Geneva Tourism has drawn a positive balance of congresses in 2022 with a strong increase compared to pre-pandemic times. Altogether, the 27 congresses acquired by the Geneva Convention Bureau have attracted some 35,000 participants. The economic impact for 2022 amounts to CHF 79.5 million, an increase of 49 per cent compared to 2019. To celebrate this success, the Geneva Convention Bureau organised an Ambassadors’ Dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel on 31 January. On this occasion, four honorary prizes were awarded to personalities working in the association and congress sector.

“Congresses are an important part of our business, and the return of these events confirms the importance and added value of face-to-face meetings,” says Adrien Genier, Director General of Geneva Tourism & Convention Bureau. “These events benefit all of the destination’s partners with a local impact, whether they are Geneva’s restaurateurs, producers and winegrowers, or partners in tourism and trade.”

Aside from the economic impact, holding such events in Geneva has helped the city regain its pre-pandemic momentum, while fostering the development of important collaborations between the 39 international organisations, the 430 NGOs and local institutions such as Geneva Hospital Universities (HUG), Campus Biotech, University of Geneva, EPFL, etcetera – a momentum that benefits all tourism stakeholders.

Ranking of the 12 most important conferences in Geneva in 2022
  • EBACE 2022 – European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition
  • AEPC 2022 – Annual Meeting of the Association for European Paediatric & Congenital Cardiology
  • Les Assises Européennes de la Transition Energétique 2022
  • IFRC 2022 – Statutory meeting
  • EEC 2022 – European Epilepsy Congress
  • INTECOL 2022 – International Congress of Ecology
  • ICCN 2022 – International Congress of Clinical Neurophysiology
  • FIDIC 2022 – FIDIC Global Infrastructure Conference
  • FDI World Dental Federation – AG-Congress 2022
  • EAO 2022 – Annual Meeting of the European Association for Osseointegration
  • First Global Challenge 2022
  • UICC 2022 – World Cancer Congress
Presentation of Awards 

For the Ambassadors’ Dinner on 31 January 2023, the Geneva Convention Bureau awarded four prizes to those who contributed to the acquisition or organisation of congresses in 2021 and 2022:

  • The 2022 Honorary Prize was awarded to Professor Margitta Seeck (HUG) for having organised two major congresses in 2022 on neurophysiology: International Congress of Clinical Neurophysiology (ICCN) and European Epilepsy Congress (EEC).
  • The Prize for the most impactful congress in 2022 was awarded to Philippe Brégaint, CEO of the European Association for Osseointegration (EAO), for the organisation of their annual meeting. The holding of this event in Geneva has given rise to an online educational platform on osseointegration.
  • The 2021 Honorary Prize was awarded to the Société Francophone d’Arthroscopie (SFA) for the organisation of their annual congress. This prize rewards the commitment made during the pandemic to maintain events despite financial risks.
  • The 2021 Hybrid Congress Prize was awarded to the National Centre of Competence in Research SwissMAP, and in particular to Patricia Parraga, member of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the organisation of the Congress of the International Association of Mathematical Physics – YRS & ICMP 2021. This award recognises the first hybrid congress to take place in Geneva during the pandemic.

Alain Pittet, Director of the Geneva Convention Bureau warmly thanked “all the people who worked to ensure that Geneva [remained] the destination of choice for so many European and international associations for their congress, even during the pandemic.”

Geneva, a safe and cosmopolitan city

Geneva hosts numerous congresses and events, in particular for scientific and medical associations, and benefits from significant advantages for that reason. Philippe Brégaint, CEO of EAO, explained the reasons behind their choice: “We organised our first face-to-face conference after two years of virtual-only events. By selecting Geneva, we chose a central, easily accessible, secure, and international destination. These elements contributed to the success of the congress.” In the words of Irina Sailer, member of the Board of Directors, “choosing Geneva [meant] choosing a place where people from all over the world come together to share their knowledge and improve existing practices, in our case, those relating to osseointegration and dental implants.”

Professor Margitta Seeck, President of ICCN 2022 and Co-President of EEC 2022, agreed: “Geneva offers an excellent mix between a big and a small city offering excellent facilities – from the large congress centre located close to the airport and the train station to efficient public transport, in addition to the support provided by the Geneva Convention Bureau.”