London has again been named as the top European city for meetings in event technology specialist Cvent’s annual listings for both destinations and hotels.
It is the third consecutive year that the UK capital has claimed top spot in the rankings, which are compiled from sourcing activity through the Cvent Supplier Network. London was also the top European city in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
Cvent said the top three cities “remained consistent” year-on-year with Barcelona and Madrid retaining second and third place respectively. The list was released at the IMEX Frankfurt trade show on Tuesday (20 May).
Meanwhile, Amsterdam climbed two places from the 2024 rankings to secure fourth place, followed by Lisbon, Paris, Berlin and Rome.
There were also two new entries into Cvent’s top 10 this year: Prague in ninth place and Dublin (10th position), which displaced the German cities of Frankfurt and Munich.
Fiona Plumpton, head of London Convention Bureau Services, said: “With the launch of London’s first growth plan, it is an exciting time to be doing business in the capital.
“The city is set for even greater innovation across the events sector – from new venues and hotels to unique experiences. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Cvent and proudly championing London on the global business tourism stage.”
Imperial Riding School in Vienna, which is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, was named as the top meeting hotel in Europe.
Torre Melina and the Catalunya Congress & Convention Centre in Barcelona secured second spot, followed by Prague Marriott Hotel, Renaissance Barcelona Fira Hotel and Dorothea Hotel in Budapest, which is also an Autograph Collection property.
Cvent said the expanded criteria for this year’s hotels section included RFP (request for proposal) growth and response time for the first time.
Outside Europe, Orlando in Florida was the top meetings destination in North America, ahead of Las Vegas and Chicago, while the other regional winners were Singapore (Asia Pacific), Dubai (Middle East and Africa) and Cancun (Latin America and Caribbean).