Conference & Meetings World Supplements - ISSUE 80 | Page 18

ICCA Ranking Eleven years at the top of its game G ermany maintained, for the 11th year running its No.1 spot in Europe and second worldwide (behind only the US) in the annual ICCA rankings The report also shows that of the many international association conferences hosted in Germany last year, 8% are from the UK and 10% from the US. More than 30% of international conventions in Germany derive from the technology and innovation sectors and 23% from medicine and healthcare. This industry know-how (and the German destinations, venues, companies, R&D facilities and universities that surrounds it) is a strong draw for many UK-based associations. Munich is set to host an international conference for UK-based society MICCAI. The 18th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention takes place on 5–9 October 2015 with 1,000 international participants. Hamburg is set to welcome around 5,000 delegates to a major international logistics 18 CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD event organised by a UK events company - Intermodal Europe is held on 17–19 November 2015. Another major convention with around 5,000 participants is the 1st Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN), which took place in June 2015 in Berlin. Commenting on Germany’s long-standing leadership in the global meetings market, German Convention Bureau MD Matthias Schultze, said: “It is a great achievement for Germany to be recognised at the top of ICCA’s ranking for over a decade now. We all work hard as an integrated, country-wide destination, service, venue, hotel, convention center and economic development community to deliver one-of-akind meeting experiences. “We want delegates visiting Germany to depart with deeper knowledge and fresh ideas and to gain lasting connections with other industry experts, and to enjoy great experiences in our diverse cities and regions. "All this adds up to ltrue benefits and ROI for planners and delegates from around the globe.“ Images above: Berlin venues and landmarks