Montreal is the top-ranked city in the Americas for the number of international events hosted in 2020, according to the International Meetings Statistics Report. This is the fourth consecutive year the city has claimed first place in the report released by the Union of International Associations.
The city welcomed 41 international events in 2020, outpacing other cities like Washington, New York and Chicago. Québec’s largest city dominates the Canadian market. Its closest rivals, Ottawa and Toronto, each hosted seven events, while Vancouver hosted six. In addition, on a global basis, Montreal climbed from 17th to 11th position in 2020, outperforming such cities as Amsterdam, Dubai and Stockholm.
“For many years, Montreal has been consolidating its reputation as a world-class destination for conventions and business meetings. While the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly reduced the number of international events being held, Montréal is once again at the top of these prestigious rankings for 2020,” said Yves Lalumière, president and CEO, Tourisme Montréal.
“That incredible accomplishment in the current circumstances can be attributed to the significant efforts made by the Palais des congrès, Tourisme Montréal and their partners to support and assist business events and their organizers.”
Montreal earned its ranking based on in-person events organized through March 2020 and virtual and hybrid events held during the remainder of the year. To limit the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the city’s reputation, a range of measures upholding the industry’s most stringent standards was implemented at the Palais de congrès.
“The Palais is proud to contribute to Montreal’s ranking as one of the world’s premier destinations. I am committed to continuing our efforts to differentiate ourselves from the competition by our distinctive product offers and innovative digital services. That team spirit will be more important than ever as we strive to meet the challenges and opportunities posed by the pandemic,” said Emmanuelle Legault, president and CEO, Palais des congrès de Montréal.
