Record-Breaking Meeting Destination

New records for meetings and induced economic impact

In 2025, a total of 7,196 congresses and corporate meetings took place in Meeting Destination Vienna, inducing an economic impact of EUR 1.7bn. The benefits were felt nationwide through EUR 348m in tax revenues and 19,300 jobs. Sixty of the meetings had more than 1,000 participants. The European Congress of Radiology (ECR), the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), the General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), ViennaUP' 2025, EuroPerio11 and the Congress of the European Renal Association (ERA) brought seven large-scale gatherings to the capital, each of which attracted over 10,000 participants. For meeting visitors, the average length of stay was 4.4 bednights (average Vienna visitor: 2.3). In 2025, the Vienna Convention Bureau acquired around 100 congresses and corporate meetings with a combined total of 125,000 participants.

Vienna Meeting Fund Turbo-Charges Acquisitions

For its third iteration, the Vienna Meeting Fund was extended for another four years – covering the 2025-2028 period – and endowed with an additional EUR 4m. Allocated a total of EUR 12m since its launch, and a success from the outset, this Vienna Tourist Board funding program supports international and domestic event organizers. Since the project’s introduction in 2021, nearly 1,300 funding applications have been submitted – of these, the Vienna Convention Bureau approved funding for around 900 congresses and corporate meetings.

Top Rankings Worldwide

Published in 2026, the 2025 the Union of International Associations (UIA) ranked Vienna in first place and the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) statistics awarded Vienna fourth place worldwide in the same year.

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Case Video Meeting Destination Vienna "Meet us in the extraordinary"

“Legacy Projects” Grow, Population Benefits

Local residents, businesses and the research community are increasingly feeling the benefits brought about by Meeting Destination Vienna. Event organizers use the term "legacy" to describe their ambitions in this area. After all, the ability to provide a specific offering as a destination also delivers a clear competitive advantage.

In partnership with the Vienna Convention Bureau, the European Renal Association (ERA) used its 62nd Annual Congress in Vienna to raise awareness of kidney health and put prevention front and center. As part of the Kidney School Project, a group of nephrologists visited Viennese schools, explained how kidneys work and why they matter, inspiring the children to create artworks that later went on display at the congress. At the same time, a mobile screening truck offered free health checks to the general public. These initiatives highlighted the ERA’s strong commitment to education and prevention – and demonstrated how international congresses in Vienna can create meaningful impact far beyond the conference venue.

In a similar spirit, the ESA Living Planet Symposium brought together more than 6,900 participants to discuss key topics in Earth observation and environmental science. Organized by the European Space Agency (ESA), the event made space research accessible to everyone through a three-day open-air festival in the heart of the city – a collaboration between UIV Urban Innovation Vienna GmbH and the Vienna Geospace Hub. In parallel, the LPS School Lab gave over 2,000 Austrian students a hands-on introduction to space-related and environmental topics.

Further information on the Vienna Meeting Fund as well as the full 2025 Vienna Meeting Industry Report is available at https://meeting.vienna.info/en.