This is the picture that emerges from the Italian Survey of Conferences and Events [Osservatorio Italiano dei Congressi e degli Eventi-OICE], the research promoted by the meetings industry association Federcongressi&eventi and conducted by the Graduate School of Economics and International Relations of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – ASERI.
All the main indicators therefore show double-digit growth, clearly indicating that, after the halt due to Covid19, companies have again started investing in events, such as conventions, meetings and product launches, viewing them as a marketing and retention tool; for their part, associations, in particular medical-scientific, have returned to congresses as a way of spreading and promoting knowledge and innovation. Forecasts for the current year are also positive, in terms of growth in both, the number of events and revenues.
“The Italian MICE industry is in good health and within this trend, we can see a phase of profound change in the meetings industry,” comments Federcongressi&eventi President Gabriella Gentile. “Events and conferences today are increasingly high quality and therefore require cutting-edge venues in terms of services and technology, along with trained and constantly updated staff. At the same time, large tourism flows and the consequent increase in hotel occupancy rates in destinations historically associated with MICE is prompting organisers to choose venues outside the more established circuits for events and conferences, thus promoting the off-season and the relocation of tourism.“
“The research results highlight two fundamental aspects of the Italian meetings industry: the development of conference and event venues, and the vibrancy of the regions.”
Most conferences and events in Italy are held in the North (59%), with conference hotels being the most popular venues, hosting 77.8% of total events. Companies organize the majority of these events (66.3%), followed by associations at 22.3%. With pandemic restrictions lifted, international and national events have resumed, though about half of the events remain local in scope.
Scientific Head of the Survey Roberto Nelli, lecturer in marketing at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore commented: “The research results highlight two fundamental aspects of the Italian meetings industry. First, the development of conference and event venues, which testifies to the process of change taking place within the structure of the offer, which is progressively reshaping itself to adapt to changing market demand. Secondly, the vibrancy of the regions, which are increasingly leveraging their cultural vocation. They are a clear sign of how much the meetings industry can contribute to the development of businesses from the perspective of the network economy.“
