The ICCA Congress & Exhibition brings together a global representation of suppliers in the meetings industry and provides a platform enabling ICCA members to generate and maintain significant competitive advantage by providing business opportunities, promotion, education and networking.

Business

The ICCA Congress is not just about high level education and exceptional networking. There are also opportunities for delegates to exchange detailed information about key international events they have recently hosted or helped to organise. More and more delegates are signing up for this “Business Exchange” option at the Congress, which allows them to return to their offices with literally dozens of potential business leads, or new and invaluable information about specific events which they are already in the process of trying to win for their company or destination. We will be using the new generation of the Spotme handheld electronic networking tool to assist delegates to identify and meet up with colleagues who hold information on events they are interested in. This process runs throughout the whole length of the event. Read more...

Education

This year’s education programme promises to be the strongest ICCA has ever put together. The speakers will be a mix of experienced ICCA members, clients from both corporate and association meetings segments, and experts from outside the meetings industry whose advice on sales, marketing and leadership issues will give delegates unique, new perspectives on their personal business challenges. Sector-specific topics will run alongside general meetings industry topics, and will include a mixture of presentations, workshops, and discussion forums. Read more...

Networking

Ask any delegate to an ICCA Congress about what makes it unique, and the most common answer is sure to be that we deliver high level delegates (two thirds are CEO’s, company owners, or senior level directors) and a truly global audience (in 2007 we had delegates from over 60 countries). 


Promotion

Some ICCA members sell their services to other ICCA members, others want to raise their profile with their peer group. The exhibition provides the opportunity to promote your services, products or destination.


History

Since ICCA was founded in 1963, an annual meeting has been organised for ICCA members; suppliers in the meetings industry. In 1997, the format was changed to combine the General Assembly with a Congress that would be open to all professionals in the meetings industry including non-ICCA members. At the same time an exhibition was held with both member and non-member exhibitors. 

Currently, the event attracts over 700 delegates, 100 accompanying persons and 50 exhibiting companies. The current format of the event is half a day for the First Time Attendees (Saturday afternoon), one day for the General Assembly (Sunday) and three days for the Congress (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) with the exhibition running from Sunday-Wednesday. The General Assembly & Congress is the key focal point of ICCA’s annual activity and is a well organised and managed event of a top quality standard. It has a high standard in all aspects of meetings management, such as programming, marketing, theming, social activities, logistical arrangements, etc.

The Exhibition takes place throughout the event (Saturday to Wednesday) and is open to all professionals in the meetings industry. The organisation, including promotion and operation of the exhibition is managed by Reed Travel Exhibitions on ICCA’s behalf.