For the third consecutive year, Singapore remains the top international meetings city, ahead of 1,653 cities, according to rankings by the Union of International Associations (UIA), an organisation which has carried out statistical studies on international meetings for the past 61 years.
Singapore has also been ranked as the second “Top International Meetings Country”, only behind the top-placed US.
For the 26th consecutive year, the city-state is both the top Asian city and country to hold meetings in.
“The Union of International Associations recognises Singapore as an increasingly strong market leader in international associations meetings. This year’s UIA Statistics Report reflects an impressive five-year growth trend. The UIA congratulates Singapore on the hard work and quality offerings that make such continued growth possible,” said Jacques de Mévius, Secretary-General of the UIA.
Singapore hosted 689 meetings last year, which met the qualifying criteria of the UIA and represented an 8 percent increase from 2008.
“UIA’s accolade is a strong endorsement that underscores Singapore’s position as the world’s preferred business events destination. Our continued success can be attributed to sound business fundamentals and the unwavering support and hard work of our industry partners,” commented Ms. Aw Kah Peng, CEO of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
“What is attractive to an event organiser is the fact that our city is constantly re-inventing itself and constantly innovating. This year, highlights include the two Integrated Resorts (IRs), and the beautiful Marina Bay which is now an integral part of the Singapore skyline.”
So far, there are a total of 160 association conferences from September 2010 to 2016, with an expected attendance of over 170,000 international representatives and participants.