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INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS IN 1993
by Ghislaine de Coninck INTRODUCTION
For the past 45 years, the Union of International Associations has undertaken, for the benefit of its members, statistical studies on the international meetings that took place worldwide in the preceding year.
The statistics are based on information collected by the UAI Congress Department and selected according to very strict criteria maintained over several years, this enabling meaningful comparison.
Meetings taken into consideration include those organized and/or sponsored by the international organizations which appear in the "Yearbook of International Organizations" and in the "International Congress Calendar", i.e. : the sittings of their principal organs, congresses, conventions, symposia, regional sessions grouping several countries, as well as some national meetings with international participation organized by national branches of international associations. Under this last category are included meetings which are not collected systematically but which have been brought to our knowledge and which meet the following criteria :
Excluded from the UAI figures are : purely national meetings as well as those of an essential religious, didactic, political, commercial, sporting nature such as religious gatherings, courses, party conferences, fairs, sales meeting, contest etc... Also excluded are: meetings strictly limited in participation such as committees, group of experts etc... most of these being held at an intergovernmental level and taking place mainly at the headquarters of the large IGO's in New York, Geneva, Rome, Brussels, Vienna...
This is an indicative survey made compiled from results of research by the UAI Congress Department and using the information currently available information from international organizations selected according similar criteria.
GENERAL PICTURE
The 1993 figures show a slight increase in the number of international meetings organized worldwide in 170 different countries
More than 8,800 international meetings have been taken into consideration in this survey in accordance with the criteria described above. This figure represents approximately 82 % of the total number of meetings included in our "congress" data bank for 1993.
The developments which occurred in 1993 are illustrated in the tables below. In each table, international meetings organized/sponsored by international organizations and national meetings with large international participation are indicated separately.
Compared with 1992, the overall increase registered in 1993 amounts to + 2.20 %. If only the number of meetings organized by international association are compared than this figure reaches + 3.52%, with - 1.32% for national meetings with international participation.
Compared with the figures of 1991 the overall increase is + 7.60% and vis-…-vis 1990: + 3.64%.
An upward trend is recorded worldwide except in Europe and South America. This may be explained logically by the reduced number of meetings which took place in Spain and in Brazil; as one will remember these two countries experienced a very busy 1992 due respectively to, on one hand the organization of the Olympic Games and on the other hand the Earth Summit.
By comparing Tables 1 and 2, one can discover the various levels of change which occurred in 1993.
The figures in Table 3 show that, despite the fact that the majority of meetings recorded in this survey took place in Europe, their number is slowly decreasing, ie 59.76% against 61.42% in 1992 and 62.30% in 1991.
TABLE 1: Worldwide breakdown of the variations registered in 1993 versus 1992
TABLE 2: Worldwide breakdown of the variations registered in 1993 versus 1991
TABLE 3: Worldwide breakdown of the total number of international meetings in 1993
The - or + sign indicates changes with respect to 1992.
TABLE 4: Variation in 1993 versus 1992 - Continent by Continent
BREAKDOWN BY COUNTRY
An analysis of the most active host countries is indicated in Table 5 below.
TABLE 5: Leading countries hosting international organization meetings in 1993. % of the worldwide total
One should note that in this table the countries are listed with regard to the number of International association meetings registered in each one. As far as the "Total" figures are concerned, the classification is of course different. The sign + and - opposite each figure indicates changes with respect to 1992.
With regard to international association meetings the 4 top countries remain the same ie : USA, France, United Kingdom and Germany.
The USA is increasing its leadership, 8.76% of the worldwide total. Italy comes in the fifth place followed in order by : Belgium, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Hungary, Norway, India, Australia and Poland.
Despite the fact that they are not mentioned in this table the following countries occupy a significant place in the worldwide ranking : Portugal, Greece, Russia, China, Mexico, Brazil, Singapore, Israel, Hong Kong, Czech Rep., Thailand, Argentina, Turkey, South Africa, Korea Rep, Malaysia, Ireland and Egypt.
The greatest increase has taking place in United Kingdom, Poland, USA, Russia, South Africa, Korea Rep., Hungary, Norway, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, Austria and Italy.
With regard to the total number of meetings of international organizations plus the national meetings with large international participation, the ranking is slightly different : Numbers one to five are the same : USA, France, UK, Germany, Italy followed in order by : Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Hungary, Norway, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, India, Poland, China, Russia, Portugal, Mexico, Greece, Israel, Brazil, Argentina, Czech Rep., Korea Rep, Thailand, Turkey, Malaysia, South Africa, Egypt and Ireland.
New comers in this table are : Russia, Turkey and South Africa.
LEADING CITIES
The leading cities are indicated in Table 6 below.
TABLE 6: Leading cities hosting international organization meetings in 1993. % of the worldwide total
*As far as the "Total" figures are concerned, the classification is of course different.Please note again, that the ranking is different if one considers only the international association meetings or the total ranking. In 1993, the top ten cities share 17.14% of the world total against 19% in 1992 and 21% in 1991. This result shows clearly that the number of congress cities is getting larger from year to year. The analysis of this table shows that the percentage of the worldwide market occupied by particular cities is moving in a variable manner. Paris is slightly decreasing its leading place with now a share of 4.02% of the worldmarket but still a very long way ahead of other cities in order : Brussels, Wien, London, Geneva, Berlin, Kobenhavn, Budapest, Roma, Washington, Tokyo, Barcelona, Strasbourg, Singapore, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Stockholm, New York, Madrid, Helsinki. The following cities are improving their places in this international association classification : Geneva, Berlin, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kobenhavn, Budapest, Tokyo, Roma, New York, Stockholm and Seoul.
Other cities occupying a significant place in this table are, in order : Lisboa, New Delhi, Warzsawa, Bangkok, Beijing, Seoul, Moskva, Oslo, Antwerpen, Athinai, Montreal, Jerusalem, Praha, Kuala Lumpur, Nairobi...
With regard to the total number of meetings the ranking is as follows: Paris, London, Brussels, Wien, Geneva, Berlin, Singapore, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Kobenhavn, Budapest, Washington, Strasbourg, Tokyo, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, New York, Stockholm, Seoul.
Not appearing in the table but also ranked highly are the following : Beijing, Helsinki, Lisboa, New Delhi, Montreal, Munich, Bangkok, Warszawa, Oslo, Antwerpen, Jerusalem, San Francisco, Buenos Aires, Moskva, Den Haag, Chicago, Praha, Maastricht, Kuala Lumpur, Toronto, Orlando, Athinai, Nairobi.
BREAKDOWN BY CONTINENTS/REGIONS
** AFRICA **
The situation in Africa is showing a noticeable increase in 1993 :
South Africa is now the predominant african country with 11.43% (5.51% in 1992), directly followed by : Egypt 10.41%; Kenya 9.41%; Tunisia 6.50%; Morocco 6.27%; Zimbabwe and Nigeria 4.70%; Ivory Coast 4.48%.
As indicated above the highest increase has taken place in South Africa + 7.26%. The highest ranking cities are : Nairobi, Cairo, Tunis, Abidjan, Harare, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Dakar and Rabat.
In North America (USA, Canada, Mexico), the increase experienced in 1992 has further progressed + 0.61% on the worldwide scale;
The increase is due mainly to the higher number of international meetings organized/sponsored by international organizations; respectively :
As in previous years, one wishes to stress again the fact that the meetings taken into consideration in the survey are primarily those organized/sponsored by international nongovernmental organizations; it is a well known fact that the number of large national meetings with international participation organized in N.America is much higher that the figures mentioned in this analysis (especially in the USA); the survey of this specific market is not within the scope of activities of the UAI.
On a worldwide basis the USA is keeping its leadership with an increasing 15.00% share of the world total against 11.38% in 1992 and 10.70% in 1991. Canada which had gone up in 1992 is remained at the same level in 1993.
Leading cities, on the overall table, in N.America are in order of importance: Washington, New York, Montreal, San Francisco, Chicago, Toronto, Orlando, Mexico City, San Diego, New Orleans, Atlanta, Vancouver.
The situation here is slightly down; as explained above, this situation is most probably due to the fact that in 1992 a very large number of meetings were organized in Brazil on the occasion of the Earth Summit. The share of this continent on the worldwide scale is 5.44%.
Brazil is the leading country in the area with a 17 % share (25% in 1992); it is followed by Argentina15.65% (12.80% in 1992); Chile 7.09%; Colombia 6.05%; Costa Rica 5.84%; Venezuela and Cuba 5.63%. Leading cities are in order of importance : Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Santiago, San Jos‚, La Habana, Rio de Janeiro and Caracas.
The increase in the number of meetings in this part of the world is as follows :
Asia is always the third area in importance in the world, behind Europe and North America.
Increases have been registered in Korea Rep, China, Israel, Hong Kong, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Bangladesh and Singapore.
It is interesting to note again that countries showing an increase had a reverse situation in 1992 and vice versa. Japan is prominent in the area with a 23.02% (24.36% in 1992) share of the Asian market; it occupies the 11th place on the world ranking Japan is followed by Singapore 10.19%; Hong Kong 9.49% (8.45% in 1992); India 9.22%; China 8.26% (6.97% in 1992); Israel 7.29 (5.89%in 1992); Korea Rep.5.97%; Thailand 5.36%; Malaysia 4.74%.
Leading cities are in order of importance : Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, New Delhi, Bangkok, Jerusalem, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Kyoto.
This area is partly recovering from the loss experienced in 1992
The leading cities are in order of importance : Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth.
As indicated on Table 1, in Europe a slight decrease is recorded further to an impressive "high" in 1992.
One should however note that the number of international association meetings is going up :
The overall percentage of international meetings taking place in Europe is decreasing: 59.76% against 61.42% in 1992 and 62.3% in 1991. Of these 47.32% were organized by international associations.
France is second in the world and keeps the leading place in Europe with respectively 8.45% of the worldwide total (9.14% in 1992 and 9.25% in 1991) and 14.13% of the European market.
France is followed by United Kingdom with 10.88%; Germany 10.26%; Spain 7.86%; Netherlands 7.17%; Italy 6.77%; Belgium 6.09%; Switzerland 5.11%; Austria 4.60%;
As indicated earlier, the highest increase took place in United Kingdom, recuperating part of the 1992 market loss. The most significant decrease in Europe took place in Spain for reasons explained above.
The development experienced during recent years in Eastern European countries is still following an upward trend.
Countries having increased their share are indicated on Table with the sign "+".
In the overall Table, leading cities in Europe are in order of importance : Paris, London, Brussels, Wien, Geneva, Berlin, Amsterdam, Kobenhavn, Budapest, Strasbourg, Roma, Barcelona, Madrid, Stockholm, Helsinki, Lisboa, Munchen, Warszawa, Oslo...
BREAKDOWN BY CITIES
As indicated above, the overall classification of cities within the various continents/regions is as follows :
PARTICIPANTS
The analysis of information related to the number of delegates attending these meetings confirms the existing trend, ie. a majority of meeting with participants below 1000:
EXHIBITIONS
The number of exhibitions organized jointly with international meetings analyzed in this survey amounts to 12.41%, ie less than in 1992 but higher than in 1991.
MONTHLY BREAKDOWN
The monthly breakdown does not show much change and is as follows :
CONCLUSION AND FUTURE TRENDS
As indicated at the beginning of this analysis, the number of international meetings organized worldwide shows a slight increase during the year 1993.
From an analysis of the various tables published above, it appears that the increase is more significant in the number of meetings organized/ sponsored by international associations.
As far as the duration of meetings is concerned, we do not have any analysis allowing us to prove firmly that the duration of meetings has gone down; however, when applying our criteria for the selection of national meetings with international participation, we had to exclude a large proportion of these meetings due mainly to the fact that the 3 days limit fixed in our criteria, was not reached. This confirms our feeling that there is a certain tendency to concentrate the work into a shorter period of time.
Based on the information so far gathered to-day, trends for future years are good and at this stage the upward trend seems likely to go on.
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