Poland is strengthening its position in the international association meetings market. In the latest ICCA Country & City Rankings 2025, the country ranked 18th worldwide and 11th in Europe, while Warsaw was listed among the world’s leading conference destinations.
Poland Moves Up in the ICCA 2025 Ranking
The latest ranking published by the International Congress and Convention Association confirms that Poland remains an important and increasingly recognised destination for international congresses and conferences. In 2025, Poland hosted 215 meetings that met ICCA criteria, 24 more than in the previous year. This result enabled Poland to move up one place in the global country ranking to 18th position and to maintain a strong position in Europe.
The ICCA report covers association meetings that are held on a regular basis, attract at least 50 participants from different countries and rotate between a minimum of three countries. It is one of the most important international rankings in the industry, used by convention bureaux, congress organisers, associations and representatives of the MICE sector to assess the potential of destinations.
Today, decisions made by congress organisers are influenced not only by conference infrastructure and transport accessibility, but also by expert resources, cooperation with local scientific and business communities, and the ability of cities to build long-term relationships with international associations.
Warsaw remains the highest-ranked Polish city. Poland’s capital recorded 75 international association meetings, 13 more than in the previous year, placing it 28th worldwide. This result strengthens Warsaw’s position as one of the most important congress hubs in Central and Eastern Europe.
Kraków, with 44 meetings, ranked 61st globally, remaining the second most important Polish city in the ICCA ranking.
Gdańsk recorded particularly dynamic growth, moving up as many as 70 places thanks to 28 meetings and reaching 97th position worldwide.
The ranking also included further Polish cities, demonstrating the growing diversification of the country’s congress offer. Poznań and Wrocław each recorded 19 meetings, Łódź – 9, Katowice – 6, and Gliwice – 2.
Białystok, Kielce, Rzeszów, Szczecin and Szczyrk were also included in the ranking, each having hosted one event that met ICCA criteria. The presence of an increasing number of Polish destinations in the international ranking is an important signal for the market: Poland’s congress potential is not limited solely to its largest metropolitan centres.
Polish cities in the ICCA ranking
- Warsaw – 75 meetings (+13), 28th worldwide (+3)
- Kraków – 44 meetings (-5), 61st worldwide (-19)
- Gdańsk – 28 meetings (+14), 97th worldwide (+70)
- Poznań / Wrocław – 19 meetings (Poznań +9, Wrocław +1), 141st worldwide (Poznań +91, Wrocław -6)
- Łódź – 9 meetings (+3), 280th worldwide (+43)
- Katowice – 6 meetings (+0), 369th worldwide (-36)
- Gliwice – 2 meetings (-), 683rd worldwide (-)
- Białystok, Kielce, Rzeszów, Szczecin, Szczyrk – 1 meeting, 939th worldwide
“As a long-standing promoter of Poland, I am very pleased that our country is consistently strengthening its position in the global meetings market, as confirmed by the latest ICCA ranking results. As an ICCA member since 2002, Poland Convention Bureau POT actively supports the development of the industry and the promotion of Poland as a destination for international events. Back in 2009, Poland ranked 29th in the world.
For several years, we have maintained a stable position in the global TOP 20, and the latest data shows further progress – Poland is now ranked 18th worldwide, strengthening its recognition and competitiveness on the international market. At the same time, a position within Europe’s top fifteen confirms the country’s strong presence in the world’s most competitive region for the meetings sector,” said Aneta Książek, Head of Poland Convention Bureau.
From the perspective of Poland Convention Bureau, a key message emerging from the ranking is that international events are increasingly being held not only in the two main destinations, but also in regional centres. This is clear evidence of the growing potential of the entire country and the result of long-term activities aimed at decentralising and professionalising the meetings market.
In summary, Poland is not only maintaining its strong position, but is also gradually increasing its share of the global market, building a sustainable ecosystem of conference destinations. This provides a solid foundation for further growth in the years ahead.
Report Results
Globally, the association meetings market remains dominated by Europe, where 53 per cent of all events included in the report took place. The next positions were held by the Asia-Pacific region, North America and South America. In 2025, ICCA analysed data relating to nearly 12,500 meetings worldwide. Expenditure connected with their organisation was estimated at USD 13.57 billion, confirming the importance of congresses and conferences not only for the meetings industry, but also for local economies.
Among countries, the United States retained first place with 792 meetings. It was followed by Italy, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Japan and France. In the city category, Lisbon became the leader, ahead of Paris, Barcelona and Vienna. Warsaw’s presence in the world’s top thirty shows that Polish destinations are successfully competing with established congress hubs.
Top twenty in the ICCA ranking – COUNTRIES
- USA (number of meetings in 2025 – 792)
- Italy (616)
- Germany (565)
- Spain (544)
- United Kingdom (507)
- Japan (491)
- France (476)
- Portugal (356)
- Netherlands (330)
- China (326)
- Canada (312)
- South Korea (286)
- Brazil (276)
- Australia / Belgium (241)
- Austria (239)
- Sweden (227)
- Poland (215)
- Denmark / Greece (204)
Top twenty in the ICCA ranking – CITIES
- Lisbon, Portugal (number of meetings in 2025 – 188)
- Paris, France (174)
- Barcelona, Spain (166)
- Vienna, Austria (159)
- Singapore, Singapore (156)
- Prague, Czech Republic (133)
- Copenhagen, Denmark (131)
- London, United Kingdom (124)
- Seoul, South Korea (121)
- Tokyo, Japan (119)
- Bangkok, Thailand (118)
- Berlin, Germany (112)
- Madrid, Spain (108)
- Brussels, Belgium (105)
- Hong Kong, China (102)
- Rome, Italy (101)
- Athens, Greece (100)
- Dublin, Ireland (95) / Istanbul, Turkey (95)
- Amsterdam, Netherlands (91) / Buenos Aires, Argentina (91)
