Great news! For the sixth year in a row, Montréal has topped the Union of International Associations (UIA) annual list of top cities in the Americas for hosting international association meetings. Montréal’s leading edge keeps the city in first place among some major event host destinations in Canada, such as Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto, and internationally, such as New York, Washington, Chicago and more.
In partnership with the Palais des congrès de Montréal, we’re incredibly proud to be — once again — recognized by the UIA.
Part of a notable history
Since its founding in 1907 by ground-breaking information science researcher Paul Otlet and Nobel Peace Prize winner Henri La Fontaine, the Union of International Association has tracked the meetings and activities of international associations. They’ve also played an important role in keeping international associations connected and collaborating.
The union is a non-profit, non-governmental research institute and documentation centre based in Brussels, Belgium. It operates under a United Nations mandate.
Montréal makes events easy
Montréal is excited to be the backdrop for your big event. This year, we’ve already hosted some massive meetings and events, including the World Summit AI Americas 2023, the Virtuoso Symposium and the 2023 World Irish Dancing Championships. Check out our hit list here!
Why event professionals choose Montréal
Why is Montréal consistently at the top of the UIA’s list? Here are five reasons why the world keeps selecting Montréal as their destination for meetings and events.
- Montréal’s convention centre (the Palais des congrès de Montréal) is anything but conventional. One of the greatest things about the Palais is its location downtown, in the heart of the action. More than 16,000 hotel rooms are located within a 10-minute walk, including approximately 5,000 rooms that are directly accessible by the famous Underground City.
- A major research hub in AI, engineering, clean technology and neuroscience, Montréal is the perfect home base for conferences and meetings on the cutting edge. And better yet, we connect you with local luminaries to ensure that your attendees get to network with the city’s best and brightest.
- Montréal’s unique je ne sais quoi stretches beyond our picturesque attractions and envious cuisine scene. We’re also immensely creative. An initiative following the city’s official designation as an UNESCO City of Design, the local Smart and Digital City office keeps Montréal at the forefront of innovative city living.
- We’re home to YUL Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, an international air transport hub with direct service to 150 worldwide destinations. The airport’s YUL Express service also ensures your in-person attendees will experience smooth sailing.
- Montréal has great venues. The city is home to memorable event spaces, both outdoors and in, historical and cutting-edge. And did we mention that we’re affordable? Yes, we’re easy to look at and economically friendly. Talk about a dream date!
Read this next: Our guide to hosting sustainable events
