The latest ICCA GlobeWatch: Business Analytics – Country & City Rankings 2024 offers valuable insight into Poland’s standing within the global association meetings market. Poland secured the 19th position in the world, once again placing the country firmly within the global Top 20.
These results reflect the collaborative efforts of Poland Convention Bureau – Polish Tourism Organisation, local convention bureaux, venues, and industry stakeholders. Their ongoing work in reporting to ICCA and positioning Poland as a serious player on the international stage continues to yield strong outcomes.
This year’s result follows Poland’s 17th place in 2023 and 23rd place in 2022, highlighting a consistent upward trend and reinforcing Poland’s growing reputation as a competitive and attractive destination for international association meetings.
In the European ranking, Poland ranked 12th, with a total of 191 qualifying meetings held in 2024 across various destinations.
Key Polish Cities in the ICCA City Rankings:
- Warsaw hosted 62 international association meetings, ranking 21st in Europe and 31st globally.
- Kraków organized 49 meetings, securing 26th place in Europe and joint 42nd globally, alongside Edinburgh.
- Wrocław made its appearance in the rankings with 18 meetings, placing 81st in Europe (tied with Nantes and Bruges) and 135th worldwide.
- Gdańsk hosted 14 qualifying meetings, achieving 98th place in Europe (on par with Leipzig, Malmö, Cologne, Dubrovnik, and Stavanger) and 167th globally.
- Poznań rounds out Poland’s Top 5, with 10 meetings, placing 125th in Europe (tied with Cambridge, Galway, Bonn, and Bari) and 232nd in the global ranking.
Other Polish Cities Featured in the ICCA 2024 Rankings
In addition to the top five cities, several other Polish destinations hosted international association meetings in 2024 and were included in the ICCA report:
- Katowice and Łódź: Each hosted 6 meetings, ranking 167th in Europe and 323rd globally, alongside cities such as Girona, Hannover, Limerick, Liège, Siena, and Nancy.
- Lublin: With 5 meetings, it ranked 190th in Europe and 367th globally, together with destinations including Davos, Bled, Bristol, Olomouc, and Salamanca.
- Kielce: 3 meetings
- Kościelisko: 3 meetings
- Pruszków: 3 meetings
- Zamość: 2 meetings
- Białystok: 2 meetings
- Bydgoszcz: 2 meetings
- Zakopane: 2 meetings
- Krzyżowa: 1 meeting
- Krynica: 1 meeting
- Opole: 1 meeting
- Serock: 1 meeting
- Szczecin: 1 meeting
- Zamość: 1 meeting
Poland’s position among the top twenty countries globally and the top fifteen in Europe indicates the country’s strong presence in the international meetings market. Although Warsaw and Kraków are the main hubs, the fact that other cities also host international events demonstrates the potential for regional development in the industry. For B2B entities in Poland, this data confirms that the international association meetings market in the country is active and constitutes an important business segment.
Understanding that most meetings are medium-sized events (150–999 participants) can help better tailor venues, services and marketing strategies. Polish cities and regions, like other destinations, can use these meetings to build long-term legacies, support local innovation and attract investment, going beyond just the direct economic impact.
Discover more: The City of Poznań and Poznan Event Hub to Host the ICCA Central European Chapter Meeting 2025.
ICCA Ranking Criteria: What Qualifies an Association Meeting?
The ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) rankings are based exclusively on international association meetings that meet three specific criteria:
- The meeting must be recurrent and held regularly (e.g., annual, biennial).
- It must attract a minimum of 50 participants.
- It must rotate between at least three countries.
This means that conferences that have already been held in Poland are unlikely to return in the near future, and the pool of associations that decide to hold their meetings in our country changes every year.
About ICCA
ICCA is one of the oldest meeting industry associations operating in almost 100 countries around the world, representing more than 1100 companies and organisations involved in the preparation and coordination of meetings, transport and accommodation. For more than 50 years, it has been collecting and analysing data as well as creating communication channels for international business meetings.
ICCA serves as a global knowledge hub and connector for the association meetings community, facilitating data-driven strategies and fostering international collaboration.
City of Poznań and Poznan Congress Center to Host ICCA Central European Chapter Meeting 2025
Poland’s Role in ICCA
The Polish Tourism Organisation has been a member of ICCA since 2002, coinciding with the establishment of the Poland Convention Bureau. As part of its mandate, the Poland Convention Bureau is responsible for annually reporting qualifying international association meetings held in Poland. This contribution helps ensure that Poland remains accurately represented in global rankings and benchmarking efforts.
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