ICCA’s Destination Performance Index 2021 has ranked shown an improved ranking for Manchester as an international association meetings host.
Manchester is now ranked 75th globally and 3rd in the UK. This compares to Manchester ranking 82nd and 4th respectively in ICCA’s pre-Covid 2020 report based on 2019 data.
ICCA rankings are used as an industry benchmark by destinations, associations, and events planners across the world with cities being positioned based on how many international meetings and conferences they held in the previous year.
How it works
The new Destination Performance Index now consists of six performance indicators that count not only the number of planned in-person meetings that went ahead in 2021, but also meetings that were successfully won but affected by Covid a destination’s policies, as well as virtual meetings and hybrid meetings to create a new aggregated ranking.
The aim of the new ranking system is to level the playing field globally by rewarding the effort by destinations with regard to original bids, adaptability, and technological capabilities to convert on-site events to virtual or hybrid.
Shaun Hinds, chief executive at Manchester Central, added “This is very welcome news and is testament to the commitment of ‘team Manchester’ in supporting the business events sector during incredibly challenging times.
“Embracing the city’s digital strengths to facilitate virtual and hybrid meetings, along with a drive to bring people together again as soon as it was safe to do so, has seen Manchester cement itself as a progressive destination that pulls together to achieve success for the events it welcomes.”
