A survey by the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau confirms the appeal of the French capital For the fifth consecutive year, the Bureau has carried out a survey on congress activity in Paris and the Paris region. Features of this analysis.

Diversity of some 200 congress sites

In 2009, Paris welcomed on average 78 congresses per month and on average 757 participants per event at some 200 sites
The percentage of congresses taking place in meeting rooms (15% in 2009) has increased regularly since 2007 (+5 points) to the detriment of those held at scientific establishments (-6 points). Congress centres have gained 2 points in 3 years.

A mainly national rotation, of « large congresses» and of « regular » congresses

In 2009, there were more nationally rotating congresses (82 %) than internationally rotating congresses. Nevertheless, the fact that they were held in Paris gave them greater visibility.
Also of note, the important number of events with more than 5,000 participants: 19 in 2009, they comprised of 30% of congress attendees.
77% of congresses in 2009 were “regular”. This particularity represents an important base of economic activity for the capital and all the more so as 2009 turned out to be difficult for tourism in general and business tourism in particular.

8 % of business overnights

Congress attendee overnights in Parisian hotels, totalling 1.2 million, accounted for 8% of business overnights which accounted for 43% of global overnights in 2009.

More congresses

930 congresses were held in Paris in 2009, 30 more congresses than in 2008. Medical congresses, 48% of congresses in 2009, have regularly increased in number: +5 points in 3 years.

More participants

Although having a different structure to other years (the number of nationally rotating congresses was greater than in other years), congress activity in 2009 in Paris and the Paris region held up very well in a period when business overnights saw a general drop of 4%.

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