Berlin, 11 May 2015 High demand for Berlin as a convention destination: Having hosted 193 association meetings in 2014, the German capital is now the fourth most popular destination in the world for such meetings, ahead of Singapore (142), London (166), and Barcelona (182). First through third places are held by Paris (214), Vienna (202), and Madrid (200) as shown in the latest statistics from the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA). Berlin hosted 15 more events last year than the year before.

“Berlin is proud of its leading position in the international congress ranking”, says Michael Müller, Governing Mayor of Berlin. “The convention business is an important economic factor for Berlin. It is our common goal that Berlin can continue to expand this very good position in the future.”

“Berlin has climbed the fourth place in the renowned international convention business, has overtaken Barcelona, and ranks in front of London, Dubai, and Istanbul, bringing economic power to the city. Especially with reference to science conventions, the German capital fascinates with its variety of convention venues. Berlin’s research landscape and technologically powerful companies promote the convention destination Berlin,” says Cornelia Yzer, Senator for Economics, Technology and Research.

“2014 was our strongest convention year to date. Berlin’s unusual venues, state-of-the-art convention centres, and highly professional organisers help to maintain and expand the city’s leading position. Berlin especially garners favour because it has the most modern hotel landscape in Europe,” says Burkhard Kieker, CEO of visitBerlin.

ICCA statistics: most important international benchmark for conventions

Since 2004, Berlin has ranked among the top 10 destinations for association meetings. According to the convention statistics collected by the Berlin Convention Office of visitBerlin, more than 131,000 events took place in Berlin in 2014. The ICCA statistics exclusively count international meetings of associations to ensure a global comparison. They must be attended by at least 50 participants, take place regularly, and switch among at least three different countries. The statistics are a respected tool for making international comparisons. Destinations in the ICCA top 10 are perceived by event planners worldwide as the leading meeting destinations.

For more information about Berlin as a meeting destination, go to convention.visitBerlin.com.