Among the most beautiful, lively cities, with a rich historical, artistic and cultural heritage and a roaring student population, there is without a doubt Bologna. And not only we Italians know this, but also the whole world: the capital of Emilia-Romagna, with its 43 international events hosted in 2023, is today among the 50 best cities in the world.
The best conference destinations in the world
On the occasion of the fair IMEX a Frankfurt was announced on ICCA ranking 2023 (International Congress and Convention Association), containing the ranking of top conference destinations in the world.
As mentioned above, with 43 international events hosted in 2023, Bologna is among the world’s Top 50, so much so that it is ranked in 47th place. A position that also makes it rightfully in the Top 30 in Europe, ahead of destinations such as Munich, Zurich and Antwerp, and which confirms its positioning among the top three in Italy, immediately after Rome and Milan.
Looking at the ranking of the countries, Italy appears as first destination in Europe for the number of associative conferences and with 553 events hosted in the calendar year, Italy also earns (and for the first time) the second position in the world, preceded only by the United States and with Spain immediately behind.
Where does this great success come from?
For the city of Bologna this is a great success, because the ICCA report was born from the comparison of the performance of destinations around the world, and therefore represents important feedback on the performance of the destination in the conference field, as well as an internationally relevant promotional showcase .
The credit for this popularity is also due to the work of Bologna Convention Bureau, department of the Bologna Welcome Foundation created specifically to increase the visibility of the city and its structures at a conference level, which has allowed this splendid reality to stand out in the sector of meeting industry and to host numerous organizers of international conferences and events from different sectors.
In fact, during 2023, 19 applications were successfully closed and over 400 requests were received for organize further events in the area. Other factors that have made (and will make in the future) the difference in this sector were the variety and versatility of event venues, the privileged geographical position and the synergistic collaboration between local operators, city institutions and universities.
But that’s not all, because Bologna can also count on significant intellectual capital that the Bologna Convention Bureau enhances and supports, represented by personalities from the academic and scientific world who do their utmost to nominate this magical city as the venue for their international event.
The project was born from the desire to reward this commitment Bologna Ambassador, created in 2018 by the BCB, together with the Municipality of Bologna and the University of Bologna – Alma Mater Studiorum: to date the city can count on 68 Bologna Ambassadors. The sixth Bologna Ambassador Awards Ceremony, scheduled for 12 June 2024 in the Farnese Chapel in Palazzo d’Accursio, will be an opportunity to reward another 15 personalities who have distinguished themselves this year for having brought relevant events to the city, as well as an appointment for delve deeper into the important results shared today by ICCA in the presence of institutional figures representing the territory.
In short, Bologna is increasingly an international destination.
