ICCA Ranking
Ten years of success at KLCC
W
hile Malaysia improved her
position in the ICCA country
rankings, jumping five places
to 30th out of 115 countries, Kuala Lumpur
Convention Centre hosted 14 of the city’s
79 qualifying meetings. These conferences
accounted for over half (51%) of the
delegate turnout of 48,341.
Malaysia also reaffirmed her credentials in
the Asia-Pacific and Middle East region with
a seventh placing, up two positions from the
previous year.
The new ICCA Report 2014 ranks KL at
No.28 (up two places from 2013). The city
leapfrogs Asia-Pacific and Middle East
counterparts Bangkok, Shanghai and Dubai
to improve on her regional city ranking by two
positions, to No.7.
Applauding Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur’s
improved performance, KLCC general
manager, Alan Pryor said it showed that
Malaysia’s hard work in attracting high-level
international meetings is gaining traction.
He commended Tourism Malaysia and the
Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau
(MyCEB) for their efforts.
Pryor said the KLCC’s large delegate share
was “testament to the centre’s capability
to successfully host large-scale, high-profile
events and reinforces our reputation as
Malaysia’s premier convention facility”.
Events held at the venue last year
included the Million Dollar Round Table
Experience, GAMA International’s LAMP
Asia, Offshore Technology Conference
Asia, International Petroleum Technology
Conference and three ‘firsts’ for the Centre
and Malaysia which were Meetings & Events
Australia’s National Conference, Toastmasters
International’s 83rd Annual International
Convention and XXV FIG (International
Federation of Surveyors) Congress.
Since opening in June 2005, the centre
has hosted 10,408 events with 19.5m
delegates and visitors and in turn, contributed
approximately RM5.7bn (US$1.5bn) in
economic impact to Kuala Lumpur city and
the country.
Riga on the radar for value
T
he Baltic states in general have made
good progress in the latest ICCA
statistics, with all three managing to
attract more meetings compared to the
previous year.
Latvia and its capital Riga are benefitting
from a greater global awareness.
Riga is up from No. 79 to No.72 in the
city rankings and is seen as an affordable
meetings destination where rates are low,
yet service quality is high when compared to
destinations in Central and Northern Europe.
The bureau, having concentrated on
raising awareness of the region, is now
working hard to generate new business leads.
Whether there will be a further rise up the
rankings remains to be seen, the bureau
admits, but the team points out that Riga has
both the potential and capacity to host more
association meetings. There are more hotels
to be opened during upcoming years, more
direct flights coming to Riga International
airport and growing efficiency of local service
suppliers for events.
Riga hosted the European Union
presidency during the first half of this year.
The bureau admits also that collecting
ICCA data is always a challenge, with not all
venues sharing information in public space.
If it is reliability you are after, and a
conference at a modest price, then the
Latvian capital could be the place to come.
CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD
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