[2019/07/15] 2018 ICCA Report: Macao Remains Competitive in International Convention Market
The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) recently published its International Meetings Market 2018 Report. According to the report, the number of international meetings held in Macao recognised by ICCA in 2018 stands at 39, same as in 2017. The number of conferences in the recent three years remains at the same level. Despite the fact that the total number of international association conferences in 2018 dropped slightly, Macao’s market was able to maintain good performance, which demonstrates that the city remains competitive in the international convention market. In 2018, Macao ranked 71st among cities worldwide and 17thin Asia Pacific.
Sci-tech-themed Conferences in Macao Grows Remarkably in Numbers
According to the ICCA statistic report, the number of international technology, medical and scientific conferences account for over 43% of accredited conferences – which is the biggest proportion among all ICCA-approved conferences held in Macao – with 29% of international conferences have been held in Macao, manifesting that congress organisers consider Macao an ideal destination for hosting sci-tech-themed international conferences. Such a tendency shows that Macao is prepared to join and support the construction of the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Technology and Innovation Centre” with its advantages in hosting conferences, conducive to co-operation and exchange in technology and innovation areas.
ICCA is an authoritative organisation in global convention industry. Each year, ICCA collect statistics of international association conferences held in different countries and regions/cities around the world. ICCA has a high standard of assessment. Only conferences involving no less than 50 attendees held by international associations/organisations (excluding private companies) in three or more different countries/regions will be included in the statistics. As a result, the statistics of conferences held in different places grow and decline periodically every 2 to 4 years. Since this report only reveals numbers of conferences held by international associations, ICCA also recommends the industry to refer to other statistics in order to have a full picture of the industry’s performance.
