Lyon has made a name for itself as one of Europe’s top conference destinations, combining location, scientific excellence and a strong commitment to sustainability. With a tradition of hospitality, a diverse range of venues and a robust innovation incubator, the city has been making waves as a stage for association events, while also standing out for its collaborative approach to urban development.

Capital of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Lyon is a city that preserves a typically French art of living, combined with a centuries-old tradition of hospitality. As early as the 15th century, it became an important European trading hub due to its strategic location at the crossroads between northern and southern Europe. Its central geographical position is a major advantage for bringing together European participants, with optimised travel times thanks to high-speed TGV rail links and air service via Saint-Exupéry Airport. Lyon's reputation as a tourist destination is built on its world-renowned gastronomy and its architectural heritage, which spans 2,000 years of history and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. "As a medium-sized city, everything is within walking distance. The city offers several venues for hosting events of different sizes. The Lyon Convention Centre stands out for its location between the Parc de la Tête d'Or and the Rhône River in the 6th arrondissement. It is a state-of-the-art facility, certified by the ISO 20121 standard for sustainable event management," says Valérie Ducaud, Managing Director at ONLYLYON Tourisme et Congrès.

Lyon is one of France's leading cities in the conference and events sector. With a diversified economy across several competitive clusters, a strong industrial base, and a high concentration of research centres, hospitals, universities and biotech companies, it has many assets that favour these sectors. “To attract association events, cities need to have local members,” she says. "Lyon is fertile ground in scientific and economic terms, which has allowed us to maintain second place in France in the ICCA ranking for years. Our priority sectors improve our economic activity and allow us to create synergies with the university. This is a great asset for creating scientific and medical content at a conference.” One of the innovation hubs is Lyonbiopôle, specialised in life sciences and biotechnology, which plays a particularly strong role in the field of association-led conferences. It accounts for more than half of the congresses organised in the region. “This sector has received special attention, as association events also serve to highlight advances in research, providing an opportunity to make certain content more accessible in order to share data with the general public and improve quality of life,” adds Ducaud.
 

Musée des Confluences © Quentin Lafont

In terms of urban transformation, major events required the expansion of Lyon Part-Dieu railway station, completed in 2025, to accommodate more passengers. The renovation of the airport with the creation of a new terminal, as well as the opening of new high-end hotels, were also part of this development. “We work with 150 local partners, including major event venues such as the Cité Centre de Congrès, the Eurexpo exhibition centre, the Halle Tony Garnier, universities, hotels, PCOs, restaurants and transport providers.” The hotel offering in metropolitan Lyon in 2024 was about 19,200 hotel rooms reaching almost 9.56 million in the metropolitan area. In 2023, the city of Lyon hosted around 220 events, an increase of 4.8% compared to the previous year. “We have developed a tool that allows us to launch hotel room tenders for large events. The tool compiles offers from each hotel, categorising them by type for a given event, quickly and efficiently. We also carried out a qualitative study with industry stakeholders (clients, hotels, venues) to better understand the purchasing behaviour of event attendees, as well as their expectations regarding the growing bleisure trend” adds Ducaud.

Since 2007, ONLYLYON has brought together thousands of local and international ambassadors to help promote Lyon in France and around the world through their activities. "We regularly organise events that bring together local members of international associations to get to know them better, as the timeline between bidding and hosting an event can be quite long. These gatherings create momentum among active local ambassadors and those aspiring to submit a bid," explains Ducaud. “These are small events held throughout the year, sometimes alongside cultural events such as the Nuits de Fourvière.” Once a year, the Lyon Metropole organises an evening event dedicated to local congress ambassadors to honour them for their involvement in their fields of expertise and for the recognition gained through the congress.
 

Convention Center © J.leone

The Lyon Metropolitan Area was the first French metropolitan authority to develop a sustainable tourism development plan, based on collaborative work that began in 2020 with industry stakeholders. “This development plan, which runs until 2026, sets out the strategic priorities for consolidating Lyon's position as a leading destination for responsible tourism in four main areas: strengthening a resilient and balanced destination; supporting tourism-related employment; accelerating the transition to more environmentally responsible practices; and ensuring inclusive, participatory and respectful tourism in both the leisure and business segments.” OnlyLyon Tourisme et Congrès has supported this transition by financing 80% of the costs of eco-certification for hotels to help them adopt sustainable practices. As a result, the DMO achieved the ISO 20121 certification in 2021, as did its main event venues. “Our Bureau has also created a guide to help event organisers plan events with a positive impact in Lyon. This document assists them in implementing concrete actions using local service providers who follow a responsible approach,” explains Ducaud. Thus, Lyon has risen to 8th place worldwide in the GDS-Index 2025 – the highest-ranked city in France this year.
 

"As a major economic hub focused on finance, life sciences, and chemicals, Lyon has the second largest capacity in France, after Paris, both in terms of venue size and hotel capacity."

In this regard, the role that business events and association conferences play in the flow of visitors to the French city is critical. "As a major economic centre focused on finance, life sciences, industry and chemicals, 65% of daily hotel rates come from business travellers. Lyon has the second largest capacity in France for hosting events, after Paris, both in terms of venue size and hotel capacity," she says. Between 15 and 20% of participants take advantage of these events to stay longer in the region. Lyon is less affected by seasonality compared to destinations more focused on leisure tourism, although there are peaks in activity from September to December and in spring until the end of July. In September 2024, Lyon hosted the 47th WorldSkills International Competition, whose mission was to showcase a wide range of professions through a contest aimed at participants under the age of 26 from around the world. “WorldSkills was a perfect case of an event that left its mark on our team and destination, as part of a national and local strategy. It was an opportunity to raise awareness among young people in the region and to give them a concrete overview of the career opportunities available in this sector as well.” Welcoming 1,500 competitors from 70 countries, WorldSkills Lyon was much more than a competition, leaving a lasting and tangible legacy by supporting long-term projects and initiatives.
 

Riverbank overlooking th Grand Hôtel Dieu ©Tristan Deschamps
 

On the other hand, Europe is currently experiencing a period of inflation that is impacting the sector, forcing customers to seek cost optimisation. Although these geopolitical tensions are not currently noticeable in this part of Europe, they remain a source of concern. “Given the time lag between submitting a proposal and actually holding a conference, the geopolitical context may change, putting decision-makers in a position that requires foresight. In this sense, associations need to be reassured and supported by host destinations on issues relating to participant safety,” asserts Ducaud. Furthermore, DMOs are increasingly using data-driven approaches to improve visitor experiences and facilitate the involvement of local communities. “We conducted a qualitative study with industry stakeholders (clients, hotels, venues) to better understand the purchasing behaviour of event participants, as well as their expectations regarding the growing trend of bleisure in recent years.’ This approach enabled it to improve its welcome package – including welcome and directional signage at strategic points throughout the city – with prior communication about local tourist and cultural offerings during the event dates. “The goal is to encourage participants to plan an extended stay before or after the conference,” she says.

Widely dissected by HQ, the EU CVB Network brings together a group of second-tier European cities based on a common foundation: destinations that were hosting the same conferences just a few years apart. Why shouldn't we share our knowledge and best practices on conferences?" asks Ducaud. Today, the alliance offers associations a portfolio of eclectic destinations, each offering personalised service and a wealth of shared expertise. “The Network is a great example of cooperation based on trust, sharing experiences and case studies. This will help us improve conference organisation, benefiting both member cities and associations,” she concludes.
 

Events in Lyon to keep an eye on:

• the International Mass Spectrometry Conference (IMSC) 2026;
• the International Congress of the European Academy of Paediatrics & the European Society for Paediatric Research (EAP-ESPR) 2026;
• the Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) Conference 2026 (check out the interview with the organising association in the latest HQ Magazine #123);
• the 7th World Congress of International Dermoscopy Society 2027;
• the European Social Science History Conference (ESSHC) 2027.

Published by Meeting Media Company, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

The EU CVB Network welcomed 25 association representatives to a networking lunch in Brussels, continuing its tradition of fostering meaningful conversations with the international and European association community.

The lunch was held at Entropy, a fully plant-based restaurant led by Chef Elliott Van de Velde, Young Chef of the Year 2025 in Brussels, and chemist Adeline Barras. Entropy also serves as the gastronomic side and financial support of the non-profit Hearth Project, dedicated to fighting food waste and cooking for people in need. Guests enjoyed a seasonal, thoughtfully designed menu that reflected both the sustainable philosophy of the restaurant and the EU CVB Network’s shared commitment to responsible event practices.

The event provided an informal setting for open exchange between association representatives and members of the EU CVB Network.

“What I really valued about the EU CVB Network lunch was the opportunity to meet several destinations at the same time, in a relaxed and informal setting. It was a time efficient way to be introduced to potential destinations for upcoming conferences,’’ said Dagmar de Graef, European Scientific Working Group on Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses.

“The EU CVB lunch was a great opportunity to connect with association peers and learn about what the group of convention bureaux can help associations with.,’ said Nadège Mandie, from Eurelectric.
 

EU CVB Network: “We are About Connections, Benchmarks and Exchanges!”

Commenting on the event, Maaike Hamann, on behalf of the EU CVB Network, said: “Our annual events are an opportunity to build relationships and have open conversations with our association partners. Hosting this year’s lunch in Brussels at Entropy allowed us to pair meaningful dialogue with a celebration of sustainability and innovation, values that resonate across our network and with our association partners.”

The EU CVB Network is a collaborative alliance of eight European convention bureaux representing Florence, Gothenburg, Ljubljana, Lyon, Porto, Rotterdam, Salzburg and Valencia. Together, these cities offer associations coordinated access to eight meetings destinations, united by shared values around sustainability, innovation and personal engagement.

The Brussels event follows other successful networking events in cities such as Porto, London, and Geneva, and they have become a core part of the EU CVB Network’s engagement with association representatives.
 

EU CVB Network Strengthens Connections with London-Based Associations
 

Published by Meeting Media Company, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

Widely recognised as one of the most charming European tourist hubs, Salzburg is much more than an idyllic film set or a stop-off point for classical music aficionados. Its human capital, built infrastructure and knowledge centres have led to pioneering achievements in culture, medicine, social sciences and technology. But what exactly makes this city stand out in an increasingly competitive market?

Austria’s fourth largest city is not only the birthplace of Mozart or the setting for the Sound of Music, attracting filmmakers and musicians from all over the world to its Alpine setting. The old town is a treasure trove that seems to have come out of a fairytale, full of buildings from the Middle Ages, Romanesque and Baroque, testimony to the passage of time in a UNESCO World Heritage city. Beyond all this cultural heritage, Salzburg has also become a popular destination for congresses, conferences, events and incentives in recent years. This is echoed by current figures with around 5,700 events with almost 300,000 participants in 2023 alone – an increase of 37% compared to pre-pandemic results – placing the metropolitan area as the second most popular meeting destination in Austria. “The main advantages of Salzburg are the mix of urban city and nature in the surrounding Alps. Of course, the short walking distance between venues and proximity to the airport are another advantage, so you can better invest that time and money,” says Elisabeth Kassanits-Pfoess, Senior Marketing Manager at the Salzburg Convention Bureau. With more than 40 years’ experience in the sector, this team of experts offer a personalised service guiding associations from the first contact to their arrival in the city.
 

EU CVB Network: “We are About Connections, Benchmarks and Exchanges!”

This compact dimension is also reflected in the collection of conference venues with excellent infrastructure, value-for-money accommodation and heritage spaces with a keen eye for detail. “Our list ranges from modern, well-equipped conference facilities such as the Salzburg Congress and the Messezentrum Salzburg Exhibition & Congress Center (MZS), social events in the unique, baroque atmosphere of the DomQuartier Salzburg - Residence Palace, to a more casual, traditional atmosphere in the authentic Stieglkeller. Of course, something really special is that our Opera houses, theatres and museums can be implemented as conference rooms as well, which gives a very special charm,” adds Kassanits-Pfoess. In the heart of the city, the Salzburg Congress is a multifunctional conference centre offering event space over five floors and up to 15 conference rooms of various sizes and degrees of transformability. The MZS, the largest multifunctional event venue in Salzburg, has 21 conference rooms with state-of-the-art equipment, ten halls of various types and sizes, as well as the Salzburgarena, which can accommodate a plenary hall up to 4,500 people. Finally, the city recently saw the opening of a new, modern conference centre called Zentrum für Visionen, with 4,200 m² of event space across six conference rooms. Within its offer, Salzburg also presents various social programmes to ensure the sustainability and cultural diversity of its hosted events. This can range from a Jodeling workshop where participants can perform breathing and posture exercises, to an environmentally friendly experience such as building your own bee house. Other classic activities include a private Mozart concert in his birthplace, or a trip back in time to the famous salt mines near the city that adds an extra slice of local heritage. “We even had the opportunity to build some solar panels at certain events, which were then donated to a village in a less developed country.”
 

As a medium-sized city, Salzburg has become increasingly important as a centre of knowledge and innovation, bringing together clusters of excellence and leading figures who play a decisive role as a convention venue. To this end, the Salzburg Convention Bureau carried out a study to find out which industries and scientific groups would feel particularly suited to the Austrian city’s ecosystem. In the medical sector, advances in the fields of robotic microsurgery, neonatal medicine or cancer research at the Paris Lodron Salzburg University leap to the fore, while the biological sciences sector underpinned by the establishment of pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology, medical technology and personalised medicine also excel. “In 2025, we have already hosted a number of international and European conferences, such as the 23rd International Electronics Recycling Congress or the Interventional Radiological Olbert Symposium. What is important to note is that many of the associations we have hosted in the past, ended up returning. Of course, we try to engage with our universities, hospitals and research centres to define the main focus of our events. By instance, the International Data Week in 2023 led to a study programme on data science at the University of Salzburg,” says Kassanits-Pfoess. One of the highlights of 2026 will be the 29th Meeting of the European Society for the Advancement of Cell Technology, which will be held from 7 to 10 June at the MZS. Meanwhile, the city has also won the international bid for the 16th World Congress of Paediatric Dermatology to be held in spring 2029.
 

"The character of our destination will steer the pace of your conference, giving you a touch of exclusivity and a unique experience."

Sustainability has been at the heart of the CVB’s concerns, so they have proceeded to certify a wide variety of venues with the national ‘green venue/meeting’ label. “We have a certified catering partner that offers high-quality cuisine with a local focus as well as free access to our transport network, where delegates are encouraged to choose green transport.” However, it is not just environmental sustainability that is key, but the influence a conference can have on local society. “We are encouraging clients to include new campaigns, such as a student day at universities, and attracting conferences in specific areas such as forestry, where partners in the region have developed a special reforestation programme for the region.” Social impact means a lot to this city, as proven by the Salzburg festival, which has been held for over 100 years, where experts from all over the world meet not only to enjoy the local culture, but also to collectively chart the future of musical sciences. “Together with the various stakeholders, we try to figure out what is valuable in order to give back to the city. This ranges from fundraising campaigns for research centres or even external partnerships for bachelor’s and master’s theses.” But this spirit of co-operation even goes beyond borders: “We are a proud member of the EU CVB network. It does not matter if it is with our hotels, venues or suppliers, or with our local scientists and doctors – together we can grow and generate great conferences,” concludes Kassanits-Pfoess.
 

Published by Meeting Media Company, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.

Among so many destination alliances and think tanks that bring together DMOs from all around the world, the EU CVB Network has stood the test of time by building trusting relationships with European associations. It all started in 2020 when a group of city convention bureaux decided to join forces to share knowledge, experiences and jointly promote their cities. All of these second-tier European cities, with the exception of the Slovenian capital, Florence, Gothenburg, Ljubljana, Lyon, Porto, Rotterdam, Salzburg and Valencia measure up in terms of size, capacity and knowledge centres. Last but not least, realising that they often competed for the same events, they asked themselves why not use these features to generate a positive impact on the eight cities and value for members and clients alike.

On the following pages, you will find our conversation with Elisabeth Kassanits- Pfoess, Senior Marketing Manager at Salzburg Convention Bureau, and Manuel Ferrís, Head of the Valencia Convention Bureau about, among other things, where competition ends and collaboration begins in this network.

How do you think this cooperation network can play in favour of a medium-sized European city in such a competitive international market?

Manuel Ferrís: In my opinion, it is not just a question of size. When you think about the whole idea of the network and its international position, it makes sense because we were spending a lot of money doing isolated activities at the same time. Most of our cities have limited budgets compared to other big players in the market, so we have to use it wisely. Instead of organising seven or eight different marketing campaigns, we start with just one and focus on its value and exposure. In terms of costs, we can even improve our own planning by investing that budget in association round tables for all of us, rather than spending the same amount on a single visit to Brussels for B2B meetings. Within this collaborative mindset, Porto will give us a platform to present ourselves as a destinations and network during the ICCA 2025 Congress. It could be interesting for associations to discover a different city in countries represented in their membership, and to rotate their conferences among us.
 

How has your destination capitalised on the business partnerships and different knowledge ecosystems of the EU CVB Network?

Elisabeth Kassanits-Pfoess: In Salzburg, our viewpoint goes in two directions. In the external view of the network, we try not only to link it to conferences, but also to offer a platform for central figures in our industry. For example, bridging the gap between a professor in Gothenburg and another in Salzburg to strengthen our knowledge transfer and generate new opportunities. During the pandemic, we held many online sessions and seminars with PCOs and European associations, which allowed us to benchmark safety and health protocols between us. On the internal side, I am increasingly convinced that our partners and venues are much more aware of the benefits of the network and the marketing campaigns and actions we have been running in their favour. Bringing in knowledge hubs and universities, as well as the main industrial players, makes it easier to support conferences in our cities.Thus, the value within the destination also grows.

"This one-stop-shop element is really interesting as a negotiating factor, as well as the crucial step in agreeing the best destination for an association."

How deep is this cooperation between you all? Have you ever recommended or even deferred embracing a conference in favour of another partner city?

MF: Imagine that your city, for some fortuitous reason, cannot host a conference, but it can be transferred to another city in the network. Why not share it? Within the network, you can facilitate the search for local agents with the manager of the association you are collaborating with and, at the same time, return business to your members. At some point, this would also be rewarded between the cities involved. For example, when we were working on the 2024 European Poultry Conference in Valencia, some other cities were considering bidding to host this conference in the future. So, Carlos Garcés Narro, President of the organising association, who is also an ambassador for Valencia, started acting as a representative for the other cities in the network too and introducing professionals from the cities to the right people, knowing how to draw up the bid proposal, etc.

Can you give me an example within your network of a joint application that has had a major impact on your destinations? What have been the main success stories so far?

EKP: We have not done any joint applications yet, but some associations have already approached us with their thre-eyear RFP, sharing it among the eight destinations. Many of us have already included that in the bidding information, promoting the rest of the partners and linking them to local associations or city DMCs. What we witnessed, is that some cities bidding for the same event ended up winning it in different years. In this way, Valencia would have a specific congress in 2025, while Salzburg would host it in 2027. This is a great advantage for the association because it already has to explain all the details or prerogatives to each of us during the call for applications. That is also why we only accept one city per country and prefer to spread it across different regions of Europe. This is to encourage and facilitate this rotation between us.
 

How have issues such as sustainability linked the network’s management in a joint awareness of projects for the future?

MF: Sustainability is on top of the agenda for all of our destinations. Amongst our cities, we have top positions in the Global Destination Sustainability Index, European Green Capitals, Capitals of Smart Tourism, and ISO 20121-certified DMOs and venues, for example. Some also have strong impact and legacy frameworks in place. We all have a commitment to supporting conference organisers in developing more sustainable practices, and we inspire each other to improve. On the other hand, if we want to put this circular economy into practice, we have to incentivise investment. After all, if we want to invest in net-zero emission flights, we still have to get into aeroplanes, otherwise the airlines will go bankrupt. In Europe, sustainability is still a key factor and event planners remain very sensitive to these issues.

"The good thing about this network is that when a destination has a good player in a specific topic, say sustainability, this has a positive impact on the whole network."

How do you see the role of business events and association conferences within your destination’s visitation goals?

EKP: Salzburg was already well known as a tourist city. However, we see an increasing annual percentage of events, especially scientific conferences. In that sense, I do not think we will return to online events. We are currently working on a major national project to score the financial value and the non-tangible impact of business events that have bypassed our industry. So, I am pleased to see the appetite for this segment, even assuming that it will never be bigger than our leisure tourism segment. Knowing that our local sector resonates abroad also helps us to sustain our added tourism value. We are known in the city for Mozart, for the film Sound of Music, for Red Bull, and all these brands and imageries also support us in creating a MICE storytelling.

MF: For us in Valencia, it is quite the opposite. Valencia was known from the start as a business city and only later developed its tourist profile. Now, this ratio is more balanced due to the impact of leisure tourism. In Spain, it is very difficult to know precisely what the impact of the MICE industry is on our city. We have to make a more accurate assessment of the data we collect, cross-reference different sources, and this usually leads to a leap of faith. For example, within the total number of meetings and events, you have a percentage of regional and national events that have moved outside the city area. We are currently working with an external company to check these reports and benchmark indicators. When we asked for rounded figures, they estimated an annual impact of 500 million euros for the city of Valencia and more than 600,000 delegates a year, well above our initial projection. The economic impact – number of overnight stays, cost of the venue, delegate expenses – is easier to measure. What is more complicated, especially in cities that suffer from a certain phobia of tourism, is proving the positive social impact with tangible figures and data. We cannot ignore the fact that if politicians are responsible for these decisions, it is the citizens who elect them.
 

In the next four issues of HQ this year, we will profile these eight destinations by taking a close look at their events ecosystem. Don’t miss out!