The number of conference and convention guests in Hamburg continues to grow. According to the most recent Conference and Convention Market Survey commissioned by the Hamburg Convention Bureau GmbH, the number of overnight stays attributable to meetings, incentives, conventions and events (MICE) increased from about 2.3 million in 2013 to approx. 3.0 million in 2016, with a potential monetary value added of more than 706.5 million euro.
The findings of the study confirm the important role of conferences and conventions: ever since the Hamburg Convention Bureau conducted its first Conference and Convention Market Survey in 2014, the share of MICE-induced overnight stays in Hamburg has increased by 700,000. While the city recorded some 2.3 million conference and convention participants in 2013, these figures have risen to just over 3.0 million in 2016. The share of total nights spent in Hamburg hotels increased from 21 percent in 2013 to 25 percent in 2016.
Michael Otremba, managing director of the Hamburg Convention Bureau GmbH, comments on the ongoing upward trend: “The fact that the conference and conventions segment plays an increasingly important role in Hamburg’s overall tourism sector is a positive development. The MICE segment not only adds monetary value to the city, it also contributes to further developing Hamburg in the areas of business, science and quality of life. Our local MICE industry is highly committed to strengthening Hamburg in close collaboration with the HCB. These figures demonstrate that this commitment is bearing fruit for our city.”
Last year, the number of business events increased from 57,000 to 64,000 compared with the same period of the preceding year. Some 1.8 million event participants were recorded in total. From among these, 19% came from abroad, which represents an increase of three percentage points compared with the previous year.
Overall, the potential monetary gross value created by MICE guests amounts to more than 706.5 million euro, which is spread across the hospitality, culture and leisure, and retail industries. In 2015, the potential value added was still at 659.4 million euro. When it comes to the country of origin – of both event participants in accommodation establishments and event organisers – the strongest source markets in 2016 were Great Britain, the Nordic countries, Switzerland, and the United States.
The top industries to hold events in Hamburg include financial services, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, medicine and medical technology, logistics and transport as well as media and publishing.
About the HCB’s Conference and Convention Market Survey
As part of the first study in 2014, dwif-Consulting GmbH was commissioned to conduct both quantitative surveys and in-depth expert interviews in Germany and other European countries. The first study phase comprised online surveys among accommodation establishments and meeting and event venues in Hamburg as well as agencies from relevant source markets. To calculate the economic effects of MICE guests, event participants were then interviewed on-site regarding their expenditures for the duration of their stay.
Follow-up surveys were conducted within the periods of September to November 2015, May to July 2016, as well as May to July 2017. Just like in the initial survey (2014), the 2015 survey on Hamburg’s conference and convention market was based on an online survey among accommodation establishments as well as meeting and event venues. In the 2016 and 2017 surveys, however, only accommodation establishments were included in the analysis.
