industries included energy and environment, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, financial services, and transportation and logistics.
