Luxembourg has been chosen as the European regional centre for the 59th congress of the International Convention and Congress Association (ICCA), to be held from 1 to 3 November 2020.
This selection was based on Luxembourg's reputation as a reference destination in the segment of professional events and its ability to quickly adapt to health requirements and the new expectations of conference organisers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
ICCA is the leading global association for the international meetings industry and specialises in the international association meetings industry. Luxembourg has four ICCA members: the European Convention Center Luxembourg (ECCL), Luxexpo the Box, Emotion and Luxembourg Convention Bureau GIE (LCB).
Previous editions of the ICCA congress were held in one place, but in the context of the pandemic, the ICCA is reinventing itself and making its congress hybrid. For the 2020 edition, six regional hubs around the world will allow participants to connect virtually or attend in person. This year's annual gathering is considered to be particularly important as the industry faces many new challenges.
Lex Delles, Luxembourg's Minister for Tourism and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, highlighted that “we are repositioning Luxembourg as a business event destination. The 59th ICCA congress will thus make it possible to highlight Luxembourg's potential as a benchmark destination in the professional events segment and thus develop the government's priority economic sectors. With a multilingual and multicultural environment, quality infrastructures, a strategic position at the heart of Europe and innovative economic sectors, Luxembourg has all the assets to appear on the map of international congress organisers. The organisation of this hybrid event of such a scale perfectly meets the new standards in the organization of professional events allowing to strengthen the image and the visibility of the Grand Duchy at the international level”.
Lydie Polfer, Mayor of the City of Luxembourg, added: “Hosting a conference of such international scope consolidates our city's positioning in terms of the best destinations for the organisation of professional events. The ICCA congress next November will also be essential for the economic promotion of our capital and it is therefore important to us to introduce participants to the different facets of our city, particularly those related to sustainable development, smart city projects and innovation in general".
François Lafont, CEO of LCB, emphasised that “hosting an event such as the hub of this 59th ICCA Congress in November, here in Luxembourg, is a real honour for the destination, but it is also a great recognition for the work undertaken by partners working in the Business Event sector. Our 140 members have worked to make the destination as safe as possible, working in solidarity and collectively, they have been able to adapt, innovate and convince”.
At the national level, the event will be organised by the LCB, in collaboration with the Luxembourg government and the City of Luxembourg. International participants from the United Kingdom, the Nordic countries as well as neighbouring countries are expected. The congress will be held at the European Convention Center Luxembourg in Kirchberg and about 150 participants are expected.
