A new ranking confirms Montréal’s continued domination as an international meeting city in the Americas, for a third straight year. Outperforming New York, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro and other major North and South American cities, Montréal topped the International Meetings Statistics for the Year 2013 report released by the Union of International Associations (UIA).
“After being declared last month 2013’s leading host city in North America for international conventions by the Palais des congrès de Montréal, its Ambassadors and Tourisme Montréal.” International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), the UIA now gives us the title of top international meeting city for the Americas as a whole, north and south! That’s something to be proud of,” indicated Raymond Larivée, President and CEO of the Palais des congrès. “But we did not come by this recognition by accident. We’ve been ranked Number One three years running. It is a deservedly earned crowning achievement that speaks to the collaborative efforts of the Palais des congrès de Montréal, its Ambassadors and Tourisme Montréal.”
“The close working relationship between the teams of the Palais des congrès and Tourisme Montréal is undoubtedly one of the factors driving Montréal’s success in the international meeting market,” added Yves Lalumière, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal. “We are very pleased with this top ranking, which obviously points to the outstanding job we’re doing meeting the needs of international associations in terms of infrastructure, welcome and attractions. In additional to contributing significantly to the city’s economy, these events are also remarkable for further nurturing Montréal’s reputation worldwide.”
The city’s primary venue for major meetings since it opened in 1983, the Palais des congrès hosted 25 international conventions in 2013-2014 with more than 37,000 participants, who helped generate over $82 million in economic benefits for Montréal and the Québec province. Overall, 82 international events took place whether at the Palais or the city’s hotels in 2013-2014.
