In 2010, Leipzig ranks for the first time among the Top 100 of the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) (ICCA Statistic 2010).
Germany once again asserted its number one position as Europe’s most important congress destination.
Leipzig occupies rank 93 on the world-wide scale and in Europe even a respectable rank 53.
Leipzig’s first appearance among the Top 100 worldwide was received with great pleasure at Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing (Leipzig Convention Bureau).
Beside Leipzig, only four other German congress cities can be found among the Top 100: Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Dresden.
The annual ICCA report – International Association Meetings Market Report (country and city rankings) – presents the trends of the international congress business and lists countries and cities according to the number of international association meetings.
The list only includes events that meet specified criteria: The meeting must at least have 50 participants; it has to be a regular event and must rotate between at least three countries.
In 2010, Leipzig hosted 20 congresses that met these standards. The excellent position in the world-wide ranking is also a result of the successful cooperation of 47 partners in the marketing initiative “do-it-at-leipzig.de”, which since 2000 has been promoting Leipzig as a meeting destination.
Volker Bremer, managing director of Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH comments: “I am delighted that Leipzig’s growing importance as an international meeting destination is also reflected in this ranking. With over two million overnight stays, 2010 was a very successful year for tourism. The share of business-related stays amounts to about 70 percent.”
André Kaldenhoff, director of the Congress Center Leipzig adds: “I am very pleased that our Congress Center Leipzig, which had hosted 108 congresses last year, has also contributed to this success."
"But I am even happier that international congress organisers acknowledge the team spirit between the congress partners in Leipzig by increasingly deciding to hold their events here. This culture of cooperation is one of our most important advantages of location – a very nice success story for the do-it-at-leipzig.de project, but also for the city of Leipzig as a whole.”
Leipzig’s place in the Top 100 is welcomed with even more delight in view of the 50th ICCA Annual Congress in 2011, which will be held in Leipzig from 22nd to 26th October. Around 1,200 participants and decision makers from the international world of congresses are going to meet in the CCL Congress Center Leipzig. It is the most important congress of the meetings industry.
Leipzig has good chances to continue its positive development as a conference and congress destination. On 14th April, 2011, a new five-star hotel opened in the city centre, the Steigenberger Grandhotel Handelshof. Innovative meeting facilities will soon be available in the Gondwanaland Tropical World in Leipzig Zoo, opening on 1st July, 2011.
In the nearby Kongresshalle building, inaugurated in 1900 and currently under refurbishment, the first three renovated halls can be used as of 1st October, 2011. Up to 1,000 people can meet in this historical ambience in the future.
After last year’s record number of guests, Leipzig has again registered an increase in the first three months of the year. From January to March 2011, altogether 391,116 guests stayed in Leipzig, which corresponds to a growth of 1.6 percent compared to the previous year.
