International Meetings Up Last Year
-- Tradeshow Week, 6/8/2009
The international meetings business grew last year, with Germany and the United States topping the list of countries with the most events that have global rotations.
According to data released by the Intl. Congress & Convention Assn. on regularly held international association meetings that rotate among at least three countries, there was nearly a 12-percent increase in the number of events held in 2008, with 7,475, compared with 6,681 in 2007.
The Intl. Assn. Meetings Market 2008 report further found that the U.S. and Germany remained the top event-hosting countries, positions they've held since 2004. France and Spain showed the greatest year-over-year increases in number of meetings held.
In France, the number of international association meetings increased 31 percent, from 255 events in 2007 to 334 last year; while in Spain the international meeting count increased 13 percent, from 307 events in 2007 to 347 in 2008.
Among cities, Paris shared the top spot with Vienna as the most popular destination for international meetings last year, with both cities hosting 139 events.
Carole Zerah, marketing director at the Paris Convention & Visitors Bureau, said it was an honor for the city to be ranked as a top destination by the ICCA.
“Meeting business definitely increased (in Paris) from 2007 to 2008,” she added.
