Number One in Europe and Number Two worldwide: Congress and meetings destination Germany displays increasing levels of buoyancy, and achieves this major result for the fourth year in succession

Germany is European Market Leader when it comes to meetings and congresses. This has been confirmed once again by the current "International Association Meetings Market 2007" study released by the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA). Germany has achieved the lead position in Europe for the fourth year in succession and second place worldwide. Spain, in fifth place last year, has passed by England and France into third place.

German meetings industry representatives should not only be joyous about this continuity of excellent performance but also about their clear upwards trend: the gap between Germany and global leader U.S.A. has closed, whereas the distance between Germany and its other competitors has increased. And in the international city ranking: Berlin, last year at position number five, has taken a great leap forward to second place.

"This result has not come about by chance", comments Lutz P. Vogt, Managing Director of the GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. "It has been earned by the German meetings and congress branch as a whole for they have been continually developing offers and services while at the same time raising quality and standards." The GCB markets Germany both nationally and internationally as a destination for congresses, conferences, meetings, incentives and events and acts as a central point of contact or one-stop-shop for all clients planning meetings and events in Germany.

The annual ICCA "International Association Meetings Market" statistics present a comprehensive analysis of current trends and developments in the international meetings market. Association and federation congresses examined by ICCA have to have a minimum of 50 participants, be held on a regular basis and rotate between at least three countries. ICCA, founded in 1963, has its head office in Amsterdam and collates information since 1972 on association events worldwide.

"The ICCA results confirm the key messages of our "Meeting and EventBarometer 2008" study of the German events and meetings market. These will be presented during the course of our press conference at 12:30pm on Tuesday 22nd April 2008 at IMEX in Frankfurt" adds Lutz P. Vogt.

The comprehensive study carried out by the European Institute for the Meetings Sector (EITW) on behalf of the European Federation of Event Centres (EVVC), the German National Tourist Office (GNTO/DZT) and the German Convention Bureau (GCB) analyses this important economic segment, supplies up-to-date facts and figures and reveals forward-looking tendencies and trends.

The GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. markets Germany both nationally and internationally as a destination for congresses, meetings, events and incentives and acts as a central point of contact or one-stop-shop for all clients planning meetings and events in Germany.

Its 245 members include leading hotels, convention centres and destinations, car rental firms, event agencies and other service providers for the German meetings and conventions industry. GCB Preferred Partners are Maritim Hotels and Leipzig Tourism and Marketing GmbH.

The GCB acts as an interface between congress and conference organisers and German suppliers of congress and conference facilities and services. The GCB works closely with congress and conference organisers and provides assistance in choosing appropriate locations and finding the right contacts.

An online search tool for meeting capacities, an English Newsletter, a Germany guide and lots more is available at www.germany-meetings.com