Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Paris was ranked the world’s number one destination for meetings by the latest report of International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). It outpaced second-place holder, Vienna, by a margin of 40 meetings. Viparis has helped the capital maintain this leadership through the Paris Convention Centre, Europe’s largest conference venue.
France’s capital city hosted 212 international meetings in 2018 that comply with ICCA’s criteria – against 190 in 2017. Vienna hosted 172 events in 2018. The next three of the top five destination cities also includes Madrid (165), Barcelona (163) and Berlin (162).
The opening of the Paris Convention Centre in late 2017 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles exhibition complex was a major factor in the Paris’s return to the number one spot. The Centre has already hosted major European and international conferences, such as that of the European Respiratory Society (ERS), which drew some 23,000 delegates.
The Paris Convention Centre also hosted the International Liver Conference, with 10,000 attendees, as well as the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, which drew a record-breaking 7,000 visitors. In addition to being the largest conference venue in Europe, the Centre offers outstanding modularity, which is key for meeting event organisers’ needs.
Palais des Congrès de Paris, is another Viparis venue, that successfully hosted LIVES, the 31st annual congress of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (6,500 participants), and the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (13,000 participants). Attendance at these two events was 20 per cent to 25 per cent higher in Paris than in previous editions.
Business tourism is a major asset for France’s capital city. The trade shows and conferences generate euro 5.5 billion in economic benefits each year and have a direct impact on employment (85,000 full-time equivalent positions). The Tourist Office provided support for more than 300 conferences and major events, and submitted 148 bids in 2018.
Friday, April 19, 2024
Friday, April 19, 2024
