Conference Cambridge, the official free venue-finding service for Cambridge University and the Colleges, has unveiled an international campaign that will raise further awareness of the City’s venues and facilities on the global stage.
Central to the strategy is Conference Cambridge becoming a member of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) which provides opportunities to promote directly to the global association meetings industry, as well as opening up networking channels to do business worldwide.
Conference Cambridge is also working closely with VisitEngland which provides financial support from the Regional Growth Fund for a range of international marketing activities. Plans are already in place to exhibit at IMEX America this October and IMEX Frankfurt in 2014.
Conference Cambridge takes over 2700 enquiries a year for events of all types and throughout 2013 a number of organisations have held, or are holding, international conferences in the City including: The Transplant Society, The Ordnance Survey, The British Society of Aesthetics, The European Finance Association, European Association of Psychosomatic Medicine and the Association of Paediatric Anaesthetists/European Society for Paediatric Anaesthesiology, contributing approximately £2.6m* to the local economy.
Kelly Vickers, Manager at Conference Cambridge said: “We know from attending international exhibitions in the past that there is great interest and potential; our new marketing campaign has been created to draw upon Cambridge’s global brand and our reputation for prestigious events by attracting more international business to the City, which in turn contributes positively to the local economy. In addition, new routes at Cambridge Airport – Amsterdam, Paris, Milan and Geneva - offer an exciting travel gateway, making the City very accessible for overseas delegates.
“Over the last two years, Cambridge’s popularity ranking as a destination for international association meetings within Europe has leapt up, moving from 78th in 2011 to 56th in 2012. The 2012 ICCA Country and City Rankings report also lists Cambridge as the fifth in the UK based on the number of international association events hosted in the city.”
Conference Cambridge is the official free venue finding service for Cambridge University and the Colleges. Established in 1998, it represents 36 venues including 28 Cambridge Colleges, as well as University sites, Faculty buildings, Cambridge University Press and the Møller Centre. A total of 550 function rooms and 6500 bedrooms are available.
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