London tops European meeting destinations

London has been listed as the most popular destination in Europe for business meetings and events for the fifth consecutive year.

A total of four UK cities made the 2019 edition of the Top 25 Meeting Destinations in Europe list compiled by meetings technology provider Cvent.

Birmingham climbed five spots from last year’s list to number 15, while Manchester was up two places to 20^th. Edinburgh, which is a new entry on the list, came in at number 22.

With the addition of Edinburgh, the UK is now tied with Germany for the most destinations featured on the list, with Berlin moving up on spot to be right behind London at number two. Other German cities on the rankings include Frankfurt (seven), Munich (ten) and Hamburg (sandwiched between Edinburgh and Manchester at 21).

The list is compiled based on meeting and event-booking activity through Cvent’s venue-sourcing sites, including the Cvent Supplier Network. According to the company, more than US416 billion in business was sourced through the platform in 2018.

Tracy Halliwell, director of conventions and major events at London Convention Bureau, commented: “We’re delighted to retain our top ranking for the fifth year in a row, offering further proof that London is a leading global destination for meeting and business events. London is a truly dynamic city with a range of new venues, hotels and experiences opening all the time to suit a range of tastes and event concepts. London remains an open, diverse city and we look forward to welcoming more meetings and events from all over the world.”

Although outside the top 25, Cvent said several UK cities are making strides in the rankings, including Leeds, Liverpool and Reading.

Eastern European cities are also gaining momentum in the meetings market, with Prague moving up three places back into the top ten at number nine. Meanwhile, Istanbul and Warsaw have broken into the top 25 for the first time and Budapest is now number 16 (up two places from last year).

Chris McAndrews, VP of marketing for Cvent Hospitality Cloud, said: “Business events add $1.5 trillion to the global GDP and the cities featured on this year’s list have invested significant time, energy and resources into building premier locations that accommodate the unique requirements of the business traveller.

“There are some notable shifts in this year’s Top 25 Meeting Destinations in Europe – including the ride of additional regional cities in the UK. This reflects an ongoing trend in the UK, where some of the largest cities have undergone significant transformation in recent years to help them attract more MICEMeetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions business. With its history of driving innovation, rich research hubs and ease of accessibility, the UK continues to position itself as a leading destination to conduct business.”

See the full list here