Meet feast

By A.B.

WHAT better way to start the week than with a ranking of meeting places? Today's stats come from the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), which reports each year where the world's bigger meetings have been held. Specifically it counts meetings organised by its members that a) rotate between at least three countries, b) attract at least 50 participants and c) are held with a certain frequency. The ICCA counted more than 10,000 such gatherings in 2011 (an increase of over 800 on the 2010 figure), and the US was the most popular location, hosting 759 of them. Germany. Spain, Britain, France and Italy round out a not-very-surprising top six that is exactly the same as it was in 2010.

There's a bit more to see over at the city rankings, where Vienna holds onto first place, Paris and Barcelona, in second and third, swap their 2010 positions, and no American city makes it into the top 20. London claims the biggest-climber prize, jumping from 14^th in 2010 to seventh. The ICAA attributes this to the 2012 Olympics, though the city's mayor, Boris Johnson, might try to take some of the credit, having ordered a review of the city's performance in the business-travel sector after it came 19th in 2009. The city is aiming for fifth spot in the 2012 rankings according to its promotion agency, thanks to the drawing power of events such as the queen's diamond-jubilee celebrations and the Olympics.

The 2011 city rankings 1. Vienna - 181 meetings 2. Paris - 174 3. Barcelona - 150 4. Berlin - 147 5. Singapore - 142 6. Madrid - 130 7. London - 115 8. Amsterdam - 114 9. Istanbul - 113 10. Beijing - 111

The 2011 country rankings 1. USA - 759 2. Germany - 577 3. Spain - 463 4. UK - 434 5. France - 428 6. Italy - 363 7. Brazil - 304 8. China - 302 9. Netherlands - 291 10. Austria - 267