ICCA’s 2025 rankings put Lisbon at No. 1 for international association meetings

By AI, Created 1:30 PM UTC, May 22, 2026, /AGP/ – ICCA’s 2025 Country and City Rankings, unveiled at IMEX Frankfurt, show where rotating international association congresses were held last year and where competition for future meetings is likely to intensify. The data points buyers toward 2027 and 2028 planning, with Europe still dominant and Asia Pacific gaining ground.

Why it matters: - ICCA’s 2025 rankings map the cities and countries most active in international association meetings. - The data is a planning signal for association buyers working on 2027 and 2028 programs. - Competition for top venues, dates and supplier capacity is expected to tighten in leading destinations.

What happened: - ICCA published its 2025 Country and City Rankings at IMEX Frankfurt. - The rankings are drawn from ICCA’s Business Intelligence platform. - Lisbon took first place globally with 188 rotating international association congresses. - Paris ranked second with 174, and Barcelona ranked third with 166. - Vienna ranked fourth with 159, Singapore fifth with 156, Prague sixth with 133, Copenhagen seventh with 131, London eighth with 124, Seoul ninth with 121 and Tokyo tenth with 119. - Bangkok, Berlin, Madrid, Brussels, Hong Kong, Rome, Athens, Dublin, Amsterdam and Buenos Aires filled out the global top 20.

The details: - Europe accounted for 14 of the 20 cities in the global ranking. - Europe also occupied every top-10 spot except Singapore, Seoul and Tokyo. - Asia Pacific placed five cities in the top 20. - Singapore moved into the global top five. - The Americas were less represented, with Buenos Aires the only city in the top 20 outside North America. - Spain was the only country with two cities in the top 20. - Barcelona extended its run in the global top five to 25 consecutive years. - The ICCA rankings track rotating international association congresses and add detail by region, meeting size and sector. - The 2025 edition is part of the ICCA GlobeWatch series.

Between the lines: - Association meeting cycles typically run two to five years ahead of delivery. - That means the 2025 data reflects bids and shortlists already forming for 2027, 2028 and 2029. - Lisbon, Paris, Barcelona, Vienna and Singapore appear especially strong in scientific, medical and technology sectors. - The pattern reinforces Europe’s continued lead while showing Asia Pacific’s sustained rise. - The limited presence of the Americas suggests a wider geographic imbalance in where association business is concentrating.

What’s next: - Buyers planning future programs will likely face tighter access to prime dates and experienced suppliers in the top-ranked cities. - The ICCA rankings will continue to serve as a reference point for destination selection and market benchmarking. - Ovation Global DMC says a full analysis of the 2025 rankings is available at the company’s analysis.

The bottom line: - ICCA’s latest data confirms that international association meetings are still concentrated in a small set of global hubs, with Europe leading and Asia Pacific gaining influence.