On Day 1 of IMEX Frankfurt, 20 May, ICCA announced the release of its annual rankings report: ICCA GlobeWatch: Business Analytics – Country & City Rankings 2024. The report is a compilation of data from over 11,000 meetings that took place over the course of 2024 throughout every region around the globe. The USA and Vienna, respectively, top the Country and City rankings for 2024.
ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath told the IMEX press conference that this year’s report introduced key enhancements that provide a more strategic view of global meeting activity. In addition to the core rankings, the expanded 2024 edition delivers a wealth of insights — organised by region, meeting size, and sector. Combining detailed data, geographical assessments, and future-focused analysis, the report underscores ICCA’s commitment to regional advocacy and positions association meetings as powerful tools for policy alignment, knowledge exchange, and long-term legacy.
“The release of ICCA GlobeWatch:Business Analytics – Country & City Rankings 2024 is one of the most anticipated moments in the business events community each year. We’re excited to share this year’s data, which includes a wealth of information of incredible value to our members. The industry is growing at a fast clip, and ICCA is proud to be at the forefront of the change, impact, and legacy global events create each year,” said Gopinath.
The report showed that while the overall number of meetings reported is yet to fully return to pre-pandemic levels, over 11,000 ICCA-eligible international association meetings were recorded across all regions. Growth, however, was only recorded in Latin America and Middle East.
As for the rankings themselves, the USA continues to lead the country rankings, with 709 qualifying meetings recorded. Italy takes second place with 635 meetings and Spain is third with 536. Europe is well represented in the top 10, with Germany (491) fourth, UK (481) fifth and France (432) sixth. The top 10 is completed with Japan in seventh on 428 meetings, Netherlands (295) in eighth, Portugal (290) in ninth and Canada (252) in tenth position.
City rankiings show a similar blend, with Vienna claiming the top spot for 2024, up from fourth the previous year. Lisbon ranks a very close second, with one meeting fewer, followed by Singapore, Barcelona, Prague and Paris (droping from top place to equal number six, despite hosting the Olympic Games).
Rank City 2024 1 Vienna 154 2 Lisbon 153 3 Singapore 144 4 Barcelona 142 5 Prague 131 6 Paris 124 6 Seoul 124 8 Bangkok 114 9 Rome 114 10 Athens 111
Beyond total event counted, another view of city performance emerges from average attendance per meeting. Dubai leads this alternative ranking, with an average of 899 participants per events, followed by Barcelona, Milan, Bali and Melbourne.
By subject matter, Medical Sciences, Technology and Science lead the way, followed by Industry and Education. These five sectors have remained in the top positions for over a decade, underscoring sustained interest globally in healthcare innovation and digital transformation.
While large, city-wide congresses still draw attention, ICCA’s 2024 data confirm that most international association meetings are moderate-sized (150-999 participants).
