Glasgow and Edinburgh are the UK’s second and third most popular
events destinations, with only London ranking above them in the UK, according
to the latest ICCA Country – and City – rankings.
The latest edition of the annual report tallies the number and
location of international in-person association meetings held across the globe
in 2022.
Glasgow ranks 27th in the world for number of
international association meetings held (54) and Edinburgh ranks 30th
with 52. This puts the two cities ahead of other major meetings destinations
including Washington DC, Tokyo, Geneva, Dubai and Sydney. The United Kingdom
ranked 6th overall, with 449 meetings taking place in 2022.
The rankings show a drive towards more in-person meetings in 2022
as the value and benefits of meeting face-to-face came to the fore post
pandemic.
Rory Archibald, associations and Sectors, VisitScotland Business
Events, said: “We are delighted to see Glasgow and Edinburgh appearing so high
in the 2023 ICCA Country – and City - rankings. The report shows that our
reputation for pioneering industries, world-leading innovation and cutting-edge
research continue to attract large conventions and congresses from across the
globe.
“We are continuing to build on this success and further develop
what is an already impressive offer for association meetings. Our real focus is
on building on our Journey to Change campaign, as we remain committed to
highlighting how business events can and should act as a driver for social,
environmental and economic transformation and, in doing so, help to build a
better future for communities.”
As part of Journey to Change, VisitScotland Business Events
recently launched The Transformation Protocol, an initiative that aims to
facilitate connections between event organisers and national Scottish partners
who are not already involved in the event.
The protocol is a collaborative national initiative that will
include VisitScotland, city convention bureaux, key conference centres and
venues, PCOs and inbound event organisers. By understanding the drivers,
motivations, and key areas of expertise for inbound events, VisitScotland
Business Events will be able to connect event organisers and key delegates with
national partners, including innovation and research centres, policy leads,
industry bodies, social enterprises and business leaders.
As part of the new initiative, VisitScotland Business Events will
facilitate a wide range of support to organisations bidding for events, from
bid stage to delivery stage, including bid support and endorsement;
collaboration on a transformation agenda; knowledge exchange meetings and
sector and industry introductions.
