Italy’s Conference and Events Sector Surges Into a Powerful New Phase as Rome Industry Forum Highlights EUR 13.2 Billion Economic Contribution, 6.4% Growth and Future Tourism Opportunities

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The Confindustria Conference Centre in Rome recently became the venue for a major industry discussion titled “The Value of the Meetings Industry: Interpreting the Future Through OICE Data.” Organised by Federcongressi&eventi, Italy’s leading association representing the conference and business events sector, the event examined the latest developments, economic contribution and future direction of Italy’s meetings tourism market. The discussion highlighted that the sector generated a significant direct economic impact of EUR 13.2 billion in 2025, confirming the growing importance of business events within Italy’s tourism ecosystem.

The findings presented at the conference showed that Italy’s meetings industry is entering a new phase of stability and transformation. Despite ongoing global challenges linked to economic uncertainty, geopolitical developments and social changes, the sector achieved a strong recovery trajectory between 2022 and 2025, recording an average annual compound growth rate of 6.4%.

According to the Italian Survey of Conferences and Events (OICE), promoted by Federcongressi&eventi and carried out by the Graduate School of Economics and International Relations of Università Cattolica – ASERI, Italy hosted 365,789 events in 2025. These events attracted 28.6 million delegates and generated a total attendance of more than 43.2 million participants, demonstrating the resilience and scale of the country’s business events industry.

The data confirms that Italy’s meetings sector has evolved into a mature yet rapidly changing market. Conferences, conventions, meetings and incentive programmes are becoming increasingly important tools for destinations and businesses seeking to create stronger economic and social value. Organisers and clients are now focusing more on innovative event concepts, personalised experiences, improved operational models and the integration of alternative venues beyond traditional conference facilities.

One of the most notable trends has been the rising popularity of unconventional event locations. These unique venues are increasingly attracting organisers looking for distinctive experiences that combine business objectives with cultural, historical and experiential elements. Between 2014 and 2025, the number of events hosted in unconventional venues increased at a compound annual growth rate of 6.6%.

The growth of these alternative spaces accelerated significantly after the pandemic. Since 2022, unconventional venues have recorded an average annual increase of 12.5%, reflecting a broader shift in how companies and organisations design business events. Modern delegates are seeking more engaging environments, while event planners are prioritising creativity, flexibility and memorable experiences.

Italy’s meetings industry is therefore moving beyond traditional conference models and embracing a future driven by innovation, experience-based formats and strategic value creation. The latest OICE findings underline the sector’s ability to adapt to changing market expectations while continuing to strengthen Italy’s position as a leading destination for international conferences and business tourism.

Federcongressi&eventi President Gabriella Gentile commented: “Ours is a
strategic sector, which requires ongoing dialogue with institutions focused ondeveloping shared strategies. This is not only in order to secure the financial support
needed to guarantee Italy’s international competitiveness as a conference and events
destination, but also to create the conditions that enable the meetings industry to
realise its full potential in terms of economic growth, the promotion of local
destinations, reducing tourism seasonality, developing high-quality tourism and
promoting the Italy brand and its artistic, natural and industrial heritage”.

Italian Conference Tourism Shows Strong Business Demand and Growing International Appeal

According to the Italian Survey of Conferences and Events, Italy’s conference and business events sector continues to demonstrate resilience despite stricter budget controls. Corporate meetings remain the leading segment, accounting for 61.4% of all events, while the association market is gaining momentum and now represents 24.4% of events, highlighting a broader diversification within the sector.

The origin of event participants has also shifted. National events declined from 39.4% in 2024 to 32.3% in 2025, while locally focused events increased significantly, rising from 47.2% to 54.8%. International conferences continued to maintain a strong position, representing 12.9% of events in 2025. Although slightly lower than the 13.4% recorded in 2024, international events remained well above the 9.8% level registered in 2019, confirming Italy’s growing importance as a global meetings destination.

Regional distribution continues to highlight the dominance of Northern Italy, which hosts 53.4% of the country’s event venues and welcomed 59.1% of all conferences and events. The region recorded a 1.8% increase compared with 2024, strengthening its position as Italy’s main business tourism hub. Central Italy accounted for 23.7% of events, followed by Southern Italy with 10.9% and the Islands with 6.3%.

In terms of venues, hotels equipped with meeting facilities remain the preferred choice for organisers. These properties hosted 76.6% of total events, attracting 50.8% of participants and generating 51.1% of overall attendance. Meanwhile, conference centres and trade fair venues, which play a key role in attracting large-scale international congresses and major business gatherings, represented 2.3% of events but accounted for 11.6% of participants and 15.4% of total attendance.

“Following the post-pandemic recovery and rebound” said Roberto Nelli, lecturer
in marketing at Università Cattolica and scientific head of the research, “Italy’s
meetings industry entered a new phase of equilibrium, with more international events
and meetings of a shorter average duration but with a higher average number of
participants compared to 2019. In 2025 events lasting more than one day attracted
attendance of around 30 million, accounting for 10.4% of total overnight hotel stays
in Italy, with an overall average per-capita spend of EUR 312, 3.7% higher than in
2024”.

Investment priorities within the sector have increasingly centred on workforce development and the improvement of physical spaces. Venues have identified staff training and the renovation of facilities as the main areas requiring investment, highlighting the growing importance of skilled professionals and high-quality experiences in strengthening competitiveness.

Federcongressi&eventi

Founded in 2004, Federcongressi&eventi is Italy’s national non-profit association representing public and private organisations involved in the meetings, conferences and events industry. The organisation brings together both commercial and non-commercial entities operating across a wide range of sectors, including conferences, conventions, accredited and non-accredited professional education, destination management companies (DMCs), incentive travel, communication services and broader event-related activities.

Members of Federcongressi&eventi are organised into three main categories based on their core business activities: destinations and venues, conference and event organisers, and service providers and consultancy companies. Through collaboration, knowledge sharing and industry representation, the association supports the development and growth of Italy’s meetings and events sector.

Federcongressi&eventi is also affiliated with Federturismo Confindustria, the Italian federation representing tourism businesses and organisations, strengthening its role in promoting innovation, competitiveness and sustainable growth within the national travel and tourism ecosystem.