Cologne’s meeting market continues to grow steadily 2019

Cologne, February 27, 2020

• 53,397 events (+1.2 per cent) with 4.44 million participants (+2.2 per cent)

• Main international source markets: UK, USA, Netherlands

Cologne’s conference and convention market continues to grow steadily. In 2019 a total of 53,397 events (conferences, conventions and other events) were held in Cologne. This corresponds to an increase of 1.2 per cent. The number of participants rose by 2.2 per cent to a total of 4.44 million. The number of event venues also increased slightly, by three, to 194.

These figures are based on the results of the current TagungsBarometer (Conference Barometer), a survey of convention centres, conference hotels and event venues that is conducted regularly by the Cologne Convention Bureau (CCB) in cooperation with the Europäisches Institut für TagungsWirtschaft (EITW).

“The conference market is a very promising tourism segment in Cologne, also due in part to the activities of the Cologne Convention Bureau. I am delighted about this successful development. In the future, the Cologne Tourist Board will focus even more strongly on the MICE segment,” says Dr. Jürgen Amann, CEO of the Cologne Tourist Board.

The growth in the number of events and participants shows that Cologne continues to be in great demand as a convention destination. According to the survey, the number of organizers has increased from the regions South (+2 percentage points) and West (+4 percentage points) as well as from abroad (+2 percentage points).
Compared to the previous year, there was a change in the most important source markets for the MICE segment in Cologne. The UK and the USA continue to be in first and second place, respectively, and the Netherlands rose to third place, pushing Austria down to fourth.
The sectors of the organizers remain unchanged from the prior year: banking and insurance are still the most important sectors, followed by medical and pharmaceutical companies. Communication companies are in third place.  

You can find an overview of upcoming conventions, conferences and other events at locations.cologne.