Madrid is to host the ESMO Congress again in 2017

The city of Madrid will once again play host to the ESMO International Congress. After holding its event in the Spanish capital in 2014, the European Society for Medical Oncology has confirmed that it will return to Madrid for its annual congress in 2017. Madrid has been selected as the destination due to its infrastructures and meeting tourism services.

In addition to contributing to publicising Madrid worldwide as a leading destination for holding professional gatherings and increasing its flow of visitors, this type of congress has a significant economic impact on the capital. In this respect, the last ESMO, held in September, brought 20,000 delegates (80% foreign) to Madrid. They purchased more than 75,000 overnight stays in hotels and generated an estimated income of more than 20 million euros for Madrid's economy.

What organisers value most about Madrid

Obtaining the largest number of participants ever, with 23% more attendees than expected, Madrid's air connectivity, the professionalism and quality of Madrid suppliers and satisfaction with the 2014 congress venue, IFEMA, were all key factors in Madrid being selected once again as a setting for this gathering. Further to these considerations, there was also the excellent welcome from the Madrid tourism sector and the cultural and entertainment options offered by the capital. This combination of features has also been highly valued by other large organizations from the medical, scientific and technological sectors, which have held their congresses in the capital.

The fact these organisations consider Madrid a leading destination for holding their congresses acts as a magnet, which leads other associations in their sectors to decide to hold their gatherings in Madrid for the first time and/or return for subsequent events.

In the case of ESMO 2014, the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) played a vital role as a strategic local partner. The holding of that congress was associated with a further two medical events that took place: the SEOM symposium and the congress of the Spanish Group of Cancer Patients (GEPAC), in addition to a publicity campaign called "Talking about Cancer in Madrid".

World ATM Congress

The ESMO congress is not the only event of its type to reselect Madrid as its host city. In 2013 and 2014, the capital hosted the World ATM Congress, an air navigation sector event organised by CANSO and ATCA, which had more than 6,000 attendees last year and which was held in the capital once again on 10 and 12 March this year. What is more, its organisers have already announced that this event will take place in Madrid in 2016 and 2017.

In economic terms, ESMO 2014 and the World ATM Congress combined led to more than 95,000 overnight stays in hotels and an economic impact of 26 million euros.

Madrid, a leader in organising large congresses The meeting tourism sector in Madrid is currently experiencing one of its finest hours. Madrid has an internationally consolidated image as a modern, cutting-edge city, with competitive infrastructures and an excellent range of highly professional local suppliers. These are some of the qualities that make Madrid especially attractive for large conferences and that have placed the capital in second position in world congress tourism, according to the ICCA Rankings.

Organisers of large international congresses are increasingly choosing Madrid as the location for their events. The Tourism Department of municipal company Madrid Destino, through the Madrid Convention Bureau, is responsible for promoting Madrid as a destination for meeting tourism, for attracting associative and corporate events and for offering guidance to institutions, organizations, and associations seeking to hold their meetings in Madrid.

It performs this task with the collaboration of nearly 200 partner companies and this has made it possible to attract major congresses to the capital, as in the case of ESMO, the World Congress of Asthma 2016 (2,000 delegates), the World Transplant Congress 2018 (5,000 delegates) and the European Society for Sexual Medicine Congress 2018 (2,000 delegates).