Poland has once again proven its strong position as an attractive destination for international events. In the latest International Meetings Statistics Report 2024 published by the Union of International Associations (UIA), our country ranked 21st in the world in terms of the number of meetings organized by international associations and non-governmental organizations.
The 66th edition of the report classified a total of 8,859 international events that took place in 2024 and met the strict UIA criteria. Poland organized 143 such events, ahead of China, Denmark, Malaysia, and Greece, among others. Our country ranked just behind the United Arab Emirates, Norway, and Switzerland.
The United States (675 meetings), Belgium (523 meetings), and Italy (452 events) topped the global ranking of countries. The Czech Republic was ranked 27th with 85 meetings, and Hungary 29th with 80 events. This means that Poland is clearly ahead of its regional neighbors and is strengthening its competitiveness in Central and Eastern Europe.
The success of Polish cities
Among Polish cities, Krakow can boast the greatest success, ranking 31st in the city ranking with 55 meetings organized. This is an impressive improvement over the previous year, when the capital of Małopolska ranked 42nd with 32 events. Krakow ranked just behind Istanbul (60 meetings) and ahead of Dublin (51 events), confirming the city’s growing importance on the international stage. Importantly, the differences between Krakow and cities such as Prague (28th place, 64 meetings) and Budapest (24th place, 67 meetings) are gradually decreasing.
The second Polish city on the list is Warsaw, which organized 33 meetings and tied for 48th place with such prestigious locations as Chicago and Edinburgh.
The UIA ranking also includes other Polish cities: Gdańsk (13 meetings), Wrocław (9), Poznań (7), Katowice (5), and Łódź (5). This proves the even development of conference potential in different parts of the country.
Smaller towns that also appeared in the ranking are also noteworthy: two meetings were recorded in Lublin, Białystok, Kościelisko, Sopot, and Bystra, while one meeting took place in cities such as Bydgoszcz, Cieszyn, Gdynia, Kielce, Krzyżowa, Łomża, and Szczyrk. This shows that Poland is not only developing large conference centers, but also promoting local initiatives for international events.
Poland’s rise to 21st place in the UIA 2024 global ranking and the significant increase in the number of events organized in Krakow, Warsaw, and other cities are a clear sign of our country’s growing role as an attractive conference center. The strengthening of Poland’s position in the prestigious UIA ranking confirms the effectiveness of activities promoting Poland on the international arena and the high quality of infrastructure, services, and facilities for the meetings sector. This bodes well for the further development of business tourism and international scientific, economic, and social cooperation.
UIA report methodology
In order for an event to be included in the UIA statistics, it must meet specific conditions: it must last at least three days, have more than 300 participants, participants must come from at least five countries, and at least 40% of them must be foreign guests. The UIA database currently contains over 571,000 registered meetings that meet these criteria, making the ranking one of the most reliable analytical tools in the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) industry.
The Union of International Associations is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit organization based in Brussels, founded in 1907. Its goal is to document the activities of international organizations and support them through research, publications, and educational initiatives. The UIA maintains one of the most comprehensive databases of non-governmental organizations and conferences in the world, providing reliable and detailed information on international events.
The UIA conducts analyses and statistics related to the activities of international associations, and its annual report is one of the key benchmarking tools in the global meetings and events industry.
The Polish Tourist Organization, through the activities of the Poland Convention Bureau, is the only Polish member of the UIA. The Poland Convention Bureau uses the organization’s resources to promote Poland as an attractive destination for international meetings.
Source: International Meetings Statistics Report / Photo: Freepik
