The Italian conference and event tourism sector is experiencing double-digit growth. This was announced by the Italian MICE industry association Federcongressi&eventi. According to the Italian Survey of Conferences and Events, the number of conferences and business events held in Italy in 2023 rose to 340,057, a 12% increase compared to 2022. The number of delegates reached 27,152,890, representing a 28% increase compared to 2022, while total attendance was 41,835,932, a 31.9% increase versus 2022.

Associations are returning to congresses

These positive figures indicate that, following the halt caused by the pandemic, companies are once again investing in events such as conventions, meetings, and product launches as marketing and retention tools. Associations, particularly in the medical-scientific field, are also returning to congresses as a means of spreading knowledge and promoting innovation.

Most events in Northern Italy

All main indicators show significant growth, with a 12% increase in conferences and events in 2023, three times the pre-COVID annual average of 4.1%. Particularly notable is the over 50% growth in attendance at multi-day events compared to 2022. Forecasts for the current year indicate further growth in both the number of events and revenues.
The majority of events were held in Northern Italy (59%), followed by Central Italy (24.7%), the South (10.2%), and the Islands (6.1%). Conference hotels were the most popular venue, hosting 77.8% of the events. Conference centres and trade fair venues saw the highest growth since 2022.

The majority of events were organised by companies (66.3%), while associations accounted for 22.3%. International and national events have resumed, though about half of the events remain local. These trends reflect the dynamic changes in the Italian meetings industry and highlight the regions’ increasing use of their cultural and economic strengths to boost business development.